TRAVEL FAQ

Best time to visit Cape Town

As is well known, South Africa is located in the Southern hemisphere and its seasons are therefore opposite those in Europe. Summer is from December to March, winter from June to August. The climate in the western part of South Africa is Mediterranean. It is rather hot in summer, but stormy and rainy in winter. In the Cape Winelands, 50 km east of Cape Town, temperatures can easily reach 40 degrees. These hot days are best spent indoors or by the pool.

In Cape Town, on the other hand, maximum temperatures usually only climb up to 35 degrees. It’s even more pleasant, when you stay near the sea, where a gentle sea breeze usually cools things down a bit. In winter, temperatures can drop down to about 10 degrees, but will never go below zero. Since winter is the rainy season in the Western Cape, be prepared for several days of rain in a row and a tempestuous storm here and there. Every now and then, however, the sun will come out to play.

Most popular time to visit Cape Town: High summer

The peak season for Cape Town travels is mid-December to March. In these months, you have an almost 100 % good weather guarantee with high temperatures, which can make an active holiday strenuous, however. Mid-December to mid-January is the main holiday season in South Africa. This is when most South Africans travel to the seaside resorts along the coast, and Cape Town is a very popular destination spot for many residents of Johannesburg or Durban. Therefore, Cape Town and the surrounding areas can feel a bit crowded; longer waiting periods in restaurants and at sights are to be expected. Sometimes, this hustle and bustle can somewhat tarnish your holiday enjoyment. If you are free in your holiday planning, consider arriving only at the end of January or even later.

Best time to visit Cape Town: April – May / October – November

First of all, favourable flight and hotel prices speak in favour of this period. The temperatures correspond to those of an average European summer. There is no good weather guarantee in spring or autumn but cold, nasty days are not too common, making it the ideal travel time for active visitors. There are far fewer tourists in Cape Town and everything is just more relaxed and calmer. Some tourist attractions and parks may offer shorter opening hours, but all sights and activities are still in full operation.

Interesting time to visit Cape Town: June – September

Tourists hardly ever come to Cape Town during this time, much to the dismay of tourism managers. However, Cape Town and its surroundings still have plenty to offer. Wine lovers and festival fans will find a great variety of wine, food and music festivals. And let’s not forget gems such as Christmas in July. The two main attractions during this time, however, are the flower season in Namaqualand and the visiting Southern Right Whales. After the winter rains, the barren semi-desert of the Namaqualand is transformed into a seemingly endless sea of colourful flowers at the end of August. And you don’t even have to drive that far, the first carpets of flowers can be seen about 100 km north of Cape Town such as in the West Coast National Park. And from June to November, the gentle giants of the ocean come to visit South Africa’s coastline. The seaside town of Hermanus becomes one of the world’s best places for land-based whale watching. Stroll along the coastal walkways and observe the whales in the courtship behaviour or get on a boat to see them up close and personal.