Explore South Africa's "Mother City"

Every tour on this page is private. It’s just you, your travel companions and your own guide. Nobody else joins, so the day runs at your pace. You can linger at a winery you love or skip a stop that doesn’t interest you.

Yes. Our tours are designed to be tailored to your travel style. We can adjust the stops to suit your interests, whether that’s food, wine, nature, history or photography. On the Winelands tour, for example, we usually visit three wineries and pick them to match your tastes on the day. If you’d like something that isn’t listed, ask us and we’ll build it with you.

Cape Town is a year-round destination. Each season offers something different:

Summer (November–March): warm and dry. This is peak season, with long days for beaches and the Winelands.

Winter (June–August): cooler and greener, with some rain. There are fewer crowds and it’s a cosy season for food and wine.

Whale season (July–November): Southern Right whales come into the bay at Hermanus, which is why our Whales & Wines tour runs then.

The shoulder months (April–May and September–October) are lovely times of year to travel to Cape Town.

Citizens of the US, UK and most European countries don’t currently need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Your passport needs at least two blank pages and must be valid for at least 30 days after you leave South Africa. Entry rules can change, so please check with your embassy or the South African Department of Home Affairs before you travel.

Like any big city, Cape Town takes some local know-how. That’s one of the biggest advantages of a private tour. Your guide lives here, knows which areas to visit and when, and handles all your driving and navigation. We’ve been guiding visitors around Southern Africa since 2005, and we’ll share practical tips for the days you explore on your own.

We use Flywire, a secure international payment platform. We provide pricing in South African Rand, and you can choose whether you would like to pay in Rand, or convert to your home currency.

For day tours, we collect you from your accommodation in Cape Town and drop you back at the end of the day. An airport transfer can be added on to any service.

We recommend at minimum of three full days to see the highlights: the city, Cape Point, and the Winelands. That’s exactly what our 3-day Cape Town Essentials tour covers. With more time, add a day in Hermanus or Elgin, or continue along the Garden Route.

Absolutely. The best quality safaris are not found in the Cape Town area, so we recommend travelling by road or flight to a game reserves in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, or Greater Kruger area. Tours such as our First Trip to South Africa Private Tour combine Cape Town with a Garden Route road trip, and finish with a great Eastern Cape safari.

Several airlines now fly direct to Cape Town. There are nonstop routes from London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, and from a growing number of US cities, though some US routes are seasonal. From London it takes about 11–12 hours. From the US East Coast it’s about 15–16 hours. Many guests also connect through Johannesburg, Dubai, Doha or Istanbul.

South Africa uses SAST (GMT+2) all year and doesn’t observe daylight saving. That’s only 1–2 hours ahead of the UK and Europe, so there’s almost no jet lag. US & Canadian visitors are 6–9 hours behind, depending on the time of year. We always suggest a two night relaxing stay on arrival for our North American visitors, to acclimatise before touring.

No vaccinations are compulsory for visitors from the US, UK or Europe. The exception is a yellow fever certificate, which you need if you’re arriving from, or have recently passed through, a yellow fever risk country. Cape Town and our Eastern Cape safari areas are malaria-free. We recommend checking with your doctor or travel clinic before you go.

South Africa’s currency is the rand (ZAR). Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere in Cape Town. American Express is accepted less widely. Keep a little cash for tips, markets and small purchases. ATMs are easy to find.

Tipping is customary in South Africa:

Restaurants: 10–15%.

Car guards and petrol attendants: a few rand.

Hotel porters: about R10–R20 per bag.

Tour guides: tips are appreciated but never expected. See more detailed guidance here.

Yes, tap water in Cape Town is safe to drink and of good quality. Bring a reusable bottle to cut down on plastic.

South Africa’s scheduled power cuts, known as load-shedding, made international headlines for years. There hasn’t been any for more than a year, and the outlook remains stable. Most hotels, restaurants and wine farms also have backup power, so even if load-shedding comes back, it’s unlikely to affect your trip to Cape Town.

Dress in layers. The weather in Cape Town can change quickly, and the famous summer “Cape Doctor” wind can be strong. Bring:

• comfortable walking shoes
• a warm layer and windbreaker, even in summer
• sun protection (hat, sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen), because the African sun is intense
• From May to August, add a rain jacket and warmer clothes; interiors in Cape Town are often quite cool in temperature in winter.