South Africa

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Cape Town

Where mountains meet two oceans

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Best time to visit: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Currency: ZAR
Time zone: UTC+2
Country: South Africa

Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cape Town is South Africa's legislative capital and oldest city, set between Table Mountain and the Atlantic. Visitors come for the mountain and cableway, the Cape Peninsula and Cape Point, the Winelands, beaches, and the history of Robben Island and District Six.

Largest cities

Johannesburg
Cape Town
Durban
Pretoria
Port Elizabeth

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: South Africa
Capital: Bloemfontein
Metro population: 3.8M
Population of South Africa: 62M
Country area: 1,221,037 km²
Official language: South Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Tsonga, and Tswana
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR) · 1 USD ≈ 16.54 ZAR
Time zone: UTC+2
Calling code: +27
Drives on the: Left
Elevation: 17 m
Plugs: C / M / N · 230V
Emergency numbers: 10111 (police) · 10177 (ambulance) · 112 (mobile emergency)
Best time to visit: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	26°	26°	24°	22°	19°	18°	16°	17°	18°	22°	23°	24°
Low	17°	17°	16°	14°	12°	11°	10°	10°	11°	13°	15°	16°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$41
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$110
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$350

Plan a trip to Cape Town

Top things to do

≈ $25
Table Mountain Cableway
A rotating cable car climbs to the flat summit over 1,000 m high for views over the city and Table Bay; go early or late because cloud and wind often close the cableway.
- Half day
- City Bowl and CBD
- Good for kids
≈ $12
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Walk the lawns and the raised canopy walkway among plants of the Cape region, including five of South Africa's six biomes; allow two to three hours.
- Half day
- City Bowl and CBD
- Good for kids
≈ $35
Robben Island
Ferries from the V&A Waterfront cross Table Bay to the former maximum-security prison where Nelson Mandela served 18 years; tours are guided by former political prisoners and sell out, so book ahead.
- Half day
- Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
- Good for kids
Free
V&A Waterfront and Nobel Square
A working harbour turned promenade with shops, the Cape Wheel and statues of South Africa's four Nobel Peace Prize winners; good for an easy first evening with dinner.
- Half day
- Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
≈ $3
District Six Museum
A small, moving museum on the suburb demolished under apartheid, with a floor map drawn by former residents; closed on Sundays.
- Half day
- City Bowl and CBD
- Good for kids
- Indoors
- Closed: Sunday
Free
Bo-Kaap and Signal Hill
Walk the steep streets of the Cape Malay quarter with its bright houses, then drive up Signal Hill for sunset over the Atlantic; keep to public streets and respect residents' privacy.
- Half day
- City Bowl and CBD
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
≈ $20
Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope
A full-day drive down the peninsula through Simon's Town and past Boulders Beach penguins to the Cape Point funicular and lighthouse; a rented car or guided tour is needed as public transport is limited.
- Full day
- Cape Peninsula and False Bay
- Good for kids
≈ $45
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek wine estates
A day of tastings and Cape Dutch scenery in the Winelands about an hour from the city; book a driver or join a tour so nobody has to drive the mountain passes.
- Full day
- Cape Winelands

Before you go

Entry and visas

Many visitors, including British citizens, can enter South Africa without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism or business, while other nationalities may need a visa or must apply in advance; rules depend on nationality, so check before booking. Your passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond your departure date and have at least two blank pages, and travellers with children aged 17 and under face extra documentation requirements. From 1 July 2026 all travellers entering or leaving South Africa must submit an online traveller declaration before travelling, and yellow fever vaccination

Official website

From the airport

Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is about 20 km east of the city centre; a taxi or ride-hailing car into the City Bowl or the V&A Waterfront takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Some hotels and shuttle companies run pre-booked transfers, and metered taxis are available at the terminal.

Getting around

The city centre and Waterfront are walkable in daylight, but most trips are by rented car, ride-hailing app or metered taxi, with the MyCiTi bus covering the CBD, Atlantic Seaboard and the airport route.

Local tips

Use ride-hailing apps or hotel-arranged taxis after dark and avoid walking alone at night; keep valuables out of sight in the city centre and on beaches.
Summer (November to March) is dry, windy and busy, while the winter months of May to August bring the rain, so book Table Mountain and Robben Island trips early and keep a flexible day for weather.
Tipping is expected: around 10 to 15 percent in restaurants and small amounts for car guards and porters.
Tap water is safe to drink in the city, cards are widely accepted, and a light waterproof layer is useful even in summer because of the south-easter wind and cloud on the mountain.