January in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.8/10January averages 21°C (70°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 13 mm for the month, with about 31 sunny days and 14.1 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9.8/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
February in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.8/10February averages 21°C (70°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rain is a non-issue at 11 mm for the month, with about 28 sunny days and 13.3 hours of daylight to work with.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9.8/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
March in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.1/10March averages 20°C (67°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Rainfall runs 50 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 29 sunny days and 12.3 hours of daylight.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9.1/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection, a packable rain layer.
April in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.1/10April averages 18°C (64°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Expect 45 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 28 sunny days and 11.2 daylight hours.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9.1/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
May in Cape Town — reliably good (9th best month)
Good · 8/10May averages 15°C (59°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 80 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 27 sunny days and 10.4 hours of daylight.
It scores 8/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 9.8/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, January is materially better in Cape Town — 1.8 points higher on the same scale.
June in Cape Town — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.6/10June averages 14°C (58°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
At 151 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 22 sunny days in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 6.6/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 9.8/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, January is materially better in Cape Town — 3.2 points higher on the same scale.
July in Cape Town — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.6/10July averages 13°C (55°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
At 136 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 24 sunny days in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 6.6/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 9.8/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, January is materially better in Cape Town — 3.2 points higher on the same scale.
August in Cape Town — reliably good (10th best month)
Good · 7.4/10August averages 13°C (55°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 96 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 27 sunny days and 10.9 hours of daylight.
It scores 7.4/10 here, 10th of 12 months, against 9.8/10 in the destination's best month.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, January is materially better in Cape Town — 2.4 points higher on the same scale.
September in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9/10September averages 14°C (58°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 47 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 27 sunny days and 11.9 hours of daylight.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
October in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.8/10October averages 17°C (63°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Expect 25 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 31 sunny days and 13 daylight hours.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9.8/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
November in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.8/10November averages 19°C (66°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Expect 19 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 30 sunny days and 13.9 daylight hours.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9.8/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
December in Cape Town — the year's strongest window
Best window · 9.8/10December averages 20°C (68°F) — warm enough for beach and boat plans, still short of the heat that pushes sightseeing into early morning.
Expect 32 mm of rain — occasional showers rather than washed-out days — alongside about 30 sunny days and 14.4 daylight hours.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cape Town at 9.8/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here.
Pack light clothing, swimwear and real sun protection.
