South Africa is a large country, about twice the size of Texas or about 1/6th the size of the United States. The Western Cape is the fourth largest of the nine provinces of South Africa with an area of 129,449 square kilometres (49,981 sq mi). 
It is the third most populous, with an estimated population of 6.6 million people in 2018.
This 10 day itinerary through South Africa’s Western Cape will give one a “taste”, literally and figuratively, of what this wonderful area has to offer. The landscapes, food, flora and fauna are amazing…and of course the endearing smiles and warmth of the African people are welcoming.
Highlights of the itinerary:
==> Cape Town Walking Tour ==> Cape Peninsula
==> Cape Town Dining ==> Franschhoek Wine Region
==> Garden Route Game Lodge ==> Hermanus Bay
==> Food…and more great food! ==> Great Drives!
Day 1 Cape Town
We like to do “free walking tours” in larger cities around the world that we visit (the tours are based on tips and what one can “afford” to give). The tours typically provide a very good overview of the city and country, a bit of history for an area and recommendations for highlights to see while visiting. The tours are usually done by guides that have a substantial background, history and perspective of the area.
Two very important historical perspectives in South Africa are Apartheid and the history of the Cape Malay people. The Cape Malay people were brought from Malaysia, Indonesia and the rest of Africa to work in the Cape. There are two walking tours that provide good and at times even emotional perspectives of both. One tour can be done in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
- 11:00am
Historic City Tour – 1.5 hours
Apartheid to Freedom Tour – 1.5 hours - 2:00pm
Bo Kaap Tour – 1.5 hours
Apartheid to Freedom Tour – 1.5 hours - 4:20pm
Historic City Tour – 1.5 hours
Bo Kaap Tour – 1.5 hours
Breakfast: Motherland Coffee – Grab a bite and a cup of java here before the walking tour. The tours start from this spot on St. George’s Mall.
Lunch: Burger and Lobster – A menu centered around three items – a Burger, the Lobster Roll and the Whole Lobster…and amazing milkshakes! Did I say amazing? Good cocktails too!
Dinner and Music: Cafe Roux on Shortmarket Street – This is a great music venue located right in Cape Town with a variety of music, food and warm, welcoming hosts. Music or other shows most nights!! We saw a few acts while visiting including Kahn Morbee, one of South Africa’s favorite songwriters and recording artists.
The place is great if you want to “listen” to the music…note the picture on the wall of David Bowie… ‘Shhhh, let’s listen to the music…’ The pizza’s aren’t bad either!
Day 2 The Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula is amazing from many perspectives, particularly the scenery and wildlife. Here is what we enjoyed in a morning and afternoon drive!
Muizeinberg – First stop, a surfing suburb of Cape Town with some colorful beach huts, good coffee shops, cafes, and of course, surfing! It is located on the False Bay Coast is considered to be the birthplace of surfing in South Africa!
Breakfast and coffee: Kneads Bakery
Boulders Beach – Our second stop mid morning was at Boulders Beach on Boulders Bay. The beach is beautiful with many, well, large granite boulders. But the main attraction here is a colony hundreds of African Penguins that call this place home! They are also known as the ‘Jackass Penguin‘ for its donkey-like bray.
Third stop for the day is Cape Point at the Cape of Good Hope…the “most south-western point” on the African continent (many people mistake this as the southern most point of Africa, but that is Cape Agulhus, also in the Western Cape).
The area has an admission fee to the park, but well worth it. It is part of the Table Mountain National Park that runs along the coastline, a wonderful drive through small towns, harbors, bays, mountains and beaches to get to the point.
We dined at the Two Seasons restaurant and enjoyed an amazing seafood platter: Mozambique crayfish, mussels, kingklip, prawn, calamari and langoustine included! What a meal! And the views from our table served as a remarkable backdrop!
We probably should have walked up to the lighthouse after that meal, but we took the funicular up and walked down.
The 360 degree views are stunning from the top of the point and where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.
You can walk 90 minutes roundtrip to the “most south western point”, but we chose to take the short drive to the point instead to ensure we had the time to see as much as possible.
Besides the extraordinary landscapes and flora, we saw ostrich and eland along the way…and of course baboons!
The park is rich in bio-diversity. Fynbos, the natural vegetation of the area comprises the smallest but richest of the world’s six floral kingdoms and is designated a World Heritage Site.
The rest of our route was no less amazing as we drove up the west coast of the peninsula. Hint: Plan this drive up the west coast after noon to catch the afternoon sun.
This included a beautiful winding drive across Chapmans Peak, arguably, one of the world’s most scenic drives. The pass is often closed due to rock slides and weather, but we were fortunate with good weather and no obstacles!
Before we returned to our digs in the Cape Town city center, we stopped at Camps Bay, an affluent beachside suburb of Cape Town with beautiful homes, restaurants and shops. It is also known for its fine white sand, natural rock swimming pool and views of the Twelve Apostles mountains.
Dinner: La Parada on Bree Street – good selection of tapas, mains, cocktails and wine.
Day 3 Franschhoek Wine Region
The Franschhoek wine region is a beautiful area with arguably some of the top restaurants in the country. This along with the landscapes and architectural beauty has made Franschhoek into what many describe as the “food and wine capital” of South Africa. Dozens of wineries seem to offer endless options for tasting.
We left Cape Town early in the morning for a short drive of approximately one hour to Franschhoek. Being the off season, we were able to check in to our nice rooms early at the comfortable Protea Hotel. We had a great breakfast at “The Village Tart”.
The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a great way to explore some of the beautiful wineries and imbibe safely in a variety of very good wines.
We visited four wineries, but of course your choice of the visits will vary based on your own wine, culinary and scenery interests. The winery’s offer stunning landscapes and typically amazing accommodations and restaurants. We spent just under an hour at each winery, but that does not really do them justice. Probably best to hang out at at least one of them for a couple hours and enjoy the scenery a bit more.
We were even able to visit a couple of resident cheetahs at Grand Provence estate that is home to a cheetah outreach.
Dinner:
Reubens – Wonderful menu, extensive wine list, great desserts, art clad walls and nice decor by celebrated South African chef Reuben Riffel. Read more about Reuben here ==> More on Reubens!
Reservations essential.
Day 4 and 5 Garden Route Game Lodge
We headed off mid-morning after a good breakfast at the Hussar Grill nest to the Protea Hotel. A three hour scenic drive through the mountains land us in Swellendam for a great lunch at a little spot…then check in at the Garden Route Game Lodge.
The reserve is a great place to see most of the “big 5” animals that won’t “break the bank” (at least most banks!). We stayed one evening here for just over $200 which included a late afternoon and morning game drive, a very good buffet dinner and breakfast.
The lodge rooms are wonderful. However, we even received a free upgrade to the private huts featuring great views, a sitting room, and a outdoor shower and bathtub!
The game drives were terrific. We saw 4 of the “big 5”, the lion, rhino, elephant, and Cape Buffalo.
We did not see the leopard but had an amazing experience with a female cheetah. We witnessed the cheetah stalk and capture a springbok, something that is not often seen on many drives.
We saw many other animals, including giraffe, zebra, eland, hippos, oryx, wildebeest, ostrich and more!
The service was excellent and the guides very knowledgeable, educated and experienced in the flora and fauna.
Lunch: Woodpecker Pizzadeli at the Early Bird Guesthouse
Dinner: Great buffet at the lodge which includes springbok, ostrich, beef and seafood as mains….many salads, sides and desserts!
Day 5 and 6 Hermanus
After a morning game drive at the Garden Route Game Lodge, a hearty breakfast, and a visit to their reptile center, we headed to the seaside town of Hermanus. Hermanus touts itself as the “whale capital” of the world. From June to October they are visited by whales including the the Southern Rights. It is rated as one of the top 12 whale-watching locations in the world by the World Wildlife Fund.
Be sure and take the R326 turnoff from the N2 to Hermanus for the last 30 minutes for some beautiful scenery through farmland, wineries and mountain ranges.
Even though it is “winter”, there had been some rain so the landscapes were quite green. The canola was in bloom and the yellow colors were outstanding along the drive!
Our accommodation for two nights was at the Hermanus Beach Villa. The views of the sea here are beautiful. Ask for the “honeymoon suite” which is touted as having “views of whales” from your bed. It was early in the season so we did not see any this trip, yet the views are definitely worthwhile. The fireplaces were a nice touch during the cooler winter days and nights.
Make sure to do the Cliff walk, at least part of it. The entire path is 12 km and is not a strenuous walk. There are many benches and view points along the route. The trail follows along the trail through the town center.
We had high winds, good news and bad news. The sea and waves were raging but the winds made for a challenging walk.
Lunch: Bientang’s Cave, built into the cliffs at Hermanus is a pretty cool spot for lunch with good traditional food. We enjoyed seafood potjie, fish and chips and fresh oysters! There were even some seals relaxing and swimming in just off the shore!
Dinners:
Char’d is a great place for steaks! The sherry flambeed chicken liver apps where delicious as well!
Lizettes Kitchen Bar and Restaurant – This is a great venue, great food! The menu is a unique asian fusion by the chef owner who lived for years in Vietnam. They have a cozy, classy bar onsite as well. We enjoyed Moroccan Lamb Shank, Pork Bun Cha, Dim Sum, and a beef red curry noodle bowl.
Afterward, we stopped by Tipples Sports Bar and Grill for a pint and to watch a little of the Women’s Soccer World Cup semi-finals.
Day 7 Route 44 Clarence Drive to Cape Town
The drive from Kleinmond to Gordon’s Bay is a beautiful 43 kms and includes the Clarence Drive. Clarence Drive was named after Jack Clarence who was responsible for replacing the footpath between Gordon’s Bay and Rooi Els with a road, built with the help of Italian POWs during WWII.
The drive is stunning in places as the road winds along the mountainside with amazing cliff and ocean views through Betty’s Bay, Rooi Els, Pringle Bay and Gordon’s Bay. And, in the right season, whales!
Betty’s Bay is home to the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden. If you missed the penguins at Boulder Beach, the only other colony in South Africa is also located here, with thousands of the African Penguins.
The area also is part of the 7,400 Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, with plenty of flora and fauna. The Cape Floral Kingdom is said to be the most dense in the world, with over 1,600 species in a ten square mile area. The wildlife includes foxes, wildcats, genets, bushbucks, porcupine, and of course baboons, just to name a view. For more info click here.
Gordon’s Bay is a good place to stop for a snack or lunch. After a late morning coffee stop and old bookstore visit in Gordon’s Bay, we arrived back in Cape Town early afternoon in time for lunch…more eating!
Lunch:
Clarke’s Bar and Dining Room – A great vibe, great food and fun to watch the master cooks do their work from the counter. Great cocktails!
Happy Hour: Kloof Street House
Dinner: Asoka – Delicious, unique asian fusion tapas in a unique victorian townhouse. It feels as if you are sitting in an outdoor garden with an asian, indian sort of decor. We, a group of four, enjoyed asian beef tartare, chicken curry, duck pate, ostrich and seared Norwegian Salmon! Great cocktail bar and live jazz on Tuesdays!
After dinner Music: Piano Bar in the De Waterkant neighbourhood…music seven nights with a rooftop terrace!
Day 8 Robben Island and VA Waterfront
Depending on the weather, a trip to Robben Island can provide a good history of prisoner life during Apartheid and specifically that of Nelson Mandela. The 13 km ferry ride takes about an hour and has great views of Cape Town. You may see a few seals and penguins on the island or as you approach.
A tour of the island and prison is provided as part of the ferry fee. We had a guide that was actually imprisoned there in the 1980s and of course provided a first hand moving description of what life was like there.
The tour takes you past Mandela’s prison cell and describes the racially divisive tactics that were used among prisoners. Much to reflect upon and learn here.
The ferry drops you back at the VA Waterfront which is considered a “prestigious” retail and hotel complex. It has a large mall, many restaurants and a couple of buildings housing what seems to be more local foods and local artists. The aquarium is also located in the area, as well as, the modern art museum that gets very good reviews. It is located in an older iconic building that used to be a grain silo, originally built in 1921. The museum is the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world.
Breakfast: Jarryd’s – Just off Bree Street…Extensive breakfast menu! Great for breakfast or lunch.
Lunch: Willoughby’and Co. – Fresh seafood and delicious sushi.
Many, many choices at the VA Waterfront, from sushi, to burgers, italian, and of course seafood!
Dinner: Chef’s Warehouse – This is an outstanding Liam Tomlin restaurant where the menu changes daily. At the end of each day, the chefs get together to decide what they will serve the next day…often based on what is available/ seasonal. Keeps things interesting for the chefs! We actually have eaten here twice and enjoyed to completely different nine course dishes…all amazing! Liam also has a restaurant at Maison Winery! If you prefer Indian, you must try Liam’s restaurant Thali! It is based on the traditional Indian style of eating, where the food is served on large round platters, with each dish placed in small bowls with poppadoms and parathas!
Day 9 Table Mountain
Any trip to Cape Town would not be complete without some exploration of the iconic Table Mountain…truly a world wonder. There are many ways to do this. For those desiring a bit of strenuous exercise, perhaps a hike up and or down. Or, a hike up Lion’s Head.
For those desiring less exercise, take the cable car to the top and walk across the expansive relatively flat “table”. Remarkable views everywhere from the top….views of Cape Town, Robben Island, Camps Bay, the Twelve Apostles and much more.
We think it is best to do the morning trip up the mountain. Be aware that if prior day’s were cancelled due to weather, the lines will be very long. Purchase your tickets on-line to help reduce wait times.
Catch a happy hour cocktail before sunset at the Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel. Amazing rooftop Table Mountain views!
Dinner: Kloof Street House – Kloof Street is a trendy area to visit and the restaurant is located in an amazing old victorian house with many rooms, great bar and garden. Food is excellent!
Day 10 Old Biscuit Mill Markets
A fun market to attend in Cape Town is at the Old Biscuit Mill. Saturdays apparently have more going on, more food and music. It does bring more crowds. The food options are numerous. You can eat about any cuisine you can think of here! And of course there is more shopping!
Dinner: Cape Malay food at Biesmiellah in the Bo Kaap district!
This ten day itinerary is a packed one! As you can see, we enjoyed the food! But after all, if you are trying to maximize your ten days in the Western Cape…this is a good start!
