Cape Town, South Africa, is a destination that promises all travelers a treasure trove of experiences. Whether you’re a foodie, an adventurer, a nature lover, a history buff, or simply seeking relaxation, Cape Town has something special in store for you.
Safari Guru often includes the vibrant city of Cape Town on many of our customized Southern African safari itineraries, but planning your days in this energetic city is a thrilling journey in itself. In this blog, Safari Guru Allan provides all the insights and tips to ease your Cape Town holiday planning and make your Cape Town vacation unforgettable, including some commonly asked touring questions.
CAPE TOWN HOLIDAY PLANNING: WHEN TO VISIT
Cape Town enjoys a Mediterranean climate, making it a year-round destination. However, the best time to visit is during the southern hemisphere’s summer, from November to March. This season offers warm weather and long daylight hours, perfect for exploring the city’s outdoor attractions. The bonus is that these months often allow for lower safari costs, as they fall outside of high season in many safari regions offered by Safari Guru.
CAPE TOWN HOLIDAY PLANNING: GETTING AROUND
At Safari Guru, we’re often asked, “Should I hire a car in Cape Town?” Like our tailor-made safaris, there is NO ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer, so we’ll let you decide, but with a few more ideas at your disposal.
Having a hire car will undoubtedly give you more freedom of movement around Cape Town and the Winelands area.
Having said that, travel around Cape Town and the Winelands inevitably includes “wining and dining” at all the wonderful restaurants and tasting venues, so using a convenient Uber or pre-arranged private transfers is a no-brainer.
It’s also important to note that Uber in South Africa is significantly cheaper than in many large cities worldwide. Uber also provides a fantastic and honest source of income to thousands of individuals in South Africa.
Safari Guru’s top tip: Always hire an Uber Black when traveling in Cape Town, South Africa.
However, having a car during the day to visit some of the beautiful areas within Cape Town and the surrounding areas is a huge advantage and so much nicer than going on a “tour” as such, unless it’s a private tour booked with a knowledgeable Africa Travel Specialist.
Here are a few ideas for your lazy (or not so lazy) days pre or post your fantastic wildlife safari with Safari Guru.
CAPE TOWN HOLIDAY PLANNING: DAY TOURS
A trip around the Cape Peninsular is an absolute must when visiting Cape Town – and this can be done as a full-day tour – See Safari Guru’s Cape Point Tour, which offers a guided tour to all the highlights of this popular area. Drive time is close to four hours, so leave early and be prepared for an exciting yet full day on the road. You can choose your most exciting attractions along the way or stop randomly at pop-up markets along the coastline; fantastic crafts and artifacts are on offer, and supporting the artists is well worth it. Along the way, you will find many hotels, restaurants, and bars over and above the favorites, like Olympia Cafe in Kalk Bay.
Remember, most wineries also offer world-class eateries, so feel free to indulge in some of Africa’s best local cuisine.
Trip Plan: Full Day Cape Peninsular Trip
The Full Day Peninsular Trip is an incredible starter journey, and I recommend doing this first so that you get a better feel for Cape Town and the surrounding area. After that, you can make some smaller trips to specific places where you can spend more quality time and not feel like you are rushing around or missing anything.
Our second recommendation is a shorter journey past the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a shopping mecca, and the Oranjezicht City Farm Markets to experience some of the Cape’s vibrant culture. Your journey then takes you along the coastline, and you’ll enjoy the spectacular scenery of Cape Town’s rocky shores while visiting some of the world’s best beaches. End your day with well-earned sundowners at the Leopard Bar and Lounge of the 12 Apostles Hotel.
Trip Plan: Cape Coast Trip
A must-do attraction is the famous flat mountain that stands as guardian to the Mother City. It’s always best to start early in the morning at Table Mountain and Signal Hill and then go down to the colorful neighborhood of the Bo-Kaap, one of Cape Town’s most colorful and historically significant neighborhoods. Drive through the city and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Long Street and its multitude of restaurants before a short scenic drive to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and onwards to the Groot Constantia Vineyards, the oldest in South Africa.
La Colombe restaurant offers a fine dining experience like no other. If you decide to visit, we have added it to the trip plan; otherwise, a lunch at Groot Constantia Vineyards is also well worth it.
Trip Plan: Cape Town City Highlights Trip
Many visitors to Cape Town wish to see the Penguins at Boulders Beach in Simons Town, which is a wonderful experience and provides a great opportunity to wash the safari dust off your feet in the Cape’s icy ocean. It’s also worth walking around the quaint coastal village of Kalk Bay, and we highly recommend lunch at the Olympia Cafe. This journey also allows for a stop at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Top Tip: Lock your doors and keep your windows closed when parking in the Boulders area to keep your vehicle safe from the mischievous chacma baboons, also known as the Cape baboon.
Trip Plan: Penguins at Boulders Beach Trip
Find out more about the best things to see and do in Cape Town, including our restaurant guide – READ. MORE…
CAPE TOWN HOLIDAY PLANNING: CAPE WINELAND TOURS
Although this blog is focused on having a hire car, we certainly would recommend something other than a self-drive wine tour! What’s the point? When visiting Franschhoek and the Cape Winelands area, we recommend the hop-on, hop-off experience on the Wine Tram. The Wine Tram provides a fantastic experience and offers several pre-planned tours. Still, it is nice to choose a couple of gems that might not be on the Wine Tram and spend quality time instead of rushing around trying to visit every vineyard in the area – there are close to 600 of them!
The best way to visit some of these gems without a car is on a private tour with an English-speaking and knowledgeable guide, which will facilitate your day trip to the locations of your choice. You can plan your Cape Wine Tour with a Safari Guru Africa Travel Specialist well in advance to ensure a seat at one of our preferred selection of wine estates – bookings are sometimes required well in advance.
Remember, allow yourself plenty of time to indulge; you deserve it.
Herewith some of my personal recommendations, although, some are by appointment only and would need to be pre-booked:-
- https://oldenburgvineyards.com/ – Fantastic wines in such a beautiful valley – close to Rainbows End, so could do both and enjoy a charcuterie or cheese plater at Rainbows End.
- https://rainbowsend.co.za/ – One of the most scenic vineyards in the world – great place for a charcuterie or cheese platter.
- https://www.glenwoodvineyards.co.za/ – In a beautiful location with incredible views, great sushi and have a vine to bottle tour or wine and fynbos experience to make the visit more interesting.
- https://www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za/ – As with most vineyards, it is in a beautiful valley and the overall experience is great. The Boekenhoutskloof premium range is always sold out on release, which says a lot about the quality of their wines, their Syrah (Shiraz) is particularly good.
- https://www.grandeprovence.co.za/collections/experiences/ – Great wine pairing experience – also on the Wine Tram experience – if you like your white wines, their flagship white is incredible!
- https://paserene.com/ – Boutique style vineyard with a great Cabernet Sauvignon.
- https://eikehof.com/ – A small family-owned vineyard – been in the same family for four generations – we love the fact that the owner takes time to talk to guests – good value for money wines.
More about the CAPE WINELANDS…
There are also a couple of day trips one could do from Franschhoek if you have had enough wine tasting – a day trip to Hermanus where you could go on a boat trip and have lunch……it is also about the journey there and back via the beautiful Franschhoek pass.
You could also do a circular trip from Franschhoek over the pass down to the False Bay coastline via the Stoney Point Penguin Colony, Kogel Bay, Pringle Bay and back via either via Sir Lowrys Pass or Stellenbosch and you could stop at the beautiful and famous Vergelegen Wine Estate along the way.
CAPE TOWN HOLIDAY PLANNING: TOP TIPS
Car Hire:
- Make sure you tell your Safari Guru Africa Travel Specialist well in advance so we can facilitate and recommend hotels with parking facilities and exclude any transfer costs from our safari planning details.
Uber Hire:
- Always check the license plate!
- Make sure the driver knows YOUR name. If you walk up to a car and say, “are you John?” they may say yes, even if they’re not an Uber driver!
- Make sure they know where you’re going.
- Confirm the above three items before you enter the vehicle.
- Scam drivers will hang out places where Ubers pick a lot of people up.
Thank you for reading this blog, and if you want to learn more about Safari Guru Allan, or contact him for his insights into the local scene, visit his BIO PAGE. Better yet, ask your Safari Guru representative to book you a few days at the stunning and friendly guest house in Franschhoek, ChanteClair, hosted by Allan and his wife Yvonne. They’ll keep you informed about local happenings and the best things to see and do in the Cape Winelands during your stay.
If you’re looking for safari ideas to add to your Cape Town holiday planning, here are a few options for short safari ideas, and a high-end luxury safari.
