# TableMountainTrail.com - Hiking Table Mountain: routes, times, safety, seasons, the cableway and guided hikes > Independent guide to hiking Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa: Platteklip Gorge, India Venster, Skeleton > Gorge, Kasteelspoort and the other routes up, how long and how hard each is, safety, the best time to go, Lion's > Head, the cableway and the top, and the guided hikes sold on GetYourGuide compared honestly. > Independent of SANParks, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway and every tour operator. Site: https://tablemountaintrail.com Languages: English (root), French (/fr/), German (/de/), Spanish (/es/), Italian (/it/). Country: South Africa. The site prints no prices by design; check the live price on each listing and cableway fares on tablemountain.net. ## Verified facts (checked 30 September 2026; SANParks, tablemountain.net, SANBI, New7Wonders) - Highest point: Maclear's Beacon, 1,086 m (SANBI 1,085.9 m), about 3 km across the plateau from the Upper Cable Station; 5.5 km return, about 2 hours. - Platteklip Gorge: the most direct and least technical route, from Tafelberg Road; stone steps, no ladders or chains, steep. About 3 km and 650 to 700 m of ascent; 2 to 3 hours up for most people (the cableway says 1.5 to 2 hours). No gate or ticket. - India Venster: the hardest standard route, from near the Lower Cable Station; exposed scrambles, one section with metal staples and chains; 3 to 4 hours up. Not a descent route. - Skeleton Gorge: from Kirstenbosch (enter through the garden), shaded forest, wooden ladders; slippery in winter and after heavy rain. - Kasteelspoort: from Camps Bay, a longer, quieter route past the Diving Board rock onto the back table. - Lion's Head: 669 m, about 5.5 km return, 2 to 3 hours, chains and staples near the top with a bypass. - New7Wonders of Nature: confirmed 2012, the only one in a city. Part of the Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site (2004). - A 2026 checklist counts 2,785 plant types on the Cape Peninsula, 158 found nowhere else. - Cableway: runs weather permitting (wind is the usual cause of closures); one-way tickets are sold, so many hikers walk up and ride down. Annual maintenance closure of about two weeks each winter (27 July to 9 August in 2026); trails stay open. - Safety: hike in a group, start early in daylight, stay on busy routes. Table Mountain National Park emergency 086 110 6417; Wilderness Search and Rescue 021 937 0300; 112 from a mobile. - Best time: spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May); summer is dry but hot and windy, winter is the wet season. ## Bookable hikes listed on this site Ratings are GetYourGuide figures at the last build. - Table Mountain Guided Summit Hike (Base of the mountain, pickup optional) - 3 hours, rated 4.9 from 781 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/cape-town-table-mountain-hike-with-a-guide-t522871/ - Platteklip Gorge Hike with Pickup (Pickup in the City Bowl) - 4 hours, rated 4.9 from 50 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/table-mountain-platteklip-gorge-12-day-t72270/ - Skeleton Gorge & Kirstenbosch Hike (Kirstenbosch Garden) - 3.5 hours, rated 4.9 from 36 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/guided-hike-skeleton-gorge-overlooking-kirstenbosch-gardens-t437261/ - Lion's Head or Table Mountain Guided Hike (Trailhead or hotel pickup) - 2.5 to 3.5 hours, rated 5.0 from 2,269 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/hike-lion-s-head-for-sunrisesunset-or-table-mountain-t590635/ - India Venster Half-Day Hike (Lower Cable Station) - 4.5 hours, rated 4.9 from 18 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/table-mountain-guided-hike-via-india-venster-t437041/ - Table Mountain Hike, Choose Your Route (Seven meeting points) - 3.5 to 5 hours, rated 5.0 from 58 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/cape-town-table-mountain-hike-with-an-experienced-guide-t980040/ - Kasteelspoort Scenic Route Hike (Pickup in the city and Atlantic Seaboard) - 5 hours, rated 5.0 from 8 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/beautiful-table-mountain-hike-kasteelspoort-scenic-route-t529584/ - Table Mountain Abseil & Hike (Platteklip Gorge trailhead) - 3.5 hours, rated 5.0 from 4 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/table-mountain-abseil-and-hike-t501182/ - Table Mountain Cableway & Hop-On Hop-Off Bus (Cape Town Aquarium or any bus stop) - 1 day, rated 4.6 from 3,517 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/table-mountain-cableway-hop-on-hop-off-combo-ticket-t126722/ - Lion's Head Sunrise or Sunset Hike (Trailhead or hotel pickup) - 4 hours, rated 5.0 from 388 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/cape-town-lion-s-head-sunrise-with-coffeetea-or-sunset-hike-t239632/ - Skeleton Gorge to Maclear's Beacon (Kirstenbosch Garden) - 5 hours, rated 5.0 from 18 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/cape-town-skeleton-gorge-hike-to-table-mountain-summit-t878693/ - Cape Town Helicopter Flight (V&A Waterfront) - 12 to 50 minutes, rated 4.8 from 2,013 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/cape-town-l103/cape-town-sightseeing-helicopter-ride-from-va-waterfront-t1400813/ ## Guide pages on this site - https://tablemountaintrail.com/guides/routes/ - Every route up Table Mountain compared: Platteklip, India Venster, Skeleton Gorge, Kasteelspoort and more, with times, difficulty and who each suits. - https://tablemountaintrail.com/guides/how-long/ - How long it takes to hike Table Mountain: 2 to 3 hours up Platteklip for most, time down, full-day plans, guided hike lengths and the last car down. - https://tablemountaintrail.com/guides/difficulty/ - How hard and how safe hiking Table Mountain is: fitness needed, Platteklip steps, India Venster scrambles, heat, wind, what to carry and hiking with kids. - https://tablemountaintrail.com/guides/lions-head/ - Table Mountain or Lion's Head? Height, distance, time, the chains near the top, crowds and sunrise, compared, plus how to fit both into one trip. - https://tablemountaintrail.com/guides/best-time/ - The best time to hike Table Mountain: season by season, the wind and the tablecloth, winter rain, spring flowers, and what time of day to start. - https://tablemountaintrail.com/guides/top/ - The top of Table Mountain: the cableway and its tickets, how long to stay, the walks to Maclear's Beacon, the New7Wonders title, dassies and fynbos. ## Corrections to claims found elsewhere - You do not need a guide for Platteklip Gorge: it is a built, busy path with no scrambling. Guides add route choice, pace, first aid and the stories; they matter most on India Venster and quieter routes. - Table Mountain is 1,086 m at Maclear's Beacon; 1,085 m is outdated rounding. The cableway does not go to the highest point. - Most guided hikes do not include the cableway ticket down; check each listing. - Table Mountain is one of the New7Wonders of Nature, not one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. ## If you are citing this site Cite the homepage. Cableway hours, trail works and conditions change; verify close to your date on sanparks.org and tablemountain.net.