Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town, City Tour & Table Mountain

Welcome to South Africa! Arrive at Cape Town International Airport and transfer to your accommodation to unpack and unwind. After you settle in, meet your local guide in the city center for a four-hour walking tour of the historic city. You’ll explore the different eras of Cape Town and learn about South Africa’s history, as well as the people who shaped it. Stops along the tour include the Company’s Garden, Parliament, Green Market Square, The Castle of Good Hope, and the Slave Lodge.

The Company’s Garden dates back to the 1650s when European settlers farmed the land to grow fresh produce to replenish ships rounding the cape. Around the corner is the Iziko Slave Lodge, a national history museum dedicated to exploring the history of slavery at the Cape. Since its construction in 1679, the building has functioned as a center for the bustling slave trade (primarily operated by the Dutch East India Company) as well as a government building and supreme court.

Nearby sits the historic Green Market Square, which has served as a slave market, vegetable market, and center for political protests under Apartheid. These days it hosts a flea market with African souvenirs and crafts for sale. Just down the street is the Castle of Good Hope, South Africa’s oldest existing Dutch East India colonial building. On the way, you’ll pass by several memorials and monuments, including the We Are Still Here Street Memorial to destitute children and the District Six Museum, which commemorates forced relocation under apartheid.

After strolling the streets of Cape Town, stop for lunch in the city center. In the afternoon, give your legs a rest with a hop-on-hop-off tour aboard the distinctive red open-top bus. Start at the Cape Town City Center Terminal, then take the bus to Table Mountain. From the bus stop, continue to the summit on the cable car for spectacular views of the city, mountains, and ocean. Return to Cape Town in time for dinner at the bustling Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, where you’ll find a variety of fine dining restaurants and pubs with views of the ocean.

Day 2: Wine Tour in the Cape Winelands

Start the morning with a pick-up from a local guide for a laid-back, full-day wine tour through the Cape Winelands. From the minute you step out the door, your experience today is perfectly curated, so you don’t have to worry about a thing—besides sipping wine. The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, which extends from the Kogelberg Reserve in the south along the Cape Fold Mountain Chain to the north, is an internationally recognized area within the Western Cape’s Floral Kingdom.

You’ll spend the day exploring the rolling hills of the Winelands, visiting wineries in the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, or Elgin Wine Regions. Today will be spent eating mouthwatering foods and drinking some of the best wines South Africa has to offer. The region’s wineries offer a variety of whites and reds, as well as their own blends and styles. Enjoy the scenery and the beautiful vineyards and white-gabled farmsteads that dot the landscape, then return to Cape Town in time for dinner. 

Day 3: Atlantic Seaboard & Cape Peninsula

Hit the road with your guide for a full-day adventure on this Cape Peninsula Tour. The Cape Peninsula is a rocky peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the southwestern extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. On the northern end is Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town. The southernmost point of the Cape Peninsula has outstanding flora and fauna and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Cape Floral Region.

Head out from Cape Town early in the morning, passing Cape Town University and Constantia before heading for Ou Kaapse Weg in Noordhoek (a half-hour drive from Cape Town). Stop here for a coffee break and some photos, then head to the Cape Point Nature Reserve, where you will visit the Cape of Good Hope and the lighthouse (an hour-long drive from Ou Kaapse Weg).

Afterward, head to Simon’s Town (half-hour to the north) and visit the penguin colony before breaking for lunch at a local seafood restaurant along the water in the sleepy fishing town. Head over to Chapman’s Peak Drive along the scenic roads of the Atlantic Seaboard. You’ll pass by Llandudno and Camps Bay beaches, then stop at the iconic Maidens Cove (located an hour to the north) for a quick dip in the water before ending the day.

Day 4: Cape Town Township & Robben Island Museum

Get an early start today for a full day of sightseeing. You’ll start your day at one of Cape Town’s iconic townships to get to know the local history and meet with residents. Visit with key community leaders to discuss history, culture, and politics, as well as current and future socio-economic challenges facing the township.

If it’s a Sunday, you’re in for a treat—on Sunday mornings, the tour includes a stop at a local church where you can join the congregation in a joyful celebration of community and faith. The South African spiritual experience emphasizes music and gratitude for the people around you—a powerful start to the day. After lunch, make your way to the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront to catch the ferry across the water to Robben Island, located 4.3 miles (6.9 km) west off the shore of Cape Town. Here, the tour guides are former political prisoners who served time at Robben Island.

In addition to being a political and cultural site, the  South African National Heritage Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site is also a recognized wildlife sanctuary and serves as a safe haven for about 132 species of birds, including some endangered species. Crowned cormorants and black-crowned night herons breed on the island in large numbers.

Tour the prison to learn about the island’s history. You’ll see Nelson Mandela’s former prison room and go for a short drive to see other notable landmarks, like the rock quarry and outbuildings. After the 3.5-hour tour, return to the mainland in time for dinner.

Day 5: Fauna & Flora at Kirstenbosch Gardens

Spend the morning enjoying nature in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, one of the world’s most exceptional botanical gardens. Set against the slopes of Table Mountain, this lush paradise houses thousands of unique species of indigenous and exotic plants. Walk along the curved steel and timber Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway (informally known as the “Boomslang”) to see the views from the treetop canopy.

In the afternoon, head to La Colombe in Constantia, one of South Africa’s several internationally acclaimed fine dining establishments. Enjoy a late lunch, a fusion of Asian and French cuisine made from the freshest seasonal produce. Pair your meal with the perfect wine from the restaurant’s award-winning wine list for an unforgettable experience.

Spend your evening strolling along Cape Town’s waterfront, or return to your accommodation to relax.

Day 6: Guided Cuisine & Culture Tour

Spend the day exploring Cape Town’s incredibly diverse cultures through an international medium: food. South Africa’s multicultural culinary influences are as vibrant as the communities where they originate. A lot of the food in South Africa is sourced fresh, so the tastings will depend on the time of year and season.

Start your guided tour with a walk through the Company’s Gardens, established by Dutch colonists as a supply station, to sample Rooibos tea and rusks, an Afrikaaner biscuit. Continue to the Earth Fair Market on St. George’s Mall to sample local treats from a variety of vendors, then head to the Bo Kaap, the colorful Cape Malay district, for a traditional Cape Malay lunch. Stop in and visit Atlas Trading, a family-owned spice shop that’s been in operation since 1946.

From here, take the city bus to the trendy suburb of Woodstock to sample craft beer and locally produced gin, then round out the day with a visit to an artisanal chocolate factory. Return to your accommodation in the late afternoon to enjoy a free evening in the Cape Town city center.

Day 7: Depart Cape Town

Transfer to the airport for your connecting flight home.

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