How we spent half a day on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.
Trip date – End of October 2023
The iconic silhouette of Table Mountain is rightly the symbol of South Africa or at least that of the city of Cape Town. While flying into Cape Town it’s like a highway hoarding announcing that you are now entering the Mother city which you can enjoy at leisure in the protective shadow of this mountain.
Unlike most cities, the Table Mountain range is not on the fringe or outskirts of the city. It’s right there just a few blocks away from anywhere in the city. This mountain range gives the city of Cape Town its unique natural beauty and makes it one of the best-located cities in the world – at any point, one can reach from the beach of the Atlantic Ocean to the base of the mountains within 15 minutes by car.
Getting to Table Mountain is fairly easy. If self-driving, the car can be parked on the road leading up – but it’s a steep walk to the cable car station and if you arrive during busy hours, then the parking may extend kilometers down to the base of the mountain. Another option is REDBUS hop on-hop-off bus. That’s good if time is not of concern. So, the best idea would be to hire UBER. The taxi dropped us right at the ticket counter/lower cable car station, very convenient.
We bought the morning tickets online and reached the Lower Cable Car station early. By ‘early‘ I mean 7:45am so that we were first in line and first to get on the first cable car up. Visitors with online tickets have an advantage to que up before the ticket counter even opens at 8:15am. Lines can go crazy whether its a weekday or a weekend. The first cable car goes up at 8:30 am. Cable car service is very much weather-dependent and checking this website before you go is suggested. Cable car tickets are valid for two to three days incase you miss your chance the first day. Afternoon cable car ticket is cheaper but there are more chances the ‘Table’ would be covered with ‘tablecloth’ – that’s what its called when clouds cover the Table mountain ridge – cheeky!.
A few steps up to the cable station, and we were in the revolving cable car. The ropeway system has been around since the 1930s but was revamped a couple of decades ago and upgraded with Swiss technologies. Within a few short minutes, the revolving cable car whisks you right up to the top of the mountain, offering pretty great views as you slowly progress upwards.
PRO TIP – Always ALWAYS carry a wind sheeter to the top of the Table Mountain. The weather on the plateau is not related to Cape Town at all. It can easily be 10 degrees colder (sometimes more) than the city – as it was during our visit. I can’t emphasize this point enough, out of the experience of falling sick afterward… even after wearing a jacket. The strong cold Atlantic wind hits the mountain straight on your face 😀
Once at the top, we started on our walk along the perimeter of the plateau. There are a couple of circuits to choose from and we picked Klipspringer walk – the one that goes all the way to the Platteklip Gorge where the mountain splits into the western plateau and eastern plateau where Maclear’s Beacon rises above all the mountains in the Table mountain range.
Even though we were on the first cable car up, there were some people on the top already who had hiked up to see the sunrise. We decided to go anti-clockwise, opposite to the popular choice – across the restaurant.
The first view on our trail near the restaurant was that of Camps Bay Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. As we walked along the trail, we could trace the scenic coastal route towards Hout Bay and ahead towards the Twelve Apostles.
The trail is clear and goes between the tufts of shrubs and grasses which are indigenous to this Fynbos region. We remained on the trails walking carefully so as to not damage any natural elements. Nectar, seed, and insect-eating birds can often be spotted here along with some birds of prey if you are lucky. Observing these little things takes time, and we do recommend walking slowly and appreciating the flora and fauna that this massive mountain so proudly shows off.
Halfway through the trail, the view was simply unbelievable. The enchanting deep blue ocean is to the left and to the right with lush green mountains in the center. All the mountains our eyes could see were part of the Table Mountain Nature Reserve and it was a breathtaking sight. I can only imagine how it would have been if we were here just a month or two earlier when the Fynbos belt was in full bloom on these mountains and Humpback whales were jumping in and out of the ocean. Nevertheless, this was perfect too.
After a short break admiring the split in the mountain at the edge of the Platteklip Gorge, we decided not to extend our walk till Maclear’s Beacon (highest point on Table mountain) on the other side of the gorge as the sun was already right above our heads and we had other plans for the evening. Hike to Maclear’s Beacon takes a couple of hours as the Eastern part of the plateau is double the size of the western part where we were. Instead, we continued on the trail to circle back from the northern edge to the cable car station.
Seen the popular photo of Table Mountain with the city of Cape Town in front of it? Well, we had the privilege of walking on that very edge of the table. Almost the whole city of Cape Town is in the shadow of Table Mountain. Thankfully it was a super clear day and we could see the city stretched out to the horizon. We were staying in Green Point which was clearly visible right next to Signal hill where the iconic DHL stadium was shining. We could see Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters were jailed during their fight for freedom from British), the V & A waterfront and the harbor.
The vistas blew us (quite literally, the wind was extremely strong and dangerous) from the first viewing point, and with every subsequent rest point/viewing point throughout our walk, it just continued to get better and better.
How many photos are enough photos to imprint this moment in my memory? The answer is ‘not enough, maybe one more!’ … every time.
It took us 3 hours to finish the whole Klipspringer walk circuit. People can easily do it within 1 hour if they are rushed. We had no rush and we wanted to enjoy watching every scenery and every flower and chase every bird. All the walking and almost flying deserved a chilled beer and some snacks at the restaurant 😊.
Hiking up the Table Mountain is another way to go instead of taking a Cable Car. The ticket for Table Mountain is basically a ticket for the Cable Car. The entry to the park itself is free. So, if you hike up and down – the whole visit becomes a free activity to do in Cape Town. There is no time limit so you can essentially hike up before sunrise and hike down after sunset (overlooking obvious dangers).
Numerous trails lead up the mountain from/around the parking lot and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. People say the easiest one is the Platteklip Gorge route. BUT I would strongly suggest that if you have very little (or no) hiking experience, you better go with a guide. Almost every other day over-enthusiastic tourists have to be airlifted from the slope because any of the trails can get quite dangerous if not done mindfully.
Also, a thing to consider (and also our reason for not opting for a hike) is how much time and energy do you want to spend on top of the mountain. For first-time visitors, we strongly suggest, taking the cable car up and down to conserve energy and time and utilize it to walk the longest trail on top of the mountain. It is completely worth it, you will thank me later!
More about hiking here.
Safety radar – During our research, we found that in some instances you may encounter suspicious humans while hiking up-to Table Mountain top, something to keep in mind while choosing that option. While hiking its best to be careful and not to step or hold where you can’t see to be safe from poisonous insects and snakes. Wear proper hiking shoes and take enough water and sunshade.
The walking circuits demarcated on the plateau are extremely safe from suspicious humans. There are guards taking rounds too in regular intervals.
No stunts, please! Especially while taking photos, rocks can roll and you can drop straight to your death down the cliff😊.
Wildlife-wise snakes, yes – it is a national park after all. None on the top I guess as there are too many tourists trotting around and disturbing them. Birds too seemed to be less due to the same reason. There was a time when Lions and Mountain Zebras roamed Table Mountain National Park, but thanks to all the human invasions its not the case anymore. For now, we have to be happy spotting lazy/sunbathing Rock Hyrax or Dassies and if you decide to hike up and down the mountain then maybe an odd Klipspringer acting like a statue.
To read more about the Table Mountain, Cape town, South Africa – Check this informative official website – https://www.tablemountain.net/
Some more fun reads about Table Mountain and what all can be done related to it – https://hiketablemountain.co.za/blog/
Hope this blog has inspired you to plan your trip to Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa when (you are) on a break!.
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When on a Break! 
so well written n truly inspiring n informative ,very helpful for people planning Cape town South Africa
Thank you for reading it and liking it 🙂 hope that you plan your trip as soon as possible!
Very well written. It was a delight to read with such beautiful photographs.
Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to read the blog and liking it. 🙂
So beautifully put together! Went down memory lane reading this ☺️
Hey, Glad to know! Thanks for liking it 🙂