Go up by cable car to Table Mountain, viewpoint of Cape Town (South Africa)

 

Views of Cape Town from Table Mountain

During your trip to South Africa, an excellent way to start your visit to Cape Town is to climb its emblematic mountain, Table Mountain.

A good reason is that since 2011 it is also considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

From any perspective of Cape Town, this incredible mountain with a curious configuration rises majestically over the city in what is undoubtedly an invitation to climb to the top of it in search of the best panoramic views of this South African city.

Table Mountain cable car in Cape Town

The mountain's name ( Montaña de la Mesa ) describes its characteristic table-like shape instead of the usual succession of peaks that mountain massifs usually present.

From afar, Table Mountain shows you a ridge with a longitudinal plateau that is about three kilometers long.

In addition, it is usual to see how a succession of clouds slide from its crest after accumulating on its southeastern side due to cold air and moisture condensation.

The cable car ride up Table Mountain in Cape Town

Lookout on Table Mountain in Cape Town

You should know that you can also walk up a hiking trail that opens through a gorge directly to the top, at the height of almost 1,100 meters… but this ascent will take two to three hours.

The Table Mountain cable car starts from a station 363 meters above sea level, takes only about three minutes to reach the top, and can carry about 800 people per hour.

With each cabin's capacity of 65 people, it will surely catch your attention that the place rotates slowly as it goes up or down.

Therefore, it is not worth "sticking" with the other passengers to face the outside because, on the way up and down, you will turn completely almost a couple of times to enjoy all the perspectives.

What to see from the viewpoints of Table Mountain in Cape Town

When you reach the top, you will find various viewpoints facing both sides of the mountain.

In this way, you can enjoy a 360-degree view, in which the impressive panoramic views of Cape Town and its surroundings stand out.

In addition, from the top, there are various routes for hiking through this upper part of the mountain.

 Of course, the operation of the cable car is conditioned by the continuously variable weather conditions, which you must consider when choosing clothing for your visit.

Do not forget to wear a sweater or sweatshirt, because although in the city it seems good weather is good, upstairs you can find more unpleasant circumstances, with cold... and wind.

In this regard, I tell you in advance that Cape Town is a city characterized by its strong winds... and when this happens, the cable car can suspend its service.

The worst thing that can happen is getting caught when you're up.

When we went up Table Mountain on our recent trip to South Africa with the Aventura Africa agency, we had to run to get on one of the last cabins that went down before the cable car service was suspended.

At the cable car departure station, it wasn't really windy at all, but when we got to the top, more than wind, there was almost a gale which really prevented us from having a more pleasant visit.

Clouds rushed past the top, and it wasn't even easy to take pictures.

After having a snack, because our intention was to watch the sunset from Table Mountain, suddenly the loudspeakers that had been distributed by the viewpoints warned that we had to go down, that the cable car service was going to be suspended shortly.

As a result, the tourists who were at the top, almost on the run, began to parade towards the cable car station.

Of course, during the ascent and descent, at no time made the cabins move, as they have a unique system to prevent displacement due to the effect of the wind: they carry 4,000 liters of water at their base.

Table Mountain Gondola Schedules

Table Mountain Cable Car hours vary depending on the time of year.

Most of the year, the service starts at 8 in the morning, with the last ascent, from December to January, at 8:30 p.m. and the final descent at 9:30 p.m.

In winter, a time corresponding from May to September, the last ascent is at 5:00 p.m., with the last descent an hour later.

The cable car ticket price is R250 (about 20 euros) if you go up in the morning, and R225 if you do it in the afternoon, after 3:00 p.m. The ticket for children costs R110.

Pictures of Table Mountain in Cape Town

Here are more photos of Table Mountain, the cable car, and the panoramic views of Cape Town and its surroundings.

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