Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
Five hundred hectares of Cape flora at the foot of the mountain, with a walkway slung through the canopy.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Difficulty
●●●●○
Best time
In the morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
200 ZAR
The garden was founded in 1913 on land left by Cecil Rhodes, against the eastern flank of Table Mountain. It grows only southern African plants, and mostly Cape fynbos — a flora with a density of species found nowhere else.
The Boomslang walkway, a hundred-and-thirty-metre ribbon of steel and timber, curves through the canopy above the trees. In summer, concerts are held on the main lawn on Sunday evenings.
Getting there
Rhodes Drive in Newlands, twenty minutes from the centre by car. The red tourist bus stops here.
What the price covers
adult entry. Child, 100 R.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Sportswear
Rules on site
The Skeleton Gorge trail starts in the garden and climbs to the plateau: it is a genuine three-hour hike, not a stroll, and not one for sandals.
Checked on 28 August 2026 at SkySonar — honest Cape Town guide 2026
Other places in Cape Town
Table Mountain, by cable carA thousand-metre plateau above the city, and a cabin that rotates on the way up.
Robben IslandThe cell where Mandela spent eighteen years, visited with former prisoners as guides.Boulders Beach and its penguinsA colony of African penguins settled on a white sand beach, three metres from the boardwalks.
Lion's Head at sunsetA spiral around the peak, a few ladders and chains near the top, and the whole city lighting up below.