Compare Cape Town flights

A direct flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town will take roughly 11 hours and 30 minutes. However, if you’re travelling from elsewhere in the country – or travelling from London, but hoping to make some savings – you’ll have at least one stop in your route, which will push up the journey time. Your stopover location will depend on which airline you fly with.

Lack of competition for direct flights keeps prices fairly high, so the best option for making substantial savings it to add a stop. Your flight could end up costing hundreds of pounds less than the direct alternative.

Popular stopover locations for Cape Town include:

• Amsterdam: If you fly with KLM, you’ll stop in Amsterdam, splitting your journey into a flight of 1 hour 30 minutes and one of 11 hours 20 minutes. Amsterdam, with its historic canals and lively nightlife, is a popular city break destination in itself, so you could consider booking a couple of nights in a hotel here to break up your journey.

• Johannesburg: South African Airways flights will often stop in Johannesburg, giving you an 11-hour flight followed by a 2-hour-10-minute flight to Cape Town. Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city, and this sprawling metropolis is well worth exploring if you have the time.

You’ll find lots of options for filling your time in Cape Town. Keen walkers can hike up iconic Table Mountain for spectacular views of the city and its setting; less keen walkers can get them too, via the cable car. It's also worth exploring Bo-Kaap, the famous residential neighbourhood characterised by cobbled streets and boxy, brightly coloured houses. For a sobering insight into South African history, visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during the apartheid era.

Surfers can hit Glen Beach, Long Beach at Kommetjie, or one of countless other spots for good times on the waves. You'll find it easier to reach these with a rental car – and a set of wheels will also allow you to head out into the Stellenbosch wine country, or to take a Garden Route road trip.

In terms of accommodation, there's a really wide range of places to stay in and around Cape Town, from upscale beach resorts with views of the Atlantic Ocean to quirky guesthouses in the heart of the city. To get an idea of what’s available, search the flight and hotel package deals on our Cape Town holidays page.