Lady’s Itinerary for Five Days in Cape Town, South Africa

Today I want to share my itinerary for five days in Cape Town, South Africa with you. This coastal city at the southern end of the African continent is worth a special trip.

5 Days in Cape Town

I thought five days would be more than enough to see Cape Town. I was wrong. There was so much to do and see in the city and along the cape that my boyfriend and I easily filled five days and could have spent another five.

Day 1 in Cape Town

On our first day in Cape Town we checked into our room at The Westin Cape Town and headed straight for Boulders Beach in False Bay. It’s home to a colony of African penguins and I couldn’t wait to see them.

I took pictures of the penguins with one hand while restraining my boyfriend from petting them with the other.

“They say 500 rand fine for touching the penguins,” he said. “I say 500 rand entry fee for the petting zoo.” I can’t take him anywhere.

Day 2 in the Cape Winelands

Penguins safely untouched behind us, our five days in Cape Town continued as we spent the next day in the Cape Winelands.

We headed out to go wine tasting in Stellenbosch in the morning, stopping at Kanonkop and Meerlust wineries before going to the accoladed Kleine Zalze Restaurant for lunch.

It was hot, so we sat outside on the terrace overlooking the beautiful gardens while sipping a crisp Sauvignon Blanc that paired wonderfully with our fish.

After lunch we explored the gardens, then hit up a few more vineyards on the way to nearby Franschhoek, a Western Cape town with beautiful vineyards and eye-catching Cape Dutch architecture.

Dinner that night was at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek, which is consistently rated one of the top restaurants in the world. I made the reservation six months ago after hearing how hard it was to get into.

Having anticipated the meal for so long, we opted for a tasting menu to see the best of what the chef had to offer.

The first course was a scallop with parsnip foam and three Parmesan croquettes. On the side was a salad of pea shoots, baby asparagus, and black truffles.

It was one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. The rest of the meal was equally impressive, and my boyfriend and I rolled ourselves out of the restaurant full of great food and amazing South African wine.

Day 3 in Cape Town and Franschhoek

The next day our five days in Cape Town continued as we went to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the first of its kind to be listed as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The grounds were extensive and ran right up the slope of Cape Town’s famous landmark, Table Mountain. It was amazing to see it from the gardens below.

Our next stop was Camps Bay, where we strolled along the beach and randomly ran into two of our friends from London. Small world.

The beach was beautiful and it reminded us once again how lucky we were to be out of the frigid London winter and in the Cape Town sun.

That night our itinerary took us back to the winelands for a New Year’s Eve dinner at Le Bon Vivant restaurant in Franschhoek.

It was our final tasting menu of the year, and we decided that it would also be the final tasting menu for a long time after that.

Having done three in Paris not long before and another at Le Quartier Francais, we felt like we (and our waistlines) had experienced too much of a good thing.

Our bellies bulging, we had a great time at dinner listening to a live band and enjoying our meal. It was a low-key New Year’s Eve, which fit the mood of our trip perfectly.

Day 4 in Cape Town

The next day our five days in Cape Town continued as we attempted to go to Cape Point on the southwestern tip of Africa.

There’s a huge national park there with hiking trails and beautiful scenery, as well as a plethora of baboons and other wildlife.

Unfortunately, as we were pulling up to the park entrance we realized we were out of gas.

The nearest station was miles away, so we ended up coasting down into the park, taking a quick hike, then heading back to Simon’s Town on the False Bay coast to fill up the tank.

That afternoon we went hiking on Table Mountain, where we randomly ran into a friend from San Francisco who’s now at Harvard Business School. Who knew we had to go all the way to South Africa to run into our friends from home?

Day 5 in Cape Town

The next day our five days in Cape Town continued as we walked all over the city center, from the star-shaped castle to the beautiful Company’s Garden to Greenmarket Square where vendors sell goods from all over the continent.

We strolled down St. George’s Mall, a pedestrianized street with shops and restaurants, and over to Long Street, a bohemian thoroughfare with plenty of coffee shops and cafes.

Our final stop was at Melissa’s, a great restaurant and grocery store that a friend from London had told us about. We sat for a few hours reading books, eating lunch, and sipping great coffee.

On our way back to the hotel, we made a detour through the historically Muslim Bo-Kaap. This area is known for its brightly-colored buildings, and seeing it is one of the most popular things to do in Cape Town.

The neighborhood was particularly chromatic that day due to a number of colorfully-dressed Cape Minstrels that had taken part in the traditional New Year’s parades that happen every January 2nd. It was fun to see them.

That night was our last in Cape Town and the next morning we were on the plane back to London. It was 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) when we landed. The next day it snowed in Hampstead. What a lovely welcome home.

5 Days in Cape Town

The snow made us appreciate our five days in Cape Town even more. It was a great trip, and I can’t wait to go back someday and see more of the city. I hope you get a chance to as well.

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