Cape Town 3-day itinerary

Experience the best of Cape Town in just 3 days

South Africa allows Americans and Europeans to enter completely visa-free for tourism for stays of up to 90 days.

Day 1 - Cape Peninsula.

On our first day, we rented a car through Enterprise (partnered with Woodford Car Hire on Loop Street), and both check-in and check-out were incredibly smooth.

We chose to rent a car because, for two people, it was actually cheaper than booking a guided tour. However, if you are traveling solo, a tour is the more budget-friendly option and will still allow you to see the entire Cape Peninsula. Below is a breakdown of the stops we made.

Leave as early as possible!

Clifton and Camps Bay beaches. These stops offer the absolute best views of the Twelve Apostles, a spectacular and rugged mountain range. Camps Bay itself is a beautiful, white-sand beach. Since we visited in May, it was a bit too cold to fully enjoy the water, but it’s a fantastic spot for sunbathing during the summer months.
After snapping some photos of the Twelve Apostles, keep driving toward Hout Bay. Here, you can take a boat trip out to Seal Island to—you guessed it—see a massive colony of seals. Hout Bay is also known for its excellent fish and chips spots, making it the perfect place to grab some lunch.
Next, take the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive toward Noordhoek. It’s a short toll road packed with multiple viewpoints. Keep in mind that all the lookouts will be on the right side of the road. Drive slowly, and be careful of oncoming traffic if you decide to pull over into a parking spot on the opposite side.
From there, head into the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, drive down to Cape Point, and park. There is a gorgeous, 1.5-hour hike that runs from here over to the Cape of Good Hope. You can also hike up to the lighthouses right from the parking lot. When we went in May, the Cape Point hike was closed halfway through, so we couldn't reach the second lighthouse.
Make sure you wrap up and leave the reserve by 4:00 PM. Your next stop is Boulders Beach to see the penguins. While the main colony is concentrated at Boulders and Foxy Beach, the penguins often wander over to Seaforth, a neighboring beach. Visiting Seaforth is completely free and gives you a chance to see them roaming in a more natural, less restricted environment.
By the time you finish up here, you'll definitely be ready for dinner. Kalk Bay or Muizenberg are both excellent nearby options for fresh seafood.

A large wooden sign marking the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, with the Atlantic Ocean and rocky coastline in the background.

Close-up portrait of a single black-and-white African penguin on the beach at Seaforth, showcasing its distinct facial markings and pink patches above its eyes against a soft-focus background of sand and water.

For more on a one-day Cape Peninsula by car, click here.

Day 2 - Cape Town on Foot

From the Slave Lodge to Bo-Kaap. Bo-Kaap’s roots stretch back to the 1760s under Dutch East India Company (VOC) rule. Originally known as the Malay Quarter, the area was developed with small rental houses leased to enslaved people, political exiles, and artisans who had been forcibly brought to the Cape from Dutch colonies in South and Southeast Asia.

Click here for a self-guided half-day walking tour

In the late afternoon, take an Uber or a Bolt to the trailhead of the Pipe Track Hike. This trail is mostly flat, but it offers gorgeous views of Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles, making it a spectacular spot to watch the sunset. You don’t need to complete the full hike—which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours—to enjoy it. Instead, you can simply walk until you find a nice boulder, sit back, and relax.

A row of historic, brightly colored houses painted in vibrant shades of pink, yellow, and blue along a cobblestone street in the Bo-Kaap neighborhood of Cape Town.

A vibrant golden sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, viewed from the Pipe Track hike in Cape Town. The setting sun is partially hidden directly behind the dark silhouette of a wild pine tree, creating a dramatic sunburst effect with warm orange and yellow light bleeding through the branches.

Day 3 - Hiking the Table Mountain

You can easily hike Table Mountain without a guide. There are several routes to the summit, each offering different views and levels of difficulty.

Since it was our first time hiking Table Mountain, we decided to head up via the Platteklip Gorge Hike. The trail has an elevation gain of 680 meters (2,230 feet). It’s a very straightforward path to the summit and is widely considered the easiest route up. To be honest, though, it’s a bit monotonous because it consists almost entirely of natural rock steps. It took us 1.5 hours to reach the top, including multiple stops.

Once you get there, the views are absolutely breathtaking, and there are plenty of natural spots to sit and enjoy a picnic.

While most people hike up Platteklip Gorge and take the cable car down, we wanted a change of scenery. Going down is definitely more demanding on your knees than going up, but we decided to descend using a different route: the Kasteelspoort Hike. This trail is a captivating journey down the Twelve Apostles mountain range. Unlike Platteklip Gorge, every single turn offers a stunning view. Its popularity has soared recently, partly due to the highly photogenic "Diving Board" viewpoint. As you descend, keep a close eye out—after about 10 to 15 minutes, you will see this famous rock where you can take the iconic picture. It is incredibly easy to miss on the way down, so keep looking for it! The total elevation change for this hike is 900 meters (2,950 feet), and it took us 3 hours because we stopped so many times for photos.

You will end up at a different location from where you started, but you can easily call an Uber or Bolt from there. We started our day around 10:00 AM and finished at 4:30 PM. By then, we were absolutely starving, so we hitched a ride for a late lunch/early dinner at the Seven Colours Eatery.

For active individuals, these hikes would be considered moderate. But regardless of your fitness level, just about anyone can make it up the Platteklip Gorge Hike if you just take your time and make multiple stops.

Looking up at the dramatic, jagged rock formations and steep gorges of the Twelve Apostles mountains from the rocky path of the Kasteelspoort hiking trail in Cape Town.

The scenic Diving Board viewpoint on the Kasteelspoort Hike

Know before you go

Best period to visit

March to May and September to November are the ideal months to experience Cape Town. These shoulder seasons offer the perfect combination of excellent weather, smaller crowds, and more budget-friendly prices.

Places to stay

Hyatt Regency. Very central location, modern.

Holiday Inn Express. Central location, budget-friendly.

Places to eat

Cape Town

Eat like a local! Try different small restaurants in Grand Parade Square, such as Nobantu's Restaurant. Walking distance from the City Hall and the Castle of Good Hope.

For authentically rooted African cuisine, try Fatima's African restaurant. You will be the only tourist inside.

Our favorite African cuisine spot was Seven Colours Eatery.

Best Coffee shop: Rosetta Roastery Cafe (Bree Street)

Muizenberg

Ocean Basket Muizenberg. A chain restaurant with good and reasonable fish dishes.

Transportation

Rental cars:

Enterprise (partnered with Woodford Car Hire on Loop Street).

Ride shares

Uber and Bolt. Bolt often works out to be a few Rand cheaper than Uber, especially for short inner-city trips.

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