SFO - CPT

$696 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 9/15. 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.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy

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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 (SFO-CPT)

 
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.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

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

Tue, Oct 21 - Fri, Nov 7
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 4:45 pmCPT-SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$915Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Oct 27 - Fri, Nov 7
Turkish Airlines Logo
7:50 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 4:45 pmCPT-SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$929Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Aug 18 - Wed, Aug 27
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
$930Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 2 - Tue, Sep 16
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 10:35 amCPT-SFO
27h 00m1 stop
$935Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 19 - Tue, Sep 2
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 10:35 amCPT-SFO
27h 00m1 stop
$938Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Aug 18 - Tue, Sep 2
Turkish Airlines Logo
12:40 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
38h 10m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 10:35 amCPT-SFO
27h 00m1 stop
$969Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Aug 16 - Fri, Aug 29
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
$974Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 1 - Mon, Dec 15
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 11:05 amCPT-SFO
27h 50m1 stop
$975Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Oct 21 - Fri, Nov 7
 Logo
6:45 pm - 5:20 pmSFO-CPT
37h 35m2 stops
 Logo
5:15 pm - 4:45 pmCPT-SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$1,018
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 19 - Fri, Aug 29
 Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
 Logo
9:00 am - 10:35 amCPT-SFO
34h 35m2 stops
$1,027
Find Deal
Booking Insights

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.

How much is a round-trip flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

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 $1,231 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $2,067 and $1,883 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 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 19% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJuly
Cheapest flight$696
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 12% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 30% 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 $696 for a one-way ticket and $915 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, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between San Francisco and Cape Town, with Star Alliance 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, Emirates or United Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town are Emirates and United Airlines. With an average price for the route of $1,653 and an overall rating of 8.1, Emirates is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,875 and an overall rating of 7.4.

  • 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.

Reviews of the 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 7980 reviews
7.3Food
7.9Entertainment
7.9Comfort
8.2Boarding
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

My husband upgraded our seats and I don't know if it was due to the type of planet was or if they didn't upgrade our seats. We were supposed to be in I believe comfort seats and they were just as tight as any other seat- no leg room and we are very tall people but at least it wasn't extremely cold. My husband did put in a complaint about our seating because he paid extra and if we would have known that the space and the tightness would have been the same, we just would have gotten the emergency row emergency row seats that we normally get. We love Delta but both our flights coming home we're not good. Oh I forgot to mention that on our flight to Hawaii our luggage wheels got broke and we had to purse new luggage on vacation then we never had this problem so we didn't know protocol and reported it after we got home only for them to tell is we only had 24hrs to report the damage. Not sure what was going on with Delta this vacation trip.

4.0 OkayMrs., Jul 2025LAX - RDU
Read more Delta reviews

My husband upgraded our seats and I don't know if it was due to the type of planet was or if they didn't upgrade our seats. We were supposed to be in I believe comfort seats and they were just as tight as any other seat- no leg room and we are very tall people but at least it wasn't extremely cold. My husband did put in a complaint about our seating because he paid extra and if we would have known that the space and the tightness would have been the same, we just would have gotten the emergency row emergency row seats that we normally get. We love Delta but both our flights coming home we're not good. Oh I forgot to mention that on our flight to Hawaii our luggage wheels got broke and we had to purse new luggage on vacation then we never had this problem so we didn't know protocol and reported it after we got home only for them to tell is we only had 24hrs to report the damage. Not sure what was going on with Delta this vacation trip.

Crew was excellent. Comfort seats not as nice as other kinds of planes.

It was a great flight and the stewards and stewardess were all kind and accommodating!! The seats were comfortable and entertainment screen excellent!

There are 4 flights in consecutive gates with about the same departure time. Two flights were boarding at the same time. One was delayed or boarding would be happening at the same time. I am not sure what Delta and LAX need to do to have a better layout at the end of Terminal 2

There was a security issue at the airport and we were unable to land. We circled endlessly and then landed at another airfield for fuel. We then circled the airport again, almost landed but didn’t fully touch down before circling again. I am thankful to the crew for keeping us safe- the issue was the airline and staff at the airport getting us seats on our connecting flights. That part was hours of searching for someone and getting in double my steps.

Most aspects were good however if they assign boarding zones they ought to enforce them or why bother? My luggage from SAN-JFK-MAD was lost in NY so I without my main bag for two days upon arrival in Spain. They were helpful in tracking it and eventually delivered it to my hotel. The flub was because of a delay upon arrival in NYC. I had booked 2 1/2 hours between flights but we had to hold on the taxiway for an hour after landing while waiting for a clear gate which likely caused the baggage error.

Excellent flight, the planes were newer, they did a nice job with boarding, great service overall.

It would be nice if was given wires ear buds. Overall was a good experience was able to sleep on the plane

737-800 in first class was pretty dumpy. Seat had an uncomfortable angle, storage under the seat was blocked so even my very modest backpack didn't fit, power outlet was flaky. Weird tiny seat pockets that couldn't hold a gallon ziploc bag, emesis bag missing, etc. etc. No in-flight service due to turbulence. Crew was excellent, boarding was smooth despite a full flight.

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

Reason for travelling Tampa to Orlando is to fly Qatar Airline. we end up with American Airline. This was the miserable experience I ever had in my entire travel history. Flight attendants were rude. They hit my knee with the food cart and I was holding ice pack for 2 hours. I still have the pain after a week. WE boarded the flight twice because of the temperature inside the plan.

First keep the airline as you promise. Reason for travelling from Orlando to Tampa is to go with Qatar Airline. We end up with American Airline. As expected the service was horrible.

Not sure how we end up with American Airlines instead of Qatar Airways. From Philadelphia to Qatar they boarded us then they asked us to unload. After 30 minutes later they board us again. The inside the plane it was burning hot and we were sweating like crazy. Crew members are absolute rude. The way they served the passengers were horrible. One of the crew members hit my knee with food cart and kept going. I was holding an ice pack for almost 2 hours. I am still with the pain.

I felt that when I was rerouted it should have been to business class.

The flight was smooth Thank God but the delays and changing gates for 3-4 times made me so tired of walking back and forth with heavy bags I thought I was going to pass out with heavy headaches but Thank God finally found the final gate and home safe. These delays happen anytime for important reasons so just be patient when you come across these situations.

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.

I learned that seating towards the end of plane that a line forms for the restroom and people use your chair as a hand railing, bumping your seat consistently. I was seated in the aisle. I think that next time if I am towards the back row I would want to sit in the middle or window seat.

The best airline I have ever travel , really good customer service, attention and service !!

Everything was great. Only thing that could’ve made it better was buy on board options for hot food, but the snacks were decent. The flight attendants were great. I had no complaints. I was able to make it to my destination safely

Horrific. They missed my connecting flight to San Diego. I didn’t get there until Monday at 9am when I had a mandatory court settlement conference scheduled at 6am since we had parties on the east coast. This caused many issues. All because United apparently forgot to hold the doors open until my flight landed that only had a 10 minute delay. This was the last flight to Southern California. So I couldn’t even rent a car to finish the trip. United cannot be trusted when traveling on specific days and times since weather didn’t have anything to do with the delays.

Very comfortable (upgraded to business class). The audio on my screen didn’t work, but I managed to play the audio through my phone while watching the screen.

Flight was late as pilot crew had to land at different airport in their previous flight. Passengers boarded and had to wait for pilots inside plane. Series of incomplete and unnecessary announcements by an annoying voice, rather than complete, informative announcements.

Breakfast was not loaded at SFO due to catering company change. Seems like a major airline at a major hub would have thought of something else or warned passengers to pick up food before boarding a 3 hour flight.

Boarding seemed to be organized bedlam. For what ever reason, preboarding took longer than 20 minutes. Made the plane 20 minutes late taking off. Luckily we arrived on time. Flight crew seemed very friendly. Only slight turbulence.

They hired a new catering company the same day of my flight. They botched the job by not delivering the right carts and after THREE HOURS waiting, the flight crew timed out (flight was 19 hours long and FAA rules state crew can’t work more than 14 hours long). So they CANCELED OUR FLIGHT!! Worst experience ever. Avoid UAL at all costs.

The personnel were professional and friendly. The Boeing 737 Max 9 is too claustrophobic and was very warm at both airport gates, and still warm in the air.

The economy seat was so uncomfortable, had not enough leg room for 13 hours flight, front seat basket was broken and couldn’t hold anything, food quality was horrible( we got food poisoned ) we charged for logged which used to be free. We paid too much for this flight and very disappointed. Turkish air line better to make satisfy and respect people instead of find different way to scam people.

This is really the rating of two flights. JFK to IST then IST to NQZ. New York to Istanbul was good. Good crew and all positives. The flight to Astana was so bad that brought it all down. Crew was nonexistent above the minimum, seats were cramped, and it was hot on the plane. Turkish Airlines seems to be slipping down to US based carriers level.

The 2 agents on the check in counter were super nice , helpful and very polite. Boarding was like a 1 2 3, I would recommend Turkish airlines for your next trip.

Everything was very good, except that the plane was an hour and a half late

flight with heavy turbulence old boeing 777 rest wasnt clean dashboard doesn’t work

Light and recline did not work on my seat. Very uncomfortable and could not read in the dark

Bad experience; they are not good anymore. They charge too much for luggage seat are so uncomfortable, Flight delays which may miss your next flight, they don’t care if you miss the flight or not. Zero customer services for front desk representatives Istanbul's airport I’m not using this airline any more.

I’ve been traveling for 20 years. I tried Turkish airline for the first time horrible horrible service and it would be my last time even if I get offer for a free ticket, I will not accept it. They have races and the worst Flight attendant

It wasn't good. I didn’t understand. They changed 320 dollars for 2 luggage. My ticket was regular and I paid almost 1200.00 dollars. Why they did charge? I want my money back.. thanks Yılmaz polat

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

Enjoyable flight, helpful crew everything was organized to accommodate passengers.

Terrible, We experienced massive delays and then couldn’t book a hotel through the link provided, nothing was available. We then went to the airport the next day and experienced further delays, almost no communication was given. We had dinner at lunchtime and breakfast at midnight. We then landed in Jhb at 1am and had to book another hotel as our flight to durban was at 8am. The experience was painful and very expensive.

I was transferred to an American Airlines flight. The boarding was late and unorganized. The seating was extremely tight and uncomfortable. Will not use AA again.

The check-in of my luggage was terrible. When purchased my tickets, one luggage and one carry-on was part of the fight. My flight was switched from British to American Airline. During check-in of luggage at the airport, I was denied and had to pay extra $75. How do I get reimbursed for this extra luggage payment?

This was the second time on BA, food terrible, bathrooms gross,( granted, that was mostly due to the disgusting children urinating all over it)boarding was late and disorganized. No gate issued until last minute st Heathrow, bad system, caused undue stress. Seats were painful, that's what you get for traveling like a poor in economy, right BA? Should have been able to afford business or first class if you want to actually be able to walk upright without back pain after a trip.

The delay was not communicated via text and the person who helped with check in also didn’t inform me about the delay. I ended up missing my connection and it was a waste of 5 hours. The crew didn’t mention there would be someone at the gate informing of if I would be rebooked and there was no signage. Overall a very poor experience. The British Airways app was also very buggy, and didn’t work. I will avoid flying with British Airways when possible.

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 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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