The Best Things to Do in Cape Town in Winter 

Last Updated on June 22, 2025 by Hannah Stephenson

Worried that the winter months will ruin your fun in Cape Town?

Well, worry no longer because I promise you that there’s still plenty to get up to in the cooler weather. 

In fact, as far as I’m concerned, there are a ton of pros to visiting during the winter. Plus, certain activities are much more comfortable when it’s not roasting hot outside.

So after years of living in Cape Town, in this blog I’m going to take you through the best things to do here during the winter. 

1. Go Whale Watching

Winter is whale season in Cape Town, so take advantage! Southern Right whales migrate to the Western Cap between June and November, and while you can sometimes spot them from the shore, it’s best to book a whale watching cruise. 

Now, if you’re really into whales I would suggest visiting Hermanus, a beach town that’s about 2.5 hours from Cape Town. It’s known as the whale watching capital of the world!

You can easily do a day trip to Hermanus on this tour. Not only does it include a 2-hour whale cruise, it also takes you wine tasting and to visit a penguin colony on your way back to Cape Town. Win! 

Or if you’re short for time, I suggest this marine safari that leaves from the V&A Waterfront. I actually did this cruise during the summer (read my full review here) and saw four whales, so I can only imagine how many you’d see during the winter. As well as being time-efficient, it’s also a cheaper way to enjoy a whale-spotting boat trip. 

2. Eat Your Way Around on a Food Tour

I’m a firm believer that the best way to get to know a new place is through its food scene. And in a city as diverse as Cape Town, that’s especially true. So get acquainted with Cape Town through this top-rated food tour and thank me later!

What I love about this tour is that it teaches you so much about Cape Town’s history and character through food. You’ll explore the colourful streets of Bo Kaap and De Waterkant, and try South African classics like koeksisters, malva pudding, and bobotie along the way. 

At the risk of revealing my bias, my good friend and former housemate, Marianne, is one of the guides for this food tour. Trust me, if you get her as your guide, you will be in excellent hands! She knows Cape Town like the back of her hand so you couldn’t ask for anyone better to show you around.

And I do feel obliged to point out that it’s not just me who loves this tour. It has almost 400 five-star reviews! 

I really think this food tour is a great choice for the winter months. Umbrellas are provided if necessary and you’ll spend a lot of time in pubs, cafes, and restaurants, so you don’t need good weather to enjoy it. 

Book this epic food tour here with free cancellation!

3. Take the Cable Car Up Table Mountain 

You knew this was coming, didn’t you?

In winter, you can hike up Table Mountain but I think that the cable car is a better choice. Cape Town’s weather is famously changeable and the cable car is a much faster way up and down the mountain. If you’re hiking and the weather suddenly shifts you might end up in a tricky situation! 

The cable car does close during high winds or storms, so check the status via the official website before you go. But this is something you should do at any time of year! 

And the big pro of taking the cable car during winter is that there are WAY fewer queues. In the summer, you can wait for ages but in winter you’ll just sail on up. 

Return tickets cost R430 for adults online, or R490 at the ticket office. The ride up takes just 2 minutes and the views are spectacular. There’s also a cafe and bar, and on a clear day you can also spend an hour or more exploring up at the top. 

4. Tour the City by Bike 

I’m a pretty reluctant cyclist at the best of times, so pedalling around during the hot weather is not my idea of a good time. However, I think that this heritage bike tour is a great way to explore Cape Town during the cooler months, especially if it’s your first time visiting the city.

The tour begins in Mouille Point and goes through the scenic Green Point Park to historic Greenmarket Square. Then, after a short break to shop for souvenirs, you’ll continue onto the Company’s Gardens for tea and cake – yum!

Finally, you’ll head to colorful Bo Kaap and finish up in the V&A Waterfront. The Waterfront is actually a pretty big area and so I think exploring it by bike is a good way to get to know this iconic part of Cape Town. 

In fact, I reckon this tour would be a good one to book for your first day in Cape Town, as long as the forecast looks decent. It’s a really nice way to get your bearings while enjoying the city’s bearings in the open air. 

This tour is on sale until 1 August, so grab your spot here!

5. Explore Bo Kaap with a Local

Colourful Bo Kaap is one of Cape Town’s most famous neighbourhoods, and there’s truly no better way to experience it with a local! So I highly recommend booking this small group tour to learn about this area beyond its brightly painted facades. 

My guide, Sedick, grew up in Bo Kaap and still lives here to this day! I loved hearing about what it was like to grow up here, and he also shared so much information about the area’s history that you won’t find in the guidebooks. He’s also very insightful about the gentrification and socioeconomic issues that the neighbourhood is currently facing.

The great thing about visiting Bo Kaap in the winter is that there are far fewer tourists around, so you won’t be fighting for space! Your tour group will probably be smaller, too, which means more personalised attention from your local guide. A hot drink and tasty snack is also included to keep you warm! 

Check availability and book this awesome local-led tour here!

6. Get Tipsy on the Franschhoek Wine Tram 

I kid you not when I say that the Franschhoek wine tram is one of the best things I’ve ever done in Cape Town. It’s just SO much fun! 

This tour makes it so easy to do the wine tram because it includes transport from the city to the winelands, as well as your tram tickets. All you need to do is turn up and enjoy the day! 

And it’s a great thing to do in the winter because you don’t need great weather to enjoy the wine tram. Sure, it’s nice to sit outside and sip wine on a sunny day but in the winter you can cosy up inside a beautiful tasting room instead and savour rich red wine. 

This is a full-day, hop-on hop-off experience. You can visit up to five wineries but I prefer to take my time and do three or four instead. If you’d like some suggestions, read my full review of the Franschhoek wine tram here!

Read 500+ glowing reviews and book this tour here!

7. Eat at the Time Out Market

Cape Town’s Time Out Market opened at the V&A Waterfront in 2023. Opinions are divided over it but I personally think it’s great! 

Here, you’ll find many of Cape Town’s best loved eateries under one roof. I really can’t recommend De Vrije Burger enough. Before the market opened, my friend and I once drove over an hour for their burgers at their OG restaurant in Stellenbosch!

Or on a cold day, you could grab a warming bowl of noodles from Ramenhead and a nice glass of red from Culture Wine. Cheers!

8. Visit Boulders Beach

Visiting the penguins at Boulders Beach is a great year-round activity in Cape Town! I actually enjoyed far better weather when I did this in the winter than I did during the summer. 

I suggest that you wait for a clear day for this one if possible, because the beach really does look so beautiful in the sunshine. 

If you’re renting a car, then I recommend that you drive along Chapman’s Peak Scenic Drive along your way to Boulders, as this way you’ll tick off two must-do Cape Town activities in one fell swoop. 

And if you don’t want to rent a car, no worries, because you can book this small group tour instead. It picks you up in the city, takes you along Chapman’s Peak, and then gives you 2 hours to enjoy seeing those adorable little African penguins. Then, you head back to the city via another of the peninsula’s most scenic roads: Boyes Drive in Muizenberg. 

Either way, you’ll need to pay the entry fee at the beach on the day. This costs R215 for international visitors and R50 for locals. Trust me, it’s worth it because you can’t miss the chance to see these amazing little penguins while you’re here. 

For more on visiting Boulders Beach, check out this guide! 

9. Enjoy the Winter Menu at La Colombe

La Colombe in Constantia is arguably Cape Town’s most prestigious restaurant. In fact, it was even mentioned as one of the 50 best restaurants in the world! 

For foodies, dining at La Colombe is a must at any time of year but the great thing about going during the winter is that you can save a little money. Right now, they’ve got a winter lunch special for R1,195 per person. 

Normally, you would pay R1,995 for lunch at La Colombe so this will save you R800! This applies to both the regular and vegetarian menu. 

This deal is on until 29 August, so take advantage. Just be sure to book at least a few days in advance – ideally more!

Also do note that the restaurant is closed between 30 June and 20 July. 

10. Check Out Cape Town’s Best Museums

I don’t know about you, but as a Brit who experiences severe sun guilt, I never really want to spend a hot summer’s day inside at a museum. So personally, I think that winter is the perfect time of year to go museum-hopping.

District 6 Museum

I highly recommend visiting The District 6 Museum. It tells the story of how the area was declared “whites only” in 1959 under the Apartheid regime, causing over 60,000 inhabitants to be forcibly removed from their homes. It’s a sobering visit but this piece of South African history is important to acknowledge.

The museum is open from 9 am – 4 pm daily, except for Sunday when it’s closed. You can book your tickets here.

Zeitz MOCAA

Situated in the distinctive Silo building, the Zeitz MOCAA is a huge museum dedicated to African art. And I do mean huge – there are over 100 exhibits, which are spread across 9 floors. You can even stop by the Ocular Lounge on the 6th floor for a cocktail with a view! 

It does a really great job of teaching visitors about the complexities of African art and identity, and the exhibitions are thought-provoking and often pretty emotional. And honestly, just the building itself is absolutely incredible – it’s kind of mind-bending.

Book your Zeitz MOCAA tickets here and get a free audio guide to enhance your visit! 

Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum

I definitely recommend doing the Bo Kaap walk with a local experience that I talked about above, but the Iziko Bo-Kaap museum is another way to dive deep into the area’s history and heritage. It teaches visitors about the area’s Islamic culture and heritage, which is key to understanding Cape Town’s heritage more broadly. 

The Bo Kaap Museum is open from 9 am – 5 pm every day and admission costs R80 for international visitors, or R50 for locals.

11. Visit the Oranjezicht Market

The Oranjezicht Market is a bougie weekend farmer’s market at the V&A Waterfront. Here, you’ll find a whole range of local artisan goods as well as food from every corner of the globe. It’s a favourite with locals and tourists alike! 

During winter, the market is open from 8 am – 2 pm on Saturdays and 8:30 am – 2 pm on Sundays. 

In summer, it can get insanely crowded and if you rock up late, you’ll usually find a queue stretching all the way down the street! However, in winter it’s much quieter and you can turn up whenever and bag a table without too much trouble. Plus, the market is covered so it doesn’t really matter if it rains! 

12. Take Afternoon Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel

The Mount Nelson is the grand dame of Cape Town hotels, and their afternoon tea is iconic! I think that winter is the perfect time of year to enjoy this experience because you can sit in their elegant dining room and warm up with a choice of over 60 premium teas. Ooh la la! 

(And of course, you can add champagne and cocktails if you fancy something stronger.)

Afternoon tea should always be fancy but Mount Nelson takes it to the next level with their delectable finger sandwiches, pastries, scones, and petit fours. To be honest, it all looks too good to eat!

They do a classic, vegan, and gluten-free menu, all of which cost R595 per person. You can also upgrade to a champagne tea for an extra R400!

I definitely recommend booking in advance if you want to do the afternoon tea! There’s a deposit of R200 per person, or if you want to do the champagne tea you have to pay for the whole thing upon booking.

13. Walk Lion’s Head Contour Loop 

Now, I love hiking up Lion’s Head but in the winter the path and rocks can often be slippery, especially if it has rained recently. So at this time of year, I suggest that you walk the Contour Loop instead. 

Rather than taking you up to the top of the mountain, the Contour Loop trail takes you around the outside instead (cue Eminem). It’s a mostly flat path and it’s 5.3 kilometers (3.3 miles) long, so it takes just over an hour to complete. 

It can get a little muddy in sections if it has rained recently, so I’d recommend wearing trail shoes if you have them. Having said that, I’ve walked this path in my Nike Air Force 1s multiple times during the winter months and it has always been absolutely fine.

To find the Contour Loop, head to the trailhead (pictured above) along Signal Hill Road. As you face the mountain, you will see two paths – one goes left and the other goes right. Take the path on the right and it’s a fairly straightforward loop around the mountain from there! There’s some undulation, but nothing crazy. 

14. Take a South African Cooking Class

You’ll notice that most restaurants in Cape Town serve Western food, so if you’d like to discover some traditional South African dishes I highly recommend booking this cooking class. 

The class takes place at a traditional restaurant in Salt River. This is a less touristy part of town, but it’s still just a 10-minute drive from the city centre. You get super hands on and make dishes like sadza, sugar beans, and the restaurant’s best-selling chicken stew. Talk about a perfect winter menu! 

The hosts really demonstrate the meaning of true African hospitality and at the end of the class, everyone sits down together to enjoy a family-style meal with some local beer. 

And afterwards, you’ll get a PDF document containing all of the recipes from the class so that you can recreate them at home. I really enjoy cooking for my loved ones, so this is a real bonus for me.

On a cold winter’s day, this class will leave you with the warm fuzzies. And don’t just take my word for it either – read over 200 glowing reviews here!

Book this hands-on cooking class here with FREE cancellation!

15. Chapman’s Peak Scenic Drive

Chapman’s Peak Scenic Drive is a must-do activity in Cape Town! This gorgeous ocean road stretches between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, and curves along dramatic red cliffs along the way. 

You’ll want a clear day for this one, and be sure to check the status of the road before you go. It’s only 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) long but don’t rush it. There are 114 bends in the road and quite a few different viewpoints where you can pull over and snap some epic photos. 

This is a toll road, so you’ll need to pay R64 to drive along it. I promise, it’s more than worth it. 

I suggest driving out of Cape Town via Camps Bay so that you also get to enjoy the gorgeous drive along Victoria Road (see the map below). 

And when you get to Noordhoek, I recommend making a beeline for the Aegir Project for their delicious burgers and beers. Yum!

16. Do the Aquila Safari 

I’ve done the Aquila Safari twice and the first time that I went was actually during the winter!

This isn’t a true safari, but it’s the closest you’ll get in Cape Town. The tour takes you to a game reserve about 2 hours out of the city where you can spot elephants, lions, hippos, giraffes, and more!

I actually found that doing this tour in the winter was more comfortable than during the baking summer heat. They even provided blankets during the game drive to keep us warm! 

You can read my full guide to the Aquila Safari here, but I truly think it’s an unforgettable way to spend a winter’s day in Cape Town. Try to choose a day when it’s not forecast to rain heavily, but the safari truck has a covered roof anyway. I promise you that clouds won’t dampen the experience at all!

Read over 1,800 5-star reviews and book the Aquila Safari here!

17. Explore the Cape Winelands

Now, I do love wine tasting during the summer but I think that the Cape Winelands Explorer tour is perfect for a cooler day. 

It takes you on a tour of the three main winelands regions: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl. All of the tastings are done indoors so honestly, this is a pretty cozy winter experience. 

And when I did this tour in the winter, I kept falling asleep on the bus because it was so warm! So honestly, I’m sure it would be more comfortable on a colder day. 

I’ve got a full review of this tour, but I’ll recap it quickly here too. My friend Liam and I did this tour together and we visited three top wineries. We began with a cellar tour, a breakfast charcuterie spread, and a wine tasting at Simonsig Estate in Stellenbosch, before taking a guided walk through the cute little town itself. 

Then, we went to Franschhoek where we had a tasting and lunch at the Franschhoek Cellar. Lunch was the only thing we had to pay for on the day, just FYI. Then, we finished with a wine and chocolate pairing at Rhebokskloof in Paarl. 

We had SO much fun on this tour and I think it’s perfect for a winter’s day. It was well-organised, great value for money, and it gave us such a great overview of the winelands. No wonder it has over 4,000 glowing reviews!

Book this fun winelands tour here!

18. Cycle Around Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is a beautiful university town surrounded by vineyards, and it’s just a 45-minute drive from Cape Town. It gets really hot here during the summer since it’s further inland, so I think that winter is the best time to explore!

I especially love this half-day bike tour of Stellenbosch because it shows you the historic town, the university, and takes you out into the countryside for two different wine tastings! And trust me, cycling around Stellies is SO much more comfortable in the cool weather. 

Of course, you should try to book this tour for a dry day. You’ll need to drive or take an Uber from Cape Town to the meeting point in Stellenbosch, but I promise it’s worth it! This tour delivers the full Stellenbosch experience, from the scenic centre to the stunning wine estates. I normally don’t even like cycling but this tour truly is the exception to the rule.

Check availability and book this Stellenbosch bike tour here!

19. Go Paragliding

I LOVED paragliding in Cape Town, and this is an experience you can enjoy all year round! Again, this is best done on a clear day but honestly, in the summer paragliding flights can often be cancelled due to high winds, so going in the winter doesn’t really affect your odds too much. As always, I do recommend booking this towards the start of your trip in case you need to reschedule.

I did this paragliding flight off of Signal Hill and I had the best time! Flying over Sea Point, with views of the ocean and Lion’s Head was just spectacular. It wasn’t as scary as I thought, either. 

Paragliding is an iconic thing to do in Cape Town. It only lasts for about 5 minutes but I promise they will be the most fun 5 minutes of your life!

Book your paragliding flight here! 

20. Enjoy a Sunset Prom Walk

Now, a sunset prom walk is a pleasure during any season but I personally find them to be particularly spectacular during the winter months. 

Why, I hear you ask? Well, it’s due to the position of the sun. 

During the summer, the sun sets further along the coast, but in the winter it sets almost perfectly in front of the prom. For some reason, this makes the whole experience way more dramatic. The red and purple light it casts is absolutely spectacular! 

FAQs About Winter in Cape Town

When is winter in Cape Town?

The winter months in Cape Town are from June to August. May and September can sometimes be pretty cool too – although some years, you can get pretty nice weather! 

How cold does it get during Cape Town in winter?

My answer would be “not that cold” but if you asked a born and bred Capetonian then I’m sure they’d tell you differently. 10°C is about the coldest it ever really gets, and on nice days the temperature can even climb back into the mid twenties! 

How often does it rain during Cape Town in winter?

On average, I’d say about half of the days are wet, and the other half are dry. Of course, this varies from year to year, but it’s certainly not non-stop rain all winter, every winter. 

What are the daylight hours like during winter?

It usually gets light at around 7:30 am and then darkness falls around 6 pm. It does vary a bit from month to month, though. On the shortest day of the year, the sun rises at 7:50 am and sets at 5:45 pm. All in all, you’re looking at about 10.5 hours of daylight.

Getting around

Driving in Cape Town is definitely easier during the winter, when there is less traffic on the roads. I don’t mind driving here during the summer but in rush hour, it’s not fun. You can usually get really good rates on rental cars at this time of year, too. I always use Discover Cars to find the best prices and providers!

Where to stay

I’ve got a full guide on where to stay in Cape Town here, but I generally recommend Sea Point, Gardens, or De Waterkant.

Thanks so much for reading this blog post! I hope it helped you to plan the perfect winter trip to Cape Town. For more ideas on what to get up to, check out the following:

• The Best Indoor Activities for a Rainy Day in Cape Town
• Cape Town 3 Day WINTER Itinerary 
• The Best Things to Do in Cape Town at Night
• Whale Watching in Cape Town – A Complete Guide! 
• Ultimate Cape Town Travel Guide: Everything First-Timers Need to Know!