How to spend 3 days in Cape Town South Africa? See some of the best in Cape Town Itinerary 3 days!! 3 Days itinerary Cape Town will allow you to witness some of the stunning natural landscapes, historical sites, cafes, diverse cuisines, lively nightlife and much more to the list. So having travelled all around the world we would still say that Cape Town is the world’s most naturally beautiful city and one of our favorite now. We wondered how can a country be so beautiful with the landscapes that travels between the mountains & oceans and definitely is it a god designed city. Read through to check out what to do in Cape Town in 3 days using our ultimate Cape Town travel blog.
So here is the break down for three days where you can explore the city and experience things along the way.
Read the detailed blog below to know what all things you can do in Cape Town in three days. Click here to get your WILD CARD – will be extremely handy if you are visiting multiple national parks during your trip to South Africa!
Cape Town Itinerary 3 days : Summary
- Day 1 : Visit Camps Bay, Visit Maidens Cove, Visit the Signal Hill, Take a Cable Car Up to Table Mountain
- Day 2 : Muizenberg Beach, Boulders Beach(Penguin), Cape of Good Hope, Drive at Chapman’s Peak Drive
- Day 3 : Bo-Kaap, V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, Hout Bay(Seal Island)
Transportation in Cape Town : Cape Town Itinerary 3 Days
Cape Town is an easy city to get around. We self-drove and rented our car( Toyota Agya Small Hatchback) from Rentalcars which would cost around 30-40$ per day exclusive petrol.
If you are not self-driving you can hire an Uber which are readily available all over Cape Town and almost everywhere, which usually charges R7-8/Km. Simply download the Uber app from iTunes or Google Play Store for quick and easy access. We would not recommend any other means of transportation like trains because we heard it’s not safe. So below mentioned are the list of things that you should definitely not miss in Cape Town if you have 3 days in hand to explore.
Day 1 : Cape Town Itinerary 3 Days
Start your day as early as possible. We would recommend to stay in hotels near the Camps Bay which has good connectivity and would take less time in exploring the nearby areas.
Visit Camps Bay
Start with the nearest location. Cape Town has some amazing beaches in the city and Camps Bay has a long stretch of sandy beach fronts which remains jam-packed most of the time and the perfect place to spend couple of hours.
Visit Maiden’s Cove
After camps bay directly head to Maiden’s Cove which is just 5min away. This is a very spectacular view point where you can spend some quality time at the postcard view of Cape Town and the 12 apostles, it’s incredible!! Sit by the bench and gaze at the picturesque and hear the waves crash.
There are ample parking room if you are self-driving and also you can cover the distance to Maiden’s Cove from Camps Bay on foot as well.
Visit the Signal Hill
This is one of the Cape Town’s most picturesque and exciting spots. Signal Hill or Lion’s Rump, is a flat-topped hill next to Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. So from Maiden’s Cove to Signal hill it would take approx 10 min to reach.
From the top of Signal Hill, you get the perfect view of the cape town from one end and the Atlantic Ocean from the other, which are just mesmerizing. If you are driving it’s possible to take the car till the top of the hill (make sure you hire an automatic car) and to reach the top by foot would at least take 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Take a Cable Car Up to Table Mountain
Table Mountain was named as the New 7 Wonder of Nature and it is a very significant attraction in Cape Town, and not visiting this would be a sin. From Signal Hill it would roughly take 15min or less to reach Table Mountain cable car station.
The view from the top is spectacular and we don’t have words to describe it either. People even hike up to the Table Mountain which is not very easy. You can also hike the Table Mountain if you wish to. For cable car make sure you book your tickets online in advance to avoid long queue during busy days. It would cost around R300 per person to and fro.
The weather went crazy chilly when we went at the top of the mountain so come prepared with woolens. Later come back to Camps Bay promenade finish your dinner at any of the restaurants and cafes, there are plenty and then head back to your hotel room.
Day 2 : Cape Town Itinerary 3 Days
Visit Muizenberg Beach
Start your day as early as possible, and on this day try to explore the Cape Peninsula. That way you get more time see multiple places because we are sure you don’t want to spend most of your time indoors in this gorgeous city.
Muizenberg beach is situated at the shore of the Cape Peninsula where you would find rows of beautiful Instagram- friendly rainbow -colored beach houses. Sadly, there colorful huts aren’t in use any more which was earlier used by the ladies a changing room. Even we didn’t miss a chance to do some photo shoot here.
Also its one of the popular surfer’s corner, so go swimming in the ocean, relax on the beach or take surf lessons if you love surfing.
Visit Boulders Beach
From Muizenberg beach directly head towards to Boulder’s beach which would take approx 20 min crossing Simon’s town and it’s a popular tourist location to see the penguin colony.
So stop by at Boulder’s beach to witness the African Penguins which are only found on the coastlines of Southern Africa and spend some moments by hanging out with those little cuties. You can buy your tickets at the entrance which is R152 per adult and R76 for children. If you plan on visiting many national parks we suggest you get a WILD CARD! Entrance to Boulders Beach is covered if you have a wild card.
Also there is a beach here which is open to the public where you can swim and get close to the penguins if you’re lucky, because most of the time they don’t lounge on the beach. The penguins really stink so get close at your own risk and try not to touch them as you would find them getting too close to you at times.
Visit Cape of Good Hope
From Boulder’s beach directly head towards Cape of Good Hope which would take another 30 min. On your way you would find plenty of broken beaches, we stopped at one to click some pictures!
Cape to Good Hope is under Table Mountain National Park(Entry Fee R340, Covered under Wild Card). Once you reach the gate, drive for another 20min to reach the parking while the map and sign boards are clear enough for not getting lost.
We would recommend visiting Cape Town’s stunning Cape Point which is a home to the famous Cape Point lighthouse as well as the Cape of Good Hope where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. For lunch you can think of having it here, at the partially opened cafeteria and the restaurant inside (which was shut because of Covid19) and later board the cable car (R75 per person) to reach the lighthouse if you don’t wish to walk.
Once you are back to the main ground of Cape Point, you can also hike to the Cape of Good Hope trail which would almost take 2 and half hour to and fro, or drive till the point whichever is convenient. Its breath-taking scenery, flora, the mountains are absolutely stunning!
However, Cape of Good Hope is not the Southernmost point of Africa, but the most South- Western point of the African continent. To add a piece of information ‘Cape Agulhas’ which is a 3 hour drive from Cape Town draws the title of the Southernmost point of Africa.
Drive at Chapman’s Peak
Once you exit Cape of Good Hope directly head towards Chapman’s Peak drive for the gorgeous sunset. It is definitely one of the most beautiful drive, ever crossed our way and readers don’t miss this for sure.
Enjoy the stunning view of the mountains which meets the ocean, narrow roads and soak up the soothing weather stopping at the various stop points.
However you can also hike The Chapman’s Peak hike trail which would almost take 2-3 hours in total depending on your rest stops. Here, end your day watching the beautiful sunset and return back to Cape Town.
At the exit you have to pay toll depending on the size of your vehicle(R54 for small cars).
Day 3 : Cape Town Itinerary 3 Days
Visit the Bo-Kaap neighborhood
Start your day early and directly head towards Bo-Kaap neighborhood. From Camps Bay it would hardly take 15 mins to reach. Bo-Kaap neighborhood is famous for its distinctive pastel colored houses and slab stone streets. It was formally known as the Cape Malay Quarter, which is situated on the slopes of Signal hill and also has a beautiful view of the Table Mountain at the background.
The area is traditionally a multicultural neighborhood, and 57% of its population is Muslim. The architecture here dates back to pre-1850’s and it is the oldest surviving residential neighborhood in Cape Town. However, in recent years Bo-Kaap area was declared as the National Heritage Site.
You can also visit the Bo-Kaap museum namely (Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum) if you love history. The museum dates back to the 1760s which contains 19th century furnishings and valuables.
Visit V & A Waterfront
V & A waterfront just lies 2km ahead from Bo-Kaap. You can take a walk around the corner and it’s a very happening place to be. This area has multiple food joints, bar and cafeterias if you wish to eat and drink. You would find the big wheel (R280 per adult and R130 per child) from where you can get the panoramic city view.
Visit Robben Island
Right from the V&A waterfront harbor itself you can catch a ferry (R600 per adult and R300 for children) from Nelson Mandela Gateway, and reach Robben Island. It would take approx 1 hr to reach the island.
This is where the former South African president Nelson Mandela was jailed for 18 years. So if you love history and culture Robben Island is worth a visit. However, we skipped visiting the island and decided to spend some time by the waterfront.
Visit Hout Bay
Once you are back to the harbor make you way to Hout Bay which would take another 30min to reach.
From Hout Bay harbor take a 40-minute cruise to Duiker Island which is the Seal Colony where you can view thousands of wild Cape Fur Seals, close up in their beautiful natural habitat at the foot of the spectacular Sentinel Mountain. The tour operates from 8am -5pm.
There are multiple ferry service provider, you can just walk in and buy tickets for yourself (R90 per person) no need for advance booking. So once you are back to the land, drive back to your hotel or you can chill by Camps Bay promenade or go for a drive to Maidens Cove.
Stay options near Camps Bay : Cape Town Itinerary 3 Days
Luxury stays: The Marly Boutique Hotel and Spa
Mid range stays : The Bay Hotel
Budget stays: Airbnbs
We stayed at Strathmore Garden Pad which we booked through Airbnb. You can definitely check it out.
And yeah that’s all about it, things you can plan in Cape Town in three days. So guys hope you find this blog helpful planning yours, and if you have any queries please write it down in the comment section below. We would try to help with the best of our knowledge.
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