South Africa Guide
Cape Town
Table Mountain cable car
Opening time: Daily every 10–15 min: Jan & Dec 8am–9pm; Feb & March 8.30am–7.30pm; April 8.30am–5.30pm; May– Oct 8am–6pm; Nov 8am–7pm
Price: R130 for adults, R68 for children, while under-4s ride for free
Telephone: 021 424 8181
Website: www.tablemountain.net
The least challenging, but certainly not least interesting, way up and down Table Mountain, is via the highly popular cable car at the western table, which offers dizzying views across Table Bay and the Atlantic. A state-of-the-art Swiss system was installed in 1997; the floor of the fishbowl-shaped cars is designed to complete a 360-degree rotation on the way, giving passengers a full panorama. Cars leave from the lower cableway station on Tafelberg Road. Operations can be disrupted by bad weather or maintenance work so it's worth checking the schedule ahead of time. You can make a real outing of it by going up for breakfast, or a sunset drink and meal at the restaurant, as the upper station is an incomparable spot to watch the sun go down.
You can get to the lower cableway station by Rikki, metered taxi, or in one of the minibus taxis that ply the route here from Adderley Street. The open-topped Cape Town Explorer bus also serves the cableway. If you're driving, you'll find parking along Tafelberg Road, but you may be in for a bit of a walk in peak season – the stretch of parked cars can extend several hundred metres.