Cape Town & the Cape Winelands: A Guide to My 11-Day Itinerary
Cape Town is one of those destinations that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I visited. Our 11-day adventure was packed with adventures near and far, taking us all around the Western Cape, before heading further inland to explore the Cape Winelands.
It was a truly memorable first experience of South Africa, and one I’d love to repeat someday, next time trying the new hotels, restaurants, beaches, and hikes that I’ve since heard about.
In this post I cover all the details of our May 2022 trip, including:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Car hire
- Safety
- Costs
- Cape Town itinerary
- Cape Winelands itinerary
Our flights to Cape Town
There’s no shortage of options when it comes to flying to Cape Town, especially from London. We chose to book economy seats on direct return flights with British Airways, which took roughly 12 hours each way. By choosing night flights, we avoided spending two full days in the air.
Cost: £765 per person
Our Cape Town hotel
For our first hotel, we chose a small and friendly boutique guesthouse called Cape Diem Lodge. Set at the foot of Signal Hill, this spot was perfect for local sightseeing of the V&A Waterfront, which was just a 15-minute walk away. Despite being so close to the action, it felt secluded and peaceful because of its residential location.
The highlight was the gorgeous pool surrounded by spots to sunbathe, though sadly it wasn’t quite warm enough for us to take a dip because of a biting autumn breeze. Right next to the pool was our standard queen room, which offered a cosy, modern vibe with a comfy four-poster bed.
If the hotel breakfast is good, then I’m a happy customer, and this one ticked all the boxes. Each morning we walked across the garden to pull up a chair on the communal terrace, order our coffee and a sizzling plate of Eggs Benedict, and help ourselves to the small buffet of fresh, chilled items.
Cost: £600 for six nights (bed and breakfast board basis)
Our Cape Town itinerary
We used taxis and buses to get around most of the Western Cape, which were extremely accessible and affordable options. For the majority of the trip we actually used a multi-day hop-on, hop-off bus ticket, so we could venture further and take advantage of its discounted tickets to a handful of attractions.
Here’s a rough breakdown of what we got up to in Cape Town:
Day one: hotel check-in, followed by an afternoon at the V&A Waterfront.
Day two: a morning in Bo Kaap, an early afternoon in Sea Point visiting Mojo Market, a late afternoon admission to the Two Oceans Aquarium, and an early evening canal cruise departing from the V&A Waterfront.
Day three: a morning spent browsing the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, a lunchtime trip to Table Mountain via cable car, an afternoon enjoying the beaches of Camps Bay, and a sunset ride on the V&A Waterfront ferris wheel.
Day four: a day excursion with City Sightseeing to see the penguins of Boulders Beach* and hike along Cape of Good Hope at Cape Point, returning to the V&A Waterfront for the evening (*the trip takes you to the tourist centre, but walk along the wooden path to reach the other beaches for a closer encounter).
Day five: a day trip to Hout Bay to see the seals, and a sunset picnic right at the top of Signal Hill.
Day six: a sunrise hike of Lions Head, an afternoon spent hopping along the coves of Clifton Beaches, and a sunset cruise departing from the V&A Waterfront.
Day seven: hotel check out, our hire car collection, a visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and a stunning drive to the Cape Winelands (continued below).
Safety in Cape Town
We generally felt pretty safe in Cape Town, but it’s important to stay aware of potential scams. Outside our hotel a woman asked to use my phone, which might have been genuine, but I was hyperaware of the potential dangers in this city so politely told her I didn’t yet have an e-SIM and left.
I’d recommend doing a bit of research on the current status of safety in Cape Town before you travel there, but don’t let that put you off a trip, as it really is an incredible place.
Car hire in Cape Town
To leave Cape Town and head to the Cape Winelands, we hired a pretty standard car from one of the many companies dotted around the city. You can book a day excursion from Cape Town if you have limited time, but we planned to spend a few days in the Cape Winelands, so hiring a car made sense.
Cost: £182 for four days (with full insurance)
Our Cape Winelands hotel
I thought Cape Diem Lodge was great, and then we pulled up at Maison Cabriere Suites. Located in Franschhoek, with views of the clouds rolling off the mountain tops, this really was a dreamy spot for the second leg of our trip.
Our room was huge and featured a gigantic bath, double sinks, a seated terrace area that looked onto a garden, and a complimentary bottle of wine to enjoy during the stay. The pool was even bigger than the last, though still too cold to get in, and there was a self-serve coffee area in a roomy communal living space.
Cost: £462 for three nights (room-only basis)
Our Cape Winelands itinerary
We mainly used our car to get around the Cape Winelands, but we also did a lot of walking and booked another fun mode of transport, which I’ll get onto in a minute.
Here’s the day-by-day itinerary for our time in the Cape Winelands:
Day seven (continued): hotel check-in and a quiet evening in Franschhoek.
Day eight: a full day on the Franschhoek Wine tram experience, visiting six incredible wineries via the green line, where we tasted tons of outstanding wine, paired with mountain views and the occasional cheese platter.
Day nine: a slow morning in Franschhoek, an afternoon relaxing poolside, and another chilled evening in Franschhoek.
Day ten: a morning at Boschendal wine farm estate, and an afternoon at Babylonstoren wine farm estate, both exceptional spots for strolls, dining, and shopping.
Day eleven: hotel check-out, and a reluctant return to Cape Town for our flight home.
My experience of Cape Town and the Cape Winelands was fantastic, I really don’t have a bad thing to say. This part of the world is for people who love adventure, mountains, ocean views, exciting wildlife, and exceptional food and wine, so if that’s you, then you might want to get that trip booked.
Total trip cost excluding daily expenses: £2,728 (£1,364 per person)
