Best Time to Visit Cape Town: Weather Month by Month

Q: What is the best time to visit Cape Town?

January is the best month with 25.0°C highs, 17.0°C lows, 11.4h of sunshine and 7.0% rainy days. The months of January & February offer comparable conditions.

Q: How many hours of sunshine does Cape Town get in January?

Cape Town averages 11.4 sunshine hours per day in January. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 9.0/10.

Q: What is the rainiest month in Cape Town?

June is the most unfavourable month with June has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

Q: What are the temperatures at night in Cape Town in January?

In January, overnight lows reach 17.0°C, while afternoon highs average 25.0°C.

Q: Is Cape Town good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Cape Town scores 8.8/10 on average — Decent period conditions for cultural visits.. The best month overall remains January with a score of 9.0/10.

Q: When should you avoid Cape Town?

June is the most difficult month to visit Cape Town, with June has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.

Decide

When to visit Cape Town?

The decision rests on several criteria. Climate score, tourist crowds and feasible activities.

Verdict: In Cape Town, January and February clearly stand out. July concentrates the least favourable conditions.

Top & avoid

🏆 January · 9.3 February · 9.2 December · 8.9 March · 8.6 ⚠️ July · 4.6

9.3

Jan

9.2

Feb

8.6

Mar

8.3

Apr

7.6

May

4.6

Jun

4.6

Jul

7.2

Aug

7.4

Sep

8.1

Oct

8.6

Nov

8.9

Dec

Best period · ≥ 7 Decent period · 4 – 7 Tough conditions · < 4

What you grasp in 5 seconds

Cape Town offers 10 comfortable months, without any month really to avoid. The gap stays moderate: 9.3 in January vs 4.6 in July.

What to check next

Your tolerance for crowds and budget. The best months concentrate tourist saturation and higher prices. Shoulder seasons offer a good compromise.

Next action

Scroll down to the detailed table to compare month by month, then open the page of the month that interests you.

Compare the 12 months By your project

How we calculate the score

The score combines 4 weighted criteria using 10 years of real climate data (ERA5).

Source : ERA5 · Open-Meteo · 10 years (2016–2025) · Full methodology →

Understand

Compare all 12 months

Month-by-month details: temperature, rain, sunshine, score and verdict.

✅ 10 comfortable months (Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec)

Month	T° min	T° max	Rain %	mm/day	Sun	Score	Verdict
☀️ January →	17°C	25°C	7%	0.5mm	11.4h	9.3/10	Best period
☀️ February →	18°C	25°C	6%	0.3mm	10.8h	9.2/10	Best period
☀️ March →	16°C	23°C	11%	1.0mm	9.3h	8.6/10	Best period
☀️ April →	14°C	22°C	12%	1.3mm	8.0h	8.3/10	Best period
☀️ May →	12°C	19°C	16%	2.0mm	6.3h	7.6/10	Best period
🌥️ June →	11°C	17°C	28%	4.4mm	5.9h	4.6/10	Decent period
🌥️ July →	10°C	16°C	24%	3.8mm	6.4h	4.6/10	Decent period
⛅ August →	10°C	16°C	23%	2.8mm	6.7h	7.2/10	Best period
⛅ September →	11°C	17°C	16%	1.6mm	7.6h	7.4/10	Best period
☀️ October →	13°C	20°C	14%	1.2mm	9.1h	8.1/10	Best period
☀️ November →	15°C	22°C	11%	0.7mm	10.1h	8.6/10	Best period
☀️ December →	16°C	24°C	11%	0.9mm	10.9h	8.9/10	Best period

Best period

Best period

Rain %11%

Best period

Rain %12%

Best period

Rain %16%

Best period

Rain %28%

Decent period

Rain %24%

Decent period

Rain %23%

Best period

Rain %16%

Best period

Rain %14%

Best period

Rain %11%

Best period

Rain %11%

Best period

📊 Quick read

Optimal window

Jan → May

Good transition

Jun · Jul

Tough period

none

🌡️ Detailed conditions (January)

🌡️ Feel

Comfortable

☀️ UV

9.2 · Very strong

💧 Humidity feel

15°C · Pleasant

☔ Rain

7% · 0.5 mm/day

🌅 Sunshine

11.4h/day

Week by week

Cape Town week by week: your odds of avoiding rain

For each week of the year: in how many years out of 10 it was mostly dry (at most 2 rainy days), 2016 to 2025.

Safest week: Mar 12 to Mar 18, mostly dry in 10 years out of 10 (0.3 rainy day(s) on average).

Most exposed: Jun 25 to Jul 1, mostly dry in 5 years out of 10 (2.6 rainy days on average).

Number = years out of 10 with at most 2 rainy days in the week. Source: ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, daily data 2016-2025. Rainy day = at least 1 mm, as everywhere on the site.
Jan	Jan 110/1025°C	Jan 89/1026°C	Jan 1510/1026°C	Jan 2210/1026°C	Jan 2910/1026°C
Feb	Feb 510/1026°C	Feb 1210/1026°C	Feb 1910/1025°C	Feb 2610/1026°C
Mar	Mar 57/1024°C	Mar 1210/1024°C	Mar 198/1024°C	Mar 2610/1022°C
Apr	Apr 29/1023°C	Apr 910/1022°C	Apr 1610/1023°C	Apr 238/1022°C	Apr 3010/1021°C
May	May 710/1019°C	May 149/1021°C	May 2110/1018°C	May 286/1018°C
Jun	Jun 46/1018°C	Jun 115/1017°C	Jun 189/1017°C	Jun 255/1017°C
Jul	Jul 27/1016°C	Jul 97/1016°C	Jul 168/1017°C	Jul 239/1017°C	Jul 309/1017°C
Aug	Aug 67/1016°C	Aug 138/1016°C	Aug 208/1017°C	Aug 278/1017°C
Sep	Sep 310/1018°C	Sep 109/1017°C	Sep 179/1018°C	Sep 248/1019°C
Oct	Oct 110/1021°C	Oct 89/1021°C	Oct 159/1021°C	Oct 228/1022°C	Oct 298/1022°C
Nov	Nov 59/1022°C	Nov 1210/1023°C	Nov 199/1022°C	Nov 269/1023°C
Dec	Dec 310/1024°C	Dec 109/1023°C	Dec 179/1024°C	Dec 2410/1025°C

A specific date? The app computes the same figure day by day.

10-year trend

Annual temperatures — Cape Town

Min/max temperature curves observed over the past 10 years (ERA5). Shows climate stability and trend.

Tailor

For your trip

A few angles depending on what kind of trip you are planning.

🏖️ Beaches: Jun-Sept🌊 Swell: Sept-Mar🚤 Water activities

Book

Plan your trip

Hotels at their lowest outside peak season, highest on comfortable months. Shoulder seasons offer a good price/climate compromise.

🏨

Stay

Hotels & rentals · Cape Town

Expedia →

🎟️

Activities

Tours, tickets, experiences

See ↓

✈️

Flights

Multi-airline comparator

Kiwi →

🎟️ Activities & tours · Cape Town

GetYourGuide selection · free cancellation

See all →

Affiliate link · GetYourGuide

Practical info

What you need to know before you go

Three angles: the country (language, currency, safety, budget), the year-round climate, and the specifics of a beach holiday.

Country · South Africa

🗣️LanguageZulu

💶CurrencySouth African Rand (R)

🚗DrivingLeft-hand

🛡️Safety ⓘVery safe · 1/5

💰Cost of living ⓘCheap · 2/5

🌡️ Climate

🌍Climate typeTemperate oceanic

📈Climate trend ⓘStable

🔥Hottest monthJanuary · 25°C

❄️Coolest monthJuly · 16°C

🌧️Rainiest month ⓘJune · 28%

🏖️ Beach holiday

📅Peak seasonJuin → Sept

🏖️Swell (Sept–Mar) ⓘModérée

Explore

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Guides & rankings

World ranking 2026See →

Best summer destinationsSee →

Winter sunSee →

Where to go in JulySee →

🗺️ Climate map of 754 destinations

Location

Where is Cape Town ?

Global position + regional geographic context.

🌍 World

🔍 Geographic context

Temperate oceanic climate with a 9.3 → 4.6 gap between best and worst month. 10 years of ERA5 data to choose by project.

33.92°S · 18.42°E

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Cape Town?

January is the best month with 25.0°C highs, 17.0°C lows, 11.4h of sunshine and 7.0% rainy days. The months of January & February offer comparable conditions.

How many hours of sunshine does Cape Town get in January?

Cape Town averages 11.4 sunshine hours per day in January. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 9.0/10.

What is the rainiest month in Cape Town?

June is the most unfavourable month with June has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

What are the temperatures at night in Cape Town in January?

In January, overnight lows reach 17.0°C, while afternoon highs average 25.0°C.

Is Cape Town good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Cape Town scores 8.8/10 on average — Decent period conditions for cultural visits.. The best month overall remains January with a score of 9.0/10.

When should you avoid Cape Town?

June is the most difficult month to visit Cape Town, with June has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.