Best time to Visit Cape Town

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Best time to Visit Cape Town

Basic Information:

  • Metro Area : 2,444.97 km² (944.01 sq mi)
  • Calling Code : +27 (0) 21
  • Currency : South African Rand (ZAR)
  • Population : 3,740,026
  • Official Languages : English, Afrikaans, Xhosa
  • Time Zone : GMT/UTC+02:00
  • Airport: Cape Town International Airport

Nothing beats the beautiful sight of Table Mountain when coming in to land at Cape Town International Airport. Travellers have a great range of airlines to choose from including local domestic airlines that offer a variety of cheap flights to Cape Town specials, some with discounts on hotels and car hire.

Airlines landing at Cape Town International Airport include:

  • Flysafair
  • Mango
  • Kulula
  • Comair
  • Air Namibia
  • British Airways
  • Etihad
  • Emirates
  • American
  • Ethiopian
  • Qatar Airways
  • Singapore

 

Five Reasons to Visit Cape Town

  • Known as the Mother City, Cape Town is located on the south-western tip of the African continent and is the oldest city in the country. It boasts a cultural heritage of over 300 years comprising a wealth of history. Besides the awe-inspiring sight of Table Mountain with its tablecloth of clouds, Lions Head, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles that glare over Camps Bay there are lush forests, miles of golden beaches, marvellous sunrises and sunsets and an abundance of bird, sea and wild-life.
  • Vacationing in the Cape is perfect for families with children, newly-weds on honeymoon, senior citizens, water-sports enthusiasts, hikers or extreme sports fanatics. Cape Town sees many tourists and travellers alike. Often flying into the Mother City with one of South Africa’s more popular low-cost airlines such as Mango Airlines, Flysafair or Kulula Airlines. The city offers an enormous choice of restaurants and pubs, a variety of theatres located centrally and in neighbouring suburbs and towns, music festivals, nightclubs, casinos and loads more.
  • With a warm-summer Mediterranean climate nothing beats a summer holiday in Cape Town with long hot days providing temperatures between 26°C to 30° and often reaching 35°.
  • The low season (May and September) is still fabulous and ideal for travellers on low budgets when tour guides, accommodation and restaurant prices drop. Surfers have ideal wave conditions with bigger swells from June to August, the whale breeding season is around June and shark activity is at its peak between May and September.
  • An effortless walk through the city is an experience in itself as you’re surrounded by a contrast of old and new architecture with pavement cafes to rest your feet and quench your thirst while street musicians provide delightful entertainment. Meander through the Company Gardens where city noise is eliminated, replaced by tranquility with birds, squirrels, very old trees and plants.

 

Places to Visit in Cape Town

  • The West Coast National Park, just an hour and a half from Cape Town by car is great for young and old alike. Visitors can take leisurely walks or demanding hikes, go mountain-biking or cycling or kayaking and kite-boarding on the beautiful Langabaan Lagoon. Birders are in their element with hundreds of species to spot from four bird hides in the park. The months of August and September have visitors delighted with colourful masses of blooming flowers and from the Tsaarsbank section of the park, whales can be spotted. Enjoy a scrumptious picnic or braai overlooking the ocean from designated areas. Of great interest to many is the 2½ day Eves Trail, a fully catered hike that traces the footsteps of Eve, a young woman who lived 117 000 years ago. For booking and further information go to: capebiospheretrails.co.za.
  • The town of Hermanus is one of the best whale-watching sites in the world that has visitors astounded with these gigantic, yet graceful mammals. The best time to see Southern Right whales that frequently swim close to shore is from July to November. Humpbacks pass through Hermanus to St Lucia from May to December while Bryde’s whales can be spotted throughout the year.
  • The small fishing town of Gansbaai is regarded as the great white capital of the world, perfect for close encounters with man-eating sharks from a submerged steel cage. Shark activity is at its highest during May and September. Besides sharks, Gansbaai is also home to some 1500 species of the Capes most preserved fynbos. The famous Birkenhead wreck can be seen from the top of the lighthouse at Danger Point. For more information on this amazing gem in the Overberg region that won gold for World Responsible Tourism Awards 2015 with responsibilities.com Best Destination, go to: gansbaaiinfo.com.
  • Closer to the city in Newlands is Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, 52,800sq km in size and one of the most picturesque gardens in the world. Visitors can stroll along the Tree Canopy Walkway that rises through trees providing wonderful views of the bountiful flora. It’s an idyllic place for family picnics, celebrations or a scrumptious meal in the restaurant. The Summer Sunset Concerts are always a sell-out where the audience is spread out over the lawn on blankets with picnic baskets and wine. Check the website http://www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch for further information.
  • The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (V&A) is an all-year round attraction with loads of restaurants, pubs, shops, cinemas and for children, the amazing aquarium. Short cruises can be taken and if the time is right, you may spot a whale or more with their calves. Trips to Robben Island also depart from the V&A, often leaving visitors emotional when seeing the small size of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell and listening to what he and others endured while incarcerated on the island. A trip to the V&A can be very cost effective with plenty to see by just walking around and getting an inexpensive take-away that can be enjoyed on a bench overlooking the boats.
  • Signal Hill is great on a hot summer night with good company, a blanket, fresh breads, cheese and wine. Lie back and enjoy the stars or look down over the city or suburban lights but do go in a group. If hiking during the day, be aware of the noon-day cannon going off.
  • Clifton Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Cape Town but leave early to get a good spot and avoid sitting in congested traffic.
  • Lions Head is great for an early morning hike or just before dark to see the sun set. A common sight is colourful paragliders floating down from Lions Head, heading for a beach landing and sundowners.

 

Getting Around:

The best and most enjoyable way to get around within the city bowl during the daytime is to walk. Its reasonably safe but as in any city in the world, one should always be aware of their surroundings.

 

Buses:

The MyCiti integrated rapid transport system (IRT) is great for getting around the city and surrounding suburbs fast. Routes are continually expanding to new areas and for people in wheelchairs, the elderly or expectant mothers its very convenient. Its environmentally friendly and great for visitors to the city with tourist routes and stops at major landmarks. Get further information on ticket prices, timetables and routes by going to: www.myciti.org.za.

The City Sightseeing Bus, an open-top double-decker bus is popular with tourists and locals. With a hop-on-hop-off option, these buses offer the Blue Route for the Southern Peninsula and the Red Route for the city bowl including the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain cable car and Kirstenbosch. Go to: www.citysightseeing.co.za for more information.

Trains:

Trains are more than often delayed and not always safe or clean. It’s advisable to travel first-class with other passengers between 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. and keep a close eye on your belongings.

Cars:

Hiring a rental vehicle is the best solution when wanting to travel a fair distance outside of the city. There are plenty of reputable car hire companies such as Avis, Europcar, Hertz plus more that are based in the city, at major hotels, and at the airport. If you prefer driving to public transport while in the city, there are plenty of parking areas and for parking in the city streets just have some cash handy to pay the meter attendants with rates starting around R3.50 for half an hour.

Taxis:

Metered taxis are ideal for getting to a show or somewhere specific including getting home safely after a late night out. Its best to book one telephonically. Less expensive than the metered taxis are the Rikkis for shared transport that operate on a 24/7 basis as well as The Green Cab with small four to seven-seater vehicles driven mostly by women and being wholly owned by women. Go to: www.thegreencab.co.za for more info.

Mini-bus Taxis:

These taxis are the most popular mode of transport for locals, being cheap and easy to hail down in the street. They drive fast, are normally packed and hoot all along the way for prospective customers. Before getting in check the destination first and have small change on hand.

Motorbikes & Bicycles:

Ideal for zipping around town is to hire a scooter or motorbike (www.ldvbiking.co.za)

but if you prefer more power for long distance travel you can hire a Harley from Motorcycle Tours www.sa-motorcycle-tours.com, perfect for ride out to the picturesque village of Franschoek in the Winelands. Adventure seekers wanting to ride up mountains can hire off-road bikes or bicycles from Downhill Adventures (021 422 0388).