How we spent a day exploring Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa.
Trip date – End of October 2023
One of the best botanical gardens in the world AND one of the top attractions while visiting Cape Town. The perfect place for any nature enthusiast to get introduced to the beauty of the coastal (land) ecosystem of South Africa – Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is almost a mandatory place to explore for anyone visiting South Africa, especially the Western Cape. Kirstenbosch is a big green relief to the locals for family picnics, a base for multiple hikes up Table Mountain, and heaven for bird and wildlife enthusiasts.
The botanical collection here is the very best and worth spending a whole day. Located on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, it is very easily accessible from all parts of Cape Town and its suburbs. It is popular as it displays a large variety of plants which are found in the Fynbos belt of South Africa along the cape.
Suggested time for a visit – 8:00 am, as soon as it opens! The earlier you reach the better. Unfortunately, the park opens quite late compared to the usual twitching time (sunrise gets the best spotting and shots) and it can get hot very early while you are in the park. Habitual early risers as we are, we were the first ones to enter the botanical garden. Many birdwatching tour groups include the park in their itinerary, for a good reason. Birding in this park is excellent in any season. Taking an UBER or self-drive is best. REDBUS (the hop on-hop off city sightseeing bus)doesn’t reach here before 9-9:30 am, which is pretty late in our opinion.
August – October is when Proteas bloom and it is undoubtedly the best season. We were here in the last week of October and caught it just in time before it completely disappeared. Even though the Proteas are the star of the show, the botanical garden has some section or other blooming throughout the year which makes it a year-round destination. As there are a lot of open spaces and it’s on a hillside, the sun can be a bit direct and harsh.
Tickets and camera charges apply. Please check this website for the latest rates. Tickets can also be bought online via the same website. A digital map of the park can be downloaded from the website or a paper one can be picked up from the counter for 10ZAR. Best to pick a trail map from the airport or any souvenir shop for free. This would help in enjoying the park to the optimum. Guides are also available for the park – but after 10 am. It’s very easy to get lost in the park (out of experience!), even with a map with so many main tracks and interconnecting loops etc…
Our UBER dropped us at Gate 1 from where we bought tickets and crossed over into an open courtyard lined with bonsai exhibits, some of these were nearly a hundred years old. This courtyard has the park souvenir store and bookstore on one side and a conference room on the other side. It also is the entry point for the greenhouse.
We saw our first glimpse of Egyptian geese and Guinea fowl as soon as we entered the old stone gate of the park and onto the paved tracks of the botanical garden. We went crazy clicking their pictures. Little did we know that these two are the most popular birds along with Hadada Ibis in South Africa. By the end of our month in South Africa, we were completely fed up with them and their blaring calls :D.
Walking past the Vygies or succulent plants and the Main Pond we reached the otter pond keeping an eye out for the infamous otter family who resides in this section. Alas! no luck! Maybe they had gone out to the stream for a Sunday swim :D. All left for us to admire was the brass otter statue standing in the middle of the pond. Spirits still high we started the uphill climb via Koppie to the Fynbos trail. Pathways are paved and shaded under the canopy of large trees.
The streams from Table Mountain run everywhere along the pathways attracting a lot of birds – big and small. This meant that these pathways acted as clearing for cross-overs for these birds which made it easier for us to spot them. The route to Fynbos trail runs along Nursery stream which widens around Old Dam. Old dam is starting point for a couple of dirt track hiking trails up the Table Mountain. We waited at the Old dam a bit recording Geese playing in the water and spent some time in the Ericas area enjoying various types of Sunbirds. The view of the city of Cape Town down below is incredible from here.
We met a number of birders on our path sharing lists and spotting tips – like one, informed us of the nesting eagles near gate2 (which we spotted later gliding overhead). Sunny’s big camera and my binoculars always attract a lot of attention, and many locals stop by to chit-chat and see our bird photos and hear about our experience in their favourite part of town.
We conveyed our greeting to the resident Mrs. African Spotted Eagle owl and her 2 kids at the cross-section of sun shelters just before turning onto the uphill track along Fynbos Garden. We saw many tourists going too close to the Owl family, disturbing them. Perhaps a guard needs to be stationed there to keep people from clicking selfies with them. They are not rocks after all – they are wild birds whose space needs to be respected. We did our photography from safe distance and moved on quickly so as to not add to the circus.
Once on the Fynbos trail, we unlocked a new level of birding. Sugarbirds and Sunbirds hopping everywhere enjoying the sweet nectar of different kinds of Proteas. Tourists and naturalists and us – all going ga-ga over a plethora of colours in each flower bed until… our attention was diverted by a crossing Puffie (Adder). Oh my! Can something be royal and scary at the same time? Time stood still along with all the otherwise chatty tourists as we all stared at it crossing the pathway lazily and casually. The gold gleaming with every muscle movement. After that – we got a tad bit conscious in our steps and checked a million times before sitting on any bench… obviously.. hee-hee!
Having said that, we did not lose any opportunity to find a cool shaded spot in any empty park section to just sit and appreciate the flowers and birds, kinds that we had never seen before.
Following the trails and filling up our memory cards with a gazillion photos of the blooming flowers and buzzing bees, cheerful butterflies, and pretty birds, we headed to the iconic ‘Boomslang’ centenary tree canopy walkway. The view of the canopies below and the bird’s eye view of Cape Town city far away make this walkway a great place to spot birds as well a great place to click a souvenir photo!
We walked mainly on the trail circumventing the garden, then turned back/inwards towards Gate 1 from Gate 3 to explore all the points in the center of the garden. Regular route posts/maps and benches make it very convenient to navigate and rest throughout the park. The park holds the graves of its architect Henry Pearson and some other historical sites which we saw while exploring the ‘Colonel’s bird bath’ where a stream widens and cascades over some rocks.
The mountain streams from Table Mountain run through the garden creating a cool and shaded oasis. Around these shady trees, many local families laze around for picnics. We had planned to have our lunch at Mayo restaurant near Gate 1 on our return route via Fragrance Garden, but during our chit-chat with one of the locals hiking in the park suggested to instead go to Fynkos restaurant near Gate 2 for more authentic South African cuisine. This recommendation turned out to be outstanding and we had the best time and food at this restaurant. Pss.. they pack picnic baskets too.
Even if you, like us, decide to keep on the paved main tracks and don’t wander off onto hiking trails, and you enjoy observing nature and clicking birds – half a day is the minimum that you need here. While exiting we were in two minds to maybe stay for a couple of hours in shaded restaurant or under some shaded trees till the blazing sun cools down and then give the whole park another go – just to get the flora and fauna in softer light and enjoy the sunset from the higher levels of the park OR to exit. We picked the latter as we wanted to avoid being out and about beyond sunset as it was our first day in the city and ‘new city jitters’ had not yet faded. Definitely next time we would pick the first option. 😀
Anyway, on our way out from Gate 1, we saw the patch where Mr. Nelson Mandela planted his first plant of ‘Bird of Paradise’.
Safety radar – It’s very safe inside the park for human and their photography equipment. The park is on the outskirts of the city and has a ticket to enter which makes it quite safe. As it’s part of a national park and is an outdoor ‘planned yet wild’ space it has a thriving ecosystem within. Be aware of your surroundings and where you are stepping for snakes and insects.
This botanical garden has very much landed on our ‘do it again’ list! Even the regular locals who visit frequently see new things here every time they visit. It’s officially and truly one of the best botanical gardens in the world. One you cannot miss!
To read more about the history of Kirstenbosch botanical garden, Cape town, South Africa – Check this informative official website – https://www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch/
Hope this blog has inspired you to plan your trip to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa when (you are) on a break!.
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When on a Break! 
ooo…it was so well elaborated …felt like I was walking along side you …loved the simplicity n information …waiting for more of South Africa
Thank you for reading it and liking it 🙂 hope that you plan your trip as soon as possible!