Cape Town in 48 Hours: Penguins, Peaks, and Perfect Burgers!

Cape Town truly has it all: stunning beaches, incredible wildlife, a vibrant nightlife, and those unforgettable views. It’s a city that stole a piece of my heart, and I’m already dreaming of my return. 

Top Tips:

• Get the Get Your Guide tour: Especially for Boulders Beach, it makes getting there and navigating the area super easy.
• Embrace the hop-on-hop-off bus: It’s a great way to see the city and get to Table Mountain.
• Be prepared for adventure: Lion’s Head is a challenging hike, but the rewards are immense.
• Explore the food markets: You’ll find some hidden culinary gems.
• The sunsets are amazing: Make time to watch them.
• Be Cautious
  

Day 1: Penguin Encounters and Waterfront Wonders

Our adventure kicked off with a Get Your Guide tour to Boulders Beach which cost around £30 (quite expensive but it did include entry to the beach). The African penguins were so cute, and a little tip, if you venture a little further down from the main viewing point, you can actually swim with them! It was a surreal experience to be so close to them.

Back on the boat, we prepped for a night out. The Cape Town sunset was breathtaking, across the water. A quick 10-minute walk took us to Life Grand Cafe on the Waterfront, where we drank some delicious cocktails (around £5 each!!). The locals were incredibly friendly, and gave us a cheerful warning that we were about to get “legless”.

Day 2: Table Mountain and Lion’s Head 

The next morning, we hopped on the hop-on-hop-off bus and made our way to Table Mountain, the bus provides you with earphones for a guided tour of the places you drive past. We booked the Hop-on-Hop-Off bus via Get your Guide which included tickets for the Cable Car, it cost about £33 each. The cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain was an experience in itself, and the views were incredible. It’s one of those sights that truly makes you feel like you are on top of the world.

We decided to embark on a hike from Table Mountain to Lion’s Head. Laurence and I aren’t exactly experienced hikers, and this trek was no joke! Ladders, ropes, and some seriously steep drops made for an exhilarating (and slightly terrifying) adventure, but the views from the top were worth it!

Of course, as we reached the top we find a woman with twins strapped to her back casually enjoying the scenery which was humbling to say the least. The descent was definitely easier than the way up, mostly sliding down on my bottom!

Back at the Waterfront, we discovered a fantastic indoor food market, called the Time Out Market After our hike, we were starving. We all opted for chicken burgers from ‘De Vrije Burger’ and honestly, it might just have been the best burger of my life. Maybe it was the post-hike hunger, but it was heavenly.

Cape Town, you were amazing. Until next time!