Three Perfect Days in Cape Town, Before Your Safari Begins
Table Mountain, the Winelands, penguins and a table at the right restaurant. How to spend 72 hours in the Mother City in style.
Most African journeys begin or end in Cape Town, and the city deserves more than a layover. Three days is enough to see why so many travelers arrive for the safari and stay for the Cape.
Day one: mountain and sea
Take the cable car up Table Mountain in the morning light, when the views over the city and the Atlantic are at their clearest. Spend the afternoon along the seaboard, from Camps Bay to Clifton, then book a sunset sail or a seafood dinner with the mountain glowing behind you.
Day two: wine country
Drive under an hour to Stellenbosch or Franschhoek for long lunches, cellar tastings and estates framed by mountain peaks. The Cape Winelands rank among the world’s most beautiful wine regions, and a private driver and guide turns the day into pure pleasure, with no one watching the clock.
Day three: the peninsula
Head south along the Cape Peninsula to Boulders Beach, where a colony of African penguins waddles across the sand, and continue to Cape Point. Prefer the air? A helicopter flight over the peninsula is a spectacular alternative. Back in the city, walk the colorful streets of Bo-Kaap and visit the galleries at the V&A Waterfront.
Where to stay and eat
Private villas with sweeping views, boutique hotels with their own wine cellars and restaurants that book out weeks ahead. This is where an insider planner earns their keep, because the best tables and the best guides are rarely listed anywhere.
When to go
The warm, dry months from November to March are the most popular, though the shoulder seasons offer softer light and fewer visitors. Wherever you land, we recommend arriving a day early to recover from the flight.
Ready to plan your own journey? Request a tailored proposal at iloveafrica.travel/booking or call +27 78 078 8223, and a specialist will take it from there.
