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Cape Town — travel, stays & events guide
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Cape Town, South AfricaOpen-Meteo forecast.
Cape Town city overview
Cape Town is South Africa's coastal jewel, wrapped around Table Mountain where a cable car lifts visitors above the city and the Atlantic.
City facts
Airport baseCape Town International Airport (CPT)
Known forTable Mountain, V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
RegionSouth AfricaSouth Africa
Time zoneAfrica/Johannesburglocal time
Founded1497historical origin
City history
In 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama recorded a sighting of the Cape of Good Hope.
In 1510, at the Battle of Salt River, the Portuguese admiral Francisco de Almeida and sixty-four of his men were killed and his party was defeated by the "Goringhaiqua" (in Dutch approximate spelling) using.
In 1859 the first railway line was built by the Cape Government Railways and a system of railways rapidly expanded in the 1870s.
The discovery of diamonds in Griqualand West in 1867, and the Witwatersrand Gold Rush in 1886, prompted a flood of immigration into South Africa.
In 1895 the city's first public power station, the Graaff Electric Lighting Works, was opened.
Conflicts between the Boer republics in the interior and the British colonial government resulted in the Second Boer War of 1899–1902.
In 1945 the expansion of the Cape Town foreshore was completed, adding an additional 194 ha (480 acres) to the Cape Town CBD, and by extension, the City Bowl region. Apartheid era Prior to.
After it was declared a whites-only area in 1965, all housing there was demolished and over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed.
In 2014 Cape Town was named World Design Capital of the Year.
Cape Town was voted the best tourist destination in Africa at the 2023 World Travel Awards in Dubai and continues to be the most important tourist destination in the country.
In the late 16th century French, Danish, Dutch, and English, but mainly Portuguese, ships regularly continued to stop over in Table Bay en route to the Indies.
The city became the capital of the newly formed Cape Colony, whose territory expanded very substantially through the 1800s, partially as a result of numerous wars with the amaXhosa on the colony's eastern frontier.
It was later renamed by John II of Portugal as "Cape of Good Hope" (Cabo da Boa Esperança) because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of a sea route to the Indian.
Cape Town became the legislative capital of the Union, and later of the Republic of South Africa.
Worth seeing
Table Mountain
Table Mountain adds outdoor time to a Cape Town stay, with open space, views or waterfront breathing room between denser city sights.
V&A Waterfront
V&A Waterfront adds the water-facing side of Cape Town, making it a good break from museums, traffic and dense historic streets.
Robben Island
Robben Island adds the water-facing side of Cape Town, making it a good break from museums, traffic and dense historic streets.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden adds outdoor time to a Cape Town stay, with open space, views or waterfront breathing room between denser city sights.
Bo-Kaap
Bo-Kaap is a named stop in Cape Town worth keeping on the route when it fits the day's transport, timing and neighborhood plan.
Cape Point
Cape Point is a named stop in Cape Town worth keeping on the route when it fits the day's transport, timing and neighborhood plan.
Stay overview
Base in City Bowl or the V&A Waterfront for an easy first stay near Table Mountain, museums and harbour dining, then compare Camps Bay for beach glamour or Sea Point for promenade walks between the two. Each area sits within a short drive of Cape Town's main sights.
Hotels & areas
Cape Town hotel choice depends on priorities: City Bowl and the Waterfront suit first-time visitors wanting sights and dining within reach, Camps Bay suits beach-focused stays, and Sea Point suits travelers wanting promenade access at a lower price point.
City Bowl
City Bowl is Cape Town's central district beneath Table Mountain, mixing historic architecture, restaurants and the colourful Bo-Kaap quarter.
Best for: first visits, sightseeing, restaurantsCompare staysV&A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront combines shopping, harbour-front dining and ferry departures for Robben Island, a convenient base right on the water.
Best for: shopping, dining, familiesCompare staysCamps Bay
Camps Bay lines a palm-fringed Atlantic beach beneath the Twelve Apostles, popular for sundowners and upscale beachfront stays.
Best for: beaches, nightlife, viewsCompare staysSea Point
Sea Point's long promenade links the Waterfront to Camps Bay, offering mid-range hotels and easy walking or cycling along the coast.
Best for: promenade walks, mid-range staysCompare staysFlights & airports
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) arrival plan
- Cape Town International Airport (CPT)Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town International Airport sits about 20 minutes from the city centre, with buses, shuttles and taxis running regularly to the main hotel districts.
Rental cars
Cape Town day-trip car use
A rental car is worth having for the Cape Winelands, Cape Point and the Garden Route, though the city centre, Waterfront and Atlantic Seaboard are easily covered by taxi or ride-hailing.
Compare rental carsTravel tips
Best base
Choose City Bowl or the V&A Waterfront for an easy first stay close to Table Mountain, museums and harbour restaurants.
Table Mountain timing
Book Table Mountain cableway tickets online and go early, since cloud cover and high winds regularly close the cable car.
Airport transfers
Use the MyCiTi bus or a pre-booked shuttle from Cape Town International Airport for an easy, affordable ride into the centre.
Safety awareness
Keep valuables out of sight in busy areas and use licensed taxis or ride-hailing after dark, as with any major city.
Nearby ideas
Wine
Cape Winelands
The Cape Winelands towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are under an hour's drive away, ideal for a day of tastings among vineyard-covered valleys.
Nature
Cape Point
Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope anchor a scenic nature reserve at the peninsula's tip, roughly an hour south of the city.
Wildlife
Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach near Simon's Town is home to a colony of African penguins, a popular half-day trip along the False Bay coast.
