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Cape Town travel guide
Windy Day in Cape Town? What to Do When the Cableway Closes (+ Cape Point Tips)
When the wind stops the cableway, the day is far from lost. How to read a windy Cape Town day, what to know at Cape Point, and six good plans that still make it a great one.
Thursday 5 November, and Cape Town is breezy this week. AccuWeather's forecast for today shows a passing morning shower or two, then a partly sunny afternoon, with a north-westerly wind gusting up to about 56 km/h. Days like this are when the Table Mountain cableway is most likely to pause, so here is how to read the wind, what to know at Cape Point, and six good plans that keep the day a great one.
Table Mountain: check the cableway before you go
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway posts its live status on its own website. On a windy day, check it before you set off rather than queueing on a hope. In Cape Town the wind often picks up as the day goes on, so if the cableway is running, earlier is usually better.
If it isn't running, the mountain is still the backdrop to everything below, and it will be there tomorrow. An easy fix is to swap your mountain day with a Winelands or museum day and go up on the next clear morning.
Live status: tablemountain.net
Cape Point in the wind: wild, and worth it with a jacket
Cape Point sits in the southern section of Table Mountain National Park, with cliffs rising more than 200 metres above the sea. Its own website lists October to March opening as 06:00 to 18:00 (exit by sunset), with the Flying Dutchman funicular running from 09:00 to 17:30. The funicular saves you the uphill walk from the car park to the old lighthouse. Check the site for any notices on the day you go.
Cape Point is one of the most exposed spots on the peninsula, so the wind is part of the experience. A few tips from Andre's days on the road:
- Hold car doors with both hands when you open them.
- Leave hats in the car and keep a firm grip on phones at the lookouts.
- Bring a warm layer and a rain jacket, even if the morning looks bright.
- Windy days put on a show at the Point: white water and big skies from the lookouts.
Source: Cape Point, checked 5 November 2026.
Source: Cape Point, visitor info, checked 5 November 2026.
Six good plans for a windy or showery day
All six are indoors or mostly under cover, and each one was checked on the venue's own website when this guide was written on 5 November 2026. Opening times are as the venues state them.
1. A Winelands tasting day in Stellenbosch or Franschhoek
When the city is windy, the Winelands are often the easy answer. At Spier in Stellenbosch you can taste indoors surrounded by local art, with wine educators on hand. Spier says it is open daily from 09:00, with tastings from 09:30; until 30 November it closes at 18:00 from Thursday to Saturday and at 17:00 from Sunday to Wednesday.
Near Franschhoek, Boschendal pours its wines at its tasting venue, Cellar Door, with seasonal platters and food and wine pairings.
Source: Spier wine tasting, checked 5 November 2026.
Source: Boschendal, checked 5 November 2026.
2. Groot Constantia: wine and history in one stop
Groot Constantia was established in 1685 as South Africa's first wine farm. The Manor House, the Cloete Cellar and the production cellar are open seven days a week, 10:00 to 17:00, and the wine tasting and shop run daily from 09:00 to 18:00. With the manor, the cellars and the tasting room all under one estate, it's an easy stop on a changeable day.
Source: Groot Constantia, checked 5 November 2026.
3. Zeitz MOCAA at the V&A Waterfront
The museum describes itself as the world's largest dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, housed in a reimagined historic grain silo. It's open Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30. Free one-hour tours run Monday to Friday at 12:30; book on arrival, as places are limited.
Source: Zeitz MOCAA, plan your visit, checked 5 November 2026.
4. Two Oceans Aquarium
The aquarium is open daily from 09:30 to 18:00. Highlights include the Kelp Forest Exhibit, the shark exhibit and the Microscope Exhibit, where you can watch goose barnacles, cushion stars and sea cucumbers feed. Check its "What's on today" page for feeding times.
Source: Two Oceans Aquarium, checked 5 November 2026.
5. Iziko South African Museum and Planetarium
In the historic Company's Garden, the Iziko South African Museum was founded in 1825 and holds more than one and a half million specimens. It's open seven days a week from 09:00 to 17:00 (see Iziko's site for weekend hours). Also run by Iziko, the Planetarium and Digital Dome, which Iziko calls the most advanced digital planetarium on the African continent, is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, with shows on its public schedule; it is closed on Mondays.
Source: Iziko South African Museum, checked 5 November 2026.
Source: Iziko Planetarium and Digital Dome, checked 5 November 2026.
6. The Bo-Kaap Museum
The Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum is in one of the earliest homes built in the Bo-Kaap, dating back to the mid-18th century, and showcases local Islamic culture and heritage. It's open Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 17:00. Between showers, the colourful streets outside are a short stroll from the door.
Source: Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum, checked 5 November 2026.
Let the weather set the order of your day
On a windy day, a private driver-guide makes the weather easy. Andre watches the wind and rearranges the plan as it changes: the mountain first thing if the cableway is running, Cape Point while it's bright, a Winelands tasting or Constantia when the gusts pick up, and a museum or the aquarium when the showers arrive. You're collected at your door and dropped at each entrance, so the rain stays outside.
Tell Dominique your dates and what you'd love to see, and we'll shape a day around the forecast.
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