Hippo Boutique Hotel Review: 2 Days in Cape Town for Adventure Seekers (Full Itinerary)

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Spending 2 days in Cape Town and not sure what to do? This itinerary for adventure lovers shows you how to tick off all the highlights on your bucket list in 48 hours.

Cape Town is such a vibrant, multi-faceted city; so making the most of only two days can be tricky. If you love embracing activities and getting outdoors when you’re on holiday, then I recommend leaning into the adventurous side of Cape Town for your visit during the summer season. Two days in Cape Town gives you a great opportunity to see some of the main highlights and will inspire you to come back for more!

This 2-day itinerary shows adventure lovers an easy and efficient way to see the city. Let’s dive in!

Where to stay for 2 days in Cape Town

If you want to be in the mix of Cape Town’s top adventure sights, then staying in the trendy CBD-adjacent suburb of Gardens is a must. This will give you easy access to the Atlantic Seaboard for seaside exploring and Table Mountain National Park for outdoor adventures, plus, you’ll have the freedom to discover the vibrant inner city restaurant culture. Catching an Uber from Gardens will be quick and easy, and there are also plenty of great sights within walking distance.

Located just off Cape Town’s famous Kloof Street in Gardens, Cape Country Routes’ Hippo Boutique Hotel is the obvious accommodation choice for anyone wanting to explore the adventurous side of Cape Town. The 4-star hotel offers modern accommodation and it is a great choice for young professionals, families, and travellers who love having the freedom to explore outside of the confines of the hotel.

The hotel features spacious en-suite standard and deluxe rooms plus five, double-volume Executive Apartments — of which three, being fully fitted, provide a self-catering option. Some flaunt captivating views of Table Mountain and Signal Hill or have balconies overlooking the bustling city street.

A hippo theme runs throughout the hotel, with a strong emphasis on supporting local artists through specially commissioned hippo-themed artworks and souvenirs created by local artist Andrew Dombuleni. There’s even a hippo-themed Executive Apartment with beautiful works of art on display all celebrating the hotel’s namesake.

I spent a night in one of the individually styled Executive Apartments, relishing the experience of being a city gal for the night. Each double-volume apart is decorated as a unique expression of Cape Town’s urban culture, with wall-sized windows offering spectacular views of Signal Hill.

With open-plan bathrooms on the mezzanine level, and either a fully equipped kitchen or a kitchenette, these chic, spacious apartments are a self-catering fan’s dream. Four of the Executive Apartments also have sleeper couches to accommodate a child.

For added convenience and security the hotel provides secure off-street parking. There’s also a swimming pool available for guests as well as a 24-hour reception desk that facilitates airport transfers, in-room spa treatments and sightseeing excursions on request.

Thanks to its prime location, the hotel is within easy reach of the business centre, retail therapy, museums, art galleries, as well as popular cafés and eateries on Kloof Street. Staying at Hippo Boutique Hotel also puts you on the doorstep of must-see attractions, including the BoKaap area, Table Mountain, and The Company’s Garden.

Our stay at Hippo Boutique Hotel allowed us to spend much of our time exploring on foot, whether we were popping out to grab a quick coffee, in search of lunch, or to stock up on snacks at the grocery shop.

Cape Town Itinerary Day 1: Head to the ocean

The Atlantic Seaboard area, home to the famous Sea Point Promenade is just a quick 5-minute drive from the hotel. Head to Mouille Point to grab a takeaway coffee from one of the many must-try coffee shops and set off on a leisurely walk on the scenic 11km seaside walkway.

Gravity Adventures Kayak — Kayaking with Gravity Adventures.

Even better? Get a different view of the promenade and Cape Town from the water with Gravity Adventure’s Table Bay Kayak Trail experience. This 2-hour iconic sea kayak trip gives you a full 180-degree flip on your perspective of Cape Town! With superb views of Table Mountain, the Cape Town stadium, the V&A Waterfront and the Atlantic Seaboard, this has to be the best way to see Cape Town.

Groups meet at Three Anchor Bay and launch from the slipway — a quick paddle through the kelp and you are surrounded by water. There are often sightings of dolphins, sunfish and whales. Tours head out at sunrise and sunset as these times offer the best views of the city.

For a quiet afternoon, take a leisurely 5-minute walk from the Hippo Boutique Hotel to the famous Company’s Garden for a picnic. The oldest Garden in South Africa, this serene inner-city oasis is known as Cape Town’s Green Lung.

The team at Hippo Boutique Hotel helped assemble the most divine takeaway picnic spread from The Lebanese Bakery, which proved to be the ideal light lunch. The menu at this must-try spot brings hungry customers the rich, authentic flavours of the Middle East with an array of nibbles, fresh salads, and a wide range of dips, breads, mezze and spreads.

The fiery Harissa, made with roasted red peppers, chilli, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and a special mix of spices is one of my favourites and the Saj (flat bread) is beyond moreish, so make sure you order plenty to go around and mop up all the dips.

For dinner, take a stroll (or an even quicker Uber drive) down Long Street to Mama Africa for an authentic African dining experience. The eclectic, upmarket eatery is well-known for serving hearty and uniquely South African meals, including an unmissable mixed grill of Crocodile, Ostrich, Eland, Kudu, and Zebra.

Alongside these must-try South African staples, you’ll also find a variety of other traditional African dishes honouring the authentic flavours and techniques from each region. During dinner, guests are entertained by the in-house band playing a lively mix of traditional and modern music. It’s a must-visit eatery for locals and tourists alike, especially if you’re feeling a little adventurous.

The hotel team organised our dinner reservation and our picnic lunch; these are just some examples of the amazing hospitality you’ll enjoy when staying at Hippo Boutique Hotel. The Hippo team will go the extra mile to ensure your stay is memorable and won’t hesitate to lend a helping hand if there’s an activity or something special you’d like to arrange during your stay. This willingness to provide unique local experiences for guests shows the hotel’s commitment to supporting local businesses and fostering good neighbourliness with the surrounding businesses in the Gardens area and beyond.

Cape Town Itinerary Day 2: Hit the Table Mountain Cableway and hiking trails

Start your day early with breakfast at Therapy. Located next door to Hippo Boutique Hotel, Therapy Restaurant is one of the many breakfast options offered by Hippo’s guest-inspired ‘your choice’ breakfast concept.

Hippo’s breakfast offering for guests is a fun and delicious way to make the most of your stay. Each morning, voucher in hand, guests can choose one of four specially selected eateries within walking distance to Hippo. The ‘choose your own adventure’ breakfast offering is just another way the hotel goes out of its way to support its neighbouring businesses while ensuring a special experience for Hippo guests.

5 Essential Spanish Experiences Not to Miss

From traditional favourites to creative dishes with innovative twists, the menu at Therapy has options to satisfy everyone’s taste preferences. Feast on the Breakfast Burger with a lamb and beef patty topped with tomato jam, onion marmalade, and bacon served on a brioche bun. For a sweet treat, indulge in the Sweet Pancake Stack and delight in blueberry buttermilk pancakes topped with fresh fruit, a honey drizzle, and vanilla gelato.

Tummy’s full, grab your day pack, walking shoes, and plenty of water for an adventure on Table Mountain. The Table Mountain Cableway gives visitors a unique experience when making their way up Table Mountain. The Cableway has been in operation since 1929, helping visitors with a quick and easy way to reach the summit of Table Mountain or descend from the top.

The Table Mountain Cableway is a popular tourist attraction, so be sure to get an early start. I recommend catching an Uber to the Cableway ticketing office to avoid delays with parking and shuttles from the foot of the mountain. If you’re fit and able to tackle the steep hiking trails of Table Mountain, why not hike up via one of the many popular trails and catch the Cableway down for a quick return? There’s also a Fast Track option to skip the queues for a quicker ride up and down.

Once you’ve reached the summit, take your time to explore the top of the mountain on foot, then grab a coffee, a bite to eat, or a drink at one of the many restaurant and bar options on top of Table Mountain. The summit of Cape Town’s famous table offers a magical way to soak in majestic views of Cape Town. After you marvel at the natural beauty the Mother City has to offer, hop on board the Cabelway for a quick descent.

Other outdoorsy things to do with Cape Country Routes:

For adventurous types interested in other options for outdoor adventures in the Western Cape and beyond, Cape Country Routes is a great source when planning a trip. Whether you are looking for adventure, wildlife, tranquillity, action or pleasure — Cape Country Routes offers you easy driving, fascinating attractions, quality accommodation and memorable holidays.

Cape Country Routes (CCR) South Africa is a leading group of owner-operated and managed accommodation and activity establishments located on the scenic and historic routes in the Western and Eastern Cape. All carefully selected for their character, charm and romance, they offer the best accommodation and activity options to suit every taste and budget.

Both Hippo Boutique Hotel and Gravity Adventures are Cape Country Routes members, giving you peace of mind that you have the CCR stamp of approval when booking.

What’s more, Cape Country Routes has a newly launched Cape Country Routes Loyalty Program! The new program is designed to incentivise avid travellers to see more and be rewarded for the pleasure. Loyalty membership options for individuals or couples start from R200 per annum and for families from R500 per annum.

Your membership gets you great discounts and value-adds with participating accommodation and activity providers. Visit the Cape Country Routes website to find out more and sign up now.