- Robben Island - A must do activity. Book in advance and keep an eye on the weather forecast. Goes from the V&A Waterfront so good to combine with other Waterfront activities.
- Table Mountain - Start early and again keep an eye on the weather. Most people advise going in groups. There’s various different routes and a cable car for the less energetic.
- Waterfront - Busy, touristy, good for shopping, eating and drinking.
- Kirstenbosch - Botanical Gardens, nice walks, good for picnics. They have summer concerts there too.
- Beaches - Cape Town has some fantastic beaches, but it is worth bearing in mind that the sea temperature can vary drastically depending on which part of the city you are in! Long Beach, Noordhoek, Camps Bay and Hout Bay offer fantastic scenery, but as they are on the Atlantic Ocean the sea in freezing! For swimming, Muizenberg and Fishhoek are better options, and both sit on a stretch of coastline with lots of shops, bars and restaurants. Boulders Beach is also worth visiting as it is home to a colony of penguins.
- Live Sport - The Australia cricket team are touring SA from February to March in 2020 and there is a T20 international at Newlands on the 26th February. There is also a ODI at Paarl (about an hour's drive from Cape Town) on the 29th.
- Wine Tasting - it’s not a trip to Cape Town without some wine tasting! There are various wine farms in Constantia (including our wedding venue Silvermist) who all do tastings. Outside of Cape Town, there are excellent farms in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington, Robertson... it’s a good idea to do a tour so you don’t have to drive, we'd particularly recommend the Franschhoek wine tram and Wine Flies
- Breweries - there’s a big craft beer scene in Cape Town. Most bars are well stocked and Jack Black and Devil’s Peak both do tastings.
- Chapman's Peak - Beautiful, scenic mountain drive, with views around the coast.
- Seapoint - good for walks (and runs) along the promenade. Lots of activities for all ages, including bike and kayak rental and mini golf.
- Kalk Bay Harbour - lots of cool bars, restaurants, quirky shops, market stalls, and the harbour itself where you can watch the fishermen unloading their catch and the seals catching some rays!
- Cape Point - Good for walks and sightseeing, lots of nature
- Adrenaline Activities - Cape Town itself has zip lining and paragliding, head slightly further out and you’ll find shark cage diving and bungee jumping
- Markets - most touristy areas have markets where you can buy art, souvenirs and various knick knacks.
Places to eat/drink in Cape Town:
- Hussar's Grill - amazing steak, really good value, BYO
- Borusso's - amazing pizza, outdoor seating with nice vibes
- Lookout Deck - good seafood and sushi, right on Hout Bay harbour with great views and live music on Sundays.
- Ocean Basket - chain of restaurants offering fantastic seafood at a bargain price
- Cape Point Vineyards - great food market every Thursday evening
- Forries - pub with a nice vibe, family friendly, in house brewery and nice food
- Dunes - nice beachside restaurant in Hout Bay
- Peddlers - another nice bar/pub in Constantia
- Green Vine - restaurant at Silvermist wine estate (where we are getting married).
- Quay 4 - cool restaurant at the Waterfront
- Cape to Cuba - nice cocktail bar at Kalk Bay
- Blue Peter - nice restaurant on Bloubergstrand beach with spectacular views
Further afield:
- Safari - a bucket list activity for most visitors to SA, there is something for all budgets and time frames. Kruger is probably the best option if you want a really authentic safari experience (and are willing to pay for it), but there are alternatives closer to Cape Town. We've been to Aquila, which is about a 2 hour drive away. They do overnight packages which include accommodation, food and two game drives. It's a relaxing and enjoyable break, and the game reserve has all the 'big 5' animals but it's a bit more compact.
- Franschhoek - nice, old town in the Winelands, around 90 minutes drive from Cape Town. Home to the wine tram which is highly recommended
- Stellenbosch - trendy university town about an hours drive from Cape town. Loads of wine farms, but also cafes, boutiques, galleries, markets, restaurants and bars.
- Hermanus - a cute seaside town on the Indian Ocean, around 2 hours from Cape Town. It has some nice beaches and a typical seaside town vibe. Also good for wine tasting.
- Spice Route - a wine estate in Paarl (about an hour from Cape Town) which also hosts various other artisanal producers of beer, spirits, chocolate and ice cream who all do tastings, as well as various other shops and restaurants. We've never been but have heard it's worth a visit
- Shosholoza train - this is an overnight sleeper train that runs from Johannesburg to Cape Town and vice versa. It's kind of luxurious in that you get a private cabin to sleep in, dinner and breakfast served in the restaurant car, and can watch the world go by whilst sitting in the bar. It really is an incredible experience, even though it all feels a bit old fashioned. The delays are the stuff of legend - the train we took was about 5 hours late, and this was apparently a good day!