What to Do in Cape Town in 1 Day? Travel Guide and Tips

Day 1 | Morning

Cape of Good Hope

Opening Hours: Open from 7:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 320 ZAR

Recommended Length of Stay: 3-4 Hours

Location: Cape Point Rd, Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, 8001

Previously the Cape of Good Hope was also called the Cape of the Storm. It is a famous cape in the southwestern part of Africa and is a landmark of Cape Town. It is also the intersection of the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. There is a black and white monument in the scenic area. The monument is to commemorate the Portuguese navigator Da Gama, who pioneered the navigation route from Europe to India.The Cape of Good Hope, originally called Cape Storm, is a very famous headland located at the southwestern tip of Africa. It is the landmark of Cape Town and the intersection of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The Cape of Good Hope is located in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. There are actually two capes in the reserve. In addition to the Cape of Good Hope, there is another cape called Cape Cape, which is also a popular attraction in the scenic area. Although the Cape of Good Hope is in a protected area, it is accessible by car. The gate of the scenic spot is very simple. After entering, there are flowers and shrubs on both sides, and the mountains are far and wide. On the way to the Cape of Good Hope, you can see a black and white monument on the hillside in the distance. This monument commemorates the pioneer of the navigation route from Europe around the Cape of Good Hope to India - the Portuguese navigator Da Gama. The monument is on the uphill, the mountain is overgrown with weeds, and it is basically impossible to reach the foot of the monument, and can only be seen from afar. On the other side of the monument across the road, there is a monument facing the Atlantic Ocean, which is the monument of another Portuguese navigator Dias, who originally named the cape as Cape Storm. Along the way, you can also see many baboons squatting on the side of the road to rest. They are not afraid of people at all, and they take a leisurely walk or rest. There are two roads here, one leads to the Cape of Good Hope, and the other leads to the Cape of Cape. If you go to Cape Point first, drive to the entrance at the foot of the mountain, then you can take the cable car or walk up the mountain. If you walk for about half an hour, you can reach the lighthouse at the top. If you want to save your energy and choose to take the cable car, you can buy a cable car ticket at the foot of the mountain. The cable car can accommodate 40 tourists at a time, and it takes 3 minutes to go up the mountain one way. Operating hours: Monday-Sunday 9:00-17:30. In addition, there is a shop specializing in souvenirs at the foot of the mountain. If you are interested, you can buy postcards here, and then stamp them with the commemorative postmark of the Cape of Good Hope and send them to yourself or friends. When you arrive at the top of the mountain, you can see the panoramic view of the entire Cape of Good Hope. When the weather is clear, the colors of the blue sky and sea water complement each other, making people linger. There is an old lighthouse on Cape Point, which is also a landmark of the Cape of Good Hope. Climb up dozens of steps to reach the old lighthouse, which is no longer in use. Under the old lighthouse is a large stone with graffiti from tourists from all over the world. There is also a wooden pole in front of the old lighthouse. There are several signs pointing in different directions on the wooden pole. It says the distance from here to major cities around the world. You can find it is 12,933 kilometers away from the capital. Standing on the top of the mountain, in addition to the stunning sea view, you can also overlook the Cape of Good Hope not far away. The Cape of Good Hope is the boundary between the cold Atlantic current and the warm Indian current. You can see a clear dividing line between light blue and dark blue on the sea. On your left is the Indian Ocean and on your right is the Atlantic Ocean. After seeing the dividing line between the two oceans, you can go around the lighthouse and continue to move forward. At this time, you may wish to look back at the scene of the top of Cape Point, and you will find that it is unusually majestic. Continue forward to the end, here is the southern end of Cape Point. You can see a new lighthouse that is currently in use at Cape Point not far in front of you, and the lighthouse on the top of the mountain that you just saw is relatively high. If the sea is foggy, ships on the sea will often not be able to see it. , so the new lighthouse was rebuilt closer to the sea. The new lighthouse is located under a rocky cliff, which is inaccessible to tourists, but you can learn about the history of the lighthouse through a stone tablet at the end. After going up and down from Cape Point, you can head to the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape of Good Hope is a small protruding headland, where there is a lot of weather and wonderful scenery. When the weather is clear, you can see clear blue sky, deep blue water, brown reefs and white spray, as well as refreshing sea breeze and flocks of free-flying seabirds. You can take a walk on the beach on the edge of the Cape of Good Hope. The beach here is different from your impression. It is full of rocks, and the wind and waves are very strong. If the weather is not cold, you can walk slowly to the reef close to the sea. On the edge, touch the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, but be careful with your feet so as not to slip. There are also many piles of kelp washed up by the sea on the beach. It is not allowed to sell kelp here, but you can pick up one and take a photo. Walking to the other end of the beach, there is a long golden sign commemorative plaque. The half-person-high commemorative plaque is made up of three pieces. The left is English, the right is Afrikaans, which is Afrikaans, and the middle is The exact latitude and longitude of the Cape of Good Hope is 18°28'26"E, 34°21'25"S. This is also a place where every visitor to the Cape of Good Hope takes a group photo. You may wish to take a photo here to prove that you have been here. If you are reluctant to leave after the visit, you may as well go to the restaurant in the scenic spot to sit. This restaurant named TwoOceans is located on the top of the mountain, not far from the cable car drop-off station. The restaurant has a great view of the stunning ocean view of False Bay.

Reviews from Real Guests:

Trip.com User: lovely! went there for a short vacation! absolutely loved it there! it was a solo travel and quite amazing how i was able to feel just wholesome and happy!

Day 1 | Afternoon

Now we come to another great highlight in the city: Boulders Penguin Colony.

Boulders Penguin Colony

Opening Hours: Open from 1/1-1/31,7:00am-7:30pm;Open from 2/1-3/31,8:00am-6:30pm;Open from 4/1-9/30,8:00am-5:00pm;Open from 10/1-11/30,8:00am-6:30pm;Open from 12/1-12/31,7:00am-7:30pm

Ticket Price: 40 ZAR

Recommended Length of Stay: 3-3 Hours

Location: 4 Boulders Place, Secluse Ave, Simon's Town, Cape Town, 7995, South Africa

Located in the town of Simon on the east coast of Cape Town, South Africa, there is a small bay called "Boulder". This is one of the must-see attractions in South Africa, and it is also a famous penguin home - Penguin Sanctuary. At first there were only two pairs of penguins here, but later, under the protection of the local residents, the number increased day by day. What attracts everyone's attention here is the South African species-spotted penguins. They are smaller among penguin species, with black rings and small black spots on their chests, and pink eye circles. They are very cute.

Reviews from Real Guests:

FGTRTD: Unbelievable! Firstly, Simonstown is a terrificly sweet town. Depending on when you go there really shouldn't be too many people. Seeing penguins hangout so casually is greatly amusing.

Trip.com User: Nice and penguins really near. You can take Cape sightseeing package to reach there

* All reviews in the blog are machine-translated.