Here are 10 Table Mountain Secrets you need to know, especially if you’re planning on heading up there over the upcoming Summer months:
1) Book Online and avoid the queues
When asked about planning a trip up Table Mountain, the first thing I tell everyone is to BOOK ONLINE! It will save you up to 3 hours of waiting to buy your ticket at the ticket off at the lower cable station.
2) Use the FREE MyCiti Shuttle on Tafelberg Road
If you didn’t already know this, the MyCiti Bus company have a rad deal with the Table Mountain cableway to transport anyone who needs to get from the parking lot at the bottom of Tafelberg Road through to the Lower Cable Station FOR FREE! This also saves you sitting in traffic at the top and walking sometimes up to 1.5km to get to your car or the cable station.
Read more about their awesome partnership here.
3) The Cape Town Red Bus has a Table Mountain stop
If you’re visiting Cape Town from abroad, I can highly recommend going on a Red Bus Tour. What’s better is that there are routes that pass by the Lower Cable Station to drop off and collect new passengers, meaning it’ll collect you once you’re done on the top and you can carry on exploring this incredible city.
Read more about the Cape Town Red Bus.
4) The daily off-peak hours have faster queuing times
There are better times of the day to head up Table Mountain to avoid queues, even if you’e bought your ticket online because there is still a queue to get into a cable car to head up. First thing in the morning and then of course later in the afternoon at the best times in my opinion.
5) Get a Cable Card and you’re sorted for a year
I’ve got a Table Mountain Cable Card and it is one of the coolest cards in my wallet! It will set you back R565, but it gives you a return trip to the top every single day that it’s open for an entire day! I’m on my second card now because there’s nothing better than skipping the queue whenever I please to head to the top. Children between 4 & 17 pay R300 and then there is a child/adult combo special of only R600 for the year.
6) Use the Half Price Sunset Special
I cannot stress enough how awesome this annual deal actually is! You only pay Half price for a single or return trip to the top of Table Mountain from 6pm until up to 9pm in December is well worth it.
7) Friday discounts for all pensioners and students
If you’re going to be heading up Table Mountain on a Friday with someone that is either over 60 years old or has a valid student card, make sure to tell them to bring their documentation with them to prove it because Senior Citizens only pay R100 for a return trip and Students pay R130.
8) Take a FREE guided tour at the top
Here’s something you really need to know if you find yourself on the 12 Apostles Terrace at the top of Table Mountain this summer, they offer FREE guided tours every hour on the hour. That’s right, a free 30 minute guided walk on the top from professional guides telling you about the history of our majestic mountain. It is a MUST if you’ve never been to the top before.
9) Explore at your own pace with a Voice Map Tour
If you’ve got the Voice Map Tours app on your phone, there is a Table Mountain guided tour download, so make sure to download it to your phone before heading up and go at your own pace, away from the crowds.
10) Make Sure Cableway is Not Closed!
There really is nothing worse than getting to the Lower Cable Station desperate to head to the top of the mountain, only to find it closed due to bad weather conditions… Cape Town is renowned for its South Easter in the Summer months and when that wind is pumping through the city, the cable car is closed.
Make sure you check the Table Mountain Website to see if it is open before heading through.
Be sure to like the Table Mountain Cableway Facebook Page and follow them on Instagram and Twitter too!