LocalPlaces is perfectly positioned to help you plan your entire trip to South Africa. To both Gauteng Province (Johannesburg, Soweto & Pretoria) and the Western Cape (Cape Town, Cape Peninsula, Winelands, Garden Route and West Coast). And to anywhere else in between – for instance adding safari around Kruger National Park or further afield such as Madikwe, Botswana or even Vic Falls (Zimbabwe/Zambia). Where to stay, how to get around, which of our tours to book, which other activities and tours to book, where to eat, what to experience. Let us plan an entire itinerary for you – some will include our own tours and experiences, while we will also recommend and source bookings with other operators and places.
We will soon start populating this page with detailed advice and recommendations of where to stay, what essential experiences to include during your visit to South Africa. From where to stay and eat and what museums and galleries to include.
Make contact with Gerald in the meantime for detailed advice. We will gladly respond to an initial WhatsApp (+27 82 894 5216) or email (gerald@localplaces.co.za), and we can arrange a paid online consulting slot for more detailed advice. Be sure to tell us your interests upfront: for example: history, contemporary culture, street art/art galleries, nature/hiking, food/cuisine, adventure, sport, music, theatre or whatever.
Cape Town Quick Guide
Download our pdf quick guide to Cape Town and surrounds by clicking on this link:
LocalPlaces_Cape_Town_Quick_Guide
Or read the text below:
Our Quick Guide to Cape Town and surrounds
- By Gerald Garner.
A summary of our top recommendations. Of course, some of these can be incorporated into our tours and storytelling experiences. But feel free to often frequent these special spaces and places at your leisure.
To enjoy your visit to Cape Town and the surrounding winelands to the fullest, we recommend at least seven days. If you still want to explore the verdant Garden Route, the spectacular west coast or the small towns of the Klein and Groot Karoo, then you need at least another week. But rest assured, once you have been to the Cape once, you will return. No need to cram it all in to one visit.
The most important advice I can give you, is that Cape Town is surrounded by the sea in almost all sides and this means that the weather can change several times every day. Sea breezes and wind can turn a hot morning into a chili afternoon. One side of the mountain can experience rain while the other side is sunny and dry. Always dress in layers and take something warm along even if it is the perfect morning. And allow flexibility in your schedule. Experiences such as the cable way to the top of Table Mountain or the Robben Island ferry could be cancelled and postponed due to weather. Plan these for early in your trip, so that you can move these to other days if required.
If I only had seven days in Cape Town and if I have not visited it before, here is what I would do:
Day 1
Enjoy an Understanding Cape Town walking tour with LocalPlaces in the morning. Followed by a late lunch at Kloof Street House or Ongetem and a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain for sunset.
Day 2
Go on a Bristling Bo-Kaap walking tour with LocalPlaces. Followed by a scrumptious lunch at Seven Colours Eatery, and exploring the architectural marvel that is the Zeitz Mocaa art museum. Then amble around the waterfront for shopping and exploration.
Day 3
Visit Robben Island in the morning, then pack a picnic and enjoy the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, walk along the Boomslang – a boardwalk among the tree tops. Marvel at the incredible vegetation and stunning views.
Day 4
Explore the District Six Museum and the Desmond & Leah Tutu Foundation in the morning. Move to Sea Point for lunch at Zest, followed by a long and casual walk along the Sea Point Promenade. Complete the day with sundowners in Moulie Point and late-night drinks at Art of Duplicity in District Six.
Day 5:
Do a Cape Peninsula Overview tour with LocalPlaces or explore greater Cape Town by yourself. Recommended places to possibly visit:
– Hout Hay Harbour
– Champan’s Peak Drive
– Cape Point Vinyards
– Cape Point National Park (Cape of Good Hope and the Cape Point Lighthouse)
– Boulders Beach (penguins) in Simon’s Town
– Kalk Bay Harbour (sit down lunch at Live Bait or informal fish & chips at Kalkies).
– Muizenberg
– Groot Constantia (South Africa’s first and oldest wine farm, a must see!)
- There is so much to do and see that this could easily be split over two days, especially if you want to combine it with scrumptious breakfasts, lunches and dinners. You could also choose to stay over in Simon’s Town, Kalk Bay, Misty Cliffs or Noordhoek.
Day 6:
Enjoy a Scenic Winelands tour with LocalPlaces or explore the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek region by yourself.
Recommended places to possibly visit:
– Stellenbosch
– Themela Wine Estate
– Tokara Wine Estate
– Boschendal (Werf restaurant is great for lunch)
– La Motte Wine Estate
– Haute Cabriere
– Babylonstoren
Day 7:
Enjoy another Winelands Exploration with LocalPlaces, this time focusing more on Somerset West, or discover the area by yourself
Recommended places to possibly visit:
Vergenoegd Low Wine Estate (be there at 9am or 12noon for the farm’s famous duck parade)
Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
Waterkloof
Vergelegen
Lourensford
Drive out via Gordon’s Bay along Clarence drive to appreciate the mountains and views over False Bay before returning to the city.
- The winelands can keep you busy for many days as the area is simply so picturesque with more to experience than you could imagine. Plenty of amazing places to stay over as well.
- Choose the tours you want to book with LocalPlaces.
- If you need help with us planning a customized itinerary for you, we can do so for a small fee. We are happy to help you plan for self-drive experiences and recommend things to do and place to visit based on your interests.
- This could include arranging accommodation or transfers if required.
Contact Gerald on WhatsApp +27 82 894 5216 or email gerald@localplaces.co.za to start a conversation on planning your Cape Town experience.
Our recommendations:
These are Gerald’s personal recommendations of places to go, it is a work in progress. Expect constant updates.
Top exquisite restaurants
La Calombe (Constantia)
Salsify (Roundhouse, Camps Bay)
Fyn (City)
Harbour House (Kalk Bay)
Pot Luck Club
Zest (Sea Point)
Top high-end, but more casual restaurants
Sea Breeze Fish & Shell (City)
Ongetem (Long Kloof, Gardens)
Gigi Rooftop (Gorgeous George Hotel, City)
Couzins (City)
Live Bait (Kalk Bay)
Kloof Street House (Gardens)
Mantra (Camps Bay)
Codfather (Camps Bay)
Hussar Grill (Camps Bay)
Top coffee shops, breakfast, brunch & lunch spots
Four & Twenty (Chelsea Village, Wynberg)
Paulines Garden (Long Kloof, Gardens)
Ginja Restaurant (Victoria & Alfred Hotel, Waterfront)
Strangers (Green Point)
Egg Head (Gardens)
Top casual bars/eateries to hang out
The Yard (Gardens)
Mixa’s (Gardens) (my favourite is the lamb and avo burger)
Kimberley Hotel (for its historic ambience)
The Shed (pizza) both Bree Street and in Observatory
Top high-end/cocktail bars
Art of Duplicity (District Six)
Gigi Rootop (Gorgeous George Hotel, City)
Top places to eat traditional South African and Pan-African food
Seven Colours Eatery (Battery Park, Waterfront) – South African Xhosa inspired
Addis in Cape (City) – Ethiopian
Faeeza’s Kitchen & Tea Garden (Bo-Kaap) – Cape Malay
Eastern Food Bazaar (Asian-inspired South African cuisine)
High-end places to stay
Dorp Hotel (Bo-Kaap)
Cellars Hohenort (Constantia)
Mid-level/affordable places to stay
Curiocity Africa Green Point (Green Point)
Curiocity Africa Kloof Street (Gardens)
Top Art Galleries & Museums
Zeits Mocaa – Museum of Contemporary African Art (Waterfront)
Desmond & Leah Tutu Foundation – exhibition of the Tutu’s life work (District Six)
District Six Museum – the story of the Apartheid destruction of this neighbourhood (District Six)
Iziko South African National Gallery (Gardens)
Iziko Slave Lodge (City)
Camissa Museum at the Cape Castle (City)
Most astonishing places to visit in Cape Town and surrounds
Table Mountain Aerial Cable Way
Chapman’s Peak Drive
Groot Constantia Wine Farm
Cape Point / Cape of Good Hope
Boulders Beach (penguins)
Kalk Bay village and harbour
Zeitz Moccaa
Battery Park and Canals, V&A Waterfront
Vergenoedg Low Wine Estate
Boschendal Wine Estate
Clifton 4th Beach
Boschendal
Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
Top rooftop bars/restaurants
Raddison Red Hotel, Waterfront (Waterfront)
Sun Square Hotel Foreshore (CHECK) (City)
Mountain Club at Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel (Gardens)
Deux Kloof Street (Gardens)
Gigi Rooftop (Gorgeous George Hotel, City)
Getting around
Getting around in Cape Town is not the simplest or easiest thing as the city still suffers from apartheid spatial planning and insufficient/ineffective public transport.
If you do not have a car, you can get around with Uber, MyCiti Bus and the CitySightseeing Red Buses. In the case I recommend that you stay in the City Bowl, with the Waterfront, Gardens (around Kloof Street) and Green Point my recommended areas.
If you do have a car, then you may want to stay further out along the Atlantic Seaboard (Bantry Bay, Clifton of Camps Bay) where the sunset sea views are glorious.
If you do not have a car, I recommend tours of the Cape Peninsula and the Cape Winelands, but between MyCiti Bus, the City Sighseeing Red Buses and Uber you will be able to get to many of these places. There is also the Wine Tram option in Franschhoek with which you can get to several wine estates.
Be in touch with LocalPlaces and let us help you:
– choose where to stay based on your interests and transport requirements
– choose which tours to do
– choose what other activities and places to include in your itinerary.
Contact Gerald on WhatsApp +27 82 894 5216 or email gerald@localplaces.co.za
Two cities
We of course can plan an entire South African experience for you. We have for example recently hosted a group of six American travelers for nine days, four in Johannesburg and five in Cape Town. This included the following:
DAY 1, JOBURG:
Understanding Joburg walking tour & Soweto driving tour
DAY 2, JOBURG:
Visits to the Constitution Hill, Apartheid Museum and more of Soweto
DAY 3, JOBURG:
Birthday city exploration which included a Spa, lunch at a city market, rooftop tapas and drinks and dinner with late night party and clubbing.
DAY 4, JOBURG:
Viewpoints & Watering Holes driving tour.
DAY 5, TRAVEL DAY:
Flights to Cape Town
DAY 6, CAPE TOWN:
Understanding Cape Town walking tour & Table Mountain visit
DAY 7, CAPE TOWN:
Peninsula Overview driving tour
DAY 8, CAPE TOWN:
Winelands driving tour
DAY 9, CAPE TOWN
Customized city driving tour including Kirstenbosch, Bo-Kaap, Biscuit Mall (Neighbourgoods Market) and Zeits Mocaa at the V&A Waterfront.
DAY 10, CAPE TOWN
Beach visits and shopping, including Boulders, the V&A Waterfront, Clifton 4th and Camps Bay.
We loved hosting these guests and shared the best of both cities with them. We do wish they had asked us to book their accommodation too, as we think we could have added a lot of value by choosing more bespoke and personalized places to stay for their enjoyment.
Simply let us know how many days you want to spend in each city and your interests or preferred places to visit and we will put an entire itinerary together for you. If we must find an activity to book for you, or a specialized tour offered by someone else than us, we will do so with pleasure.
If you need airport transfers, or simply a driver to take you some places rather than a tour, we can arrange that too. Benefit from our local knowledge and enjoy Joburg and Cape Town more!
Where to stay
We would love to help you choose accommodation too. We have a whole gamut of fantastic places to recommend for your stay. These range from exclusive boutique hotels and private villas to affordable hybrid/apartment hotels and even backpacker’s accommodation. We also know the best Airbnb locations in each city. Let us know your requirements and we will check on availability at our recommended locations, and then put you in touch with the establishment to book directly with them.
We know the best places to visit and stay all over South Africa. Such as this hidden gem of an ocean house.
Road trips out of the cities
Do you want to explore the astonishing South African countryside too? We can help you with that! Including booking transport, planning self-drive road trip routes, activities, and places to stay.
For example, from Cape Town, we recommend a road trip from the city to Matjiesfontein, Prince Albert, George & Environs (Garden Route), Still Bay, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Cape Agulhas and back via Bredasdrop, Napier and Caledon.
Add a safari or wildlife experience within reach of Johannesburg or Cape Town. Or let us plan a few more days for you exploring the winelands, a road trip up the West Coast, the Garden Route or the Karoo.
Simply contact us with your wishes and requirements and we will propose how to best go about planning it all.
WhatsApp us on +27 82 894 5216 or email gerald@localplaces.co.za
Let us book lunch for you at the most astonishing, remote cafe in South Africa.
WhatsApp us on +27 82 894 5216 or email us on gerald@localplaces.co.za to check availability.