Good ol’ Table Mountain. It looms over Cape Town. It’s beautiful. It’s tall and alluring. No wonder everyone (and their mother) wants to climb that handsome mountain. My question here is: is it worth it?

Today I went to Table Mountain and there are lots of things I did not consider, but I think you should know these things.

I’m going to come out and say it. YES, it is worth it. However, there are quite a few annoyances along the way.

How To Get to Table Mountain

You can take public transportation which seems to be the cheapest option. Their website is confusing and it says it’s free but it also says you need a pre-paid card. Not sure how it’s be free if you need to pay a fare???

I took an Uber which is about $90R or about $6 USD each way. I should mention the way back is harder. Six Ubers cancelled on me and would not come up the mountain 😡!

However, if you walk down the bend, past the rows of parked busses you’ll find taxis willing to take you back for around $150R. Still a bargain but not as cheap. I eventually got in a cab after realizing my Ubers weren’t coming!

There is a “Hop on, Hop off” bus as well. This double decker bus brings you here at around $220R per day.

You can also walk/hike. It’s a 3 hour hike all the way up the mountain. Although, there is an extreme fitness class that runs up the mountain every day which takes about an hour. If you’re into extreme, heart-pounding fitness, this might be a cheap and good way to spend the day. Remember you also need to come back down at some point.

You can check out route options and prices here just in case: https://www.tablemountain.net/content/page/getting-here

Ticket Vouchers 

We got our tickets from Viator. It’s about $20 USD per person. I suggest you buy your tickets beforehand. 

You can always get there and buy them on the spot. However, this means you will have to wait in the ticket line.

Once You Get There

Printing out my voucher for the cable car was a mission. After 30 minutes I managed to locate paper and a working printer. Mind you, I’m staying at a Hotel and this should’ve been an easy task. Alas, it wasn’t.

As you got there, you realize there are multiple lines. If you need to buy your ticket, you’ll have to wait and purchase it before joining the line with people who already have vouchers.

This line wraps around the side of the street and through some stairs. It winds into the building and ultimately into a holding pen. It reminded me of Disneyland, and if you know anything about me you’ll know how much I dislike Disneyland. 

I was not impressed. 

I asked a staff member how long it would take and he said 30 minutes. It turned out to be true, which made it so much better and worth the wait. I’m glad only Disney has 2 hour waits for a ride that lasts 60 seconds.

Heres a tip:

When you buy your cable car tickets, you decide which window of time you want to go. Let’s say you choose 2-5 like we did. If you get there at 2pm, you’re going to wait a long time because everyone gets there at 2. By, 2:30 or even 3, there is absolutely no line. Don’t get there right at the beginning of the time slot. Get there a little later.

There are many great things about the cable car to the top. One of my favorites is how the interior spins as it goes up. You get a view from all angles.

Although, I should mention it’s full and taking pictures or getting to the window isn’t easy. Considering everyone wants the best spot.

On the way down they cram as many people into the cable car as possible. I was so uncomfortable. Apparently, so was every child because they cried at the top of their lungs all the way down. As for the teens, I saw many pouty teenagers wishing their parents didn’t take them to some magical place like South Africa. Don’t get me started on teens!

Even so, the car makes its way up and down in about 2 minutes. 

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The Top of Table Mountain

You’re finally at the top of Table Mountain. Yes. Success! Now you can meander and take your time. The views from here are spectacular. It is very high. In fact it’s about 1835 meters tall. Each view is spectacular.

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You can see Cape Town. You’ll see the water front. From the other side you’ll see Camps Bay.

It’s stunning and worth every minute you stood in line waiting. Although I should mention there’s very little shade and it gets hot up there.

They have a cafe and a restaurant. I went into the cafe, which is located right as you exit the cable car. It’s a good resting spot if you have the need to stay away from the crowds. It seems everyone else is busy trying to get that perfect image or laying on rocks for that perfect instagram selfie.

I got a sandwich and some water before heading back down the hill.

The entire trip was about 2 hours, maybe 2.5 hours. It was fast and easy and didn’t take up too much of my day.

Let Me Break It Down For You:

Table Mountain tickets about $20 USD

The lines are long but they only take about 30-45 minutes, give or take.

Best way to get there is Uber.

Best way to get back is Taxi… My Ubers cancelled multiple times on the way back down.

The views are spectacular.

there are many nooks and crannies for better views.

All of Table Mountain is beautiful.

It gets hot up there.

Is it worth it? I would say yes. The views alone make it worth it. Although, at first it felt like a giant tourist trap, I’m glad I did it.

Just do it the smart way and get there 30 min to an hour after the beginning of your time slot to avoid the long lines.