Table Mountain Tours is ranked the #1 Outdoor Activity in Cape Town.
Take a tour of Table Mountain.
TABLE MOUNTAIN TOURS is a specialized mountain guiding service to take you up without walking. No hiking is required for this activity.
Please double-check the mountain safety guidelines after paying. Your guide will advise you before embarking on the tour.
Hike on Table Mountain with Cable Car access, no steep ascent required, flat-terrain and spectacular views. Bragging rights earned for this tour after completion by saying you hiked the “New 7 Wonder of Nature” in Cape Town, walked along the top and sat at the restaurant and café, had a hot beverage and light snacks.
A safer experience than hiking, taking a Table Mountain Cable Car.
There have been many muggings on the hiking trail in the past. This continues to increase year-on-year. In order to provide you with the latest information, we have composed this hiking article to provide you with the choice whether to hike Table Mountain or Cable Car.
Skip Reading: Take a Table Mountain Tour, it’s safe. ? Click here
Cape Town crime rate statistics may scare off tourists, but it’s actually safe with an organized group. We specialize in this excursion outing. Sure, there is crime in the town, but mostly we stay to the mountains where safety is less concern. Our guide takes you on the safer paths.
Now Table Mountain Cape Town is the most famous tourist attraction and a must-see! There is no need for hiking Table Mountain because you can take the Cable Car. Once at the top the views are spectacular. The easiest and fastest way of summiting the mountain is to take a tour with the Cableway. Walking up is another option for those with strong legs and a brave heart, but we advise a tour because it is easy, safe and regulated. If hiking, there are several routes going up the mountain. Because we take the Cableway, there is one steep ascent, 5 minute journey. Both hiking and taking a ride are preferred ways to go up to the top. We suggest walking the Table Top, easily one of our favorite morning, afternoon or sunset tours.
Some people come to us because they search for “Cable Car”, Table Mountain” or Table Mountain Tours. So don’t underestimate hiking because it is steeper than 30 Degrees incline with large rocks. If you do hike Table Mountain, the weather changes quickly, you would be on the safer side taking a group outing with us via the Cable Car. On the day the weather can change quickly. Table Mountain excursions ensure you are on and off the mountain quickly. You can even start to read some of our hiking safety tips before embarking on a travel. Know what you are in for by first paying for your experience and ask the guide the important questions after he gets in touch! If it’s your first time on the mountain we’d recommend an easy stroll with our non-hiking oriented tour. It’s a walk in the park, it’s easier than tea.
The prolific mountain rises 1km above the City of Cape Town, and it is world-famous. While Capetonians sleep, the mountain’s watchful eye keep a lookout for crime, nature and sustainability. There is more. Table Mountain hosts a wide-range of flaura and fauna, endemic to South Africa. Fynbos is the most common type of indigenous plant. The experience for visitors is truly one-of-a-kind, this trip is something memorable and not to be forgotten in a long time.
Known for it’s superior views and city sightseeing, trails on Table Mountain contour are definitely a rewarding walk to experience. Standing tall above the oceans below, the vast skyscraping level considering the height, is possible to reach with a Cable Car ride.
While we do tours of Table Mountain, others do hiking. Platteklip is the route which is the most direct ascent. It is known for it’s sharp incline and steep rock path. The trail has even been considered Table Mountain Cape Town’s best hiking trail for beginner, intermediate and advanced. Take your pick, we do the Cable Car either way, it is 5 minutes up or down, compared to 3 hours of hiking a total of 10 minutes. Next: Take a walk in the park with these top 3 hiking trails.
If you want to see Table Mountain without breaking a sweat, book a tour! It is quicker to scale the mountain with a guide and cable car.
Top 3 Hiking Trails to Take Without Actually Hiking !
Platteklip Gorge
The direct route which resembles walking up stairs. Stairway to Heaven is one part where you can see the view going up a staircase to a heavenly view, like the one you see in the photo. The time it takes is around 3 hours of physical activity, moderate. It’s most popular among local Capetonians, weekly social events take place on the mountain which make it safer than other routes, comparatively an easy excursion with our company is safe and requires no hiking.
The Platteklip parking starts a few minutes after a drive by the Lower Aerial Cableway. Keep straight until you see a green sign that says “Platteklip Gorge Hiking Trail” with a small rock waterfall next to it, the parking is here and you must not leave anything of value sitting in your car because of Cape Town’s high crime incidence of theft and car break-ins. If you take a trip with us you will have your belongings stored safe with us in the van stored. The driver locks them away, or the parking guards looks after them. Just bring money, cellphones, DSLR cameras and other personal items worth more than R 1000.
After a thorough hike, zig-zagging up the beauty of nature, you’ll reach the Staircase to Heaven. From there you will emerge from the top. Turn right and go to the Shop on Top and Restaurant and café for a delicious hot beverage and some croissants, eggs and cake. If you arrive during noon, the lunch buffet is served at the restaurant.
Time estimate: 2 to 3.5 hours depending on fitness level and rest taken along the way.
View Platteklip Gorge Starting Point on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/UFDtLYEefgFnjBeAA
- Positive points: Fastest route up mountain.
- Negatives: The trail is sometimes crowded. There is direct sun for a major portion of the trail.
Platteklip hiking trail facts.
| Starting and ending point. | Starts 5 minutes drive from the Lower Aerial Cableway. Ends at the Upper Aerial Cableway. |
| Total distance: | 2 Kilometers, almost 2.2 km. |
| One-way duration: | 2 to 3 hours from start to finish. One way ascent by hiking, down via Cable Car. |
| Hiking difficulty: | Moderate. Suitable for all levels. Rock stairs comprise of the main hiking trail parts, where the stairs to the Cableway are concrete, or path made of stone and cement. Good for health enthusiasts. The trail is marked “easy” because you can stop for breaks along the way, it is moderate because the steepness of the trail means intensity. |
| Directions on How to Get there: | Drive to Table Mountain up Kloof Nek Road. The Cable Car is on your right. Take the road going further past the Cableway and continue 5 minutes straight. You will see cars parked on the side and a sign that says “Platteklip Trail” SANSpark notice. Continue up this path for 2 hours. Take the turn up, not down, and continue up the mountain where the path presents you with a fork in the road. Keep it up and continue up the mountain till the top. |
INDIA VENSTER TRAIL
This hiking trail charges directly up Table Mountain front face, North Face. It is the most challenging, including sections of boulders, rock climbing and ladders. The hike runs directly under the steel lines of the Cable Cars. That means you can see most of the City of Cape Town throughout the whole way. There are the funiculars crossing over throughout the hike. Do not attempt to go down via this route because it is dangerous. Instead, consider a tour with Table Mountain Tours, agency assisted is safer than scaling the mountain upwards and downwards. The path walking on top of Table Mountain is safe with a Cable Car tour! Be wary of tour agencies claiming to hike down India Venster down because it is likely they will not do it.
- Positives: Scenery and city view.
- Negatives: The challenging hike takes more time than Platteklip. It requires a better fitness level, and the climbing is not for everyone.
Hike Facts
| Location point: | 50 meters before the Lower Aerial Cableway Station, there is a sign and path that goes behind the Cable Car. |
| Total distance One-Way: | 2.5 Kilometers |
| Time to complete: | Around 4 hours one way, 3 hours fast. |
| How difficult is the trail: | It is quite challenging, if you are not fit or require an easier route, try a Table Mountain tour without hiking! This route requires travelers to climb over boulders, use their legs and hands to scale rocks and climb steep accents. It requires a high degree of fitness and is suitable for flexible hikers who can leverage their legs and feet to grip the rock to get to the next level or stage. Quite challenging. |
| How To Get There: | You can get dropped off at the Lower Aerial Cable Car, there take the path at the back of the Cable Car with a sign. Go up for 30 to 25 minutes straight until you see the starting sign for India Venster. The rocks are spray painted with feet and arrows, follow this until you reach the path, be careful! The rocks at this stage can be slippery and steep after rainfall. |
SKELETON GORGE TRAIL
In Kirstenbosch, you can enjoy the nature as much as hiking itself. There are marvelous plants to look at to the top of Table Mountain. This is not a leisurely route. It involves hiking, waterfalls, and slopes. The slopes of Skeleton Gorge take hikers through emerald ravine, green jungle filled with shrubs and moss-covered slopes. Before long the highest point on the mountain, called Maclears Beacon is reached. There is a dam at the top which holds oxidized minerals, hence it’s red color. The reservoir is located over 1-mile high, meaning you can enjoy a swim on Table Mountain’s “beach”.
- Positives: Lots of plants, forest vegetation and lovely views of Cape Town on the highest point of Cape Town.
- Negatives: The route is longer than most common trails, and during the beginning of the trail the view is less than common routes likes Platteklip, India Venster of Nursery Ravine, way down.
Hike Facts
| Starting point and ending point | The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town. Upper part, near the herb garden and entrance. |
| Total distance in Kilometers: | 6.2 kilometers. |
| Time in Hours | It takes a total of 4 hours to 6 hours. The ascent is steep and takes most of the time, the hike across the mountain takes minimal time. |
| How difficult | The hike is one of the harder treks in Cape Town. For this you will climb, walk, scale, and maneuver the steep soil and plant rock faces. |
| How to get there. | Take an Uber to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, then go up to the herbal garden at the top. Start the climb from Skeleton Gorge trail, marked on the right side after the small bridge on top. |