Table Mountain
Table Mountain / Tafelberg
A 1,086-metre flat-topped mountain and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. A 360-degree rotating cable car takes you to the top in 5 minutes, with views over the city, two oceans and the Cape Peninsula.
Table Mountain rises 1,086 metres and has a flat summit about 3 kilometres wide. It is the symbol of Cape Town and the core of Table Mountain National Park. It was named one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011. The summit is home to more than 1,500 plant species, part of the Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site, and rock hyraxes (dassies) are common up there. There are two ways to reach the top. The first is the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, whose cabin floor rotates 360 degrees during the 5-minute ride. Return tickets for adults cost about ZAR 450 (2025 prices), with discounted tickets available after 13:00. Buy tickets in advance on the official website and check that the cableway is running that day, since strong winds and cloud can suspend service. It also has a two-week annual maintenance closure in July and August. The second is hiking. The classic Platteklip Gorge route starts at the foot of the mountain, 1.5 kilometres east of the cableway station, and climbs straight up in 2 to 3 hours. It is steep but the path is clear. Many hikers walk up and take the cableway down. The India Venster route requires climbing experience. The summit has several gentle trails, including Dassie Walk and Agama Walk, each taking 30 to 45 minutes, along with cafés and viewpoints. On a clear day you can see Table Bay, Robben Island, Lion's Head and the Twelve Apostles ridge to the south. The best times to visit are at 8 a.m. when the cableway opens, when the air is calm and queues are short, or for the sunset, when the last cable car in midsummer leaves around 20:30. The summit is 5 to 8 degrees cooler than the city and very windy, so bring a jacket. Cableway queues often exceed an hour. To reach the lower station, take MyCiTi bus route 110 or an Uber. Mobile signal is good on the summit, but there is no ATM.
Opening hours
Cable car about 08:00–18:00 (until 20:30 in summer); suspended in bad weather
Nearby sights
- Camps Bay
- Lion's Head
- Clifton Beaches
- Company's Garden
- District Six Museum
- Bo-Kaap
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
- Greenmarket Square