The Last Week Itinerary: A List of Must-Do's

A week and a few days ago, I found out that my study abroad program was cut short, and that we were all required to go home. Now, I think we all have done a lot of talking about why, so I am sure you already know. But, what you don’t know is how I spent my last week. 

After finding out that I would have to leave Cape Town, my friends and I put together a comprehensive day-by-day itinerary jam-packed of all of our bucket list items in the five days before we were out. Think of it like a list of Must-Do’s (among many others), and add all of these things to your list! Trust me, they’re a necessity before you leave Cape Town. So important, in fact, that we packed them all into one week! Check it out. 

Monday

Brunch at Kleinsky’s Delicatessen in Sea Point. The food is good and the venue is great, soaked with fresh, sea-soaked air. (Highly recommend the Challah French Toast!) Order some bagels to go to save for lunch. 

Take a quick stop into Mash Boutique across the street for some beautiful South African fashion and jewelry designs. 

Day at the beach: Clifton #4. Bring a speaker and your towel, buck up for the day and rent a beach chair, and enjoy! You have your bagel when you get hungry after some time in the sun, and you can take a freezing dip in the water if you get too hot. It’s the perfect day, if I do say so myself. 

When the day starts to round up and you just can’t take the hot sun anymore, go ahead and head to Kloof Street in Gardens for a nice little walk of shops. There you’ll find a couple of vintage stores, boutiques, and South African shops to look for gifts for family members, friends, or just for yourself!

Just before sunset, finish up your walk in Gardens by heading to Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel for sunset. There is a rooftop bar where you can enjoy appetizers and drinks should you choose, or even if not, the view is spectacular. You’ve got it all the way around—from a view of the city to a view of the mountains to a view of the water—and it couldn’t get any better than that.

Once the sun goes down, and your stomach is grumbling, head off to a late dinner at the Eastern Food Bazaar. Recommended by many as one of the best spots for food in Cape Town, this market-style restaurant features a bunch of options, from traditional, South African Cape Malayan food to Chinese food, they’ve got an array of choices. Don’t make my mistake and be fooled by the affordability— the portions are huge! Enjoy! 

Day 1, down!

Tuesday

Go ahead and sleep in today, yesterday was busy! But once you’re up, put a nice outfit on, because you’ve got a fancy dinner today and a long day ahead. 

Start off the day out of the house with a great lunch! Mama Africa on Long Street is the spot. Enjoy some traditional South African cuisine here, and make sure to start off with the samosas (they’re fantastic!). Once you’re all filled up, time to get your shop on! 

Long Street is lined with a number of shops and boutiques that are great for souvenir shopping, or just for your own delight! I can tell you from firsthand experience that it was both! Start at Mememe, or at Greenmarket Square (the two ends of the shopping spree, up to you where to begin!) and walk straight down Long Street. There are plenty of options, whether you are looking for art and decor by local artisans, high fashion clothing, fun and funky jewelry, or accessories, you’re sure to find something you love on Long. 

Make sure you are wrapped up by at least 3:00, because you have a long drive ahead of you —you’re off to Stellenbosch! Stellenbosch is South Africa’s premier wine country, and by far some of the most breathtaking landscapes I have ever seen. If you make in on time, you can do a wine tasting at Delaire Graff Estate, or just grab dinner there instead. It is quite expensive, so heads up for that, but there are plenty of other vineyard options in Stellenbosch at which you can enjoy dinner and a view. If you want, you can stick around into the evening to enjoy some of Stellies’ nightlife, or head back in an Uber to get some sleep for tomorrow. 

Wednesday

Alright, make sure you get a good breakfast in your belly this morning because today’s plan is an all-day affair! 

!!! Heads up on this one though, you need to apply for a permit for this hiking trail and it takes approximately three days to obtain. !!!

Pack some snacks (but beware of baboons!! -- For real, they stole our food, photo evidence below), and put on a swimsuit. For the first time in a long time (the water in Cape Town is cold!!!), the water will actually be warm enough for you to go swimming! 

Take an Uber ride (it's a long one, so hope for an aux cord) to the Crystal Pools trailhead, and head up for the hike. It's not too long, about an hour to an hour and half, to the first pool. But keep going! There are five pools carved out in the mountains, and are not only beautiful, but warm enough to take a dip! The second pool is the best, if I had to choose, but if you want to check them all out, go for it! Take a look at the pictures below for motivation and inspiration to push through the hike. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Spend the whole day laying out in the sun and enjoying a swim under the waterfall until sunlight is soon to be up. Make sure you keep an eye on your stuff, because, like I said before, the baboons are lurking and ready to search for your food! 

You’ll probably fall asleep on the way home, but hang in there as long as you can! The view on the drive home is beautiful and you might not want to miss it! Definitely get to sleep as soon as you get home though because you’ve got a bright early wake-up call in the A.M. 

Thursday

I warned you—bright and early!—you’ve gotta leave by 4:30 in the morning if you want to make this one on time, we’re headed to a sunrise safari! Aquila Private Game Reserve and Resort offers affordable half- or whole- day safaris on their private animal reserve, which is home to all Big 5 animals and more. It’s about two hours away from Cape Town, so you can nap on the way there, and then enjoy your morning seeing the animals. 

After your morning safari, enjoy the complimentary lunch buffet offered by the resort, and lay out by the pool on the resort’s property. Stay all day to get a full day of sun and swimming! Then, make sure to stay up and enjoy the drive home—it’s truly gorgeous!

Once you get back, grab some snacks and pack them up! You started your day with a sunrise, and you’re going to close it out with a sunset! Just a quick 45-minute hike (at worst), the Kloofs Corner trail ends in the perfect view of the coast for the sunset. See for yourself:

After your hike back down, hop in a quick Uber to Saigon for some of the best sushi and noodle dishes in Cape Town! (IMO)

Friday

Put on something comfortable to bike in, because you’ve got a ride ahead of you today! But first, obviously, brunch! Start at Jarryds in Sea Point for breakfast, where I highly recommend the breakfast sandwich with avo (though others recommend the Eggs Benedict!). 

From there, take a quick walk around the corner and down the street (feel free to stop into a boutique here and there, Sea Point has some fabulous shopping!) to the Sea Point Pool. This is a great spot to spend your day in the sun and get a swim in. 

And right next door, you’ll find one of the pickup points for UpCycle bikes! There’s no better way to dry off and get some exercise at the same time than to take a bike ride along the coast. 

Enjoy a ride to the V&A Waterfront to make dinner at Willoghby’s, or to Camps Bay for dinner at Cafe Caprice. You can’t go wrong either way!

Saturday

Unfortunately, Saturday was take-off time for us, so we spent our day at the only place that felt right: the beach! But first, of course, breakfast! Suprette is a great breakfast spot and conveniently located in the Woodstock Exchange, where you’ll find a bunch of little shops and boutiques for some quick shopping. 

Once you’re ready to go (and maybe grab some bagels to go before you do!), head to the beach. We chose Camps Bay, but Clifton #1 is a great option too. Soak in the sun and don’t take it for granted! It was the last of ours, and I already miss it a whole lot. 

Even if it’s not your last week in Cape Town, this itinerary can serve as a whole list of Must-Do’s that you can toss onto your list! Trust me, if we wanted to get to all these places when we only had five days left, then you should get them in too!