We are going to help you planning a weekend in Cape Town itinerary. The first thing you should know is that Cape Town is a huge city, and as it´s surrounded by mountains and right by the ocean, the opportunities are uncountable.
For first time visitors, don´t worry if you just have two days in Cape Town, because you will get to see enough places. If it´s not your first-time don´t worry either, because Cape Town always has new things for you.
Anyway, now you are ready for a weekend in Cape Town itinerary! These are the things you should know if you are staying 2 days in Cape Town:
Getting to Cape Town
No matter where you come from getting to Cape Town airport is possible. Johannesburg and Cape Town are normally the cheapest places to fly to in South Africa. Now you should know that flying to Cape Town it´s still expensive…From Europe flights cost about 400€ (if you are lucky) and from America it can go to 600€ (Round trip)
If you are travelling from other places of South Africa, you can take a bus to Cape Town from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban…and most of the cities. Getting to Cape Town once you are in South Africa is not that expensive.
Getting around Cape Town
One of the best tips to move around and stay safe in Cape Town, is using Uber. Uber drivers in our experience were much nicer, plus the prices were pretty cheap.
Other options to get around Uber are: The Rikkis taxis, which are cheaper, and you share them with other people (from 2 to 22 people). You can also have normal taxis for yourself. Minibus taxi is not recommended for the safety. Walking or going by bike in Cape Town are great options as well.
A weekend in Cape Town itinerary
Now that you are already in Cape Town and know how to move around the city, we are going to tell you what to do in 2 days in Cape Town. As we said Cape Town and its surroundings are huge. A good planification is needed if you don´t want to waste a lot of time, so make sure to follow the guide step by step.
Here is our weekend in Cape Town itinerary:
See the South African penguins at Boulders Beach
As you don´t have much time, you should have clear what to do in Cape Town in 2 days. What you should do on your first day in Cape Town is visiting the South African penguins of Boulders Beach. The opening hours of Boulders beach are at 7Am or 8Am, depending on the time of the year.
Make sure you get there the first one, because seeing the beach empty with the penguins and the colours of the sunrise is something unique. Getting to see the penguins of Cape Town was one of our favourite experiences in life, so we recommend you going there, but always be respectful with the environment of the area and the penguins.
If you want to see free penguins in Cape Town, there is also another possibility that you can find here!
Simon´s Town boat trips
After seeing the Penguins as you are right by Simon´s town, you should take some time and visit the area. Simo´s Town is a charming town that looks like one of those fishermen´s towns of a movie.
One of the best activities to do in Simon´s Town is going on a boat since that area (called False Bay) is where you have more chances of seeing whales and white sharks! It´s also a great place to have lunch and try any of their fish dishes which are delicious.
Visiting Cape of Good Hope is a must!
After this last two stops you are pretty close to the famous Cape of Good Hope, so take the chance and visit it. There is just one problem, it will take a lot of your time, so you need to be well prepared.
You should know that Uber drivers won´t take you to the top as there is an entrance fee for Cape of Good Hope (around 20€) and they´ll just leave you at the entrance of it. It´s 16km until you make it to Cape point so unless you want to spend the day walking, we recommend you renting a car or going with a tour group that will take you to the top.
There are more hikes around the area, try to do as many as possible! And be ready to see animals in Cape of Good Hope…There are Baboons, zebras and more!
Finish the day at Muizenberg beach:
The Colorful houses of Cape Town
It´s a little bit separated from the rest of the places, but as Uber is cheap and the place is worth it, we can tell you, you will not regret it.
You may have seen on Instagram the typical photo of some colourful houses on a beach in Cape Town. Well here is where you will find them.
But you will not go there just to take the photo, which you should take, of course. Once you are at Muizenberg beach, you will see literally a thousand surfers at the beach. The beach is huge and with not many people, it feels very relaxing to walk over there at sunset time.
Camps Bay sunrise or sunset
A great option to start your second and last day of your weekend in Cape Town is seeing the sunrise at Camps Bay. Some people prefer to see the sunset at Camps Bay, but that´s up to you! The best reason to go here is to enjoy the view of the 12 apostles of Camps Bay.
You will see that this area is more like a rich area, and the atmosphere is great, it´s probably one of the safest areas in Cape Town. So, if you haven´t had time for breakfast you can enjoy being on a terrace admiring the view near the beach.
Boat trip from Hout Bay to Seal Island
If you were not able to see either sharks, whales or seals on your first day in Cape Town, taking a boat trip from Hout Bay to Seal Island is a must. And the best of this boat trip, is that at least there is a 100% of seeing seals…and many of them.
Once you make it to Seal Island, the boat stays there for some time that way you can take some shots (big lenses recommended) and then it goes back.
Depending on the boat company the boat trip can be longer or shorter, but it´s always enough time to see the seals.
City Center of Cape Town
After running from one place to another, is time to relax and just walk through the city center of Cape Town.
Some of the things you can do in the center of Cape Town are visiting the colourful Bo Kaap street or do a quick stop at the Pan African Market, where you will find a lot artwork from the locals.
Take the cable car at Table Mountain
You can do a hike to the Table Mountain, but as you just have one day, we recommend you taking the cable car. The price of it is about R330 in the morning and R290 (round trip) on the afternoon.
The views from the top are spectacular, both sides are beautiful, the only problem is that normally there are many people. If you are lucky you may be able to see animals over there as well, we weren´t, but be aware because it is possible!
End up your weekend in Cape Town with a
Table Mountain sunset view
We leave the best to the end of the day. After visiting Table Mountain, look for a place in google maps called Table Mountain view. This spot is beautiful and it´s a little bit out of the center so it is normally empty. The view is outstanding and from there you can also see Robben Island. Seeing the Table Mountain at sunset is the best way to finish your two days in Cape Town itinerary.