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2 Days in Cape Town - What to Choose!
Hi There,
I read the calendar wrong and we arrive on Thursday, not Wednesday so now we only have 2.5 days in Cape Town to play. Of course we want to see the typical: Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope/Boulders Beach, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch Garden and explore Cape Town and are thinking of hiring a private guide so we can spend time taking photos and enjoying what the city and country has to offer. Are all of these things in 2 days too aggressive? If I have to skip one, which? Since we get in early Thursday, I'm planning to do something in the afternoon to stave off the jet lag. Typically I like to do a walking tour to get to know where I am staying. Is going to Robben Island or Table Mountain a shorter, afternoon type activity? We are staying in the Waterfront Area. Please advise and thank you Kim |
We leave on Tuesday as well. Your itinerary sounds very similar to ours. We arrive in Cape Town on a Friday afternoon after two Botswana safari camps. We have the evening free and tours begin the following day. We have a private half day city tour in the morning, a very brief stop for lunch and then Robben Island in the afternoon. The evening is free. The next day we have a full day Cape Peninsula tour. Again, the evening is free. The next day we do a full day wine lands tour and check into Stellenbosch for two nights. It will be busy, we would like longer but it is not possible this trip. |
We leave Sunday for safari in Bostwana - we are on opposite trips, Are you just taking day trips with group or hiring a guide?
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Both Table Mountain and Robben Island are weather dependent, so plan one of those for Day 1. The Table Mountain cableway is closed when winds are high, and if it is cloudy you won’t see much from the top. I’ve been on Table Mountain twice, both times in clear weather, and the views were spectacular. You could do Table Mountain in the morning and Kirstenbosch Gardens in the afternoon. Boulders Beach, where you see the penguins, is on the way to the Cape of Good Hope. If you go all the way to Cape Point you are using most of the day, but instead you could go to Hout Bay, where you might see some seals, and then to Constantia to visit the vineyards there, since you won’t have time for the winelands at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, etc. Groot Constantia is the oldest wine estate in South Africa. I’ve never been to Robben Island, and have heard mixed reviews about the tour. The District 6 Museum is very interesting, and you can walk from there to the Castle of Good Hope, built in the 1600s by the Dutch East India Company. |
We begin in Victoria Falls, followed by Botswana and then South Africa. We are traveling independently but will be part of the group options offered at each camp and at our accommodation in Vic Falls. Our South African leg is just the two of us with private day tours and guides |
My remarks about not having time for Stellenbosch, of course, were directed at pirouette. The winelands are wonderful, and tastings generous and ridiculously cheap, especially with the Rand as low as it is right now. A typical tasting includes 5 wines and costs about R50 or 60 in the popular wine farms. Groot Constantia isn't in the winelands, but in a leafy suburb between Hout Bay and central Cape Town, hence much easier to reach in a short visit.
On the way back from Cape Point, Chapman's Peak Drive, overlooking the ocean, is spectacular. It's best to do it on the way back when you are on the ocean side (left-hand side) of the road where it's easier to pull off at the lookout points. |
I mentioned that to our tour guide.
We are going to try to get to table mountain when we get in in Thursday, do a day tour to cape of good hope on Friday and then leave Saturday open for whatever we feel like - if anything at all as we will be on the go with safari for the following 10 days. Thank you all for your insights! I appreciate it! |
Kkimkim, if you can get up to Table Mountain on the day you arrive that is a good plan. I’ve been up both first thing in the morning when lines are up to two hours long for people who already have tickets, and afternoon when we got on the cable car straight away. Sometimes it gets cloudy in the afternoon, though, when you see the famous “tablecloth” from below. You can reserve tickets in advance that are good for up to 7 days from the date you specify, so that will allow you to pick the best time to go. If you don’t book in advance you will first have line up to buy tickets, and then join another line to get on the cable car. Book for Thursday and you can still use the tickets on Friday or Saturday if that turns out better: https://www.tablemountain.net/ |
Tickets purchased!
Bags packed! Late flight tomorrow :( - makes for a long day! What is the best way to get to Table Mt from the water front? Uber? is there a bus or I'll check with the hotel if there is a shuttle or something. Thanks! |
Uber is probably the best bet. It will drop you off near the cableway station. If you have pre-booked tickets printed out you can go straight to the line for the cable car. Otherwise, go to the line at the ticket booth. Being still winter, the lines will probably be short. Before going to Table Mountain check the link I gave you in the last post to be sure the cableway is running. |
According to BBC Weather the sky will be clear with light winds on Thursday, so looking good for Table Mountain. Sunset will be at 18:30, and the last cable car down at 19:00. Weather can change quickly in Cape Town, though. |
How long does it take to get there from the waterfront? we should be departing in about 2 hrs for Cape Town!
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By Uber about 20 minutes, I guess, maybe a little less in light traffic. |
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