Cape Town
Currency
ZAR
Language
English
Timezone
Johannesburg
Continent
Africa
Discover Cape Town
Cape Town is wedged between a mountain and two oceans, and that constraint shapes everything. Table Mountain looms over the centre; Bo-Kaap, with its coloured houses, carries the history of the Cape Malay community; Kirstenbosch, set against the mountain, ranks among the finest botanical gardens anywhere.
When to go
The southern hemisphere inverts everything: November to March is the local summer, hot and dry. The south-easterly wind, nicknamed the Cape Doctor, blows hard in summer and can close the Table Mountain cableway.
Getting around
A hire car is the practical choice, public transport being limited. Ask locally which areas to avoid after dark — safety is a real consideration here, managed with information rather than constant worry.
Where to eat
The Africa Cafe offers a tour of cuisines from across the continent. More broadly, Cape Town has a remarkable food scene, helped by the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek vineyards less than an hour away.
Good to know
Twenty beaches are listed, but the Atlantic side is freezing — the False Bay coast is markedly warmer. Zeitz MOCAA and several institutions close on certain days. Only four halal addresses are listed, in a city with a long-standing Muslim community: that is incomplete data rather than reality.
Cheap Flights to Cape Town
€545
Best Hotels in Cape Town
The Cape Quarter Hotel
389 reviews
Top Activities in Cape Town
parkCape Floral Region Protected Areas
Free
landmarkBo-Kaap
from €14
landmarkCastle of Good Hope
from €14
landmarkKirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
from €12
parkTable Mountain National Park
Free
landmarkNational Council of Provinces
from €13
museumZeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA)
from €15
viewpointLion's Head
Free
landmarkAuwal Masjid
from €10
activityTwo Oceans Aquarium
from €45
landmarkRhodes Memorial
from €10
viewpointSignal Hill
Free
museumIziko South African Museum
from €3
museumGroot Constantia Manor House
from €14
museumSouth African National Gallery
from €14
landmarkCape Town Central Library
from €9
museumDistrict Six Museum
from €13
museumChavonnes Battery Museum
from €13
museumRust en Vreugd
from €13
landmarkGreenmarket Square
from €9
activityWorld of Birds
from €45
landmarkSt. George's Cathedral
from €9
landmarkBOS 400 Shipwreck
from €10
viewpointDevil's Peak
Free