Located at the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Town enchants visitors with its extraordinary natural beauty, vibrant culture and history. Nestled between the majestic peaks of Table Mountain and the beautiful waters of the Atlantic Ocean, this cosmopolitan city offers a unique experience that mixes the ancient with the modern.
Cape Town what to see? The answer is that there is so much to see in Cape Town and in this 4 days in Cape Town travel itinerary we will explore its wild beaches, inner city neighbourhoods and South Africa’s most iconic historical sites: ready to go?
Cape Town is a city of many contrasts, where nature is a strong and tangible presence and the struggle against apartheid is still a heartfelt theme that is reflected in everyday life.
There are plenty of things to see in Cape Town: modern neighbourhoods such as the Waterfront contrast with historic ones such as Bo-Kaap and the ocean and Table Mountain are the backdrop to this incredible place.
We spent a few days in Cape Town and tried to visit all the highlights of this fantastic city. In this article we propose our ‘4 days in Cape Town itinerary’ to visit all the most important places of interest in and around this fantastic city!
On the first day of our ‘Cape Town Itinerary 4 days’ we headed towards the heart of Cape Town to stroll through the streets of the historic centre and visit its most famous squares, as there are many things to see in Cape Town but, in our opinion, it is always best to start in the historic centre of a city.
We started our tour of the historic centre of Cape Town from the Grand Parade square and the Castle of Good Hope. The Grand Parade square is one of the most important places in the historic city centre, as it was here that Nelson Mandela made his first speech after he was released in 1990 from Pollsmoore prison where he had been transferred from Robben Island. For this reason, this square is one of the places dearest to the people of Cape Town.
The Castle of Good Hope is a fort with five bastions built in the 17th century by the Dutch East India Company and is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa. If you have some time, you can visit this building which now houses the Military Museum and the old cells dating back to its use as a prison.
Starting from Grand Parade Square, we continued our visit by walking along Longmarket Street and Shortmarket Street, two of the most significant streets in Cape Town’s historic centre, until we arrived at Greenmarket Square. This square hosts a handicrafts market, where we suggest you stop to purchase souvenirs to take home with you. You can find a variety of handicrafts made of wood, including masks, jewellery, and knick-knacks, as well as painted canvases and colourful clothing.
After exploring the stalls in Greenmarket Square, we continued on to Longstreet, the most famous street in the historic centre of Cape Town, where there are many shops but above all many clubs and restaurants that make this street one of the most popular places for nightlife.
After our visit to the old town, we headed for the colourful and super-photographed Bo-Kaap district. Definitely, if you want to fully understand the history of this city, right from its origins, the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood is absolutely one of the things to see in four days in Cape Town.
Although this neighbourhood is now known more for its aesthetics and photogenicity, the colours of the houses in Bo-Kaap have a much deeper meaning: they symbolise the struggle against slavery. In fact, the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood originated under the name ‘Malay Quarter’, as it was built to house slaves deported, mainly from Malaysia, by the Dutch. At the time, this place had a very different look, as all dwellings were white and the use of warm colours typical of the place was forbidden. When slavery was abolished, all houses were painted in bright colours, symbolising the freedom won and the rebirth of the people.
In this neighbourhood is the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum, housed in one of the old houses in the district, where we recommend you stop for a visit if you want to know more about the history of this place.
We finished our tour of the historic centre of Cape Town with a walk in the beautiful Company’s Garden park, which is right next to another interesting museum, the Iziko South African Museum.
In the late afternoon we moved on to the Constantia area, to visit the vineyards and the wonderful Beau Constantia winery, where we stopped for a tasting of typical South African wines and also for dinner. If you have little time to visit Cape Town and cannot extend your visit to the wineries of Stellenbosch, to which you need to devote at least a whole day, the Constantia area is an excellent alternative, closer to the city.
4 days in Cape Town itinerary: Bo-Kaap
4 days in Cape Town itinerary: Constantia vineyards
4 days in Cape Town itinerary: Cape Town historic centre
On the second day of our ‘4 days in Cape Town travle itinerary’, we headed to the Waterfront, one of the most visited parts of the city, even in the evenings as it is a very quiet and safe area and definitely one of the things to see in 4 days in Cape Town. The Waterfront is made up of various modern buildings overlooking the ocean, including a large indoor shopping mall (ideal for rainy days), various shops, clubs and restaurants along the streets bordering the jetties and museums, such as the diamond museum or the contemporary art museum. The Waterfront is also home to the Cape Town Aquarium, a great experience to have if you are travelling with children!
We recommend a visit to the Watershed, a building that houses various local craft shops, where you can find interesting souvenirs.
Near the Diamond Museum, you will find the ticket office and the pier from which excursions to Robben Island depart. The tour of Robben Island lasts at least three hours and takes place at fixed times and only with a guide. What is special about the guided tour is that the guides are former inmates of the Robben Island prison, who will take you inside the prison and tell you the history of this place from a unique and special point of view.
If you really want to fully understand the history of this city and how apartheid is still a tangible presence, Robben Island cannot be missing from your list of things to see in four days in Cape Town.
In the evening, we stopped again at the Waterfront for an excellent dinner at a South African speciality restaurant and strolled around this neighbourhood, which is one of the safest places in Cape Town in the evening.
Four days in Cape Town travel itinerary: V&A Waterfront at sunset
Four days in Cape Town travel itinerary: V&A Waterfront
Four days in Cape Town travel itinerary: Robben Island
On the third day of our ‘Cape Town Itinerary 4 days’, we headed for the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, which is actually a huge park located in the southern part of the city, right at the foot of Table Mountain. This vast natural park is definitely worth a visit during your 4 days in Cape Town and we recommend that you spend at least two to three hours in this incredible place, where various microclimates and distinct areas have been created where many different types of plants grow, including the Protea, a large flower with pink and red hues typical of South Africa.
The main attraction of the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is undoubtedly the suspended wooden walkway that winds through the trees called the Canopy Walk. As you walk along it, you arrive at a wonderful vantage point over the Kirstenbosch meadows and Table Mountain.
After finishing our visit to Kirstenbosch, we headed towards Hout Bay, from where boats depart for the island of the sea lions, Duiker Island, but better known as Seal Island. This is a small island that is home to a large colony of sea lions on which it is not possible to disembark, so you can stay nearby on the boat to observe these animals in the wild. It is a fairly short visit, taking about an hour in total, including the round trip.
Back from Duiker Island we headed for Table Mountain, the most famous mountain in Cape Town with its unmistakable flat shape at the top.
Table Mountain is definitely one of the most visited places by tourists and is one of the must-see sights on your ‘Cape Town itinerary 4 days’, so we recommend you buy your tickets online in advance so you don’t have to waste a lot of time standing in line. You can take the cable car up the mountain or, if you have a full day to spare and want to hike, you can walk to the top.
We recommend that you visit Table Mountain in the late afternoon, perhaps at sunset time to enjoy the spectacle of the sun going down over the city and the ocean and also because this is a time when the influx of tourists starts to subside.
A very important tip is to check the weather conditions when you plan to visit Table Mountain, because if the wind is strong or the weather is bad, the cable car may be closed and the walking route not recommended. Updated information is posted daily on the official website, which you can find at this link.
Cape Town itinerary 4 days: View of Lion's Head from Table Mountain
Cape Town itinerary 4 days: Duiker Island (Seal island)
Cape Town itinerary 4 days: Protea flower in Kirstenbosch
On the last day of our ‘Cape Town Itinerary’ discovering things to see in 4 days in Cape Town, we decided to explore the famous Muizenberg beach.
Located about forty minutes by car from the city, this long stretch of sand attracts many water sports enthusiasts, especially surfers, as it is very exposed to the wind. In addition, it is one of the most visited and photographed beaches by tourists due to the rows of colourful cottages that follow the coastline, built by local fishermen in the early 20th century.
After spending some time at Muizenberg beach, we headed to another of the most visited places in Cape Town: Boulders beach, the penguin beach, definitely one of the most fun things to see in four days in Cape Town. Boulders beach is located in Simon’s Town and is a protected place where colonies of penguins are resident.
It is not possible to go down to the beach where the penguins are, but you can observe them from various vantage points on the wooden footpaths that wind along the beach. Following these paths, you can also cross a stretch of vegetation where the penguins have made their dens and are hatching their eggs. The visit to Boulders Beach lasts about one hour.
After visiting Boulders Beach we devoted the rest of our day to visiting the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet. The entire peninsula is a protected nature reserve and you will need at least a full day to fully visit it but we highly recommend you to add this place to your Cape Town Travel Itinerary.
We concentrated on the area of the southern tip from where various paths lead to some beaches with breathtaking views, such as Diaz beach, where it is possible to spot sea lions playing in the waves.
4 days in Cape Town: Cape of Good Hope
4 days in Cape Town: Muizenberg beach
4 days in Cape Town: penguin at Boulders Beach
In this article, we have presented you with our “Cape Town itinerary 4 days”, and we hope that it will give you some inspiration for planning a trip to explore this beautiful city. We suggest you take a look at the related articles and stay connected with us via social media and the newsletter and, as always… trip to try!
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