A Table Mountain classic. Leads up the lush eastern slopes of Table Mountain above the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Takes in all the floral zones. Indigenous Afro-montane forest along the first hour or so. A short detour leads to a small "beach" on the Back Table. Tops out at the highest point on Table Mountain (Maclear's Beacon), from where the route leads across the length of the famous tabletop summit. Involves some light scrambling with minimal exposure to heights, so suitable to those who don't have a good head for heights.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 19.
Starting from the renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, the route leads up the lush eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The first section passes through indigenous forest resembling tropical jungle, passing a small beach at the historical reservoirs, eventually topping out at the highest point on Table Mountain. From here, the route traverses the length of the famous tabletop summit to the upper cable station.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Skeleton Gorge to Table Mountain summit lasts about 4 hours. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $149 per person for this Cape Town experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 8:00 AM.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Enter through Gate 2 (nursery entrance). Fynkos Restaurant is on the right as you enter. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 7 participants.
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 23 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Hike Table Mountain.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Magnificent day of hiking. We started in the morning with the climb. It is a place with few tourists so we were able to fully enjoy nature. Arrived at the top we visited a few popular places then we went back down on the east side in the forest.
Steph is an amazing guide. Thank you for a safe and fun experience. I'm an avid hiker but would never have been able to hike this trail without your expert guidance and knowledge. Thank you for an amazing adventure!
We did the Skeleton Gorge to Table Mountain summit tour with Ian - and had a great day! Ian is a very experienced and kind guide and told us a lot about the vegetation along the route. The tour itself is amazing - beautiful and very diverse landscape (the ascent is quite exhausting but worth it), a wonderful little beach on top of the mountain and nice views. We can highly recommend this tour and are looking forward to do the India Venster with Ian next time:)
Amazing hike of Platteklip gorge. Second time but as a private hike with the fantastic Mike, who made it super easy for my best friend. This is the best thing you will ever do in Cape Town with the best man for the job. Mike is just the most incredible human being. He offers a transformational experience. I highly recommend him and the hike!
My hike got switched to Lions Head Trail due to inclement wind gusts. I didn’t mind because the views from the top of Lions Head were breathtaking. There was ALOT of scrambling and unevenness. It was a real challenge that took about 3 hours round trip. I am so glad we had Mike was a guide who was knowledgeable and helpful. He took the time to talk about the native plants in the area which I loved! Do not do this without one if you are not from the area or an experienced climber.
Our guide, Ethan was excellent! He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and he walked us up the mountain at a pace so even the slowest (me) enjoyed every second! We were fortunate that as we climbed and the clouds shifted, we were treated to magnificent views. 5star adventure and highly recommend Ethan as your guide.
Great hike. Start at the botanical gardens and up via Skeleton Gorge. Very versatile hike with nice views. When hiking in august (winter), be prepared to get wet when crossing the waterfall at several places. Good hiking shoes (and dry socks) are recommended. We hiked back after summiting on the other side of the mountain. Also highly recommended!
This tour was the highlight of our trip! Riaan, our guide, was amazing! He is super knowledgable about the mountain (he even wrote a book about it!), understands his hikers, their limitations and their abilities, and will never put your safety at risk. We felt very safe, very well taken care of and thoroughly enjoyed the hike. We learned a lot about Table Mountain, its history, flora and fauna and even the weather patterns that experts like Riaan use for forecasting the conditions on the mountain. We would definitely recommend this tour to everybody considering hiking up Table Mountain - you won't regret it! Reaching the top on your own is so much more satisfying than taking the cable car and to do it under such expert guidance is so much sweeter. Thank you Riaan! If we're ever back in Cape Town, we'll find you again.
Our group of six friends was led by Matthew up Skeleton Gorge to Table Mountain and we had a wonderful time! Matthew was super knowledgeable (about South Africa, flora/ fauna, etc), patient, and fun to hike with—we learned a lot, pushed ourselves physically, and enjoyed a spectacular day climbing up the mountain. He made sure we took regular breaks and were hydrating/ applying sunscreen. I was really worried about my ability to make it up the mountain prior to the hike, but if you are able-bodied, relatively fit, do occasional cardio and strength work, and have the stamina to do a 4-4.5 hour hike, then you can (very likely) do this hike. Thank you, Matthew, for an excellent adventure!
I had high expectations for this hike, and was not disappointed! It's a beautiful, less visited side of the mountain with spectacular views and varied scenery. Johan was a brilliant guide, giving us loads of interesting information about history, flora and fauna on the way. It's a steep route so you need a reasonable level of fitness or be prepared to push yourself, but it's well worth the effort.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton Gorge to Table Mountain summit | 4 hours | 5.0 (23) | $149 | |
 Skeleton Gorge at Sunrise | 6 hours | — | $156 | View |
 Table Mountain Half Day Hike: Platteklip Gorge | 4 hours | 4.9 (18) | $115 | View |
 Table Mountain Hike via Platteklip Gorge at Sunrise | 4 hours | 5.0 (16) | $93 | View |
 Kasteelspoort to Table Mountain summit | 4 hours | 5.0 (58) | $125 | View |
 Cape Town: Platteklip Gorge Hike Cable Car down Table Mountain | 2 hours | 5.0 (10) | $78 | View |
 Guided Table Mountain Platteklip Gorge Hike (German/English) | 4 hours | — | $81 | View |