Cape Town in May
Cool, wet and cheap, with clear windows between the fronts that give you the most dramatic light of the year on the mountain.
Is May a good time to visit Cape Town?
May is a middling month in Cape Town — crowds around 46/100. Not the worst, but June is noticeably calmer.
What’s on in May
- Winter rains set in; southern right whales start appearing in False Bay
Best days in May
Weekdays are almost always calmer than weekends.
Tue is normally the calmest day of the week.
Best hours in May
The daily rhythm, hour by hour.
The 9:00 AM window is usually the calmest of the day.
Weather in May
Typical highs, lows and wet days.
How May compares
Every month in Cape Town, ranked by how calm it is.
Quieter alternatives
If your dates are flexible, these months are calmer in Cape Town.
Book things to do
Tours and tickets in Cape Town, from our booking partner.
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Frequently asked questions
Is May a good month to visit Cape Town?
May is a middling month in Cape Town — crowds around 46/100. Not the worst, but June is noticeably calmer.
How crowded is Cape Town in May?
Cape Town sits at roughly 46/100 in May on our crowd scale, which is 17 points below the yearly average. The quietest month is June.
What is the weather like in Cape Town in May?
Expect highs around 20°C and lows near 10°C in May, with about 11 wet days across the month.