Nothing Can Beat These Top Things To Do In Cape Town, South Africa

I’ve never been one for cities, but the more I write about Cape Town, the more I realise my love for Cape Town is slowly growing on me, what with the myriad of things to see in Cape Town. It’s my favourite city in all of South Africa, and I can see why it’s dubbed as one of the most ideal cities for digital nomads to work in.

Co-working spaces in Cape Town

There’s so many activities in Cape Town you can do, from adventure activities to wine-tasting, hiking to coffee-hunting at the farmer’s markets. You can shop at the boutique or pop-up stores, or roam around their beautiful botanical garden. If the weather is good, you can swim or surf at Cape Town’s many beaches.

Misty Cliffs

This article will highlight the top things to do in Cape Town. It’s impossible to write about it all, given how diverse the terrain and neighbourhoods are. I will have to limit this list to the best things to do in Cape Town that you CANNOT MISS.

If, like me, you are trying to figure out what to do in Cape Town to maximise your limited time here, this curated list of things to do in Cape Town is for you!

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Weather in Cape Town

Cape Peninsula drive

Cape Town’s changing climate is one I can never get used to. It would be sunny, raining, pouring and flashing rainbows in one single drive from one point to another.

While it was supposed to start to get warm at the end of October when I was there, it was still chilly in the mornings and evenings, going to as low as 16 degrees.

Day times were awesome because while it’s cool, the sun warms you up nicely.

Safety in Cape Town

In all honesty, while I travelled solo during my stay in Cape Town, I never once felt unsafe. While I can’t speak for the whole of Cape Town, the neighbourhoods I stayed and hung around in never made me feel like my safety was threatened.

As long as you do your due diligence, travelling Cape Town can be absolutely safe for solo female travellers.

I myself was travelling on my own for 5 days in Cape Town, of which on 2 nights, I hung around the Waterfront and Camps Bay on my own. At night, I visited pubs, strolled around the waterfront and not one person came to harass me. If anything, there are usually security guards around offices, shops and private estates at night.

Where to stay in Cape Town

Cape View Clifton

For the best beaches: Cape View Clifton

Read my review of Cape View Clifton here!

For nature (Cape Point, Boulders Beach): Cape Point Villa

For proximity to the city: Sea Point

Sea Point, Cape Town

We wanted to be close to the city yet not right in the heart of the city so we picked Sea Point and rented an Airbnb here. It’s ideal because it’s right next to the sea, has ample parking, doesn’t feel to congested (the way being in downtown does) and is safe.

Get $62 discount off on Airbnb

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Favourite Things to do in Cape Town, South Africa

1. Waddle like a penguin

Penguins on Boulders Beach, Cape Town

Ah, the famous penguin beach, Boulders Beach. Of all the things I would hear about Cape Town, this is always the first. I heard about Boulders Beach before I knew anything else about Cape Town.

Nestled in a sheltered cove between Simon’s Town and Cape Point, Boulders Beach has become famous for its thriving colony of African Penguins that have took to the beach as their refuge.

As the only penguin species that breeds in Africa, these African Penguin species are considered an endangered species. The last penguin count is around 2200 in recent years, a reduction compared to earlier years due to the commercial pelagic trawling in False Bay, resulting in an increase in the supply of pilchards and anchovies, an integral part of the penguins’ diet.

Penguins on Boulders Beach, Cape Town

Bordered mainly by indigenous bush above the high-water mark on one side and the clear waters of False Bay on the other, the area comprises a small number of small sheltered bays, partially enclosed by granite boulders that are 540 million years old.

The peak moulting time is in December, after which they head out to sea to feed. They return in January to mate and then begin nesting from February to August.

P.S. While the most popular spot to see penguins is at Boulders Beach, the penguins are best viewed from Foxy Beach. Also, you get to skip paying the expensive and needless entrance fee into the short boardwalk filled with prying tourists!

2. Go camera-crazy at Bo-Kaap

Of course, what’s visiting Cape Town without visiting one of the most photographed neighbourhood?

Home to the Muslim community of Cape Town, this walkable neighbourhood is dotted in every imaginable colour. This is one of the 6 heritage sites of Cape Town.

You ABSOLUTELY have to bring your camera for this one!

For a cultural lesson, head to the Bo-Kaap Museum to learn all about the social history of the former slave houses.

3. Get into the clouds at Table Mountain

View of Lion’s Head and beyond

An iconic must-do in Cape Town for every visitor, if only for the views of Cape Town from way up high.

You can expect insane queues up on the cable car if you don’t arrive early enough. As I was having a chill day, I only arrived late morning. It was stressful driving to say the least, as it was a 2-way lane right at the edge of the hill, all on top of having to squeeze between the cars that were parked on the sides of the narrow roads, and big tour buses ferrying tourists up. Iit took me all of 2 hours waiting in the queue to finally get up on a 2-minute gondola aerial cableway up the mountain.

The cable cars have a carrying capacity of 65 people, transporting approximately 800 people per hour. Going as slow as 10 metres per second, it’s similar to the rotating cable cars I sat going up Mount Titlis in Switzerland.

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway has been operating since 1929, carrying more than 28 million visitors to date!

Nothing will prepare you for the view when you’re up there, The view of Cape Town is worth every wait and penny you spend. You can get a 360-degree view of the entire city and beyond.

With 3 routes you can use to venture at the top, you’ll be promised endless views. The longest route is 45 minutes, but since it’s a loop, you can decide to loop back anytime you wish. Take your time at all the photo spots around the top – just don’t go too close to the edge!

TIP: You can expect the weather to get a couple of degrees colder up there, so be sure to bring a few more layers of warm clothing!

Table Mountain actually consists of layers of sandstone and granite formed by igneous and glacial action 520 million years ago, making it one of the oldest mountains in the world – even older than the Himalayas! The height of Table Mountain at its highest point is 1085m above sea level, at Maclear’s Beacon.

There are free daily guided walks on the hour from 9am to 3pm.

If you want, you can even have your lunch up at the top whilst enjoying the spectacular bird’s eye view at their restaurant. There is also a WiFi Lounge at the top with free WiFi and a souvenir shop at the top.

4. Paraglide from Lion’s Head

If there’s anything better than getting a view from the summit of a hill, it’s paragliding down one. Read all about my fantastic (and relaxing) experience paragliding down Lion’s Head!

Lion’s Head

5. Take a scenic drive to Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope

I was initially hesitant about driving all the way South because of the distance, but boy am I glad I did. Driving to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope was no doubt the most worthwhile drive. The views you get from the ocean and cliffs here are out of this world and one of a kind.

The fee to Cape Point is R320/ USD22 and collected at the entrance gate when you drive in. The funicular ticket is R85/ USD6 for a return trip.

Driving in Cape Point reminded me of my road trip in Australia’s Kangaroo Island, where you’ll encounter and be occasionally stopped by so many wildlife – primarily baboons and ostriches that roam this side of Cape Town at their will. We witnessed a baboon climbing up a vehicle (to chill) right in front of our car when we were at a standstill!

As the drive from downtown Cape Town is far, I recommend staying in the Cape Peninsula area when you’re intending to visit Cape Point.

Ostriches through my window of Cape Point Villa!

If you’re looking for a convenient stop to stay in between downtown and Cape Point, Scarborough is a neat little local town with a cafe, a few restaurants (only one that opens at night) and a beach, Scarborough Beach. I liked how quiet the neighbourhood was, comprising of local residents.

This is where I stayed, at Cape Point Villa. It takes 1 hour from downtown Cape Town to Scarborough, and another 30-odd minutes from Scarborough to get to Cape Point.

Climbing up Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point were relatively easy since all the trails are clearly marked and well-trodden. Between the two, CP has more paved steps and stairs to climb on to get to the top, while CGH is mostly on rocky trails.

I much preferred the views from Cape of Good Hope than Cape Point, with the latter feeling too touristy with paved steps and limited space to climb up, considering the amount of crowds it gets anytime of the day.

At Cape of Good Hope, you’re literally on the edge of the cliff, and you get to see the more natural surroundings surrounding the cape.

6. Go wine-tasting

Nestled in the fertile Constantia Valley, is one of the largest winery I’ve seen in Cape Town, as they are very much known for.

It was founded by Simon van der Stel who wanted to teach farmers how to cultivate wine the right way. As the oldest wine-producing estate in South Africa, producing refined wines since 1685, it is another one of the 6 heritage sites in Cape Town. By 1709, there were 70,000 vines on the farm. Today, 90 of the entire 170 hectares is used to grow Muscat, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot Petit Verdot and Shiraz grapes.

It had become so well-known throughout the years that even Napoleon was a fan!

When you arrive, you can sign up for a Visitors Route walking tour which runs periodically throughout the day. I would highly recommend to do that as the property is so large and there’s lots to learn about wine and what goes on behind the scenes from the professional folks here. The Visitors Route offers a circular self-guided route of the heritage-rich core of the wine estate.

For instance, I learned that Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties are found at a higher altitude, at 245m above sea level, because it thrives in the cooler sea breeze at the higher altitude, whereas red grapes varieties thrive in a lower altitude.

We were brought to an area where stainless steel barrels are used for the fermentation of white wines, and they can contain up to 10,000 litres of wine per barrel. Yes, they go in the thousands!

White wine is kept at a controlled temperature of 10-12 degrees and harvested in January to March, while red wines are kept at 24-27 degrees and harvested in February to April. If you look up, you’ll see cement roofs to help control the temperature of the workplace.

Their oak barrels here are imported from France, while the bottle corks, made out of tree barks, are imported from Portugal to ensure the quality of their wines.

Activities offered on the Visitors Route include:

• Explore the original Cape Dutch Manor House
• Visit the famed Cloete Cellar: the birthplace of Grand Constance
• Wine tasting of up to 5 glasses
• See the wine museum and cultural history museum
• Download two free audio walking tours of the vineyards and modern-day production cellar

Each ticket is R115/ USD8 per person.

On the property, there are also 2 independently-run restaurants where you can partake your meals in.

Where to taste wine: Groot Constantia

7. Go hiking

There are countless of hikes to do in Cape Town, and that got me really excited. As I was tight on time, I wasn’t able to try out the hikes around Table Mountain or Lion’s Head. The one hike I did, and thoroughly enjoyed, was the Chapman’s Peak hike.

I would classify the difficulty level of this hike as medium. The terrain is rocky throughout – you’ll be on a trail, occasionally skipping rocks, going through streams and sand. The entire trek is not sheltered and so is subject to weather conditions. Allocate about 2.5-3 hours if you’re one to constantly move.

Chapman’s Peak drive, Cape Town

TIP: Try to return before the sun’s gone as you are surrounded by mountains and have no light source. Bring a handheld or head torch for hiking in any case for emergencies!

It really isn’t a difficult hike – it doesn’t have too steep of an incline, so as long as you’re slow and steady, you’ll make it to the top. At the summit, you get a view of the Eastern neighbourhoods of Fish Hoek, Muizenberg and the surrounds.

Where to hike: Chapman's Peak hike

8. Indulge in homegrown food at the Farmer’s Markets

The food and craft market scene in Cape Town is phenomenal! It’s a huge factor in contributing to why I enjoyed Cape Town so much.

Depending on the day (usually weekends), there are various farmer’s markets around the city. The best part of it all is the homemade food from all over the world – from Korea to Belgium, Spain to Tanzania. There are so many stalls in any of the farmer’s markets that it’s hard to pick one.

Food roughly costs about USD10, and juices USD3 to USD6, but man, whatever you pick eventually, it won’t disappoint.

In most of the farmer’s markets, there are also small pop-up stores. You’ll be peppered with a lot of creative local designers, everything from apparel to bags, jewellery to homeware goods. antiques, artwork, African woodwork, botany – you’ll want to get lost!

The most popular farmer’s market in Cape Town is The Neighbourgoods Market, which only opens on Saturday from 9am-3pm. It’s quite a large multi-storey market so I recommend allocating more time to explore the shops and food stalls here. There is live band playing during the time it’s open, making it a really festive place to be in and hang around with friends, no matter the time of the day.

Other markets I really enjoyed are Oranjezicht City Farm Market, which opens on weekends, Wednesdays and Thursdays only and Mojo Market, which opens daily. Mojo Market is a hip, indoor market hall that serves food, live music and have a couple of bars.

V&A Food Market is another fun indoor market where you can really get lost in the boutique shops and food stalls in there.

9. Go coffee-hunting

The café scene in Cape Town is an up-and-coming trend, much like in Australia’s Sydney or Melbourne.

Coffee though, it’s hard to resist not getting a cuppa every morning, especially when it’s USD2 to USD3 per cup. Whether you like artisan coffees of regular ones, you can always count on having freshly-brewed coffee at a farmer’s market.

Cafés in Cape Town are also very chic, with most of them offering free Wi-Fi, making it an attractive place for digital nomads to be based in!

Where to eat: The Neighbourgoods Market, Oranjezicht City Farm Market, Mojo Market, V&A Food Market

10. Shop, shop, shop

V&A Waterfront

I must make special mention of how they have really modern designs too, whether in jewellery or apparel. Since I have a soft spot for clean, pastel, geometrical, rose gold, leather and aztec designs, I found that I was in shopping heaven!

Except that locally-made, sustainable products are usually at a cost, and they aren’t cheap by South Africa standards. A leather bag can cost USD100, rings and jewellery accessories can cost easily USD30 and upwards.

While shopping isn’t the cheapest since it caters a lot to tourists, there is still an international scene in terms of brands like H&M, Forever 21, SuperDry, Tag Heuer, Charles & Keith, ZARA, etc when you’re in main malls like at V&A Waterfront. The only trouble I had with shopping is, the sizing and styles cater to the African body types, so it wasn’t an easy feat hunting for a sports bra for my trip.

My ULTIMATE FAVOURITE mall is Water Shed, which houses a lot of original, authentic, handmade products made by local artisans and entrepreneurs. I truly enjoyed walking around here because every store had something fun to discover!

Of course, the farmer’s markets also offer some unique, hidden gems, if you know where to look. 🙂

Where to shop: Watershed, V&A Waterfont

11. Party the night away

Shimmy Beach Club is the place to go if you want some serious partying. The night club opens on Friday and Saturday but otherwise it’s open daily from 11am to 11pm so you can swim, eat and be merry. It’s located on the furthest, most inaccessible pier on Waterfront ever, so the best way to get there is by private vehicle.

I don’t know what I was thinking but one day I decided to go check it out on my own. Turns out they had a Halloween ticketed event and me being goofy me, stood out like a sore thumb. I turned around and chilled at a pub instead. It was there that I made a new local friend, who took me out one day to see the local side of Cape Town. What a surprising turn of events!

That said, Shimmy Beach Club takes their parties seriously. I can imagine myself enjoying my time there, even though I’m not a night/ party person!

You can find most other clubs and a happening nightlife on Long St.

Where to party: Shimmy Beach Club

Best way to get around South Africa

There are public transport services around Cape Town that you can use.

However, if you’re planning to visit outside of the city, driving in South Africa is a must. Seriously, I don’t know how we would survive if we didn’t rent a car in South Africa.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that renting a car in South Africa is really affordable, nothing like driving in New Zealand, Scotland or the US.

We went ahead with AroundAboutCars. They were affordably-priced, quick to respond, and usually give recommended car picks based on your requirements.

Honestly, Cape Town surprised me in more ways than one. They even have free public WiFi available at the Waterfront. The variety of food in Cape Town is impossibly many. Of course, there are tons of other Cape Town attractions to do and see, but because of my limited time, I wasn’t able to cover all.

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