Riding the Table Mountain Cable Car
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway [021 424 0015] offers visitors not only access to one of the top Cape Town tourist attractions and New7 Wonders of Nature but offers unimaginable 360° views across Cape Town city and neighbouring suburbs.
Hop on the cable car to enjoy taking pictures down ragged cliffs, spotting dassies, buying souvenirs at the Shop at the Top, having lunch at the Table Mountain Café or even trying out the world’s highest abseil!
How much does it cost to ride the cable car?
Buying tickets online are R5-R10 cheaper than buying them at the ticket office.
- Adult | one-way R110 | return R215
- Child [4-17yrs] | one-way R55 | R105
- Children u/4yrs travel for free
What time is the first trip on the cable car?
- First trip up | 08:00
- Last trip up | 18:30
- Last trip down | 19:30
How long does the ride take to the top?
4-5 minutes. [Of absolute amazement!]
The cable car travels at 10m per second.
How long do I have to wait to get onto the cable car?
For the ride up it all depends on the queues. [ Early bird catches the worm.] For the ride down, there should be a cable car going down every 10-15 minutes taking about 65 visitors up and down at a time. While one of the two cable cars goes up, the other cable car goes down.
Is the cable car wheelchair friendly?
Yes.
How do I get there and where can I park?
Physical Address of the Lower Cable Station | Tafelberg Road, Cape Town, 8001
There is free parking all along Tafelberg Road to the Lower Cable Station. There are however allocated dedicated parking bays for tour buses, taxis and disabled.
- Buses | Myciti Bus service has a bus stop at the top of Kloofnek Road, 1.5km from the Lower Cable Station.
- Minibus Taxis | Take one as far as the top of Kloofnek Road, 1.5km from the Lower Cable Station.
- Metered Taxis | Available for hire and can take you all the way to the cable car ticket office.
- City Sightseeing Bus | This Bus service has a bus stop at the cable car ticket office.
What can I expect to see from the top?
Views over Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, the city of Cape Town, Helderberg mountains, Bloubergstrand, Devil’s Peak, the Twelve Apostles, Camps Bay and Robben Island.
What can I expect to find at the top?
Platforms with look-out points, footpaths and walking routes, souvenir shop [Shop at the Top], café [Table Mountain Café] and abseiling.
What can I expect to do at the top?
Three short walks; The Dassie, Agama and Klipspringer as well as other longer hikes. Free of charge guided walks on the hour from 09:00 – 15:00. Browse around the Shop at the Top, enjoy breakfast, lunch, a snack or just a cup of coffee at the self-service restaurant and deli, Table Mountain Café. Abseil Africa offer the chance to abseil down a cliff.
Experience the world’s highest abseil at 112m high.
What can I buy at the Shop at the Top?
All kinds of souvenirs such as Table Mountain branded mugs, magnets, soft toys, crafts, jewellery, stationary, clothing, hats, books, calendars and postcards.
What do I take with me?
Wear comfortable walking shoes, take something to keep you warm, sunscreen, sunhat, water [all available at the Shop at the Top] and your camera.
Is the cell phone reception at the top?
Yes.
When is the best time to go?
Cape Town’s best weather is from November to March.
Interesting Facts about Table Mountain:
- Height | 1085m [3559ft] | The car cable car takes one upto 1067m above sea level.
- Table Mountain National Park is recognised as the richest single floristic area on the planet.
- The first recorded ascent was by Antonio de Saldanha in 1503.
- Lions and leopards used to live on Table Mountain and the last lion sighted was in 1802.
- The first cable car ride happened on the 4th of October, 1929 and carried 20 passengers.
- The cable car has transported over 20-million people to the top of Table Mountain.
Content and Images | Ed Beukes
Sources include tablemountain.net | wikipedia.org
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