The safe route from Cape Town Airport to the city.
Just landed at CPT and picking up a rental car? The drive is about 20 km and most people do it without a second thought. Here is which road to take, where to stay alert, and how to make it easy.
Which road to take
The short answer: get on the main highway and stay on it. These are the routes Cape Town Tourism recommends.
- City Centre, Waterfront, Sea PointN2 towards the city, staying on the highway until the city off-ramps.
- Southern Suburbs and False BayM5 and N2, or M3 and N2.
- Northern SuburbsN2, then the R300 to the N1.
- Somerset West, Strand, Gordon's BayN2 outbound.
- N2 off-ramp onto Borcherds Quarry Road
- N2 off-ramps onto the R300 (Bellville and Mitchells Plain sides)
- N2 off-ramp onto Airport Approach Road
- N2 off-ramp to Oliver Tambo Drive
- N2 around Mew Way
Where to stay alert
Cape Town Tourism names a few spots along the N2 as higher risk. That does not mean avoid the N2, it means do not take these exits unless you need to, and stay alert at traffic lights nearby.
Source: Cape Town TourismSix habits that make the drive easy
- 1Plan the route before you leave the rental car park, not while driving.
- 2Keep doors locked, windows up and your phone and bags out of sight.
- 3Fill up on fuel before you set off.
- 4If you get a flat tyre, keep driving slowly to a well-lit public place before stopping.
- 5If you can, arrive in daylight. If not, stick to the main highway.
- 6Tell someone your route and let them know when you have arrived.
Let Clearpath plan it for you
Google Maps and Waze look for the fastest route. Clearpath also looks at risk: it combines public SAPS crime statistics with live community reports and steers around known high-risk areas. If no fully clear route exists, it tells you honestly and shows the one that crosses the fewest. Free to use, no account needed.
Clearpath shows known risk areas; it cannot guarantee safety. Always stay alert.
Common questions
Is it safe to drive from Cape Town Airport to the city?
Thousands of visitors make this drive every day without any problem. The usual advice is simple: plan your route before you leave, stay on the main highways, keep doors locked and valuables out of sight, and stay alert around a few known off-ramps on the N2.
Which road should I take from the airport to the City Centre or Waterfront?
Most drivers take the N2 towards the city and stay on it. Cape Town Tourism recommends the M5 and N2 or the M3 and N2 for the Southern Suburbs and False Bay, and the N1 via the R300 and N2 for the Northern Suburbs.
Why not just follow Google Maps or Waze?
Those apps pick the fastest route. When there is traffic, the fastest option can take you off the highway and through areas you would not choose yourself. Clearpath weighs risk as well as time, so it prefers the main roads and tells you when a route passes a known high-risk area.
Does Clearpath work without signal?
A route you are already driving stays on screen through dead spots, and risk areas are kept on your device so your route is still checked. Offline Cape Town maps are part of Premium and the Tourist Pass.
In an emergency call 10111 (SAPS) or 112 from any mobile. Clearpath is not an emergency service.