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Five days of summer, mountain and parade in

Cape Town.

Table Mountain · Cape Point · Bo-Kaap

We arrive on Friday, 31 December 2027

422days
14hours
10minutes
18seconds

The reason we’re going

Around 2 January 2028 (exact date to be confirmed)

Tweede Nuwe Jaar (Cape Town Street Parade)

Streets of central Cape Town (the route changes by year)

The Second New Year is Cape Town’s day of minstrel troupes, the Kaapse Klopse, marching in sequined costumes with painted faces, instruments and parasols. In 2026 the street parade started at 11:00, the last troupe was expected around 17:00, and celebrations continued in the stadium until about 22:00.

Traditionally on 2 January. Organisers move it when it clashes with a day of worship: in 2026 it was held on Monday 5 January, because 2 January was a Friday. The date changes each year by a set rule: check it before you travel. Source ↗

The plan

Five days: the mountain, the peninsula, and the Second New Year parade.

Where we sleep

4 nights

Base in the City Bowl

City Bowl, Cape Town

  1. Day 1 · Fri 31 Dec

    The mountain first

    Table Mountain in the morning if the wind allows it, then the harbour at the Waterfront in the afternoon.

    • Table Mountain3 h

      The flat-topped mountain that stands over the city, about 1,085 metres high. A cableway with rotating cars takes you to the top, where paths cross the plateau.

      What to see

      • The cableway ride
      • The view over the city and Table Bay
      • The paths across the plateau
      Time
      About three hours.
      Tip
      The cableway closes in bad weather, and the south-easterly wind is common in summer. Check its status the morning of the visit, and keep the afternoon free to swap with another day.
      To eat
      Biltong, dried and spiced meat, is the usual snack to carry up.
    • V&A Waterfront2 h

      A working harbour with shops, quays and Table Mountain as a backdrop. It is where the Robben Island ferries leave from.

      What to see

      • The quays and the harbour boats
      • Cape fur seals resting by the water
      • The mountain behind the masts
      Time
      A relaxed two hours.
      Tip
      Walk the quays, not only the malls: the seals and the boats are on the water side. It will be busy at the end of the year, so arrive before the evening.
      To eat
      Hake and chips, the Cape’s everyday fish supper.
  2. Day 2 · Sat 1 Jan

    Penguins and the end of the road

    A drive down the peninsula to the penguins at Boulders Beach, then on to Cape Point.

    • Boulders Beach2 h

      A sheltered beach near Simon’s Town where African penguins settled in 1982, starting from two breeding pairs. The colony now numbers around 3,000 birds.

      What to see

      • The penguin colony from the boardwalks
      • The granite boulders of the beach
      • Foxy Beach and its walkways
      Time
      About two hours.
      Tip
      Stay on the boardwalks and never touch the penguins, as they bite. Check the SANParks website for New Year’s Day opening times before you drive down.
      To eat
      Snoek, a long Cape fish, grilled or smoked.
    • Cape Point3 h

      The south-eastern tip of the Cape Peninsula, in the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park. A funicular and a short flight of steps lead to a platform near the old lighthouse.

      What to see

      • The old lighthouse, 262 metres above the sea
      • The funicular and the viewing platform
      • The wild coast of the reserve
      Time
      About three hours.
      Tip
      Baboons live here and know what a bag of food is. Keep food out of sight and never feed them. Check the park’s hours for 1 January before you set out.
      To eat
      A picnic of biltong, bread and fruit, eaten on the rocks.
  3. Day 3 · Sun 2 Jan

    The Second New Year

    Bo-Kaap in the morning, then the Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade, traditionally held on 2 January. If the organisers move it to Monday 3, I swap this day with the next.

    • Bo-Kaap2 h

      A historic district on the slope of Signal Hill, settled from 1760 and the centre of Cape Malay culture. The Auwal Mosque on Dorp Street dates from 1794.

      What to see

      • The brightly painted houses
      • The Auwal Mosque from the street
      • The Bo-Kaap Museum, in a house from the 1760s
      Time
      About two hours.
      Tip
      People live here, so keep your voice down, do not block doorways and ask before photographing anyone. Do not enter a mosque unless you are invited.
      To eat
      Koesisters, Cape Malay spiced doughnuts rolled in coconut.
    • Tweede Nuwe Jaar paradeMost of the day

      The Second New Year parade, in which Kaapse Klopse troupes march in sequined costumes with painted faces, instruments and parasols. It is run by the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association.

      What to see

      • The troupes in their costumes
      • The brass bands and singing
      • The crowd along the route
      Time
      A full day, from late morning.
      Tip
      The route changes: in 2024 it ran from District Six to Bo-Kaap, and in 2026 along Somerset Road to the stadium. The organisers announce the date and route near the end of the year, so confirm both. 2 January 2028 is a Sunday, so the date may move to Monday 3: if it does, swap days 3 and 4.
      To eat
      Samoosas, small fried triangular pastries, a Cape Malay staple.
  4. Day 4 · Mon 3 Jan

    Gardens

    Kirstenbosch in the cool of the morning, and the old Company’s Garden in the city centre in the afternoon.

    • Kirstenbosch Gardens3 h

      A botanical garden on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, devoted to the plants of southern Africa, including proteas and fynbos. A walkway runs through the tree canopy.

      What to see

      • The protea and fynbos beds
      • The canopy walkway
      • The view of the mountain from the lawns
      Time
      About three hours.
      Tip
      Summer sun is strong at the Cape, so bring a hat, water and sunscreen. Go in the morning, when the paths are cooler and quieter.
      To eat
      Rooibos tea, made from a plant that grows in the Cape.
    • The Company’s Garden1 h 30

      A public garden in the city centre that began in 1652 as the Dutch East India Company’s vegetable garden, to supply passing ships. Squirrels now live in its oak trees.

      What to see

      • The shaded avenues
      • The squirrels
      • The old oaks and rose garden
      Time
      About an hour and a half.
      Tip
      It is a flat, shaded walk in the middle of the city, good for a hot afternoon. Keep to the main paths in the late afternoon.
      To eat
      A Gatsby, a long sub roll filled with chips and meat, a Cape Town invention, best shared.
  5. Day 5 · Tue 4 Jan

    A last view, then history

    Signal Hill for a final look over the city, then the District Six Museum before leaving.

    • Signal Hill1 h 30

      A low hill between Lion’s Head and the city, with a road to a lookout over the centre, the harbour and the Atlantic coast. Bo-Kaap sits on its lower slope.

      What to see

      • The lookout over the city bowl
      • Table Mountain from across the valley
      • The Atlantic coast to the north
      Time
      About an hour and a half.
      Tip
      The Noon Gun is fired from here at midday, but check its schedule, because it is not fired on every day. The wind can be strong at the top, so bring a jacket.
      To eat
      A last rooibos tea, or a cold ginger beer.
    • District Six Museum1 h 30

      A museum in a former church about District Six, the mixed inner-city neighbourhood declared a white area in 1966, when tens of thousands of people were forced out. It also shows what life there was like.

      What to see

      • The map of the district with the former residents’ names
      • Objects and photographs from daily life
      • The history of the removals
      Time
      About an hour and a half.
      Tip
      The museum is normally closed on Sundays, which is why it is scheduled for Tuesday. Check its website for the day’s hours, and give the visit time: it deserves more than a quick look.
      To eat
      A Cape Malay curry with sambals, for a late lunch before the airport.

Where we go

Every stop and our base.

  1. City Bowl, Cape Town
Whole routeOpen in Google Maps ↗

Weather

What the turn of the year is usually like.

Cape Town

Trip day 1
Friday31 December
Mostly clear
26° / 17°
7% rain26 km/h wind
Trip day 2
Saturday1 January
Mostly clear
26° / 17°
6% rain26 km/h wind
Trip day 3
Sunday2 January
Mostly clear
25° / 17°
7% rain26 km/h wind
Trip day 4
Monday3 January
Mostly clear
25° / 17°
9% rain26 km/h wind
Trip day 5
Tuesday4 January
Mostly clear
25° / 17°
9% rain26 km/h wind

Typical weather for these dates, not a forecast: the average of 2016–2025, with data from Open-Meteo.com (ERA5). The chance of rain is an estimate.

Pictures

16 photos from 9 places on our route

Table Mountain: Cape Town (ZA), Table Mountain -- 2024 -- 2825
Table Mountain
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
1 / 16

Cape Town, explained

Traditionally 2 January

Tweede Nuwe Jaar is traditionally held on or around 2 January. In 2026 it was moved to Monday 5 January, because 2 January was a Friday.

Day 3, the parade

Where it comes from

According to the parade’s organisers, the tradition began in the colonial era, when enslaved people were allowed one day a year to celebrate the new year.

The Kaapse Klopse

The parade’s troupes are known as the Kaapse Klopse, and they dress in colourful sequined costumes with painted faces and parasols.

Day 3, the parade

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