Cape Town Itinerary

1. 8:00aTable Mountain cableway, first car

   Up the revolving cable car at opening — the cloud 'tablecloth' rolls in by late morning, so go early. Walk the summit paths for the views down over the bowl and out to Robben Island.

   
2. ~10:30aBo-Kaap

   The Cape Malay quarter's candy-coloured houses on cobbled streets below Signal Hill — the most photographed lane in the city, and a living community, so visit respectfully.

   
3. ~12:30pCape Malay lunch

   The cuisine that defines Cape Town — a bobotie (spiced mince under an egg custard), a Cape Malay chicken curry, and a koeksister, the syrup-soaked plaited doughnut, to finish.

   
4. ~2:30pZeitz MOCAA & the Waterfront

   The continent's great contemporary-art museum in the silo beneath the hotel, then the working V&A harbour with the seals and the mountain behind.

   
5. 7:30pLa Colombe, Constantia ⭐Anchor table

   The Cape's most celebrated table, up in the Silvermist vineyards — a refined tasting menu (the tuna 'tin' is the signature theatre) with forest-and-valley views. Book well ahead; this anchors the trip.

Table Mountain runs on weather — go up the first clear morning you get, even if it means reshuffling the day; the cableway closes in high wind. La Colombe is a 25-minute drive into Constantia, so plan the taxi.

Day 1 in photos

1. ~8:30aChapman's Peak Drive

   One of the world's great coastal roads — carved into the cliffs above the Atlantic, lookout after lookout down to Hout Bay. Top down, camera ready.

   
2. ~10:30aCape of Good Hope & Cape Point

   The dramatic headland where the peninsula ends — the funicular up to the old lighthouse, and the cliff path for the ocean-meets-ocean view.

   
3. ~1:00pSeafood lunch at Kalk Bay

   A harbourside spot in the old fishing village — line-caught fish and chips, or grilled snoek, with the boats unloading below.

   
4. ~3:00pBoulders Beach penguins

   The colony of African penguins on the boardwalks at Simon's Town — comically close, nesting in the dune scrub, on a sheltered swimming beach.

   
5. ~7:30pDinner back in the city

   Back to the bowl for a modern South African table — springbok or kingklip, a Cape white, in the buzzing De Waterkant or city-centre scene.

The peninsula is a full loop — go clockwise via Chapman's Peak (check it's open; it closes in rockfall) and budget the whole day. Watch your belongings around the baboons at Cape Point.

Day 2 in photos

1. ~9:30aDrive to Stellenbosch

   Forty-five minutes to the oak-lined Cape Dutch town at the heart of the winelands — whitewashed gables, vineyards rolling up to the mountains.

   
2. ~10:30aCellar tastings

   A morning estate or two — Stellenbosch reds (the Cape's great Cabernets and Bordeaux blends) tasted on a terrace with the vines below.

3. ~1:00pVineyard lunch in Franschhoek

   The 'French corner' valley for a long lunch — farm-to-table tasting plates paired with Chenin and Chardonnay, the Drakenstein peaks all around.

4. ~3:00pThe Franschhoek Wine Tram

   A hop-on hop-off open tram between estates — let someone else drive while you taste across the valley through the afternoon.

   
5. ~7:30pEasy supper back in town

   Back in Cape Town for something low-key — a wood-fired pizza or a braai-style grill, after a day of tasting.

Don't drive yourself if you're tasting — hire a driver or lean on the Wine Tram. Franschhoek is the prettier valley for lunch; Stellenbosch the more serious reds.

Day 3 in photos