TREKS – CAPE MOUNTAIN TREKS
Hoerikwaggo Trail
Hoerikwaggo Trail – Disa Gorge
(Cape Point to Table Mountain)
The Hoerikwaggo Trail is a spectacular multi-day hiking trail in the Table Mountain National Park, stretching from Cape Point to Table Mountain and can be tailored to suit the needs, interests, time availability and fitness level of the client. The Hoerikwaggo Trail is typically 5-days long, however we can arrange for an additional 2-days of hiking, creating a 7-day trek. If time is a factor, the trail may be done in sections, such as hiking for 2-days from Table Mountain to Silvermine. The trail covers up to 110km depending on the length you choose, and may be walked either starting in Cape Town and ending at Cape Point, or the other way round. This epic hiking trail gives the trekker a real perspective for the landscape and topography of the Cape Peninsula. A wide array of Cape Town’s highlights and landmarks are experienced, from Cape Point lighthouse and walking the white sands of Noordhoek Beach, to wandering through indigenous Afromontane forests and standing atop Table Mountain’s summit.
Hoerikwaggo Trail – False Bay Coastline
Doing the full 7-day Hoerikwaggo Trail / Cape Peninsula Trek option can be physically demanding, especially when carrying all your hiking gear and food. Taking the slackpacking option, where we transport your gear and food to the accommodation each day, is the ideal way to make the most of this long trek.
Overnight at the beautiful SANParks tented camps which provide fixed sleeping structures with comfortable beds. The camps have hot water showers, lighting, a fridge, and stove, kettle, and microwave as well as braai facilities. When doing the 7-day trail option, 4 nights are spent in SANParks facilities with 2 additional nights at private guesthouses/backpackers. Included in this is staying at the Overseers Cottage on the Back Table – a gem. The use of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway for either the ascent of descent of Table Mountain is weather dependent and up to you as the client. Food requirements as well as transportation of passengers and luggage, can be arranged on request.
An excellent 2-day hike option is the Cape of Good Hope Hiking Trail where we hike on quiet, remote footpaths with incredible coastal scenery, beautiful flora and a good chance of seeing larger wildlife including Eland, Chacma Baboons, Bontebok and more! We overnight at the old mountain huts (typical hikers cabin with bunk beds) and if the weather is good we’ll braai for dinner and watch sunset from the mountain slopes. The Cape of Good Hope Hiking Trail typically covers 33-39 km over 2-days, but we can shorten the distance if desired. At the tip of the Cape Peninsula we’ll hike past the Cape of Good Hope itself, Diaz Beach and Cape Point which is a region of immense drama, steeped in maritime history! The Cape of Good Hope Hiking Trail is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s best two day hikes.
Duration: 2-7 days
*at present we recommend 2-day trails on Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope, or a continuous 3 or 4-day trek. Please email us to find out what we currently offer in terms of a guided multi-day hike on the Cape Peninsula.
Prices on request
Lion’s Head
Lion’s Head
(Cape Town)
Beginning on Signal Hill Road, this spiralling, short, steep climb is extremely rewarding with 360 degree views of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, the Twelve Apostles, the Mother City and the Atlantic Seaboard. In winter the distant Boland mountain range can often be seen capped in a blanket of snow and in spring the slopes of Lion’s Head are adorned in a wonderful display of floral beauty. This moderately difficult hike is relatively short in distance but with some exposure to heights and rock scrambling on the final summit ridge. This hike is ideal for soaking up a summer sunset on the lower slopes and seeing the rising full moon as the city lights come on…but you won’t be alone as many others have the same idea!
At Table Mountain Treks and Tours we want you to have the best experience on the mountain. South Africa’s most popular peak, Lion’s Head, makes for the perfect late afternoon to sunset hike year-round…and a fantastic sunrise summit option in the dry season (Nov-April). We’ll suggest the best option based on when you’re visiting Cape Town.
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
*Wally’s Cave is currently closed and as such we cannot go via this alternate route.
Platteklip Gorge
(Table Mountain)
Platteklip Gorge
This is the most popular, quickest, oldest and the busiest route to the top of Table Mountain (the upper cable station) even with being a moderate to strenuous ascent. The hike starts at the foot of the gorge with a short, steep ascent to the Contour Path after passing the crystal clear stream in Platteklip Gorge and a pocket of indigenous trees such as Wild Olive, Silky Bark and Red Alder. The zig-zagging footpath climbs continuously up the front face all the while enjoying the fine views over the Mother City, admiring the floral diversity of our fynbos vegetation, listening to beautiful birdsong and taking in the majesty of the mountain. Once the hard work is over we’ll traverse the flat topped western table summit, enjoy the views and make our way to the Upper Cable Station for descent by cable car.
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
Descent via cable car
India Venster
India Venster
(Table Mountain)
This challenging and spectacular ascent on the north face of Table Mountain is arguably the best half day hike for adventurous first time hikers in Cape Town! Incredible views over the Mother City, Kloof Corner, Lion’s Head and Camps Bay are with us all the way through if visibility is good. Along the way we’ll visit the iconic “Window” (Venster in Afrikaans) which together with India Ravine gives this route its name. This is a moderate to strenuous hike involving technical rock scrambling with areas which are exposed to heights (vertical drops). In March, spot the Guernsey Lily possibly being pollinated by the Mountain Beauty butterfly while scanning the rugged cliffs. A hike traversing the Front Table to Maclear’s Beacon, the highest point on the Table Mountain Chain, is an optional extra, changing this to a full day excursion (higher rate).
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cost: R1600 – 1pax / R1800 – 2pax / R2400 – 3pax / R2800 – 4pax
Descent via cable car
Maclear’s Beacon and Echo Valley (Summit Circuit)
Maclear’s Beacon and Echo Valley
(Table Mountain)
After ascending via cable car, this easy to moderate, awe-inspiring and scenic hike, initially traverses the entire length of the Front Table to Maclear’s Beacon (1084.6m ASL), the highest point on the Table Mountain Chain. The trail eventually passes through Echo Valley via the Smuts Track which overlooks the eastern, forested slopes. After enjoying a stunning view overlooking Hout Bay in the distance and two of the larger reservoirs on the Back Table, the trail ascends gradually to the Front Table and to the upper cable station for the descent via cable car. Disas, of the Orchid family, can be seen from December until February along this route.
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
Ascent & descent via cable car
Kasteelspoort on the Twelve Apostles
(Table Mountain)
Kasteelspoort
This is a moderately difficult hike with very mild exposure to heights covering a fair distance to summit Table Mountain. We set off from Camps Bay, crossing the Camps Bay Pipe Track before gradually making our way into Kasteelspoort itself – a wide ravine along the Twelve Apostles. In summer an early start provides a shaded ascent while enjoying the great views of Camps Bay and Lion’s Head. Once topping out of Kasteelspoort we’ll veer off to the site of the old cable way at the top of the ravine on the Back Table where the iconic ‘Diving Board’ is located, before following the trail of the old railway track – used by a Scottish steam engine (1898). From the Back Table the trail rises to Echo Valley with great views over two of the larger reservoirs before overlooking the Mother City and the Atlantic upon reaching the summit plateau. We’ll head to the Upper Cable Station for the descent by cable car after skirting the Western Table, looking down at where we set off from.
Duration: 5 hours
Cost: R1700 – 1pax / R1900 – 2pax / R2550 – 3pax / R3000 – 4pax
Descent via cable car
Skeleton Gorge
Skeleton Gorge
(Table Mountain)
This moderate to strenuous hike, with slight exposure to heights, starts off with a leisurely walk through the world-renowned Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. The contour path is soon reached before ascending Skeleton Gorge via a cool, running stream, magnificent indigenous Afro-montane forest and six sturdy timber ladders. Once at the top of the gorge we touch in at the tea-coloured waters within Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir, before the Smuts Track is followed to Maclear’s Beacon, the highest point on Table Mountain, offering stunning views in all directions. After walking the entire length of the Front Table, the Upper Cable Station is reached for the descent by cable car.
Duration: 6 hours
Cost: R1800 – 1pax / R2000 – 2pax / R2550 – 3pax / R3000 – 4pax
Descent via cable car
Devil’s Peak
Devil’s Peak
(Cape Town)
This awesome hike ascends steeply to the Peak (1001m ASL) via the King’s Blockhouse, old Fire Lookout, Mowbray Ridge and the Knife Edge with breath-taking views towards Table Bay, False Bay and the distant Boland mountains. The descent is via the northern slopes or alternatively, after reaching the Saddle, via the forested Newlands Ravine and Contour Path. This is a strenuous hike with some rock scrambling and much exposure to heights. The direct route to the summit is followed, which adds a special element to the hike…narrow traversing above Newlands and some fun rock scrambles. The views are unique, and the summit of Devil’s Peak offers a different perspective of Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula.
Duration: 7 hours
Cost: R1800 – 1pax / R2000 – 2pax / R2550 – 3pax / R3000 – 4pax
Chapman’s Peak
Chapman’s Peak
(Noordhoek)
Starting on the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive, this moderate to strenuous hike with slight exposure to heights offers the most spectacular views over Hout Bay and Noordhoek Beach with its turquoise sea, rugged scenery, interesting fynbos and a variety of bird species. Once at the summit there are panoramic views of the Peninsula which include the False Bay coastline, the Back Table and Kommetjie lighthouse.
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
Shipwreck Trail
Shipwreck Trail
(Cape of Good Hope)
This easy circular route, starting and ending at Olifantsbos, is suitable for all ages. Set in a tranquil area at the Cape of Good Hope, this hike has so much to offer in the way of history, beautiful rock formations, fynbos, game animals and birdlife. The remains of two shipwrecks (the Thomas T. Tucker and the Nolloth) and a military observation post dating back to WW2 are highlights along the way. If this hike sounds perfect for you we recommend combining it with a day trip to Cape Point, essentially a Cape Peninsula Tour but with a nature-focused twist.
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
Noordhoek Peak
(Silvermine)
Starting and ending at the Silvermine reservoir, this easy to moderate circular hike has so much to offer especially in terms of scenic beauty, including magnificent views over Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay, Noordhoek Beach and the False Bay coastline. Apart from the stunning fynbos and smaller bird species for instance Orange-breasted sunbirds, raptors such as the resident pair of majestic Verreaux’s (Black) Eagles may be seen. The return is via the skyline path to the viewing deck at the top of Blackburn Ravine.
Duration: 3.5-4 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
Cave Peak
(Kalk Bay)
Cave Peak
This route scales the relatively small peaks overlooking the picture-perfect Kalk Bay Harbour. Hike the cool, lush, south slopes of Cave Peak before tunnelling through Boomslang Cave to Echo Valley and onto Kalk Bay Peak via the Amazon Forest and the Amphitheatre before returning via Spes Bona Forest. Magnificent views of the False Bay coastline from Muizenberg to Simon’s Town as well as towards the distant, majestic, blue mountain ranges of the Hottentots Holland and Kogelberg. This is a moderate hike with mild exposure to heights.
Duration: 5 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
*we currently are not guiding this hike due to safety concerns.
Swartkop
(Simon’s Town)
Swartkop
Beginning at Seaforth, just outside Simon’s Town, this scenic and adventurous climb up the front (eastern) face of this rugged peak along an off-trail route which involves minor technical skills (some ‘B’ grade rock scrambling where you need to use your hands to tackle certain pitches) and the descent is via an old blockhouse at Blockhouse Gap. Views across False Bay to the Hottentots Holland and Kogelberg mountain ranges are dominant, while you get a great perspective of Simon’s Town, the Naval Harbour & Boulders Beach. The ascent is strenuous, with minor exposure to heights while the descent is moderate.
There is also a there-and-back option on standard footpath with a similar duration.
Duration: 5-6 hours
Cost: R1500 – 1pax / R1700 – 2pax / R2250 – 3pax / R2600 – 4pax
*Further Information:
- We lead private guided hikes, even if you’re an individual.
- All prices shown are for a group size 1-4 persons.
- For groups of 5 or more persons please send us an inquiry to get the per person rate.
- During the cableway maintenance closure period we charge a flat rate for Table Mountain hikes (based on full day hikes – i.e. Skeleton Gorge rate)
- Cancellation will result in a 50% charge for the booked mountain guided experience.
- All transport is excluded from the prices listed; however we can arrange transport upon request.
- Lunch packs available: Lunch pack & water – R170.00
Snack pack & water – R120.00 - Table Mountain Aerial Cableway tickets, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden entrance fee and Table Mountain National Park gate fees (Cape of Good Hope & Silvermine) are all excluded in the listed prices.
- Safety of the client is paramount, and should circumstances arise which would compromise this, the route may be altered at the discretion of the mountain guide.
