Only Have 48 Hours In Cape Town? Here's What To Get Up To

A list of fun ideas to try out if you ever find yourself on a short stay in South Africa's 'Mother City'.
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If you are visiting Cape Town for just 48 hours and you're wondering what to do while you're in the city for such a short while, there is plenty to choose from. Cape Town is an amazing city that offers wide alternatives and great experiences.

Here are some of the top things to try on a short stay:

Visit the Boland

Vineyards and Helderberg Mountain near Stellenbosch at sunset, Western Cape,
Vineyards and Helderberg Mountain near Stellenbosch at sunset, Western Cape,
jon11 via Getty Images

Just an hour's drive from the central business district, you can visit some of the most amazing local vineyards. The best known are Môreson, Haute Cabrière, and La Petite Ferme. You can hire a car at Cape Town airport to get around swiftly on your stay, and you can hop on the tram in Franschhoek, which will take you on a tour around various vineyards in the areas.

Visit the District Six Museum

South Africa, Cape Town, District Six Museum, apartheid exhibits. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/UIG via Getty Images)
South Africa, Cape Town, District Six Museum, apartheid exhibits. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/UIG via Getty Images)
Jeff Greenberg via Getty Images

This museum gives a thorough review of the history of the District Six area, which was notoriously destroyed by the apartheid state, and its inhabitants forcibly removed to the Cape Flats between 1960 and 1970. Many of the tours in the city begin at this special museum, in order to explain the history of the area, and the laws that shaped it.

Visit the Cape of Good Hope

SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 16 : Cape of good hope, Peninsula Cape, Western Cape on April 16, 2017 in South Africa. (Photo by Fr��ic Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)
SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 16 : Cape of good hope, Peninsula Cape, Western Cape on April 16, 2017 in South Africa. (Photo by Fr��ic Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)
Corbis via Getty Images

Expanding in 77,5 square km, the Cape of Good Hope (known also as Cape Point, the tip of the Cape Peninsula) offers some great walks and awesome scenery. Here you can admire a variety of more than 250 bird species, including cormorants and ostriches that live around the Cape.

Discover the Two Oceans Aquarium

A clown fish (as in the eponymous fish in Finding Nemo) swims past an anenome in the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa. June 2005. Clownfish (Photo by Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)
A clown fish (as in the eponymous fish in Finding Nemo) swims past an anenome in the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa. June 2005. Clownfish (Photo by Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images)
BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images

Take the time to explore the colourful and vibrant Atlantic and Indian oceans' aquatic life. At the Two Oceans Aquarium, you can see more than 3,000 underwater creatures from 88 species on show. This aquarium promises great entertainment for the whole family, from penguin shows to an interactive exhibit that includes a touch pool. If you're really a water baby, you can even dive with the big fish at the aquarium.

Catch the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

Cape Town, South Africa - January 11, 2014: the cable car's beams to the top of the famous Table Mountain National Park. Aerial Cableway popular tourist attraction in Cape Town in the blue sky.
Cape Town, South Africa - January 11, 2014: the cable car's beams to the top of the famous Table Mountain National Park. Aerial Cableway popular tourist attraction in Cape Town in the blue sky.
bennymarty via Getty Images

Explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World by taking a cablecar up to the summit of Table Mountain, from which you can view all of the city from various angles. You can also reach the top on foot, along beautiful –– but really exhausting –– trails. Hiking up the mountain can also be very time-consuming, and is safer in groups.

The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch is a famous botanical garden nestled at the eastern foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Kirstenbosch was founded in 1913 and places a strong emphasis on the cultivation of indigenous plants.
Kirstenbosch is a famous botanical garden nestled at the eastern foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Kirstenbosch was founded in 1913 and places a strong emphasis on the cultivation of indigenous plants.
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Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden has been deemed one of the greatest botanical gardens in Africa. The 5.28-square-kilometres of indigenous and exotic flora offer free guided tours and walks, so visitors can see some of the most amazing and colourful plant species.

You can also take a walk on the Tree Canopy Walkway (also known as the Boomslang), which is a curvaceous timber-and-steel bridge that rises through the trees, allowing visitors to experience breathtaking views of this iconic garden.

Explore the unique tastes and flavours of the city

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Cape Town offers great tastes from across the continent. You can try different traditional and adopted foods, like braaivleis (barbecue), amanqina (chicken feet), Malay curries, and lots more. You can also try some extraordinary African coffee blends and indigenous dark chocolate mousses.

Happy holidaying, and safe travels to everyone!

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