SFO - CPT

$598 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Cape Town

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town departing on 9/10. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Cape Town

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Cape Town.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Cape Town.
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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Cape Town

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to Cape Town

KAYAK's recommended round-trip deals from the most popular airlines that fly from San Francisco to Cape Town.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 4:40 pmCPT-SFO
33h 05m1 stop
$1,017Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, May 20 - Tue, Jun 3
Qatar Airways Logo
3:55 pm - 10:50 amSFO-CPT
33h 55m1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
6:55 pm - 12:25 pmCPT-SFO
27h 30m1 stop
$1,050Qatar Airways
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 15 - Sun, Nov 2
American Airlines Logo
10:20 pm - 11:00 amSFO-CPT
27h 40m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
6:55 pm - 1:50 pmCPT-SFO
27h 55m1 stop
$1,413American Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, May 21 - Wed, Jun 4
American Airlines Logo
3:51 pm - 11:00 amSFO-CPT
34h 09m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
6:55 pm - 6:12 pmCPT-SFO
32h 17m2 stops
$1,423American Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Aug 23 - Sun, Aug 31
British Airways Logo
5:25 pm - 11:00 amSFO-CPT
32h 35m2 stops
British Airways Logo
6:55 pm - 5:57 pmCPT-SFO
32h 02m2 stops
$1,543British Airways
Find Deal
Tue, May 20 - Tue, Jun 3
British Airways Logo
4:39 pm - 11:00 amSFO-CPT
33h 21m2 stops
British Airways Logo
6:55 pm - 10:11 pmCPT-SFO
36h 16m2 stops
$1,602British Airways
Find Deal
Tue, May 13 - Thu, May 22
United Airlines Logo
12:43 am - 5:10 pmSFO-CPT
31h 27m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
7:50 pm - 2:35 pmCPT-SFO
27h 45m2 stops
$1,653United Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Aug 30 - Thu, Sep 11
United Airlines Logo
12:43 am - 5:10 pmSFO-CPT
31h 27m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
7:50 pm - 2:35 pmCPT-SFO
27h 45m2 stops
$1,702United Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 30 - Mon, Oct 20
Delta Logo
12:40 am - 9:55 pmSFO-CPT
36h 15m2 stops
Delta Logo
9:30 pm - 7:36 pmCPT-SFO
32h 06m1 stop
$1,715Delta
Find Deal
Sun, Oct 26 - Mon, Nov 10
Delta Logo
12:40 am - 9:55 pmSFO-CPT
36h 15m2 stops
Delta Logo
8:30 am - 10:30 amCPT-SFO
36h 00m2 stops
$1,756Delta
Find Deal
Sun, Oct 26 - Mon, Nov 10
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KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to Cape Town flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Cape Town to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to Cape Town?

The average price of all round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

When flying from San Francisco to Cape Town, you should consider leaving on a Wednesday and avoid Fridays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Francisco, you’ll find the best rates on Wednesdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Cape Town?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town is March, where tickets cost $1,232 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and August, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,921 and $1,756 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San Francisco to Cape Town, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$598
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 18% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Cape Town

When to book flights from San Francisco to Cape Town

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to Cape Town based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from San Francisco to Cape Town

  • Is it necessary for me to obtain a visa before my flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    For those travelers that are taking a vacation in Cape Town, there is no need to get a visa to travel to this country so long as you're not going to stay there for more than 90 days. Do you check to make sure that your passport is valid for at least 30 days beyond your date of arrival in South Africa.

  • What are some good transportation choices to get from the Cape Town International Airport (CPT) into Cape Town?

    There is a bus Line A01 operated by My Citi that can take you from the airport to the downtown area in about 30 minutes. If you prefer to travel by taxi, you should expect to travel for about 17min.

  • Does the Cape Town International Airport offer any shower facilities to help get cleaned up after a long flight from San Francisco?

    There are showers available in the Bidvest Lounge location that you will find on the third level of the International Terminal on the Airside.

  • What type of hotel choices are available at the Cape Town International Airport they have a location close to the terminal buildings?

    There are two hotels that have a location either right at the airport or just a short walk from the terminal buildings. The Road Lodge Cape Town International Airport sits right on the airport grounds and is a short walk from the terminal buildings. The Hotel Verde Cape Town Airport is about 1300 feet from the terminal and when passengers want to get to this hotel without walking, there is a free airport shuttle.

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town was $598 for a one-way ticket and $1,017 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between San Francisco and Cape Town?

    Yes, you'll most likely have to show a valid passport before boarding the plane in San Francisco and on arrival in Cape Town.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam are the airline alliances operating flights between San Francisco and Cape Town, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to Cape Town from San Francisco?

    London is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Francisco to Cape Town.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town, Delta or Emirates?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town are Delta and Emirates. With an average price for the route of $1,901 and an overall rating of 8.0, Delta is the most popular choice. Emirates is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,691 and an overall rating of 8.0.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Francisco to Cape Town.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Cape Town from San Francisco is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Cape Town with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and CPT can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Cape Town from San Francisco up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San Francisco to Cape Town

  • One of the most convenient ways to get from the downtown San Francisco area to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) before a flight that does not involve driving your car is to take the Yellow or Red Line BART train that makes the trip from Civic Center in downtown San Francisco to the airport in around 30min.
  • If someone plans on dropping you off at San Francisco International Airport before a flight, a very convenient option is to do so at the Kiss and Fly drop-off point that sits right at the rental car center adjacent to the airport property. Once drivers and passengers have said get their goodbyes, travelers can ride aboard the Blue Line AirTrain to all of the terminal buildings at the airport.
  • Passengers that plan on driving their own car to the San Francisco International Airport should consider booking their parking online with ParkRight@SFO. Some of the advantages of using the service are that you can book your parking up to you 2 hours before your arrival time, you can choose any parking area on the airport property, plus you get sent a QR code that means contactless entry and exit from the parking lots.
  • If you plan on taking a service animal for a pet with you from the San Francisco International Airport, it is good to know that this airport offers seven different pet relief areas with two outdoor locations marked with painted paw prints to show travelers where these pet relief areas sit.
  • If you are going to ride your bicycle to the San Francisco International Airport before a flight, you can do so for up to 14 days. Passengers will find bike lock-up locations outside the International Terminal, the Westfield Garage, the Rental Car Center, and at the valet parking location in the Domestic Garage on Level Four.

Top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to Cape Town

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Cape Town. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to Cape Town? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 7934 reviews
7.9Comfort
7.3Food
8.5Crew
7.9Entertainment
8.2Boarding
Airline reviews

Delta flight was on time, seats were comfortable, and crew was nice.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2025LAX - DEN
Read more Delta reviews

Delta flight was on time, seats were comfortable, and crew was nice.

Bathrooms dirty sinks clogged. No one seemed to clean them. Plane very old

Thank you for not flipping the plane on the run way. You guys get a 5 star rating for the flight!!!

Boarding is, as it always is… horrible. Gate lice. Slow moving zones. Too many people with carry ons

It was terrible, if they ran flights on time it would make a big difference.

Delta seems to be improving in many areas, except they are super bad with the food available. Bring back normal food service on long flights.

I actually received a notification from kayak on email but not one by text from Delta when my departure gait changed and I almost missed my flight

New boarding doesn't make sense. Filling front first is slow.

Delta flight was great from the check in all the way to arrival. However, I had a very bad experience. I requested a wheelchair and the wheelchair employee that went to pick me up from the plane in Boston to bring me to the baggage claims told me I have to pay him. I was under the impression that it was a free service and I usually give tips but the person forced me to pay and since I said no because I was upset with his demand when my daughter walked in to pick me up he demanded payment from my daughter who paid him thinking maybe now it is a charged service.

Horrible. Grateful to be alive but spent 13 hours at airport only to return back to my familys house and flight changed to next day. They tried to fix a part on plane, had no back up plane and after 10 hours , reattempted the flight and it STILL wasn't fixed. We got a meal voucher and rescheduled flight but there should be some other compensation for the 15 hours spent in airport

This trip was the most comfortable one I have ever experienced, the team was excellent and very helpful. I am so glad I picked Qatar Airways.

All the crew members were too slow and rude. Most of the times the registers were empty, while hundreds of customers were waiting in line, and it was impossible to get a supervisor. Despite being in line on time, I missed my freight, plus a some customers who were ahead and behind me.

Well organized boarding, efficient and on time. Nice crew on the plane. Thank you!

The Qatar Airways staff pre-boarding and also on the flight from Dallas to Doha were incredibly mediocre and arrogant. Consider retraining these individuals Other flights were ok.

My experience with Qatar airway was very unsatisfactory. They lost my child’s stroller and I was told they found it and will send it to the hotel which was a lie. I had to go back to the airport baggage claim and pick up myself after trying to contact them many times!. There was a lack professional and communication. I am very disappointed in Qatar airway and will not be recommending them to friends and family nor will I be flying with them in the future.

Worst air experience in whole life . Boarding and checking was hassle as they did 3 times. Crew team was clueless about passengers need. Despite of passengers raising hand , they were resetting the program

The food is not good and also if you ask crew to bring something they say ok I will bring but you will never get it. Please they should listen good to passengers

No difference between US airline and Qatar. Both cramp as many people. The airline seems to change planes without notice choice is seating when making reservations online doesn’t match the plane a passenger is on. Especially paying extra. Nothing special No different than US carriers.

Did not like anything. Seats were crammed, leg space was minimal and food was terrible. This was the first time traveling overseas in American Airlines and was the worst experience ever. Have learned a lesson to never travel in American Airlines.

Delayed my flights and no communication. We end up spending 6 hrs in Doha. No food or any concern from the airline. Terrible

Everything is good except the dinner and breakfast. The sandwich is very delicious. Toilet is clean, I only use one of them. Flight attendants are very nice. 👍👍

Compared with other carriers business class for an overnight was not worth the extra expense.

Easy to board. Flight was super crowded though so I didn't sleep well on that cross country red-eye flight. The aisles seem ot have gotten narrower and the seat smaller whn luggage and people are getting bigger so it would be AWESOME to have more space and breathing room in general ;)

Pilot Erika DeLong made us feel safe and at ease in a frankly scary time to be flying. Her warm smile and greeting and excellent command of the aircraft in foggy bumpy weather helped us all to calm our nerves and get us home safely.

AWFUL. I have had the experience of traveling with many airlines across the world, and hands down United Airlines is the worst. Not one flight was on time, and I don’t think I met one crew member or staff member who wasn’t rude.

For an 8.5 hour flight the service on board lacked a bit. Service start was slow, the food was worse than usual and they skipped the snack they were supposed to deliver before landing.

Wish movie and music choices changed more often. Mostly same from a month or two ago when I last flew.

It was good. Just that the seats could not be reclined. The people behind were not ready to let the chairs be reclined

Checkin was painful and slow! Lady didn’t seem to know what was going on and couldn’t explain the delay. Seemed ahe couldnt see the computer scree and we couldn’t hear her talk through her mask.

Plane left & arrived early- 5 Crew great. Wi fi - paid for 2, only 1 worked - so so. Waste of $. Coolie was good

Very punctual, the onboard staff was friendly and correct, the flight was fortunately very calm, the toilets were clean, in short, an excellent experience Thanks

Ordered Vegan meal - it was ok, but not exceptional. Seat ok row 39 middle section aisle. Nearly full flight - crew was busy but they did the best they could. There was a USB A port at the seat. I listened to my own music and only looked at flight information. One nice thing was the connection information was made available in the screen.

Very nice and friendly crew. Boarding system can be improved.

The Etickets had been changed (Why?) without notice ; Hence, that caused troubles when checking in. Not until I contacted my ticket agent and was given correct Etickets could I then check in.

Make sure to request a vegetarian meal in advance. They printed out menus for all passengers with the options but by the time they were halfway through (for breakfast and dinner), the vegetarian options were already all taken.

Cleanliness of seats, trays, storage pockets need more attention, but everything else was good.

A great airline, no complaints at all. My experience with Cheap Tickets was very disappointing however. Two hours after purchasing the flight they called to tell me that the ticket price had gone up. I’ve never heard of such a thing. That is called false advertising; I will never use this ticketing service again and will warn all friends to never use it.

One of the worst check in process at the DIA as well as the boarding counter Changed seat at the last minute and assigned middle seat while I paid for window seat. Requested many times but to no avail . horrible customer service and very poor process Requesting refund for seat that was changed last minute

Good overall flight. Excellent crew. Food options could be improved.

Vegan food tasted good. Restroom could be kept cleaner. Seat tray table was a bit tilted so food tray kept sliding down a bit. Flight crew can be a little more friendly, caring and approachable. Their faces lacked smiles and tone was stern.

Too much long line at the TSA and Security. Prepare for long walk for baggage claim.

The flight from Seattle was delayed, which made me miss my connection to Florence. I was re-booked NINE HOURS LATER!!! That’s basically a vacation day lost. British Airways needs to partner with other airlines when possible to get a more realistic travel time, if delays occur. I realize there aren’t many flights to Florence from London, so I would book differently were I to return. The actual flight from Seattle was very comfortable and the crew was great, no faults there. I enjoy British Airways, this was an anomaly.

The crew could not have been more helpful, my meal was excellent, I slept peacefully until right before landing, and the BA lounge was a godsend. The only negative I encountered was the coffee both on the plane and in the lounge. Not to my taste but that’s a personal preference.

I don’t understand why a reputable airline like BA would delegate their London flights to AA. Makes no sense to me, as most domestic carriers do such a poor job these days. Terminal 3 at LHR is a total dump

The boarding process was quite loud and chaotic. The flight attendants kept barking over the PA system about people needing to only stow large items in the overhead bins. During the one and only service, I was hit by the service cart. At the same time, a passenger was returning from the bathroom and the crew definitely saw him but stopped a few seats short of allowing him to sit down before starting service and made him wait a good 10 minutes before passing his seat and allowing him to sit down, after which he had to ask for his snack and beverage or he would have been passed over. Neither flight attendant thanked passengers as they left; in fact, I did not see them again once the plane door was opened.

Cancelled flight minutes before boarding. Rescheduled flight was two days later

The flight attendants were EXTREMELY personable and appreciated the service, lights going off after dinner (probably the norm, but I haven’t flown evening overnight flights in a while). Thank you!

Business class seats were very dated on my plane. Very little storage, charging ports were not easily accessible, tv screen kept flopping away. Vegetarian food was disappointing: hardly any protein and severely under-seasoned. Crew was lovely.

The food was ok, but not great. They delayed boarding in Portland and did not enforce group boarding. But the crew was excellent, went above and beyond.

The food was pathetic. There wasn't much leg room and recline space for such a long flight. No tea/ coffee for a 2-3 hour connecting flight without purchasing! Really!?

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