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• 22m ago
South Africa: Cape Town & The Garden Route
G Adventures•South Africa

Three days in Cape Town before the tour — how to use the time properly

Advice
Arriving into Cape Town three days before my tour starts in August. Done a good bit of G Adventures over the years but this is my first Southern Africa trip and I want to make the most of the pre-tour time. Table Mountain is obvious and I want to get that done early in case of weather. Robben Island is on the list too. That probably fills one full day. For the other two days I am torn between the Cape of Good Hope drive down the peninsula and a wine tour out towards Stellenbosch, though I know there is a winery stop in the itinerary already so maybe that is overkill. Has anyone done this trip and spent time in Cape Town beforehand? What would you prioritise and what is not worth the time? Also any recommendations on where to stay for the pre-tour nights would be useful, somewhere central that is easy to get around from.

Answers Section

1 answer

Comment by serengeti_lion

SL
Three days is a good amount of time. Table Mountain first thing is the right call — the cable car gets booked out and cloud comes in fast in the afternoon. Get there early and you will have it largely to yourself. Robben Island takes most of a day including the ferry wait and the tour itself. Do not underestimate the time. Book in advance, tours sell out weeks ahead. For day three I would take the Cape of Good Hope over the wine tour given you already have a winery on the itinerary. The drive down the peninsula is one of the better things you can do in South Africa — Boulder Beach for the penguins on the way back is worth the stop. It is a full day if you do it properly. For accommodation the De Waterkant area is central, walkable, and well located for getting around. The Bo-Kaap is good too but slightly less convenient. Avoid anything too far out of the centre — Cape Town traffic can be unpredictable.