SLEEPING QUARTERS: One of Cape Town’s most sought-after places to lay your head is a renovated old grain silo, now the two-year-old Silo hotel, adjacent to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. British architect Thomas Heatherwick (best known stateside for the walkable Vessel sculpture in New York’s Hudson Yards) designed the hotel’s exterior, adding multifaceted convex glass windows to the building. The interior is a riot of colors, patterns and textures. The rooftop pool alone—with unobstructed views of Table Mountain—might just justify the eye-popping price tag for a night’s stay.

COST: From about $905 a night, theroyalportfolio.com

OUTDOOR EXCURSION: Cape Town’s coastline calls to mind California’s Pacific Coast Highway. Hire a private car and guide/driver to take you along the sheer cliff side of Chapman’s Peak. Drive to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, which tour guides like to tout as the place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet (cartographers are still hashing it out). Take a mild hike up to the lighthouse at Cape Point, or hitch a ride on the funicular for part of the way. Afterward, continue around the peninsula to Boulders Beach to see the African penguin colony and to take a dip in the icy water alongside the waddlers.

COST: About $415 for a half-day private tour for two people, wilderness-safaris.com/cape-peninsula

MIDDAY MEAL: Book a ride-share service to Cape Town’s wine country, about an hour’s drive, and grab lunch on the patio at at Delaire Graff wine estate in Stellenbosch, which features snazzy seasonal dishes like braised Wagyu brisket and pea and ham risotto.

COST: About $75 for the ride, about $250 for the tasting menu for two, with wine pairings, delaire.co.za

CULTURE FIX: Just beneath the Silo hotel is the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, or MOCAA, dedicated to 21st-century art from Africa and its diaspora. Open daily, the venue, also designed by Mr. Heatherwick, gives visitors an introduction to this oft-overlooked category of art. Don’t miss the William Kentridge exhibit, which spans 40 years of the artist’s work; on through March 23.

COST: Admission, about $26 for two, zeitzmocaa.museum

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SOUVENIR: Among the small boutiques on lively Bree Street is Cape Cobra, which specializes in stylish handbags, wallets and belts handmade from exotic skins like Nile crocodile and ostrich. Fashion brands including Judith Leiber, Calvin Klein and Marchesa have all used Cape Cobra to manufacture some of their wares in the past.

COST: About $915 for a small ostrich handbag, capecobra.com

REFRESHMENT : Head to the breezy Gigi Rooftop at the recently opened Gorgeous George hotel in the city center. There, parked on a sofa beneath hanging plants and palm trees, you can opt for a classic cocktail or, if you dare, a tricked-out one—like the Carrot Me Away, with Woodford Reserve, roasted carrot juice and mango cordial.

COST: About $11 for two cocktails, gigirooftop.com

DINNER: Set on a wine farm in Constantia, a leafy suburb of Cape Town, La Colombe regularly ranks among the top fine-dining establishments in Cape Town’s highly competitive restaurant scene. The fare is a fusion of Asian and French cuisine, with a decidedly local slant—where else would you find rooibos macarons and a springbok parfait?

COST: About $360 for the chef’s menu, with beverage flight for two, lacolombe.co.za

Low: $271 a day for two

Thanks to the weakness of the South African rand against the U.S. dollar, Cape Town is a cheapskate’s heaven. It’s not difficult to escape from a meal with wine for little more than $20 a head. And soaking up the scenery, from the sea to the mountains, doesn’t cost a cent

SLEEPING QUARTERS: In the middle of the Gardens neighborhood, packed with trendy shops and local eateries, Hippo Boutique Hotel features king-size beds and cherrywood floors. The hotel doesn’t offer much in the way of amenities—no room service or gym—but it’s a short walk to the city center and a quick taxi ride to the waterfront.

COST: About $120 a night, hippotique.co.za

OUTDOOR EXCURSION: Wake up early and start your day with a hike up Lion’s Head, adjacent to Cape Town’s flat-topped Table Mountain. At an elevation of about 2,200 feet, the moderate and well-marked climb takes up to three hours round trip depending on your pace (warning: you’ll need to scramble over a few rocks) and how many selfies you pose for at the top. The summit offers 360-degree views on a clear day. If you’re not an early riser, it’s a Cape Town tradition to climb Lion’s Head on the night of the full moon—pack a bottle of wine to enjoy at the top.

COST: Free

MIDDAY MEAL: If you’re in town on a Saturday, consider grazing at Cape Town’s Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill. You’ll find myriad vendors selling everything from wood-fired pizzas to Cape Malay chicken curry and copious amounts of kombucha (neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za). Any other day of the week, other than Sunday when it’s closed, head to Royale Eatery, a burger and milkshake mecca at the top of Cape Town’s colorful Long Street. With around 50 burgers on the menu, including the Hawaiian piggy (with bacon, pineapple and guacamole), there’s something for everyone. Besides, haven’t you always wanted to order a “Royale with cheese”?

COST: About $24 for two, royaleeatery.com

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CULTURE FIX: Take the ferry out to Robben Island, just off the coast of Cape Town, to join one of the group tours of the apartheid-era maximum-security prison where Nelson Mandela spent most of his 27 years behind bars before becoming South Africa’s first black President. Part of your tour will be led by a former political prisoner of the island, providing powerful personal insights into this historical site. The excursion takes about four hours, including the 30-minute ferry ride on either end. Be sure to book early on in your stay since tours are sometimes canceled due to inclement weather and choppy seas. In the event it is canceled, you should be automatically rebooked for the following day.

COST: About $72 a person, robben-island.org.za

SOUVENIR: In Woodstock, the industrial-turned-arty neighborhood, you’ll find all sorts of galleries, houseware stores and unusual craft shops. Duck into the Heartworks boutique at the Old Biscuit Mill complex—on a market day or not—to pick up a useful tchotchke, a leather keychain fashioned into an elephant, giraffe or whale from Afrographic, whose goods are made by talented women in a Cape Town township.

COST: About $7 for a large keychain, projectdyad.com/pages/afrographic

REFRESHMENT: For a pick-me-up, zip over to Truth Coffee Roasting, a steam-punk-style coffee shop nestled in the city center. Waitstaff sporting leather vests and goggles will assist you with your coffee order while you peruse the pastry display case and the assorted vintage curiosities, from copper-helmeted diving suits to mini suits of
armor, which adorn the space.

COST: About $5 for two coffees, za.truth.coffee

DINNER: The Black Sheep Restaurant sits at the top of bar- and restaurant-packed Kloof Street. The menu, which changes daily, takes its inspiration from Cape Town’s eclectic heritage as a gateway between the East and West. Set over multiple floors, including one with great views of Table Mountain, the restaurant embraces the nose-to-tail philosophy, which means that pig’s feet, lamb kidneys and sweetbreads can be found alongside heirloom tomato salad and grilled hanger steak.

COST: About $43 for two with a bottle of wine, blacksheeprestaurant.co.za

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