The Cape Peninsula is the best single day you can spend near Cape Town. Here is the route, the timing, the costs and the stops worth your time, from Chapman's Peak to the penguins at Boulders Beach.
If you only take one day trip from Cape Town, make it the Cape Peninsula. In one loop you get cliff roads, wild beaches, the most south-western tip of Africa and a colony of African penguins waddling between granite boulders.
The trick is the order. Do it in the right direction, at the right time, and the day feels effortless. Do it backwards and you spend it in queues.
The best route around the Cape Peninsula
Leave the city by 8am and head down the Atlantic side through Camps Bay and Llandudno to Hout Bay. From there, Chapman's Peak Drive curls along the cliffs with some of the finest ocean views in the world. Continue through Noordhoek and Scarborough into Table Mountain National Park for Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope.
After lunch, return along the False Bay side to Boulders Beach in Simon's Town for the penguins, then finish with fish and chips or a sunset drink in Kalk Bay or Muizenberg.
Insider tips
- Chapman's Peak is a toll road and can close in bad weather, so check before you leave.
- Reach Cape Point before 11am to beat the tour buses.
"The Peninsula rewards people who start early and stop often."
Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope
Inside the park, walk or take the Flying Dutchman funicular up to the old lighthouse at Cape Point, then drive down to the Cape of Good Hope sign for the classic photo. Look out for ostriches, bontebok and baboons along the road.
Baboons are wild and quick. Keep car windows closed, never carry food openly and never feed them.
Boulders Beach penguins
Boulders Beach is home to a protected colony of African penguins. Boardwalks let you get close without disturbing them, and on calmer days you can swim at the small sheltered beach alongside them.
Entry is paid separately from the main park and is quieter late in the afternoon, which fits perfectly at the end of the loop.
How long it takes and what it costs
Plan a full day: around eight to ten hours with stops. Budget for the Chapman's Peak toll, Table Mountain National Park conservation fees at Cape Point and Boulders, lunch and fuel or a driver. A private chauffeur removes the parking, navigation and baboon stress, and lets everyone enjoy the views.
The Peninsula day is included in our Standard and Premium Cape Town packages, and can be added to the Explorer's Package.
Insider tips
- Bring a windbreaker even in summer. The Cape Point wind is serious.
- Book a guided day if you want to add a Constantia wine stop on the way home.
Key takeaways
- 01Drive the Atlantic side first and return along False Bay.
- 02Leave by 8am and reach Cape Point before 11am.
- 03Visit Boulders Beach penguins in the afternoon when it is quieter.
- 04Keep food hidden and windows closed around baboons.
- 05A private driver makes the full-day loop relaxed and safe.
Plan your trip: keep reading
Written by
Tendai Gumunyu
On-the-ground contributor for the SA Travelcations journal, writing from Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route.
