Cape Town in November

I’ve lived in Cape Town my whole life, and I’d love to share everything you need to know when visiting in November.

My wife and I enjoy the November here. Read on for helpful tips:

• How is the weather in November?
• What do you need to pack?
• What should you wear?
• What are the best activities in November?

All of the links above open in a new tab. They are incredibly useful for your Cape Town trip in November.

Nestled amidst mountains in a unique floral kingdom flanked by two seas, the beauty of Cape Town’s natural surroundings is legendary.

And, of course, Cape Town is also a vibrant modern capital, offering a full range of world-class entertainment, adventure, accommodation, and access to further travel options.

Is November a Good Time to Visit Cape Town?

November is an excellent time to go to Cape Town for those who love cloudless skies and sunshine. Summer has arrived; daylight lasts 13 to 14 hours, and rain is scarce. The nights are pleasant, and the city’s nightlife is in full swing, with fun, dining, and entertainment to suit everyone.

You can make the most of the city’s innumerable outdoor activities. The many lovely Cape Town beaches are at your disposal, as are the hiking trails, sea, land, and mountain adventures, trips to the wine lands, and open-air festivals.

If you need to escape the sun, there are museums to visit and hospitable places to relax and enjoy coffee and cake, a snack, a beer or a glass of Cape wine.

Although the city is beginning to fill up with overseas tourists, the December school holiday and the seasonal rush are not yet upon us. Cheaper accommodation and flights can still be found, especially for those who book well in advance.

It is an excellent time to enjoy all Cape Town offers. Specific seasonal highlights that draw visitors to the City in November include beer, wine, film and music festivals, and open-air concerts.

Hermanus Whale Watching | Cape Town Pick-Up

If you do only one thing in November, then go on a whale watching tour. It’s in the middle of the whale watching season and a perfect month to see whales and even orcas!

This is an incredible experience since you will be on a comfortable speedboat in an area with the highest concentration of whales on the South African Coastline.

Bonus (book via the calendar above): You will get picked up at your hotel in Cape Town!

Special November Tip: Safari / Game Viewing

While November in Cape Town has a lot to offer, you should also not miss an opportunity to head North for a safari. South Africa’s nature and game parks are legendary. Unfortunately, you will need to book beforehand. .

Why do it? It is hot in the parks at this time of year and the start of the rainy season. However, the rain – thunderstorms usually – mostly come and go during the afternoon. So the mornings are cloudless and perfect for photography.

Another reason is, that there are newborn animals everywhere at this time, creating the drama of lions, leopards, and hyenas hunting the weaker species’ young to feed their own. In addition, the summertime schedules allow more daylight time for game drives and exciting early morning and evening drives.

If you want an encounter with wildlife but prefer not to book one of the more extended tours, we recommend the 2-day safari (see the banner above).

November Weather

The weather in Cape Town in November is warm and dry, an excellent time if you enjoy lots of sunshine and pleasantly high temperatures. The average daytime high is around 23. °C (73°F), seldom falls below 18°C (64°F) or exceeds 27°C (81°F). Daylight lasts up to 14 hours. Nights are comfortably cool.

Typical November highs:

• Early November: 21°C (70°F)
• Mid-November: 21°C (70°F)
• Late November: 23°C (73°F)

A typical daily temperature progression:

• Morning (8:30 AM): 18°C (64°F)
• Afternoon (2 PM): 24°C (75°F)
• Night (11:30 PM): 15°C (59°F)

Rain

Cape Town is a winter rainfall area. On average, there may be four or five days in November when you can expect limited showers.

The rainfall average is around 16 mm.

• 1 November: 21mm (0.8 in)
• 11 November -20mm (0.8 in)
• 31 November – 14mm(0.5in)

What to Pack | What to Wear

Wear layers in November in Cape Town, as the daytime is warm, and the early mornings and evenings are cold to cool. You will not need to pack coats, gloves, or scarves for this time of year. For formal outings, you can get away with smart casual.

Most of what you need you can buy or hire in Cape Town. So don’t worry if you forget anything or need something special: binoculars, say, for whale watching, a hydration pack for hiking, a wet suit for snorkeling or diving.

Make sure you pack:

• Comfortable long pants (jeans and smart casual)
• Bathing suit and shorts
• Summer shirts
• Sun hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen
• Windbreaker
• Good walking shoes and sandals
• T-shirt
• Driver’s license
• Binoculars, climbing boots, etc.

Crowds – How Busy Is It

November is busier, sees an influx of overseas tourists and is the beginning of Cape Town’s prime tourist season. However, the December and January tourist deluge will not yet have arrived. As a result, beaches and popular sites have yet to fill up.

In addition, November is still considered part of a shoulder season, so rates for accommodation and flights are not yet at their peak. However, you can still get cheaper deals, especially if you make your bookings a month or two early.

More Things to Do

Because greater Cape Town was formed by linking numerous small villages, each area has unique features. There is so much to discover wherever you go. It is impossible to describe all of it.

We focus on some of Cape Town’s main attractions and of course, the ones we love.

Table Mountain

First on every visitor’s must-do list is a trip up Table Mountain.

One of the two revolving cable cars will ferry you over the steep slopes. When you reach the top, the city, sea, and coastline panorama take your breath away.

In high season, November to February, this excursion’s popularity means there will be long queues for cable car tickets. The best way to manage the crowding is to book in advance:

Those with more energy may prefer taking one of the many climbing trails. Here again, these range from leisurely walks to climbs requiring equipment.

Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts.

Kirstenbosch Gardens is a beautiful place to stroll, picnic, and explore any time. However, starting in November, music is added. Every Sunday, right through summer, these magnificent gardens are the setting for open-air concerts featuring a variety of renowned local and international bands and musicians.

Infecting the City

Infecting the city is a city-wide arts festival started by performers and artists in the early 2000s. Theatre, dance, music and poetry performances, and visual art installations, can be enjoyed in venues and communal spaces spread across Cape Town. Apart from their creative excellence, these works bring audiences a sense of the city’s historical and modern social narratives.

Jazz & Classical Encounters Music Festival

The expansive Spier Wine Farm near Stellenbosch is a place worth a special visit. It provides five-star and African-themed outdoor dining, nature-bound excursions, and accommodation. Among its charms is a beautiful open-air amphitheatre, which hosts the delightful Jazz & Classical Encounters Music Festival in November.

You can enjoy fine live jazz and classical works in the early afternoon, at sunset, and under the stars.

Cape Town’s Festival of Beer

Though beer festivals make us think of oompah bands and lederhosen, Cape Town has its own one coinciding with the start of the local rugby season. The organizers claim to provide a variety of 200 beers sourced from more than 60 local and international breweries. In addition, the offerings include some beers brewed just for the festival. Games of rugby are shown on large-screen television monitors.

Discovery Cape Times Big Walk

One of Cape Town’s oldest walks, a well-known event since the mid-1900s, is still very popular. The Discovery Cape Times Big Walk consists of eight different routes, starting from unique locations in and around Cape Town. The routes vary from 5km up to a whopping 80km, giving everybody the chance to participate at their desired level.

Toy Run, Cape Town

Imagine the thunder of thousands of motorcycles. The Toy run gives you just that, as hosts of motorcylists parade the streets, their machines hung with gifts for needy children. This sight happens all over the country, but the most prominent event is in Cape Town. Its tender purpose makes this sight and sound spectacle all the moving.

Endless Daze

Music and dancing in the sun are for everyone. Described as a boutique seaside festival, Endless Daze is a popular open-air concert featuring celebrated local and international acts.

Wavescape

The Wavescape Festival is a celebration of sea and surf. Events include surfing and ocean-focused films, talks, music and fun that promote conservation while building community.

Safari: 2-5 Days

As November is an incredible time for game viewing, we highly recommend considering a safari tour from Cape Town. If your time is limited, plan a 2-day tour. Otherwise, a four or 5-day tour makes the most of this inspiring experience.

Chapman’s Peak Drive

To get from Hout Bay to Noordhoek, you can drive one of the most thrilling marine passes in the world. Chapmans Peak Drive is cut out of a sheer mountain slope, high above an expansive bay. Expect heart-stopping drops, overhanging boulders, hairpin bends and a view to take your breath away.

Horse Riding at Noordhoek

Noordhoek is the nature-bound site of Long Beach, one of Cape Town’s wildest beaches. The best way to enjoy the shorelines’ white sands, wetlands, abundant birdlife, and ocean breakers is on horseback. You can hire horses from several stables for a unique opportunity to do something unforgettable.

Snorkelling or Scuba Diving

Snorkelling and diving in Cape Town’s waters are fabulous at any time.

Training for novices is easy to find. Attractions for seasoned divers include shipwrecks, diving with seals, shark-cage dives, and intriguing seaweed forest safaris.

A warning. The Atlantic side has icy currents. We were, thankfully, advised to hire 7mil wetsuits.

Mountain Trails

There are almost 400 mountain trails in and around Cape Town. They range from refreshing walks to challenging rock ascents. Locals insist they never grow tired of the wonder and exhilaration of the trails. If you stick to the few safety measures, dress in layers, and take water, hiking in Cape Town’s hills and mountains is a safe and uplifting experience

For the more extreme rock climbers, there are challenges to suit every level of experience and skill.

Bokaap (Lit. Above Cape).

In the 1700s, the Dutch East India Company shipped thousands of Islamic slaves from various colonies in the East to Cape Town. These enslaved people and their descendants became known collectively as the Cape Malays. After slavery was abolished around 1836, the freed people settled on a foothill above the city.

This settlement is the origin of Bokaap, home of the oldest Mosque in South Africa. Today, its citizens still take pride in their Islamic heritage. Cobbled streets, a distinguished history, unique Cape Malay cuisine and vividly colourful historic cottages make the Bokaap a place of fascination and delight.

Clifton Beaches

The suburb of Clifton is a cluster of high-end properties built on a steep mountainside, above and below the coastal road. On the shoreline below, hidden from the road, are four beautiful, secluded beaches. The Clifton beaches are adjacent, divided by natural boulder formations. The most sheltered beach, Fourth Beach, is the most popular for bathing and the only one where lifeguards are present.

Because the beaches face the Western sea horizon, they are sunny well into the summer evenings. So be ready to tan, enjoy beach games such as volleyball, build sandcastles, and savour sundowners. The sunsets are magical.

Camps Bay

A little farther along the same coastal road is Camps Bay, a trendy, chic suburb. Here, the road runs at beach level. One side is lined with fashionable restaurants, hotels and coffee shops. On the other side is the legendary Camps Bay beach, a broad swathe of white sands with a large children’s rock pool at one end. In addition, there is the late evening light, out-of-this-world ocean sunsets and a view of the soaring twelve apostle mountains. There’s also a modern theatre. Easy to see why Camps Bay is the glamour spot of Cape Town.

Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Simonstown

On the other side of the mountain is the False Bay coastline, with its different but unmistakable appeal. More shabby chic than glamorous, it is the world of surfers, coffee bars, fishermen and antique shops. Train tracks separate road and seashore, and each place has its own quaint railway station.

Muizenberg’s beach goes on for miles, and its colourful beach cabins are an iconic part of Cape Town’s seaside image.

Farther along, by road, rail or footpath, Kalk Bay is perhaps the seaside cultural centre. One side of the street is lined with antique, book, and bric-a-brac stores and a popular theatre that was once a church. The beachside has many casual restaurants and a significant drinking establishment attached to the station.

For us, the highlight was the busy Kalk Bay fishing harbour. Scores of colourful fishing boats are moored at the quays; others sail out or return with their catches.

There is a lot to take in. If you are tempted to stay the night, there is ample accommodation.

Simonstown is a naval village and the last stop on the railway line. There is a great deal of history here, visible in the era-layered architecture of its shops and homes. There is plenty of evidence, for instance, of the strategic defensive role it played during the 2nd world war.

A darker side of its past is the removal of thousands of people from Simonstown during apartheid because they were not white.

Boulders Beach

Beyond Simonstown lies Boulders Beach and the beautiful road to Cape Point.

For many locals, Boulders Beach is their favourite beach. For visitors like us, this natural penguin sanctuary was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is a natural cluster of inlets sheltered by massive granite rocks where over 3000 African penguins have made their home.

You can rub shoulders with these lovable birds while you picnic on tropical white sands, snorkel or swim in the sheltered water. You must buy an entrance ticket; the upside is that crowds are restricted, and your belongings are safe.

Cape Point Nature Reserve

After visiting the penguins, a magnificent coastal drive — 20 km (13 mi) of ocean and mountain views – takes you to Cape Point Nature Reserve.

For a small fee, you enter a world of pristinely preserved Cape biodiversity set amongst rugged hills and rocky shorelines. Cliffs towering up to 200 meters (650 ft) above the sea provide mesmerising ocean and coastal views. Visit for the day or, if you prefer, book into one of the area’s guest houses or hotels and stay for a few days.

Township Tours.

Townships are ghettos set aside, through former racial segregation laws, for black or coloured people. As a result, these areas were historically excluded from the tourism routes. This restriction, of course, is long gone.

Fast becoming a favourite outing for many, a township tour offers a profound opportunity to enjoy the warmth and hospitality of a South Africa that apartheid tried to hide from the world.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront

The Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront is Cape Town’s prime shopping, dining and entertainment hub. It was built on 103 hectares of the oldest working harbour in South Africa. A network of dockside warehouses turned into hundreds of modern retail outlets.

No visitor can resist exploring the mind-boggling variety of available goods, dining fare, entertainment and services.

At the same time, somehow, the harbour charm is preserved. You can watch ships docking as you sip your wine or coffee or observe the fishing boats delivering their catch. You can take one of the many boat tours on offer.

Two Oceans Aquarium

Adjacent to the Waterfront is the Two Oceans Aquarium, a modern showcase of over three thousand sea creatures in their simulated habitats. Mesmerising exhibits of Indian and Atlantic sharks, rays, fishes, turtles, seahorses, octopuses, eels, jellyfish and species found nowhere else make this an outing not to be missed.

San Rock Art

Travel northwards from Cape Town for two hours to see the rock art of the San people, the region’s original inhabitants. Among South Africa’s most significant cultural treasures, these paintings date back to the stone age. There setting takes you into a region of magnificent mountains and vast plains that will remind you of that ancient time.

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES

As South Africa’s oldest city, Cape Town’s story spans eras of ancient hunter-gatherer peoples, European settlers, slavery, wars, and the anti-apartheid struggle that led to today’s new democracy. The city’s museums and galleries preserve glimpses into five centuries of compelling history.

Robben Island Museum

Robben Island is the well-known site of the apartheid-era prison that held Nelson Mandela for 28 years. Visitors from far and wide come to witness this symbolic monument to the struggle for democracy.

Visitors talk about the prison’s profound effect on them and the new knowledge they learn about the island’s past. Few knew before the tour that the island’s grim history reflects hundreds of sad years of isolation and oppression. Those exiled to its bleak shores have included the hopelessly sick, indigenous rebels, the mentally unsound and lepers.

From the sea crossing to the guided tour, a visit to Robben Island is an unforgettable, even haunting, experience.

 

The Cape Town Castle

Built in the 17th Century to house the military regiment and protect the Cape settlers, the castle is the oldest building in the country. Today, this much-visited inner-city feature houses military history exhibitions, art, and evocative artefacts. Today, it is a memorial to early Dutch settlement rather than an army base. However, a Cape guards regiment still uses it as a barracks for its personnel.

 

The Slave Lodge

Another historical building, the former Government House, is now known as the Slave Lodge. ‘Under the theme, ‘From human wrongs to human rights”, exhibits reflect the long history of slavery in South Africa. The Lodge also explores current human rights issues by hosting occasional temporary exhibitions.

 

District Six Museum

District Six Museum is housed where, in the 1970s, the Apartheid authorities removed over 60,000 people from their homes. The moving exhibitions commemorate the evicted peoples’ plight and subsequent decades of hardship.

In 2003, the Netherlands honoured the museum with a Prins Klaus award.

IZIKO (Lit. The Hearth)

IZIKO museums is a national heritage body. They operate 11 major museums, including the Slave Lodge, in Cape Town. All are housed in magnificent historic buildings, bringing the city’s natural and social heritage to life.

The Company Gardens

The Company Gardens, close to the city centre, provides more than a pleasant walk and significant museums and galleries flank it. Its flora and architectural features date back to the arrival of the first Dutch settlers when the garden provided fresh produce for ships en route to and from the Dutch East Indies.