Cheap flights to Cape Town

Why visit

The Weather and Scenery alone should be enough to make you want to compare cheap flights to Cape Town. The omnipresent fog over Table Mountain, surfers riding the waves and carpets of rolling vineyards: this is quintessential Cape Town. Blessed with one of the most distinct and diverse landscapes in Africa and pleasant weather year-round, Cape Town offers an exciting combination of great outdoor activities and relaxed, yet cosmopolitan city life, with art and craft galleries, fine restaurants and bars.

Exploring Cape Town’s diverse neighbourhoods is a great way to discover the city. Wander the lively cobbled streets of Bo-Kaap – the historic Muslim quarter with brightly coloured houses and mosques that is home to descendants of slaves brought over from Indonesia, India and Turkey by the Dutch in the16th and 17th century. The neighbourhood is a stark contrast to the glitzy nearby beach towns of Camps Bay and Clifton. You can also take a tour of the infamous Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for two decades.

Wine lovers have much to look forward to after booking their flights to Cape Town. There are more than 120 vineyards or wine estates immediately east of the city, with the best-known located in Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Robertson and Wellington. Tastings are a regular occurrence and while much argument can be had about the quality of the local products versus those closer to home, when it comes to wine tastings there is often a whole lot of fun in the disagreement.

Back to Cape Town proper, take the Table Mountain Cableway to the top (or hike if you’re feeling energetic) for a spectacular view of the city below and a perspective of the lay of the land. Other city attractions include the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and nearby Robben Island, a former prison that housed Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners during the apartheid era for an all-too-real taste of the country’s troubled past.

But this is still Africa and no visit to Cape Town is complete without taking in the wildlife. Although this is not the place to find huge big-game parks, you won’t regret checking out the penguins at Boulders Beach or for something a little bigger in the shape of antelopes and black rhinos, check out the Solole Game Reserve.

Cape Town climate

Located on a peninsula between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, Cape Town has mild winters and warm summers. Winter temperatures range from 7 to 12 degrees Celsius between June and August. Spring is unpredictable and can have pleasant, sunny days or days when the Cape Doctor, a southeast wind, blows up to 75mph. Summer can be very warm from December to March with temperatures reaching the 40s, but the wind keeps it bearable. March to April and early May have the best weather and gentle winds and this is a great time to book your flights to Cape Town. Rainfall is moderate throughout the year.

Getting around Cape Town

Cape Town sprawls across a large area, but you can always use Table Mountain to get your bearings. Central Cape Town is small and easily explored on foot.

Public transport is patchy but can get you around the city during the day. Many visitors use the commuter trains, particularly the line to Simon’s Town. City buses services stop in the early evening. Avoid public transport after dark.

Rikkis — open rickshaws — are a cheap way to explore the City Bowl area. Reasonably-priced minibus taxis operate mostly along bus routes. You can hail them, but make sure you ask the driver where it is headed as they are unregulated and may not be safest option.

You can call for regular taxis, which are metered and expensive, but worth considering late at night.

If you are renting a car, be aware driving can be unpredictable and confusing, especially since the same road can change names several times. Get a GPS and remember Table Mountain is a handy landmark.

Getting downtown from the airport

Once the flight arrives, Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is located some 20 km from the city centre. From there, door-to-door minibus services from the airport take about half an hour to town. Many hotels have courtesy buses.

What is good to know if travelling to Cape Town?

• Tours of the townships conducted by locals can take you through some of the most desolate areas of the city and show you another side of Cape Town. There are many tours on offer, but try to book one that puts your money back into the township, rather than to a big hotel. Most tours stop at the must-see District Six Museum.
• Towering over the city, Table Mountain can be seen no matter where you are. If you’re hiking to the summit, there are different routes for different fitness levels. One of the most popular routes begins at the world-renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (about four hours). It’s wise to bring your own food and water, as the cafes and restaurants up there are overpriced.
• Cape Town is surrounded by vineyards producing fine South African wine. Exploring wine routes in the Western Cape takes you through some magnificent countryside. Routes are well signposted. Some of the most popular wine areas are Constantia, Darling, Durbanville, Stellenbosch and Walker Bay. 
• At the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, the weekly Neighbourgoods Market is a great place to mingle with the locals in this thriving “creative community”. Every Saturday (9am-3pm) there are more than 50 stalls selling local organic food and produce, arts and crafts.