Cape Town, South Africa’s so-called ‘mother city’, is also arguably the highest of the country’s many highlights. Sitting at the foot of a continent - and a spectacular mountain - the city faces the ocean in one of the most iconic of all urban settings. As a result, Cape Town holidays are all about outdoor activities, be that exploring the glorious Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Silvermine Nature Reserve, Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula or the scenic drive to Chapman's Peak. Nearby, the vineyards of the Cape Winelands, established by the Dutch and French Hugenots in the late 17th century, stretch for miles around Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl. Visit for an alluring combination of charming Cape Dutch architecture and ever better vintages of classic European grape varieties such as sauvignon, merlot and cabernet. Then try the local favourite - pinotage. As you’d imagine, we like to give things an Original twist, so how about visiting the Cape wineries by motorbike or sidecar? Ask our Africa experts for other ways to enhance your Cape Town holiday.

Cape Town holiday ideas

A few suggestions to get the holiday planning process started

Cape Town Guide

Practical advice and inspiration to help you prepare for your holiday

South Africa Testimonials

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"Our honeymoon was absolutely incredible. The booking process was excellent, our consultant showed a great deal of expertise, listened to what we wanted and reassured us. The wraparound services you provide are superb, the whole honeymoon was easy and relaxed. The Original Travel app is extremely clear, as was the itinerary, and it was really useful and exciting to be able to refer back to this. The Concierges were AMAZING. They were so kind, kept in regular communication and were really helpful with recommendations."
Louise - London
Published on 5th September 2024
"To say we had the holiday of a lifetime would be an understatement. The attention to detail was unbelievable and it's those things that helped contribute to the great time we had. Given my brief was pretty vague(!), you did an incredible job at creating the most magical of holidays. I could wax lyrical about all the amazing things we saw and did but I won't bore you. But suffice to say, it really surpassed all of our expectations and then some! My husband loved it and both boys have got some memories that will last them a lifetime. The team (and I mean a team!) listened to my rather vague ideas and came up with a wonderful plan for my holiday, which had a significant meaning and they were really respectful of that. Their attention to detail was fantastic, their communication was great and the holiday itself was wonderful in every way. They even handled my last-minute panic (my son was ill 48 hours before we were due to travel!) with calmness, reassuring me and putting an alternative plan into place, should we have needed it (thankfully we didn't!). I would not hesitate to recommend them or indeed use them again. The only downside - they have rather spoilt me for holidays as I only want to do big, 'holidays of a lifetime' with them....! Incredible on every level. The locations, the staff, the resorts, the little touches, the smooth transitions, the planning, the detail - just fantastic. "
Peter - London
Published on 24th April 2018
"Loved the lodge, such a beautiful spot, great wildlife. The park wasn't that big so was good for the kids as we weren't driving for hours to see game, but we always saw something. The lodge staff made it really special and organised a special dinner out in the bush for my husband's 40th birthday. The kids LOVED it... they woke up this morning (back at home) and asked, 'can we go on game drive this morning?'."
Kevin - Nottingham
Published on 21st March 2019

What you can find in Cape Town that you won't find anywhere else?

Is there a city anywhere in the world with a finer natural setting than Cape Town? We think not. Now for the geography bit - with Table Mountain as a very obvious focal point, South Africa's 'Mother City' has spilled out of the so-called City Bowl to colonise the various bays around the mountain (Clifton and Camps Bay being Cape Town's classiest beach-burbs), creating a city of villages.

In recent years the city has become somewhat of a hub for an eclectic mix of characters, a world away from its troubled past you'll now find rugby mad Springboks, bearded bohemians, glamourous celebrities and uber-cool musicians happily coexisting in this melting pot city. So what's drawn such a disparate crew to one particular place? There's that drop-dead beautiful scenery for one, and endless ways to explore it, but also a great cultural scene for the less sportif inclined.

Best of all, given this is the country that gave the world the crime against cuisine that is banana as a pizza topping, things on the food front have moved on considerably - Cape Town and the nearby Winelands can now justifiably claim to be Africa's finest gourmet and fine wine destination.

Venturing out of the city to Cape Peninsula is also a must and can be easily arranged on a self-drive day out or private tour. From spotting penguin colonies on Boulders Beach to reaching the most south westerly point of Africa at Cape Point, the wild flora and fauna rich landscapes here are a world away from the city buzz and yet within just a two hour drive - a further example of why we love this deeply diverse city.

To truly make the most of your stay in Cape Town, we can arrange guided tours of the city, taking you not just to the main tourist sites, but to discover the real Cape Town, for instance with a cooking class at a local's home. Or, to travel across the country in style, take a luxury train journey from Cape Town to Pretoria.

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