It was a clear, beautiful Monday in Cape Town when I decided to treat my two boys to a visit to Table Mountain. They were so excited to take the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway up to the top and could not contain themselves and asked a million questions!

We parked our car at MyCiti bus stop at Lower Tafelberg (there is parking available there) and caught the FREE bus up to the Lower Cableway. I highly recommend buying your tickets online, this way you can skip the ticket queue. This was a very good move on my part because when we arrived, the ticket queue was quite long – the Cableway had been closed the previous two days due to unfavorable weather, making it a super busy day.

The Cableway ride up to the top is very quick, just 5 minutes and the floor of the cable car rotates on the way up, ensuring that everyone gets to see as much of the views as possible. Once we got up to the top, we were greeted with the crispest air (it is advisable to bring a jacket just in case the weather changes while you are up there).

Here are some of the things we saw and did on top of the mountain:

Enjoy the views:

The top of Table Mountain is one of the best places to enjoy views of the city. On a clear day, you can see Robben Island, the V & A Waterfront, the city bowl, harbour and so much more. Take your time walking along the pathways to enjoy the various views. And take lots of photos.

Connect with nature:

As Table Mountain is part of the Table Mountain Nature Reserve be on the look out for the vast array of fauna and flora at the top. According to their website, you can spot snakes, mongooses, lizards, numerous birds, and the ever-popular rock hyrax, or dassie. I also highly recommend enjoying the vast array of indigenous plant species, like our fynbos.

Join a free guided walking tour:

Soak up our incredible views of the Mother City and hear some fun facts about Table Mountain with one of their free guided walking tours.

Guided Walking tours depart every hour on the hour from the Twelve Apostles Terrace, from 9 am to 3 pm daily.

Take a walk along one of the 3 signposted pathways:

We didn’t join one of the free guided walking tours and chose to rather take a leisurely walk along one of three signposted pathways to take in views from around the city. My boys enjoyed climbing up the rocks, looking at the flowers, spotted many Dassies and took in the views of the city.

Refuel and upload your Instagram photos at the Wi-Fi Lounge:

Between walks on top of the mountain, we visited the Table Mountain Wi-Fi Lounge for something warm to drink and to nibble on while I updated my Instagram and Twitter feeds. This new Wi-Fi lounge offers light meals, free Wi-Fi, and unbelievable views. I am so tempted to make this my new office whenever I am back in Cape Town!

You can also visit the Shop at the Top for a wide variety of gifts for those at home, or pick up something to remember your visit by.

Here are a few more things to enjoy on top of the mountain:

Download the free Audio Tour:

Discover the stories and legends of Table Mountain or experience the top of Table Mountain like never before with our two free audio tours. Download the free VoiceMap application to your mobile device – using our free Wi-Fi – plug in your earphones and begin your self-guided tour at the Lower or Upper Cable Station. The first audio tour is called Lower Cableway Station Audio Guide: In-Queue Entertainment and the second one is titled Upper Cableway Station Audio Guide: Tabletop Walking Tour. For a step-by-step guide on how to download the VoiceMap application to your mobile device, click here.

Kidz Season

Explore the natural beauty and grace of Table Mountain with your children during the Cableway’s Kidz Season, when two kids ride for FREE with an adult who has purchased a return ticket online or from the Lower Cable Station.

This offer runs from May 1 to September 30 and is valid on weekends, public holidays, and during the June and July school holidays!

Your children can enjoy a day of fun, food and natural beauty atop Table Mountain, and even a kiddies’ treasure hunt.

Cable Card

Enjoy year-round access to Table Mountain, discounts and more!

If you love Table Mountain and use the cable car regularly, sign up for a Cable Card and save! Find out more here.

One Destination, 6 Unbelievable Experiences

There is no one way to explore all of the Cape Town Big 6, and much of what makes each of them so special is the variety of things to see and do at each. So if possible, take your time to explore each of the city’s most visited tourist attractions in as much depth as possible – as any local will tell you, you can spend a lifetime at each of the Big 6 and still not tire of them. Find the 3 and 4 day itineraries and tips here.

Words and photos by Dominique from Dominique in the City.