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AfricaSouth AfricaWestern Cape

Cape Town

Western Cape, South Africa · Africa

About Cape Town

Cape Town works well as a base: 10 minutes from Rosebank, 5km from Camps Bay Beach.

Cape Town is a major city located in Western Cape, South Africa. With a population of 4,772,846, it is one of the largest urban centers in Africa.

On a road trip, Cape Town sits in South Africa, where you drive on the left. It's in the Africa/Johannesburg time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Cape Town to your route.

About Cape Town

Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan

Read more municipality. The city is known for its harbour, its natural setting in the Cape Floristic Region, and for landmarks such as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Located on the shore of Table Bay, the City Bowl area of Cape Town, which contains its central business district (CBD), is the oldest urban area in the Western Cape, with a significant cultural heritage. The metropolitan area has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, which includes a northern section in the West Beach region, as well as the False Bay area in the south. The Table Mountain National Park is within the city boundaries and there are several other nature reserves and marine-protected areas within and adjacent to the city. These include Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which contains 5 of South Africa's 6 biomes, and displays many plants native to the Cape region. A popular global tourist destination, Cape Town has been named the best city in the world, and the world's best city for travellers numerous times, including by The New York Times in 2014, Time Out in 2025, and The Telegraph for the past 8 years (2017 through 2025). Cape Town has South Africa's highest household incomes, lowest rate of unemployment, highest level of infrastructure investment, strongest service delivery performance, largest tourism appeal, and most robust real estate market.

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Cape Town

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best things to do in Cape Town?

Cape Town offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.

How do I plan a road trip to Cape Town?

Plan your road trip to Cape Town with Plan Your Road Trips! Add Cape Town as a destination, and we'll help you find the best route and discover more amazing places along the way.

Where is Cape Town located?

Cape Town is located in Western Cape, South Africa, Africa. The coordinates are -33.9258 latitude, 18.4232 longitude.

What is the population of Cape Town?

Cape Town has a population of approximately 4,772,846 people, making it a major city in South Africa.

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Quick Information

Population
4,772,846
Continent
Africa
Country
South Africa
Region
Western Cape
Timezone
Africa/Johannesburg
Coordinates
-33.9258, 18.4232

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in South Africa

Police
10111
Ambulance
10177
Fire
10177
All emergencies
112
Driving side
left

112 works from mobiles. Avoid driving at night in rural areas; keep doors locked in cities.

Full driving guide for South Africa

Tags

AfricaSouth AfricaWestern CapeMajor City

Worth the detour from Cape Town

8 notable places within an hour's drive.

museum

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa

Africa's largest contemporary art museum, carved from a historic grain silo on Cape Town's waterfront.

2 km · about 5 min drive

landmark

Two Oceans Aquarium

Cape Town aquarium at the V&A Waterfront showcasing marine life from both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

2 km · about 5 min drive

landmark

Table Mountain

Flat-topped mountain and iconic natural landmark overlooking Cape Town and the surrounding coastline.

4 km · about 10 min drive

beach

Camps Bay Beach

A glamorous Cape Town beach backed by the Twelve Apostles mountain range with palm-lined promenades and Atlantic waves.

5 km · about 10 min drive

beach

Clifton Beach

A series of four sheltered, boulder-divided coves in Cape Town renowned for their beauty and calm, clear waters.

5 km · about 10 min drive

landmark

Robben Island

Former political prison island off Cape Town where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, now a UNESCO museum.

14 km · about 25 min drive

cafe

Chapman's Peak Beach Restaurant

A seaside restaurant at the base of Chapman's Peak Drive near Cape Town, one of the world's most spectacular coastal driving roads carved into cliff faces.

19 km · about 20 min drive

scenic viewpoint

Chapman's Peak Viewpoint

A series of pull-offs on one of the world's most scenic coastal drives, hugging the cliffs between Hout Bay and Noordhoek near Cape Town.

19 km · about 20 min drive

Driving roads near Cape Town

  • 19 kmChapman's Peak ViewpointA series of pull-offs on one of the world's most scenic coastal drives, hugging the cliffs between Hout Bay and Noordhoek near Cape Town.
  • 19 kmChapman's Peak DriveA breathtaking 9-kilometer toll road carved into the near-vertical face of Chapman's Peak between Hout Bay and Noordhoek.
  • 48 kmCape Point ViewpointThe dramatic headland at the southwestern tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, with a historic lighthouse perched on the cliff.
  • 48 kmCape Peninsula CircuitA loop around the tip of Africa from Cape Town past Chapmans Peak, Cape Point, and Simons Town penguin colony.
  • 50 kmClarence Drive (R44)A cliff-hugging coastal road between Gordon's Bay and Rooi-Els along False Bay, rated among the world's great ocean drives, with whale sightings in season.
  • 67 kmHuguenot TunnelSouth Africa's longest road tunnel, boring 3.9 km through the Du Toitskloof mountains on the N1 near Paarl and bypassing the old scenic pass above it.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Cape Town.

Rosebank

🇿🇦 South Africa

6 km awayPop. 10,000

Newlands

🇿🇦 South Africa

6 km awayPop. 5,343

Rondebosch

🇿🇦 South Africa

6 km awayPop. 15,158

Claremont

🇿🇦 South Africa

7 km awayPop. 14,531

Athlone

🇿🇦 South Africa

9 km awayPop. 237,414

Century City

🇿🇦 South Africa

9 km awayPop. 4,239

Lansdowne

🇿🇦 South Africa

10 km awayPop. 17,399

Sunset Beach

🇿🇦 South Africa

10 km awayPop. 2,000

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence