Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town wraps Table Mountain above the V&A Waterfront with the cable car climbing 1,067m, the Cape of Good Hope an hour south, the Cape Winelands at Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and Boulders Beach's penguin colony at Simon's Town.

Highlights

When to Visit

Dec-Feb

Cape summer with Table Mountain accessible (the southeaster wind closes the cable car some days), Newlands cricket Test matches, and the V&A Waterfront packed.

Sep-Nov

Spring shoulder with Cape Wildflower Route along the West Coast, southern right whales calving in Hermanus, and Table Mountain at peak photographic clarity.

Mar-May

Autumn shoulder with Cape Town Jazz Festival in late March, Cape Winelands at vintage harvest, and Table Mountain's wind dropping for reliable cable car days.

Jun-Aug

Cape winter with reliable rain, but Table Mountain spectacular under tablecloth cloud, and southern right whales reaching peak numbers in Hermanus and Walker Bay.