UltimateCity Guide Cape Town
Our favourites
Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles above the City Bowl and Camps Bay, seen from Lion’s Head Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles above the City Bowl and Camps Bay, seen from Lion’s Head Camps Bay beach and its houses below the cliffs of the Twelve Apostles Table Mountain above the V&A Waterfront harbour at dusk, with a sailing ship at its berth The path along the ridge to the lookout at Cape Point, with the ocean on both sides

The city guide to Cape Town, South Africa

Best of Cape Town

A mountain in the middle of the city, two oceans and the vines over the hill: Table Mountain and Robben Island, The Silo and the Mount Nelson, La Colombe and the beaches of Clifton. Cape Town, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resort
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyThe Atlantic Seaboard, Constantia, the agents and the transfer

Cape Town, around the mountain

Cape Town wraps around Table Mountain: the City Bowl and the Bo-Kaap, the harbour at the V&A Waterfront, the Atlantic beaches of Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, Constantia’s vineyards over the hill, and the False Bay coast to Cape Point. Here are its grand hotels and great tables, its museums and galleries, its gardens and walks, and day trips to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Hermanus and the West Coast. Every listing is checked against the venue’s own website or an official source, and anything we can’t confirm is left out.

A mountain, an island and two oceans: Cape Town’s great sights

In depth

A mountain, an island and two oceans

Cape Town·In depth

Table Mountain, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch and the drive to Cape Point: how to see Cape Town in four days.

Read the story

Arts + Culture

Zeitz MOCAA in its grain silo, the Norval Foundation’s sculpture garden, opera at Artscape and the District Six Museum.

The atrium of Zeitz MOCAA, carved from the concrete tubes of the old grain siloArts + CultureArts & Culture in Cape TownMuseums, galleries, stages and festivals

Cape Town, around the mountain

Eight parts of the city, each with its own guide: the City Bowl and the painted Bo-Kaap, the harbour at the V&A, the Sea Point promenade, the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, Hout Bay, Constantia’s vineyards, Woodstock’s studios and the False Bay coast.

Red, orange, yellow, pink and turquoise houses on Wale Street in the Bo-KaapNeighbourhood guideThe City Bowl & the Bo-KaapUnder the mountainTable Mountain above the V&A Waterfront harbour at dusk, with a sailing ship at its berthNeighbourhood guideThe V&A Waterfront & Green PointThe harbour quarterVillas above the rocks of the Atlantic Seaboard in evening light, with the Twelve Apostles beyondNeighbourhood guideSea Point & Bantry BayThe promenadeCamps Bay beach and its houses below the cliffs of the Twelve ApostlesNeighbourhood guideClifton & Camps BayBeaches under the Twelve ApostlesCape fur seals basking in Hout Bay harbour, with boats at the marinaNeighbourhood guideHout Bay & Chapman’s PeakHarbour and cliff roadThe thatched, gabled Cape Dutch manor house at Groot ConstantiaNeighbourhood guideConstantia & the Southern SuburbsVines and gardens

Read the wind

When the south-easter blows on the Atlantic side, head over the mountain to Constantia, or round to the shelter of Clifton’s boulders.

Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles above the City Bowl and Camps Bay, seen from Lion’s HeadNeighbourhood guideWoodstock & Salt RiverStudios and the millWaves on the rocks at Kalk Bay, looking across False Bay to the mountainsNeighbourhood guideFalse Bay: Kalk Bay & MuizenbergThe warmer coast

Before you go

Visas and the new ETA, the airport bus, the wind on the mountain, and four days that work for a first visit.

Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles above the City Bowl and Camps Bay, seen from Lion’s HeadBefore you goCape Town essentialsEntry, the ETA, money, safety and 112A MyCiTi bus at the Civic Centre station in the city centreGetting aroundGetting aroundThe airport, MyCiTi and the trainsTable Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles above the City Bowl and Camps Bay, seen from Lion’s HeadItineraryCape Town in four daysThe mountain, the island and Cape PointCamps Bay beach and its houses below the cliffs of the Twelve ApostlesLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe colonnaded gateway of the Mount Nelson Hotel, with cloud pouring over Table Mountain at sunsetItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Mount Nelson, FYN and PierVillas above the rocks of the Atlantic Seaboard in evening light, with the Twelve Apostles beyondItineraryThe Platinum weekendEllerman House and La Colombe

Our advice

Go up the mountain on the first clear morning

The cableway stops in high wind and cloud. Check tablemountain.net when you wake up, and if the summit is clear and still, go that day, whatever your plan said. Cape Town essentials

Beyond Cape Town

Stellenbosch and Franschhoek lie over the mountains to the east; Cape Point is at the end of the peninsula, Hermanus along the coast and the West Coast to the north.

A white Cape Georgian house under oak trees on Dorp Street, StellenboschBeyond Cape TownStellenboschOaks, gables and wineThe Huguenot Monument at Franschhoek below the mountains that ring the valleyBeyond Cape TownFranschhoekThe Huguenot valleyThe path along the ridge to the lookout at Cape Point, with the ocean on both sidesBeyond Cape TownCape Point & Simon’s TownPenguins and lighthousesVoelklip beach and the houses of Hermanus below the mountainsBeyond Cape TownHermanusWhales from the cliffsOrange and pink spring flowers carpeting the Postberg section of the West Coast National ParkBeyond Cape TownPaternoster & the West CoastFlowers and fishing villages

Our advice

Book Robben Island before anything else

The boats to Robben Island fill up days ahead in summer and sail only in good weather. Book with the Robben Island Museum as soon as your dates are set. Robben Island

Cape Town in depth

The mountain and the island, the great tables, the arts, the hotels, the buses and trains, and where people buy: the stories behind Cape Town.

Table Mountain and Lion’s Head across Table Bay from the beach at BloubergThe back storyA mountain, an island and two oceansThe mountain, Robben Island and the PointBobotie, the Cape Malay baked dish, with yellow rice, banana and chutneyThe back storyCape Town at the tableThe great tables and the seaThe atrium of Zeitz MOCAA, carved from the concrete tubes of the old grain siloThe back storyArt in a grain siloCape Town’s artsThe colonnaded gateway of the Mount Nelson Hotel, with cloud pouring over Table Mountain at sunsetThe back storyWhere Cape Town sleepsThe harbour, the mountain and the seaA MyCiTi bus at the Civic Centre station in the city centreThe back storyCape Town by bus, train and seaMyCiTi, the Southern Line and the Blue TrainTurquoise water and a white beach on the Atlantic Seaboard, from the slopes of Lion’s HeadThe back storyBuying in Cape TownNeighbourhoods and the transfer

At the table

Lunch is the Cape’s great meal: book a long one in the vineyards, and keep the evening for the sunset.

A king protea, South Africa’s national flower, in bloomFun factsCape Town fun factsThings you might not know

Onwards with the ULTIMATE guides

Cape Town is a port at the tip of Africa: out to sea from its cruise terminal, north on the great trains, and across the Indian Ocean.

Table Mountain above the V&A Waterfront harbour at dusk, with a sailing ship at its berthULTIMATE CruisesCruisesFrom Cape Town’s cruise terminalTable Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles above the City Bowl and Camps Bay, seen from Lion’s HeadULTIMATE Rail JourneysRail JourneysThe great train journeysTurquoise water and a white beach on the Atlantic Seaboard, from the slopes of Lion’s HeadULTIMATE MaldivesThe MaldivesAcross the Indian OceanTable Mountain above the V&A Waterfront harbour at dusk, with a sailing ship at its berthULTIMATE DubaiDubaiThe Gulf’s great city

ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Europe

See all Europe
Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.Visit the guide The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.Visit the guide The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.Visit the guide The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.Visit the guide Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunsetSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue skyGermanyULTIMATE BerlinThe Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island, the Philharmonie and three opera houses, the story of the Wall, and day trips to Potsdam and Dresden.Visit the guide The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue skyEnglandULTIMATE BrightonThe Royal Pavilion and the piers, the Lanes and the North Laine, Kemptown and Pride, and the South Downs on the doorstep.Visit the guide The Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenRomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeHungaryULTIMATE BudapestThermal baths, grand coffee houses, ruin bars and MICHELIN-starred dining on both banks of the Danube, with day trips to the Danube Bend and Lake Balaton.Visit the guide Nyhavn, CopenhagenDenmarkULTIMATE CopenhagenNyhavn and Tivoli, Rosenborg and Amalienborg, smørrebrød at lunch, Geranium and Kadeau’s three stars, Danish design and the harbour baths.Visit the guide A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegroships & regions)ULTIMATE Cruises (linesThe world’s cruise lines for every budget, from family resort ships to yachts, expedition ships and river boats, with the cruising regions port by port.Visit the guide The Ha’penny Bridge on the Liffey, DublinIrelandULTIMATE DublinTrinity and the Book of Kells, the Georgian squares, The Shelbourne, the pubs and their music, and the coast from Howth to Dalkey.Visit the guide Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street GardensScotlandULTIMATE EdinburghThe castle and the Royal Mile, the Georgian New Town, seven MICHELIN stars from Leith to Stockbridge and the August festivals.Visit the guide Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es VedràSpainULTIMATE FormenteraThe white sands of Ses Illetes, the lighthouses of La Mola and Barbaria, the craft markets and an island made for bikes.Visit the guide The Baie des Anges, NiceFranceULTIMATE French RivieraNice, Cannes, Antibes, Cap Ferrat, Èze, Menton, Saint-Tropez and Cassis: palace hotels, three-star tables, beach clubs, the Festival de Cannes and the painters’ coast.Visit the guide Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini calderaGreeceULTIMATE Greek IslandsIsland hopping made easy: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos and the Cyclades, plus Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with ferries, beaches, hotels and tavernas.Visit the guide Helsinki Cathedral above the South HarbourFinlandULTIMATE HelsinkiSuomenlinna and the South Harbour, saunas by the sea, Aalto and the Design District, two-starred Palace and day trips to Porvoo and Tallinn.Visit the guide The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sunSpainULTIMATE IbizaDalt Vila’s UNESCO walls, Es Vedrà, three MICHELIN-starred kitchens, the beach clubs and the quiet north, 30 minutes from Formentera.Visit the guide Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening lightTurkeyULTIMATE IstanbulTwo continents, one city: Hagia Sophia and the bazaars, Bosphorus ferries, meyhanes and rooftop bars, Sinan’s hammams and the car-free Princes’ Islands.Visit the guide Varenna on Lake ComoItalyULTIMATE Lake ComoVilla d’Este and the Villa del Balbianello, Bellagio and Varenna, the gardens of the villas, Riva boats and the four MICHELIN stars of the lake.Visit the guide Lisbon’s rooftops falling to the Tagus under a clear blue skyPortugalULTIMATE LisbonBelém’s monastery and tower, the castle above Alfama, palace hotels, Belcanto’s two stars, and day trips to Sintra, Cascais and Comporta.Visit the guide Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behindSloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the ThamesUnited KingdomULTIMATE LondonRoyal palaces and the Thames, great museums, West End theatre, grand hotels, and the restaurants and bars of Soho, Mayfair and the City.Visit the guide The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran VíaSpainULTIMATE MadridThe Prado and El Retiro, the Royal Palace, DiverXO’s three stars and cocido since 1870, with day trips to Toledo and Segovia.Visit the guide La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la MarSpainULTIMATE MallorcaPalma’s cathedral and palace hotels, the UNESCO Tramuntana, Deià and Sóller, nine MICHELIN-starred kitchens, and Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.Visit the guide Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunsetGozo & CominoULTIMATE MaltaValletta’s knights’ city, temples older than the pyramids, Caravaggio, seven MICHELIN-starred kitchens and the Blue Lagoon.Visit the guide Yachts in Puerto BanúsSpainULTIMATE MarbellaWhitewashed lanes and orange trees in the Old Town, the yachts of Puerto Banús, beach clubs on the Golden Mile and day trips to Ronda and Gibraltar.Visit the guide Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, MenorcaSpainULTIMATE MenorcaA UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: the coves of Macarella and Turqueta, World Heritage Talayotic sites, Ciutadella and Maó’s great harbour.Visit the guide The Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the Piazza del DuomoItalyULTIMATE MilanThe Duomo and the Last Supper, La Scala and Brera, the Quadrilatero della Moda, Bartolini’s three stars, and day trips to Lake Como.Visit the guide Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountainsOur sister guideULTIMATE MonacoThe Casino and Monte-Carlo’s palace hotels, the Prince’s Palace on the Rock, superyachts in Port Hercule, Larvotto’s beach clubs and the Grand Prix streets.Visit the guide The Oslo Opera HouseNorwayULTIMATE OsloThe Opera House you can walk on, MUNCH and Vigeland, the polar ships of Bygdøy, Holmenkollen and Maaemo’s three MICHELIN stars.Visit the guide The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in ParisFranceULTIMATE ParisThe Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, Notre-Dame reopened, the palace hotels, nine three-star tables, the bouillons, and day trips to Versailles and Giverny.Visit the guide The Millennium Bridge over the MoračaMontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide Prague Castle and Charles BridgeCzechiaULTIMATE PraguePrague Castle and Charles Bridge, the Old Town and Malá Strana, Mozart, Dvořák and the opera, the Christmas markets and the five MICHELIN stars of 2026.Visit the guide The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratOur sister guideULTIMATE Property (prime markets worldwide)Prime neighbourhoods, estate agents, new developments and how buying works, market by market across the ULTIMATE network.Visit the guide The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakOur sister guideULTIMATE Rail Journeys (great train journeys worldwide)The story of the train, the great rail journeys of the world and where to book them, from the Orient Express to the Glacier Express.Visit the guide The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North MacedoniaOur sister guideULTIMATE Regions (editor’s letters & regional guides)Editor’s letters and the food, markets, nature and seasons each region shares, starting with the Balkans.Visit the guide Reykjavík and Mount Esja from HallgrímskirkjaIcelandULTIMATE ReykjavíkHallgrímskirkja and Harpa, the geothermal pools and Sky Lagoon, whales and the northern lights, and the Golden Circle a morning away.Visit the guide St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue skyItalyULTIMATE RomeThe Colosseum and the Vatican, the grand hotels above the Spanish Steps, La Pergola’s three stars, the trattorias, and day trips to Tivoli and Pompeii.Visit the guide The Sebilj fountain and the square of BaščaršijaBosnia & HerzegovinaULTIMATE SarajevoWhere East meets West at a line in the pavement: an Ottoman bazaar, Habsburg boulevards, Bosnian coffee and the 1984 Olympic mountains, with Mostar two hours away.Visit the guide The Matterhorn in winter above ZermattOur sister guideULTIMATE Ski Resorts (Europe & North America)Ski resorts in Europe and North America, country by country, for every budget: season dates, hotels, mountain restaurants, après, ski schools and getting there.Visit the guide The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at nightNorth MacedoniaULTIMATE SkopjeA 15th-century stone bridge between a 21st-century square and an Ottoman bazaar, Kenzo Tange’s concrete city, Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid three hours away.Visit the guide The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening skyBulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide Gamla Stan, StockholmSwedenULTIMATE StockholmGamla Stan and the Royal Palace, the Vasa and Skansen, Frantzén’s three stars, fika and the archipelago of 30,000 islands.Visit the guide The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue skyAlbaniaULTIMATE TiranaAn Ottoman mosque painted with waterfalls, museums in bunkers, Blloku’s cafés and the Dajti cable car, with Berat, Gjirokastër, the Alps and the Riviera within reach.Visit the guide Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’OrciaItalyULTIMATE TuscanyFlorence, Chianti, Siena, the Val d’Orcia, Pisa and Lucca, Versilia, Bolgheri, the Maremma, Arezzo and Elba.Visit the guide Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its poolSpainULTIMATE ValenciaCalatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences, the Gothic Lonja, paella by the sea, Las Fallas and the nine-kilometre Turia Garden.Visit the guide The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, VeniceItalyULTIMATE VeniceThe Grand Canal and St Mark’s, palace hotels, Two MICHELIN Stars at Glam, the bacari, the Biennale, and Murano, Burano and Torcello.Visit the guide The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central ViennaAustriaULTIMATE ViennaThe State Opera and the Musikverein, Schönbrunn and Klimt, the coffee houses and Heurigen, and Railjets to Budapest every hour.Visit the guide St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper TownCroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide Zurich and the LimmatSwitzerlandULTIMATE ZurichThe Limmat and its two minsters, Chagall’s windows, the Bahnhofstrasse and Sprüngli, the lake, Baur au Lac and The Dolder Grand, and the city’s MICHELIN stars.Visit the guide

North America

See all North America
Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coastUSAULTIMATE CaliforniaSan Francisco, Napa and Sonoma, Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego, Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe and the national parks.Visit the guide A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key WestUSAULTIMATE FloridaOrlando and the theme parks, Palm Beach, Tampa Bay, Sarasota, St. Augustine and Scenic Highway 30A.Visit the guide The Las Vegas Strip at duskNevadaULTIMATE Las VegasThe Strip and its shows, MICHELIN dining, Sphere and Fremont Street’s neon, with Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon beyond.Visit the guide Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel MountainsCaliforniaULTIMATE Los AngelesHollywood and the Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills’ grand hotels, the Sunset Strip, the Getty and the beaches from Santa Monica to Malibu.Visit the guide Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami BeachFloridaULTIMATE MiamiSouth Beach and the Art Deco district, Wynwood’s murals, the Design District, Little Havana’s cafecito and the beaches of Key Biscayne.Visit the guide Sunset at the Naples PierFloridaULTIMATE NaplesWhite-sand beaches and sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico, Fifth Avenue’s terraces, grand beach resorts and golf, with the Everglades and Marco Island close by.Visit the guide The New York City skyline from Top of the RockNew YorkULTIMATE New YorkManhattan’s grand hotels and MICHELIN dining, Broadway and the Met, Fifth Avenue shopping, Central Park and the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO.Visit the guide The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery SpencerCaliforniaULTIMATE San FranciscoCable cars over Nob Hill, North Beach cafés, the murals of the Mission, three-star tables and the Golden Gate Bridge.Visit the guide

Caribbean

See all Caribbean
The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the BahamasOur sister guideULTIMATE The BahamasSeven hundred islands: Nassau and Paradise Island, the Exuma Cays and the swimming pigs, Harbour Island’s pink sand, marinas and island hopping.Visit the guide The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. JamesOur sister guideULTIMATE BarbadosThe Platinum West Coast and Sandy Lane, UNESCO-listed Bridgetown, rum where it was born, Friday nights in Oistins and the wild Atlantic east.Visit the guide Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed PitonsOur sister guideULTIMATE St LuciaThe UNESCO Pitons and Soufrière’s drive-in volcano, Marigot Bay, Rodney Bay and the Gros Islet street party, reefs, rum and cocoa.Visit the guide

Asia & Indian Ocean

See all Asia & Indian Ocean
The Grand Palace reflected at dawnThailandULTIMATE BangkokThe Grand Palace and Wat Arun on the river, the grand hotels of Charoen Krung, MICHELIN stars from street food to tasting menus, rooftop bars and the Thai islands.Visit the guide Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria PeakOur sister guideULTIMATE Hong KongThe harbour from the Peak, the Star Ferry, Cantonese dining rooms with MICHELIN stars, dim sum in the lanes of Central and the museums of West Kowloon.Visit the guide An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.Visit the guide The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbourIndiaULTIMATE MumbaiThe Taj and the Gateway of India, Marine Drive’s Queen’s Necklace, three UNESCO sites, modern Indian restaurants and day trips to Elephanta and the Ghats.Visit the guide The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu RiverChinaULTIMATE ShanghaiThe grand hotels of the Bund facing the towers of Pudong, every MICHELIN star, Yu Garden, the two Shanghai Museums and day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.Visit the guide The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina BayOur sister guideULTIMATE SingaporeMarina Bay and Raffles, three restaurants with three MICHELIN Stars, the hawker centres, and the Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Visit the guide A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, KandyOur sister guideULTIMATE Sri LankaColombo, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train, Sigiriya and leopards in Yala.Visit the guide Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffsOur sister guideULTIMATE Thai IslandsWinter sun on two seas: Phuket, Krabi and Railay, Phi Phi and Koh Lanta on the Andaman, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in the Gulf.Visit the guide

Middle East & North Africa

See all Middle East & North Africa
The pyramids of Giza across the desertEgyptULTIMATE CairoThe Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the minarets of Islamic Cairo, feluccas on the Nile and journeys to Luxor and Aswan.Visit the guide Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hourUnited Arab EmiratesULTIMATE DubaiBurj Khalifa and the Fountain, abras on the Creek, resorts on the Palm, every MICHELIN star of 2026 and day trips to Abu Dhabi and Hatta.Visit the guide

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

From our readers: Cape Town’s visitors and locals on the mountain and the wind, the beaches, the great tables, the Winelands and getting around.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

    This week's pick

    Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

    Table Mountain·Cableway

    Spring is the time for the mountain: go up on the first clear, still morning, and check tablemountain.net for the day’s weather status first.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and the Twelve Apostles above the City Bowl and Camps Bay, seen from Lion’s HeadItineraryCape Town in four daysFour daysCamps Bay beach and its houses below the cliffs of the Twelve ApostlesItineraryThe Atlantic Seaboard in a dayOne dayThe atrium of Zeitz MOCAA, carved from the concrete tubes of the old grain siloItineraryArt, design and the WinelandsTwo daysTurquoise water and a white beach on the Atlantic Seaboard, from the slopes of Lion’s HeadItineraryA property viewing day: Bantry Bay, Camps Bay and ConstantiaOne dayThe colonnaded gateway of the Mount Nelson Hotel, with cloud pouring over Table Mountain at sunsetItineraryThe Gold weekend: a luxury weekend in Cape TownTwo daysVillas above the rocks of the Atlantic Seaboard in evening light, with the Twelve Apostles beyondItineraryThe Platinum weekend: Cape Town at its most exclusiveTwo days

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Cape Town at the table: tasting menus, the sea and the vinesCape Town · In depth
    2. 2La ColombeConstantia Nek · Fine dining
    3. 3FYNCity Centre · Fine dining
    See all 13

    Cafés

    1. 1Truth Coffee RoastingCity Centre · Specialty coffee
    2. 2Origin Coffee RoastingDe Waterkant · Specialty coffee
    3. 3Bootlegger Coffee CompanyCape Town · Coffee shops
    See all 7

    Bars

    1. 1The Gin BarCity Centre · Gin bar
    2. 2Tjing Tjing HouseCity Centre · Bar and restaurant
    3. 3House of MachinesCity Centre · Bar and coffee
    See all 7

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Cape Town sleeps: the harbour, the mountain and the seaV&A Waterfront · In depth
    2. 2The Silo HotelV&A Waterfront · Grand hotel
    3. 3Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed HotelV&A Waterfront · Grand hotel
    See all 12

    Sights

    1. 1A mountain, an island and two oceans: Cape Town’s great sightsCape Town · In depth
    2. 2Table Mountain Aerial CablewayTable Mountain · Cableway
    3. 3Table Mountain National ParkCape Peninsula · National park
    See all 12

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Art in a grain silo, jazz in March: Cape Town’s artsCape Town · In depth
    2. 2Zeitz MOCAAV&A Waterfront · Museum
    3. 3Norval FoundationTokai · Art centre
    See all 23

    Parks

    1. 1Kirstenbosch National Botanical GardenNewlands · Botanical garden
    2. 2The Company’s GardenCity Centre · Historic garden
    3. 3Green Point Urban ParkGreen Point · City park
    See all 5

    Walks

    1. 1The Sea Point PromenadeSea Point · Walk
    2. 2The Bo-Kaap and the Company’s GardenCity Centre · Walk
    3. 3Lion’s Head at sunriseTable Mountain National Park · Walk
    See all 5

    Shopping

    1. 1Victoria Wharf, V&A WaterfrontV&A Waterfront · Shopping centre
    2. 2Cavendish SquareClaremont · Shopping centre
    3. 3Canal WalkCentury City · Shopping centre
    See all 7

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: 112 from a mobileCape Town · Emergency number
    2. 2Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial HospitalForeshore · Private hospital
    3. 3Mediclinic ConstantiabergPlumstead · Private hospital
    See all 10

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Cape Town: the Atlantic, the vines and the transferCape Town · In depth
    2. 2Pam Golding PropertiesCape Town · Estate agency
    3. 3Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International RealtyCape Town · Estate agency
    See all 9

    Developments

    1. 1The Cape Town EDITIONV&A Waterfront · Hotel
    2. 2The V&A superyacht marinaV&A Waterfront · Marina
    3. 3InterContinental Table BayV&A Waterfront · Hotel
    See all 5

    Motoring

    1. 1Driving in Cape TownCape Town · Driving
    2. 2Chapman’s Peak Drive (toll road)Hout Bay · Toll road
    3. 3Killarney RacewayMilnerton · Racing circuit
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    Getting Around

    1. 1Cape Town by bus, train and seaCape Town · In depth
    2. 2Cape Town International AirportMatroosfontein · Airport
    3. 3MyCiTiCape Town · Bus rapid transit
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