From December to April (summer and early fall), when the weather is settled and reliably sunny, Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, with its dramatic mountains, white-sand beaches, subtropical vegetation and a colorful downtown district, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Less than an hour’s drive away, the Franschhoek Valley is arguably the most scenic wine-growing area in the world.

This two-week itinerary begins in Cape Town, takes in the Cape Winelands and Plettenberg Bay, the most dramatic area of the Garden Route, and culminates in Cape Town.