Table Mountain has become an iconic sight in Cape Town. With its distinctive flat top and 1.085 meters, it is the first thing you see when visiting the city. With the cableway operating since 1929 hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world visit the incredible Table Mountain. Towering over the city Table Mountain will reward you with some stunning views. From the top, you are able to get a 360-degree view of the Cape Peninsula. The views looking down to the city, spotting the stadium, and V&A Waterfront, as well as the turquoise ocean, are amazing. You simply must visit Table Mountain when in Cape Town.
Everything you need to know for visit to Table Mountain
Before you visit the magnificent Table Mountain in Cape Town there are a few things you should know beforehand. Therefore, we have gathered everything you need to know for a visit to Table Mountain. So read along for the ultimate Table Mountain guide.
Getting to Table Mountain in Cape Town
The top of Table Mountain can be reached in 2 ways. You can either use the cableway or hike to the top of the mountain. In this post, we are focusing on the cableway. If you want to know more about hiking to the top of Table Mountain, you can read our post about the Platteklip Gorge hike.
The cableway of Table Mountain is located on Tafelberg Road. You can either drive by yourself, take an Uber or jump on a bus to get there. If you are driving on your own to Table Mountain, the easiest way of finding your way is to use Google Maps. It is very reliable, and if you just search for ‘Table Mountain Aerial Cableway’ it will guide you right to the cableway. Parking is done on the side of the road both before and after you pass the cableway.
If you rather take the bus to Table Mountain, you can jump on either a MyCiTi bus or the sightseeing bus. The MyCiTi bus routes number 106 and 107 stop at the top of Kloof Nek Road. From here you must walk about 1,5 kilometers to reach the cableway. An easier way to reach the cableway is on the hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus which stops right beside the lower cableway.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of the Table Mountain cableway can be seen in the table below.
| Dates | First car up | Last car up | Last car down |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8th of January to 30th April | 08:00 | 18:30 | 19:30 |
| 1st of May to 2nd of May | 08:00 | 18:30 | 19:30 |
| 3rd of May to 31st of August | 08:30 | 16:00 | 17:00 |
| 1st of September to 15th of December | 08:30 | 18:00 | 19:00 |
| 16th of December to 7th of January | 08:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 |
Keep in mind though, that the cableway is weather dependent. It does not operate in thick clouds, mist, heavy rain, or high winds. On days with this kind of weather, it will be closed.
Entrance fee
The entrance fee to the cableway of Table Mountain depends on whether you want a one-way ticket or a return ticket. Below you can see the prices for the different kinds of tickets to the Table Mountain cableway.
| Type of ticket | Return ticket | One-way ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Adult morning ticket (08:00 to 13:00) | 395 ZAR | 220 ZAR |
| Adult afternoon ticket (13:00 to close) | 340 ZAR | 220 ZAR |
| Child morning ticket (08:00 to 13:00) | 195 ZAR | 120 ZAR |
| Child afternoon ticket (13:00 to close) | 170 ZAR | 120 ZAR |
| Children under 4 years old | Free | Free |
| SA Senior Citizen | 110 ZAR | 60 ZAR |
| Student | 230 ZAR | 130 ZAR |
You can either buy your Table Mountain ticket directly at the ticket office by the cableway or online. You can book your tickets online right here. It is not possible to buy tickets for students or SA senior citizens online. If you want the discount, you must buy your ticket at the ticket counter by the cableway – remember to bring your student ID.
And lastly, the tickets are valid for 7 days. This means that you are able to buy your tickets one day and then use them another.
Guided walks on Table Mountain
When you reach the top of Table Mountain you can join a free guided walk. These run daily on the hour from 09:00 to 15:00 and depart from the Twelve Apostles Terrace. There are 3 walks for you to choose from.
1 – Dassie Walk: This short walk takes about 15 minutes during which you will be offered some spectacular views from the north, west, and south of Table Mountain.
2 – Agama Walk: On this 30-minute walk you will be rewarded with stunning 360-degrees views of the Mother City and the Cape Peninsula.
3 – Klipspringer Walk: This walk is the longest of the three with a length of 45 minutes. Here you will be rewarded with beautiful views along the plateau and Platteklip Gorge.
Time spent at Table Mountain
How much time you spent on Table Mountain depends a lot on what you want out of your visit. Some people only spend some time looking at the views while others want to explore more. We would definitely recommend you go exploring. The top of Table Mountain is huge and there is so much to see. Therefore, you should set aside at least 1 to 2 hours for a visit to Table Mountain. However, you can easily spend more time on this incredible mountain. You must also keep in mind that if you visit in the peak season you might have to wait a long time to both go up and down from the mountain.
Best time to visit Table Mountain in Cape Town
The cableway to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town is well-visited. This means that you often find a lot of people visiting the mountain. However, it is said that the cableway tends to be quieter in the late hours of the day. The best time to visit Table Mountain is therefore in the afternoon. This is when you might find smaller crowds. But if you really want some magnificent views you should opt for a visit around sunset. The light is just magical – it is a perfect way to end a day in Cape Town.
