Cape Town and the Garden Route: InsideMunich’s Top-20

Adventure times ahead – South Africa is just an amazing country and there is so much to see and do. Here are our top 20 places and things to-do when traveling to Cape Town, the wine region and the Garden Route.

Cape Town

1. Lion’s Head + Signal Hill

Go to Signal Hill by car or Uber and enjoy the breathtaking views over Cape Town. Also a very prominent spot to watch the sunset – make sure to bring some snacks and a bottle of wine!

Lion’s Head – THE viewpoint of Cape Town. Definitely one of the highlights of our trips. Short hike (approximately 60 minutes one-way) with great views of Camps Bay and the 12 Apostels, Clifton, the City Bowl and Robben Island. The last part of the hike includes a little bit of climbing and 2 ladders, but really easy and not dangerous. Once you reach the top it’s just amazing. Behind you the Table Mountain – in front of you the ocean. What more could you ask for? Also watch out for the cute rock dassies (look like giant guinea pigs)! As the Lion’s Head is really famous, there will be a lot of people. So being early pays off. There is almost no shade on the tour – so don’t forget your sunscreen (we got a little burned), water and a cap. If you have only time for one hike (or the weather allows only one) go for Lion’s Head and not the Table Mountain.

2. Table Mountain: Maclear`s Beacon

As the Table Mountain can be in clouds for days, use the first opportunity with clear sky to go up there! As so will do everyone else, it’s worth getting up early and maybe beat the crowds! We took the cable car as we heard the hike is dangerous (not the hike itself, but people who will try to rob you). But meeting many people who hiked up there on their own, we would also do it next time.

The hike is around 2 hours one-way. We decided to go for a little hike on the plateau to Maclear’s Beacon, which is actually the highest point of the Table Mountain plateau (approximately 30 minutes one-way). If you take the cable car up to the Table Mountain, split: one gets in line for the tickets, the other one gets already in line for people with tickets (they only check at the end of the line). Buying online does not make too much sense, as you can’t plan the exact time you want to go there in advance due to the weather.

3. Day Trip to Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach and Muizenberg Beach

• Start early (7-7:30 am) and take the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive out of Cape Town. Amazing views and also the opportunity to stop along the road.
• First Stop: Boulders Beach: Famous penguin beach. If you are lucky, you can spot already some penguins on the public beach, but if not, you can go to the official park entrance (10 EUR). Really fun to watch those cute guys.
• Cape of Good Hope Nature reserve: make sure to be there before 10/11 as this is on everybody’s list. Park your car at the Cape of Good Hope sign and walk from there to Diaz Beach and the Lighthouse (one-way 75 minutes). The walk is so beautiful. We would also recommend to go down to Diaz Beach and enjoy the scenery. We brought some snacks, but you can also buy lunch or snacks at the Two Oceans Restaurant at the Lighthouse. Make sure to plan at least 3 hours as the Cape of Good Hope Nature reserve is really beautiful!
• Muizenberg Beach and the famous beach houses: amazing spot – endless beach with the colorful beach houses and mountains in the back. Also many kite surfers – we loved it.

4. BoKaap

Visit the beautiful colorful district BoKaap close to the city center, where former slaves from Asia lived. There are free walking tours, but it is also fun to walk around there on your own. Great streets are Rose street, Hout street and Longmarket street – picture-perfect 😊

5. V&A Waterfront

Enjoy the beautiful old harbor. Make sure to try some food at V&A Foodmarket and take in the scenery. As our hotel was close by we went jogging there in the morning and it was almost empty. Make sure to visit the seal colony of the Cape Town Aquarium (no ticket needed).

6. Watch the picture-perfect sunset at Bloubergbeach

Perfect view of the city and the Table Mountain. Takes you 25 minutes from Cape Town, but totally worth it. Our recommendation: watch the sunset there and bring a bottle of wine and some snacks. Just amazing!

7. Groot Constantia: Wine Tasting + Chocolate

A wine-tasting is a must-do when in South Africa. At Groot Constantia you can even combine wine with chocolate 😊 Just a 15 minutes drive from Cape Town city center and really nice vineyard; Napoleon was also a huge fan of their wines! No reservation needed; around 8 EUR per person (must arrive before 14:30 pm). It is also possible to have lunch/ dinner there which should be really delicious (also a little bit expensive).

Wine region: Stellenbosch, Paarl and Boschendal

When in South Africa… you have to experience a wine tasting. There are so many different wine estates and a view days are just not enough to check out all of them. We especially liked the following:

8. Stellenbosch: Food & Wine Pairing at Clos Malverne

Imagine yourself sitting at a great vineyard with an amazing view, a delicious glass of wine in your hand and yummy food on your plate… well that’s reality at the restaurant Clos Malverne in Stellenbosch. The food and wine pairing for lunch is just amazing – really good quality (fine dining concept) and not expensive (35 EUR for food + wine per person) https://closmalverne.co.za/

9. Stellenbosch: wine tasting with cheese platter at Jordan

Beautiful wine estate outside of Stellenbosch – combine the home-made cheese platter with a wine tasting and just enjoy.

10. Boschendal: Picnic at the Rose Garden

Beautiful old wine estate with an rose garden. Aside from the usual wine tasting they also offer a picnic basket with home-made food to share. Make sure to plan enough time to enjoy the food and the amazing view!

11. Paarl: rock climbing on Paarl Rock

The wine region actually offers more than wine tastings and food… Take your car to Paarl Nature reserve (approximately 10 kilometers of dirt road, but do-able with a VW Polo) and climb the famous Paarl Rock. Climb up there and enjoy a great view over the whole wine valley. Then walk the dirt road a little further and climb up the Bretagne Rock. Even better views and really fun. (short hiking tour; only 20 minutes one-way)

Garden Route: Hermanus, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Wilderness, Plettenberg Bay, Addo

12. Walk the famous Hermanus Cliff Path

Hermanus is actually famous for the many whales that come to the coast during the whale season from July to mid November. But the Hermanus Cliff Path is a beauty of its own, even without the whales. Imaging steep a steep coastline with the azure blue Atlantic Ocean. Make sure to stop for dinner or lunch at the historic restaurant Fisherman’s cottage.

13. De Hoop Nature Reserve: 50km Dirt Road one-way, but totally worth it!

Think of huge white sand dunes, a turquoise glittering ocean right behind those dunes and the occasional whale jumping out of the water – you don’t think this paradise on earth exits? Well, go to De Hoop Nature Reserve and find out for yourself that it does! Although the ride there is quite bumpy (when coming from Hermanus direction, it’s more then 50 km of dirt road one-way), this is one of the highlights on the Garden Route you should not miss. Don’t be too afraid of the dirt road. It gets quite annoying, but we managed it with a VW Polo.

Once you are in the nature reserve, watch out for animals! It was amazing to see all the ostriches, zebras and antelopes while driving to the dunes. We first went to the dunes and were amazed by natures beauty. You can also walk part of the whale trail that leads directly on top of the cliffs and enjoy the breathtaking views. Major plus: you can jump in the refreshing ocean wherever you want. We spent a total of 5 hours at the De Hoop Nature Reserve and could have stayed even longer.

14. Safari at the Garden Route Game Lodge: BIG-5 calling

South Africa, home of the BIG 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard) and many more amazing animals. Make sure to plan at least one safari in a National Park or a private game lodge. We chose the Garden Route Game lodge for our first safari and loved it. You are driving around in an open jeep, enjoy a 306°-view and the rangers tell you everything there is to know about the animals. We saw elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions, a rhino with its baby and many more… and took way too many pictures of course 😊.

15. Coffee at Blue Coffee Shed in Mossel Bay

You love coffee as much as we do? In that case, visit the Blue Coffee Shed in Mossel Bay. Self-roasted coffee for all tastes, home-made cakes and snacks and the coolest location (old boathouse).

16. Wilderness Beach

Imagine an endless sandy beach, turquoise water with waves crushing on the shore and amazing nature surrounding the beach. Well, go to Wilderness and you will find all that. Just add never-forget sunsets and great restaurants. Perfect for a few relaxing days, but also for hiking (Kingfisher Trail) and kayaking.

17 . Knysna Lagoon

If you like a wild coastline and amazing cliffs overviewing the endless ocean, you should definitely stop in Knysna. Once one of the most dangerous harbors in the world, now a perfect spot for watersports. Make sure to stop for coffee or a milkshake at the East Head Café.

18. Hiking at Robberg Nature Reserve

One of our highlights in South Africa: hiking along the amazing coastline in the Robberg Nature Reserve. We would definitely recommend the longest hiking route “The Point” (9 km, 3.5 hours) as it takes you to the end of the peninsula. Just follow the seal sign – and you will definitely find hundreds of them. We saw so many seals at the Point surfing the waves. So much fun to watch! But the best part is yet to come. After 3.5 hours of hiking in the sun, it’s your turn to jump in the waves at the Die Island. The currents are strong, but manageable and the swim is just heavenly.

19. Plettenberg Bay: Monkeys and great food

If you like monkeys as much as we do, visit Monkeyland just outside Plettenberg. An experienced ranger takes you on a walk through the reserve and explains a lot about the different species. Really cool to see them so close! Plettenberg Bay is also home to many great restaurants. Enrico’s at the Keurboom Beach is a must-do. Go for the king prawns as a starter. We also loved the Sushi at The Fat Fish – yummy!

20. Safari at Addo National Park and Schotia Private Game Reserve

Addo National Park is home to more than 500 elephants, buffalos, lions, zebras, rhinos, leopards, springboks and many more. You can explore the third-largest National Park of South Africa on your own (streets in good condition, no 4WD required) or book a safari tour. Our favorite safari was at the Schotia Private Game Reserve. Small groups in an open vehicle, experienced rangers who told everything there is to know about South African wildlife and a joint sunset dinner in the camp in the reserve. We came close to a lot of animals this day. See our favorites below:

Our favorite hotels/places to stay in Cape Town and along the Garden Route

• Stellenbosch: Jordan Wine Estate (perfect for honeymoon)
• Hermanus: Penguino
• Swellendam: Marula Lodge
• Wilderness: Dune Beach House
• Plettenberg Bay: Air BnB
• Addo: Old Drift Guest Farm

Our favorite restaurants in Cape Town and along the Garden Route

1. Cape Town: Nelsons Eye (must-do, best steak; reservation required)
2. Cape Town: Hussar Grill (amazing steak, reservation advisable)
3. Cape Town: Tigers Milk (great burger,bar food and cocktails)
4. Cape Town: Rosetta Roastery (coffee)
5. Cape Town: Truths Coffee (amazing coffee place – must-do!)
6. Stellenbosch: Clos Malverne (food & wine pairing, wine tasting)
7. Stellenbosch: Bakery at Jordan wine estate (wine tasting, cheese platter)
8. Boschendal: Picnic at Rose Garden
9. Hermanus: Fisherman’s Cottage (fish)
10. Wilderness: Three Girls Café (fish, steak, curries)
11. Wilderness: Joplin’s (steak)
12. Plettenberg: The Fat Fish (fish, sushi)
13. Plettenberg: Enrico’s (pizza, pasta, king prawns)
14. Addo: Africanos (sushi, steak)

General recommendation when traveling to South Africa

• Buy a South African Sim Card at the Airport. Not really expensive, but really helpful for getting an Uber or to look things up on your way.
• Bring a fake wallet with little money and some cards. We didn’t experience any dangerous situations/robbery, but just in case. Better safe than sorry!
• Download Cape Town + Garden Route Region on Google Maps and use offline navigation (also for the car, no navigation system needed).
• Plan your itinerary according to your favorite things to do and plan some time to relax as well. Our route:

Think about doing a one-way trip and fly back from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town or vice versa. The Garden Route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth is 750 km – if you go back the whole route that’s over 1,500 km of driving and spending a lot of time in the car. Domestic flights are usually not that expansive. We drove from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and flew back to Cape Town.

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