Last updated: 29 June 2023
No visit to Cape Town is complete without a visit up to the summit of Table Mountain.
This iconic flat-topped mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa was voted one of the new 7 wonders of nature.
Towering 1085m over Cape Town at its highest point, Maclear’s Beacon, Table Mountain is a playground for outdoor enthusiasts and can be visited in a number of ways. The fit and the adventurous can conquer the summit by hiking 1000m, or there’s always the cable car which takes just 5 minutes.
The mountain’s famous tablecloth with clouds appearing to tumble down the mountain slope like billowing fabric, is a result of a meteorological phenomenon called “Kaggen’s Karos”.
Table Mountain has meant many things to many people. Most recently, it represented a beacon of hope and constant reminder of their purpose and eventual freedom of Nelson Mandela and his fellow freedom fighters imprisoned on Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town.
This post is sponsored by Marco Polo. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.
How Old is Table Mountain?
Consisting of layers of sandstone and cape granite formed 520 million years ago, scientists have determined that Table Mountain is at least 6 times older than the Himalayas, making it one of the oldest mountains in the world!
When to Visit Table Mountain
The short answer to this is really, any time.
Cape Town is blessed with spectacular year-round weather. With Summer temperatures ranging between 15°C and 27°C, and winters between 7°C and 20°C. In general, expect mild winters and pleasant dry summers between November and February which provide the best conditions for visiting. An added bonus of visiting in summer is that the Cable car operates later into the evening during this time.
What to Pack When Visiting Table Mountain
What you choose to take with you really depends if you’re hiking up or taking the cable car. The latter being the significantly easier option and requiring less preparation.
There is always a small chance that the cable car can be stopped due to high winds once you’re atop the mountain. Therefore, it’s a good idea to pack a day bag in case this happens. With conditions between the lower and upper cable stations vary considerably, consider adding warm clothes, good walking shoes, water and food to your bag. A high-vis vest or reflective clothing is an added bonus. Don’t forget your camera for those all important views from the apex.
If you’re staying for sunset, be sure to pack warm clothes as it becomes icy on the mountain top after the sun dips below the horizon.
Best Time to Visit Table Mountain
It’s best to attempt to visit Table Mountain early in your trip to Cape Town because the cable car is prone to closure in inclement weather and high winds. Doing this will buy you some time to allow the weather to change.
Whether you choose to ascend morning or afternoon is really up to you. Afternoon time slots are reportedly quieter than mornings, with afternoon times being rewarded with epic sunsets over the Atlantic, making afternoon my obvious preference.
Note the Weather
We recommend that you check the status of the Table Mountain cable car on the day you’d like to visit to make sure the weather is playing along. It’s not unusual for the cable car to be closed on days with strong winds. You can call them for a status update, or if you’re a bit more of a Millennial, check their website, or social media channels (Facebook, Twitter) for the latest information.
How to Get to the Top of Table Mountain?
Hiking Table Mountain
There is no shortage of routes up Table Mountain – more than a thousand if you include climbing routes. These trails run the length and breadth of the mountain, offering exceptional hiking for most fitness and experience levels.
The million-dollar question really is: Do you need to be fit to hike up Table Mountain? Quite frankly, yes you do. Table Mountain is steep and although some routes are not as steep as others you will still need to be relatively fit to enjoy a hike to the top.
For this reason alone, we opted for the cable car.
Hiking Route – Platteklip Gorge
The oldest, easiest and most direct route to the summit makes this route the most popular. A well-constructed trail running through a deep ravine on the front face of the mountain.
Hiking Route – Hiddingh-Ascension
One of the wildest and most challenging routes up Table Mountain, this one’s for the adventurers out there seeking a wilderness experience on a remote sector of the mountain. Only a faint trail across rugged terrain which runs through a series of jungled ravines, this off-the-beaten track involves heights and tricky scrambling.
As always, for safety reasons you should not hike alone. If you’re inexperienced, consider hiring a local guide or joining a tour group.
While there are no physically easy routes up to the very top, there are plenty of hikes around the foot of Table Mountain and along the Table Mountain National park that does not reach the summit. If you’re a solo traveller and still want to hike, you always opt for a guided hike up Table Mountain.
Ascend by Cable Car
Opened on 4 Oct 1929, the cable car carries visitors on an ear-popping ride from the lower to the upper cable station in less than five minutes.
When you board the cable car, do your best to secure a spot in front of any of the windows. Throughout the journey the floor slowly rotates giving everyone a 360-degree view. In the cable car you’ll be able to see Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, Robben Island and the sheer cliffs of Table Mountain.
Cable Car Opening Times
Operating times do vary depending on the season.
First car leaves at 0800 or 0830. The last car up departs between 1700-2030, with the last car down from the upper cable station just an hour later. Check the cable car website for times and season/dates.
Cable Car Costs
Tickets are timed, and either bought for a morning (8am – 1pm) or an afternoon (1pm – 8.30pm) timeslot.
Adults: R190 (one-way) R330 (return)
Children: (4 – 17 years) R90 (one-way) R165 (return)
Infants: (children 0 – 4 years) Free!
To avoid unnecessary queuing at the cable car station, be sure to buy your tickets online in advance.
Want Discounted Tickets?
I’m always one for a bargain, and thanks to our Marco Polo travel guide, we discovered one way to save some money on your visit to Table Mountain is by opting for the discounted tickets which are available in Summer for ascents after 6pm. These half price tickets are a steal and afford the reward of the sun setting over the Atlantic.
How to Get to the Cable Car
To get to the ticket office and the boarding gate for the cable cars, you’ll need to get to Upper Tafelberg Road, just off Klook Nek Road.
Most local taxi drivers will know where and how to get to the Cable station. Despite having a hire car, parking around the cable station is cramped and finding a space can be difficult and at the time, we didn’t know about the free park-and-ride shuttle service from the Lower Tafelberg Road parking lot.
For this reason, we frequently used Uber around Cape Town. It’s cheap, easy, and you don’t need to faff about with cash. You will need to use roaming on your phone to have Uber, or just get a local SIM card. (Need to know how to Buy a SIM Card in South Africa?)
Sightseeing buses also have routes that run to the cable car. Utilising a Sightseeing Bus in Cape Town will allow you to discover the city at your own pace via 4 different routes of the hop-on hop-off bus. A combined 1-day ticket will give you the open-top sightseeing bus and a ticket for the Table Mountain cable car.
Facilities at the Top of Table Mountain
At the top of the mountain there is a restaurant and a bar. Fully appointed bathrooms and a shop should you wish to buy souvenirs.
Independent Travel vs Taking a Tour
As independent travellers we enjoy exploring at our own pace. The map provided alongside your cable car ticket provides 3 very easy walks around the perimeter from 15 to 45 mins offering spectacular views from the plateau edge, Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula.
If you prefer more detail or a guided experience, you can also download the Table Mountain audio tour VoiceMap app which is free. (iOS/Android), hire a private guide, or opt for one of the free daily guided walks which run on the hour between 9am-3pm.
What Can You See From Table Mountain?
Once you’re at the relatively flat ‘tabletop’ there are well maintained and marked paths to explore, along with numerous viewing platforms. Chairs and benches are limited, but you can use one of the many conveniently flat rocks in lieu of a table for a Table Mountain picnic overlooking Table Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
- Maclear’s Beacon – the highest point on the mountain can be reached via a 45-minute walk (one way) from the upper cable station. Ensure you have enough daylight to get back.
- Clifton Beach A ritzy affluent suburb of Cape Town, blessed with beaches divided into four distinct coves by stretches of granite boulders on the Atlantic coastline
- Lion’s Head easily spotted from Table Mountain, Lion’s Head sits between it and Signal Hill. Hiking Lion’s Head is popular, via the spiral path circling the mountain to ascend to the top, affording views in all directions.
- Robben Island – an island 7 km off the coast of Bloubergstrand. During the apartheid years Robben Island served as a prison for political activists including Nelson Mandela who spent 18 of his 27 years in prison here.
- Signal Hill – landmark flat-topped hill is home to one of Cape Town’s oldest traditions, the firing of the Noon Gun. Signal Hill is sometimes referred to as Lion’s Rump, as together with Lion’s Head, Signal Hill looks like a lion sphinx.
- Bo-Kaap – an area of Cape Town,formerly known as the Malay Quarter. The most distinct and identifiable of all the city’s neighbourhoods by its brightly painted houses and quaint cobbled streets.
- V&A Waterfront – the oldest part of the harbour, has under extension for years. It’s an entertainment and shopping precinct and home to museums, upmarket hotels and restaurants.
- Bloubergrstand – A beachfront suburb of Cape Town, whose name literally means “blue mountain beach” in Afrikaans, and is derived from Blaauwberg, a nearby hill.
- The Castle of Good Hope – known locally as the Castle, this is a bastion fort built in the 17th century. Once used as a prison, today the Castle houses the Castle Military Museum, ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regimentsand the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment, a mechanised infantry unit.
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