The Only Cape Town Itinerary You’ll Ever Need: 1 Week in Capetown

I know naming this blog post “the only Cape Town Itinerary You’ll Ever Need” sounds really cocky, but that’s because I am. Well, I am about this itinerary atleast. This is because we accidentally planned out the best 1 week itinerary for Cape Town during our kitchen wine session over looking Table Mountain. There’s adventure, there’s wineries, there’s hiking, there’s beautiful views, and there’s (of course) PENGUINS. So let’s have at it:

Here is my 1 week Capetown Itinerary includes: Bo Kaap, V&A Waterfront, Muizenberg, Boulder Beach, Cape of Good Hope, Lions Head, Stallenbosch, Shark Diving, and Table Mountain.

Day 1: Bo Kaap & the V&A Waterfront

Seeing that Cape Town is pretty damn far from anywhere else in the world, my hunch is that you will be taking a red eye. So did we. Once we arrived in Cape Town, we checked into our awesome Airbnb overlooking Table Mountain. I highly recommend finding and booking this place or a place like it on Airbnb. There were plenty of highrises offering balcony views of Table Mountain (not to mention you can use my code to sign up for Airbnb and get $40 off). I can’t imagine staying somewhere that didn’t have this view.

Once we unpacked our stuff and got a little rest, we headed to the Bo-Kaap neighborhood of Cape Town. You’ve probably seen Bo-Kaap while scrolling through your Instagram feed. Envision a tall blonde girl eating an icecream cone while standing in front of brightly painted houses and probably a parked vintage car.

Although I saw these houses previously on social media, I had no idea of the history behind them. It turns out that the residents of Bo-Kaap are actually descendents of slaves that were imported there from various Asian and African countries. When the British seized Cape Town and religious freedom came about, the freed slaves formed this neighborhood. The brightly colored houses represent the district’s Muslim identity.

After we were done snapping a picture in front of (literally) every house, we headed to the V&A Waterfront for dinner. The V&A waterfront is on the shoreline by the bay harbor. It’s full of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and of course a ferris wheel. It’s the perfect place to start your trip off right with a nice dinner and a few bottles of wine. We ate at Sevruga Restaurant, which has variety of different food, from steak to sushi and dimsum.

Day 2: Muizenberg, Boulders Beach, Cape of Good Hope

On day 2 of the Cape Town itinerary, rent a car for the day to drive along the coast of South Africa. We had a late start to this since we discovered there weren’t any rentals in the city and had to rent from the airport instead (i.e. don’t be like us and rent a car ahead of time). Have fun picking a driver to drive on the other side of the road (obviously if you’re from the UK or Australia, you already have this down).

The first stop is Muizenberg, a beach-side suburb of Cape Town. The Muizenberg bath houses are one of the most photogenic parts of Cape Town. You probably know what they are: green, blue, yellow, and red shacks lining the sand. What you probably didn’t know, is that Muizenberg is considered to be the birthplace of surfing in South Africa.

Next is a highly anticipated stop, Boulders Beach. Also known as.. where the penguins are.

Once you get your penguin fix, head south to the Cape of Good Hope. I would recommend dressing warm and not wearing a hat (I was there in winter so it was cooler, but also very windy). My sunglasses blew right off my face. Most people think the Cape of Good Hope is the Southernmost tip of Africa. Aka I thought the Cape of Good Hope was the Southernmost tip of Africa. It’s not. The southernmost point is actually Cape Agulhas, which is ~90 miles from here (if you continue driving). The Cape of Good Hope is the most Southwestern tip of Africa though.

Bonus! We got to see Ostriches! and a rainbow too!

On the way back, you can also drive Chapman’s peak which is Cape Town’s most classic scenic drive. It’s been on dozens of car commercials (and for a reason).

If you have more sunlight than we did (and more time), here are a few other scenic drives you can add onto your trip.

We went back the same way, and hit up this tapas restaurant called Salt in Kalk Bay for dinner. I would recommend eating there if you go that way. It’s a cute rustic place on the water with a variety of tapas to explore.

Day 3: Lions Head Hike

On the morning of day 3, we had brunch at a place called Truth Coffee Roasting. I was really impressed by Cape Town’s restaurant scene, and this quirky cafe was one of my favorites. The menu was good, it had a weird steampunk theme, the service was impeccable and there was home-roasted coffee. There was also some champagne. 😉

That thing in the middle is some sort of pear dish, and one of the most delicious things that’s ever been in my mouth. I know it looks weird, but order it.

After we finished our meals, we headed to Lions Head. Lions Head is one of the most recognizable structures in Cape Town (along with Table Mountain of course). This is one of the most fun I’ve ever had on a hike. It’s shorter than most of the hikes I do, but it has a really cool “chain route” option with poles and chains fixed to the rocks. This makes it feel a little more like rock climbing than hiking. And then there’s the view. You can see everything from here, including Table Mountain, the ocean and the city below. You can take an Uber to the Lions Head parking lot and the hike only takes around 2 hours.

At night we headed to Long Street, which is the main bar/party scene in Cape Town. We started off by grabbing dinner at Beer House, and shortly moved onto the Waiting Room and the Dubliner. Be careful with your belongings on Long Street. We were fine, but we were warned a bunch of times about pickpockets here.

Day 4: Stellenbosch Wineries

On day 4, you’ll be heading to Stellenbosch. God this itinerary keeps getting better. Stellenbosch is a university town surrounded by vineyards and mountainous nature reserves. It’s absolutely beautiful, it has great food and wine, and it’s unbelievably cheap if you’re used to winery prices in the US.

We only visited two wineries: Peter Faulke wines and Hidden Valley. Both had tasty wine and amazing landscapes. At Peter Faulke, we had an outside table overlooking the vineyards where we we probably over stayed our welcome. It’s hard to leave a view like that.

After the wineries, we went to a well known steakhouse in Stellenbosch before heading back. It was called The Hussar Grill, and our host at Peter Faulke booked a reservation for us.

You can take an Uber here and back to Cape Town. Obviously you’re not driving.

If you want to visit additional wineries in Stellenbosch, here’s a good list.

Day 5: Shark Diving

Now, if you would like to rearrange this Cape Town itinerary so shark diving isn’t right after the wine tasting day, I would support that decision. I was very hungover while shark diving. My friends were very hungover while shark diving. Picture laying on the deck of a boat the day after drinking 30 bottles of wine, while getting knocked around by waves and patiently waiting for a bunch of sharks to show up so you can jump into a 10×2 metal cage. Anxiety through the roof.

Unfortunately, it probably won’t be up to you. The boats for shark diving can only go out when there is good weather. So if you book one day, it may change to another.

Sadly, the sharks didn’t show up for us that day. My moms probably happy abou that. Sometimes this happens, but you do recieve a voucher to go shark diving another time for free if they don’t show up. This just means I have to return to Cape Town (which I won’t mind at all). We booked with Sharklady Adventures.

Day 6: TABLE MOUNTAIN (FINALLY)

You probably think it’s ridiculous that I saved Table Mountain for the last day. I think it’s ridiculous too. But honestly, it ended up being the perfect ending to our time in Cape Town.

Table Mountain is Cape Town’s (and South Africa’s) most famous landmark. The flat topped mountain looms mysteriously over the city, often covered by low laying clouds. And now, it’s actually one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature.

To get to Table Mountain, you can hike to the top or take the cable car. I planned on hiking, but time really only allowed for the cable car. As you could imagine, the view from Table Mountain is incredible, especially if you visit around sunset. The area itself is also beautiful, covered in different flowers and plants. There is also a bar at the top if you want to get one last cheers in.

Our cable car on that last day down Table Mountain was something I will never forget. It was one of the best days of the whole trip. But, it wasn’t because I got the chance to see Table Mountain or the amazing view of Cape Town. It was more about the feeling I got while descending on the last cable car of the night, looking over all of the beautifully lit up buildings below. And then in that moment when Country Rods started playing, and everyone in the cable car joined in. And how, for a few minutes, we were all connected and the world felt small again. All of us from different countries, different religions, and different cultural backgrounds, all experiencing the same beautiful moment. This is why I travel.