Cape Town Table Mountain

One of the sights you won’t miss when in Cape Town is the famous Table Mountain. Sculpted from sandstone, Table Mountain reaches up over a kilometre above Cape Town. The north face looks onto Cape Town city centre with the southwest face giving a magnificent view of Hout Bay.

The flat top of the huge massif stretches to nearly three kilometres and is host to a huge variety of flora and fauna including dassies - pronounced dussies - a small rodent like creature that is the closest living relative to the elephant.

The views are simply breathtaking from the top of one of the most climbed mountains in the world.

There are a huge selection of guided walks and tours tailored to your level of fitness and it is recommended that you book a guided tour rather than tackle Table Mountain alone. Many inexperienced hikers and walkers have come unstuck on the huge edifice and many lives have been lost. Weather conditions can change rapidly as you ascend and with so many trails it is easy to get lost. A map of Table Mountain is essential and you should also take enough provisions, especially water, and wear suitable clothing and footwear.

For those of you who would like to ascend and descend in a more stately manner, the Table Mountain Cable Car whisks passengers to the top - completing a full 360-degree turn in the process - in under 10 minutes. The upper station has a souvenir shop and a restaurant where you can dine while enjoying the superb views.

The Table Mountain Cable Cars leave from the Lower Cableway Station on Tafelberg Road every 10-15 minutes. A return ticket costs R115 for adults and R60 for children. Under 4s travel for free. Unfortunately, no advanced bookings are taken as the Table Mountain Cable Car can only operate during suitable weather conditions so always check availability on the day you want to visit.