Platteklip Gorge
Platteklip Gorge
5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Platteklip Gorge is a national park trail of Table Mountain. The route that takes you the most directly up to the Cableway. Learn more about the various routes of Platteklip Gorge hike which takes place on Table Mountain tours and visit our website.
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More than 3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
250 reviews
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202
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40
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6
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Rocqui
Western Cape, South Africa13 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
The best hike on Table Mountain. Challenging but absolutely acceptable for anyone who is afraid of edges and very popular which makes it very safe. Best climb early, then breakfast on the top of the mountain and catc the cable car down. What a pleasure. Everyone in good moods, healthy exercise and the views are exceptional. Not to be missed. #exceptionaltablemountain #capetownrocks
Written January 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Mags_NL
Luanda, Angola292 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
We used this trail to hike down Table Mountain. It has beautiful views and is well sign posted. The trail is partly made of wire mesh around the rocks, in places this has come loose and is actually a tripping hazard. In parts, the trail is bounded by razor wire, which is also not very well-maintained (or necessary if you ask me!)
The trail is quite busy and also a popular route for going up. The trail is very clean and surrounded by beautiful fijnbos and a lot of bird life. The trail ends at the road but you can also continue through Dear Park with adds a nice forest section to the route.
The descent took about one and a half hours in good weather.
The trail is quite busy and also a popular route for going up. The trail is very clean and surrounded by beautiful fijnbos and a lot of bird life. The trail ends at the road but you can also continue through Dear Park with adds a nice forest section to the route.
The descent took about one and a half hours in good weather.
Written April 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JJBuirski
Cape Town, South Africa267 contributions
Jul 2021
Trying to be too clever, I went up in the cable car and walked down Platteklip, instead of the other way around, and as could be expected, I saw my backside! It was still an experience to add to all our previous hikes here, with the stupendous views as awesome as ever. Met many people hiking up in unsuitable clothes and footwear, and with only a single small water-bottle (or none!) and the heat for much of the hike was past hot. Also met three groups of people with unleashed dogs - is this allowed here? While stepping down a high rock step I almost did myself a serious injury when an unleashed dog came running up, right where I was stepping. Please try to arrive as early as possible when hiking this route and carry lots of water.
Written July 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter I
North Yorkshire, UK452 contributions
Feb 2020
This is the most popular route up the mountain by foot and the views are spectacular. Allow a good two hours even if you're reasonably fit and the advice now is to not go up alone but join an informal group. Great sense of achievement when you get there. Walk down or take the cable car.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GUINNESS835
Milwaukee, WI407 contributions
Oct 2021
We chose this trail because it was the shortest hike to the top. The trail itself is well marked and you won't get lost. It is a very steep trail with rock steps pretty much straight up. Make sure you come prepared with plenty of water as it can get hot because you are exposed to the sun for 80% of the hike. We went on a Wednesday and parked near the lower cableway. There is a trailhead to the right of the lower cableway which meets up with this trail. We found the trail to be busy, but not crowded. Be sure to know your physical capabilities before attempting this hike. We took the cableway down, but be warned it can close at any time mid high winds start and you should plan for enough time to hike down if necessary. Once you are the top, the views are amazing.
Written October 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dunwomblin
Marlow, UK202 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Horrendous, don’t believe it when people say it’s an easy option.
I’m in my 50s and consider myself to be fairly fit: walking an average of 6 miles a day. This hike broke me!
We decided to walk down rather than up as my knees aren’t brilliant and stepping up constantly would not be good.
All I can say is that it took us 4.5 hours and I seriously didn’t think I’d make it. My legs were like jelly & kept buckling under me so by the end my husband had to help me with even the shallowest step.
I think the main issues for me was that all the ‘steps’ were about 18” high and not always level so unless you have good balance and long legs it is really is hard work. In many places I had to resort to my bottom.
24 hours on - I still can’t walk or sit down without excruciating pain.
I won’t be doing that again!!
I’m in my 50s and consider myself to be fairly fit: walking an average of 6 miles a day. This hike broke me!
We decided to walk down rather than up as my knees aren’t brilliant and stepping up constantly would not be good.
All I can say is that it took us 4.5 hours and I seriously didn’t think I’d make it. My legs were like jelly & kept buckling under me so by the end my husband had to help me with even the shallowest step.
I think the main issues for me was that all the ‘steps’ were about 18” high and not always level so unless you have good balance and long legs it is really is hard work. In many places I had to resort to my bottom.
24 hours on - I still can’t walk or sit down without excruciating pain.
I won’t be doing that again!!
Written March 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert O
Rotterdam, The Netherlands3,815 contributions
Nov 2021
The trail through Platteklip gorge is the easiest way for hiking up to Table mountain. There are several ways to reach the gorge which actually is more like a gully in the upper part of the mountain. The trail is easy in the sense there are no technical obstacles. It involves no scrambling over rocks. The trail is well maintained. It is basically a staircase.
Most people start at the lower cable station (shorter in distance but a bit steeper). I took the contour trail starting at Kloof Corner, just 1 km away from the saddle at Kloof Nek where there is also a bus stop. Elevation difference between Kloof Nek and Kloof Corner is 80m. The contour trail is longer in distance, but perhaps more enjoyable as you can walk almost leisurely along the slopes of the mountain, before it gets steeper at Platteklip.
It took me 2½ hours to get from the Kloof Nek saddle to the top cable station. I spent the same time for descending to the saddle again (2½ hours as well), but I took more breaks. For me this was part of a hike from Green Point adding another 1 hour and 20 minutes to the hike. For returning to Green Point I took a bus from the sadlle at Kloof Nek. I am 67, but fit. I was not exhausted when I got home again.
Take some protection against the sun and bring water.
Most people start at the lower cable station (shorter in distance but a bit steeper). I took the contour trail starting at Kloof Corner, just 1 km away from the saddle at Kloof Nek where there is also a bus stop. Elevation difference between Kloof Nek and Kloof Corner is 80m. The contour trail is longer in distance, but perhaps more enjoyable as you can walk almost leisurely along the slopes of the mountain, before it gets steeper at Platteklip.
It took me 2½ hours to get from the Kloof Nek saddle to the top cable station. I spent the same time for descending to the saddle again (2½ hours as well), but I took more breaks. For me this was part of a hike from Green Point adding another 1 hour and 20 minutes to the hike. For returning to Green Point I took a bus from the sadlle at Kloof Nek. I am 67, but fit. I was not exhausted when I got home again.
Take some protection against the sun and bring water.
Written November 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chelly m
Dubai, United Arab Emirates93 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
But don’t believe when people say it’s easy. I’m fairly fit and it was exhausting. It took us 2 hours to get to the top of Table Mountain, but it was so rewarding getting. It’s quite safe. Steps are about 30-45cm high - your legs will burn and burn, but it will be worth it in the end. Make sure to have proper shoes, and take water with you. We took the cable cart to go down.
Written April 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spincentury
Melbourne, Australia55 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
In January 2019, my wife and I hiked the Platteklip Gorge to the top of Table Mountain, South Africa. It was one of the more challenging things we've done, but, worth every ounce of sweat. What I found most frustrating, was the lack of info for amateur hikers/climbers; and some of it just plain misleading or wrong.
Here goes at trying to provide what is hopefully some useful info for amateur climbers.
Finding the start of the climb - It's easy. We took a taxi up, but, you can easily drive. Our driver knew exactly where to take us. You simply go the the lower cable car station and keep going past it for about one kilometre. Start of the climb is well marked. There is parking if you drive up on your own.
Weather - We had a clear, 28 degree day. We started about 11am. In hindsight, we probably should have started earlier in the day as the sun was right on our backs the entire climb. Bearable, but, we did get warm. It is true what they say about the conditions on Table Mountain changing rapidly. It didn't happen on our climb, but, we did see the mountain change from clear to covered in cloud within a few hours. Check the weather carefully. I would not have wanted to do the climb in wet weather.
What to take - As little as possible! Dress to sweat! We wore light exercise/gym gear and good quality runners on our feet. Hats were a must. I took a small Camelback backpack with the bladder out to carry our bits and pieces. A small towel came in handy to wipe down our sweaty heads. We took a few protein bars, but, the climb is a work out so eating was the last thing on our minds. Water. Take as much as you can. We took 2 450ml bottles for each of us and went through every drop. Take more if you can.
Signage - I think we encountered 2 forks in the path; both well marked. Beyond that, there is only one way to go and thats up.
How hard is this climb? - This is by far where we struggled the most to find good and accurate info. First, about us. Both of us are late 50's and reasonably fit. We gym, cycle and/or run/walk a few times per week. Not bragging; I think its important to know so you can decide if this climb is for you. But, we are by no means fitness junkies nor do we hike or climb anything regularly. The climb is a little over 2 kms long. You gain around 1 km in elevation. Not hard to do the math and figure out how steep the climb is. We did the climb in 2 hours and 10 minutes. The first hour was a zig zag that takes you up to the steepest part of the gorge. We stopped twice on this part for a 5 minute water break. Challenging. On average, its like climbing a steep set of steps. It then took us another 1 hour 10 minutes to climb the remainder of the gorge. This part is very challenging. This is not like climbing steps as some articles suggest. This is scrambling up half metre rocks in parts. We stopped at least 6 times on this part. All in all, a good work out, but, very doable if you have a fitness regime similar to us.
Do you need a guide? You certainly don't to find your way up. We're not guided tour types, so we appreciated setting our own pace.
Shade - There's very little which is why I mention it. And generally when you find some, someone else is in it! During our last hour, we found ourselves grabbing some shade at every point we found some. Sometimes it was 5 minutes from our last break. We appreciated it however, because often the next shade was 15 minutes away.
Is the Platteklip Gorge the easiest way up - Yet another piece of info that was hard to find a consistent answer on. Personally, I have no idea since this is the only climb we did. However, we did meet a climber at a shade stop who was local and had climbed the mountain a dozen times over various routes. He said Platteklip was the easiest. He seemed to know his stuff.
Safety - The path is well maintained. At no point did we feel unsafe. Obvious that common sense and knowing our limits prevailed.
The top - Incredible. A lot of smiles, high fives and incredible views. From the top of the gorge, its about a 10 - 15 minute hike (mostly flat) to get to the cable car station. It will take you longer because you will stop to enjoy the views off both sides of the mountain. We found a table at the Table Mountain Cafe and spent an hour sculling water and an ice cold bottle of sav blanc. We did not walk back down the gorge (although there were climbers that did). We took the cable car back down. Don't line up to buy your ticket at the bottom. Just inside the upper cable car station on the right are kiosks to buy your ticket down; no line ups. However, don't do what we did and line up to the left as this is the line to get on the next cable car. You'll need your ticket before you get in this line.
Getting back to Cape Town - There are taxis. They seemed to queue on the road just before the lower cable car station.
Hope this helps someone. Was certainly a highlight of our time in South Africa.
Here goes at trying to provide what is hopefully some useful info for amateur climbers.
Finding the start of the climb - It's easy. We took a taxi up, but, you can easily drive. Our driver knew exactly where to take us. You simply go the the lower cable car station and keep going past it for about one kilometre. Start of the climb is well marked. There is parking if you drive up on your own.
Weather - We had a clear, 28 degree day. We started about 11am. In hindsight, we probably should have started earlier in the day as the sun was right on our backs the entire climb. Bearable, but, we did get warm. It is true what they say about the conditions on Table Mountain changing rapidly. It didn't happen on our climb, but, we did see the mountain change from clear to covered in cloud within a few hours. Check the weather carefully. I would not have wanted to do the climb in wet weather.
What to take - As little as possible! Dress to sweat! We wore light exercise/gym gear and good quality runners on our feet. Hats were a must. I took a small Camelback backpack with the bladder out to carry our bits and pieces. A small towel came in handy to wipe down our sweaty heads. We took a few protein bars, but, the climb is a work out so eating was the last thing on our minds. Water. Take as much as you can. We took 2 450ml bottles for each of us and went through every drop. Take more if you can.
Signage - I think we encountered 2 forks in the path; both well marked. Beyond that, there is only one way to go and thats up.
How hard is this climb? - This is by far where we struggled the most to find good and accurate info. First, about us. Both of us are late 50's and reasonably fit. We gym, cycle and/or run/walk a few times per week. Not bragging; I think its important to know so you can decide if this climb is for you. But, we are by no means fitness junkies nor do we hike or climb anything regularly. The climb is a little over 2 kms long. You gain around 1 km in elevation. Not hard to do the math and figure out how steep the climb is. We did the climb in 2 hours and 10 minutes. The first hour was a zig zag that takes you up to the steepest part of the gorge. We stopped twice on this part for a 5 minute water break. Challenging. On average, its like climbing a steep set of steps. It then took us another 1 hour 10 minutes to climb the remainder of the gorge. This part is very challenging. This is not like climbing steps as some articles suggest. This is scrambling up half metre rocks in parts. We stopped at least 6 times on this part. All in all, a good work out, but, very doable if you have a fitness regime similar to us.
Do you need a guide? You certainly don't to find your way up. We're not guided tour types, so we appreciated setting our own pace.
Shade - There's very little which is why I mention it. And generally when you find some, someone else is in it! During our last hour, we found ourselves grabbing some shade at every point we found some. Sometimes it was 5 minutes from our last break. We appreciated it however, because often the next shade was 15 minutes away.
Is the Platteklip Gorge the easiest way up - Yet another piece of info that was hard to find a consistent answer on. Personally, I have no idea since this is the only climb we did. However, we did meet a climber at a shade stop who was local and had climbed the mountain a dozen times over various routes. He said Platteklip was the easiest. He seemed to know his stuff.
Safety - The path is well maintained. At no point did we feel unsafe. Obvious that common sense and knowing our limits prevailed.
The top - Incredible. A lot of smiles, high fives and incredible views. From the top of the gorge, its about a 10 - 15 minute hike (mostly flat) to get to the cable car station. It will take you longer because you will stop to enjoy the views off both sides of the mountain. We found a table at the Table Mountain Cafe and spent an hour sculling water and an ice cold bottle of sav blanc. We did not walk back down the gorge (although there were climbers that did). We took the cable car back down. Don't line up to buy your ticket at the bottom. Just inside the upper cable car station on the right are kiosks to buy your ticket down; no line ups. However, don't do what we did and line up to the left as this is the line to get on the next cable car. You'll need your ticket before you get in this line.
Getting back to Cape Town - There are taxis. They seemed to queue on the road just before the lower cable car station.
Hope this helps someone. Was certainly a highlight of our time in South Africa.
Written February 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lazzagear
London, UK1,091 contributions
Feb 2017
The Platteklip Gorge is flagged as the easiest way to walk up Table Mountain but I actually think that some of the longer routes would be flatter and therefore easier. We climbed the Salkantay Trail in Peru six months ago and I found this harder. There are NO flat parts of this route once you leave the road. From below I thought that the route would be comprised of flat paths with steep hairpin bends but not so. The track comprises of large stones/steps which arguably get steeper the higher you climb (the last thing you want!). There is no shade either. We met several people who had aborted the climb and were gingerly making their way downwards (much more difficult than actually climbing up). It's also worth mentioning that I'm 5'8" tall and a lot of the steps were big for me so if you're short, this would be even harder.If you're confident you can clamber over rocks for 2-3 hours then it's a wonderful trek and the views are fantastic but otherwise it'll be a torture test and there's no easy way down. And a hat and water are ESSENTIAL.
Written March 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Verena Engel
Isselburg, Germany
Hallo, wie würdest Du die Schwere des Trails beurteilen bis zum Contour Path?
Sil I
Florianopolis, SC46 contributions
note that there are two climbs, one lighter and one more difficult! the most difficult takes 4 hours to climb.
Utkarsh R
Bengaluru, India35 contributions
Hi
I am traveling to Cape Town with 4 friends. We want to hike to the top of the Table mountains using Platteklip Gorge. Do we need to hire a guide or is the trail marked to help tourists reach the top of the mountain? All of us are in early thirties and have moderate fitness. Please suggest. Thanks in advance for your help.
Regards
Utkarsh
Adriana Martini
London, UK59 contributions
Hi And I apologise for never answering as I have been out of action.
I hope your trip and climb was successful and I am sure you found that you definitely did not need special clothing.
Finding the start to Platteklip is easy. Drive as though you are going to the cable car entrance but just continue along the winding road and keep looking out on the right for the sign where you will find road side parking.
As you went in the winter, warmer clothing that you can layer, always lots of water no matter what the weather, decent trainers (hiking boots not necessary but of course you wear them), always a hat, and always a snack. It is for me a 1 hour walk but of course with children it is going to take much longer. Not sure what age would be easy for them to walk up but I have seen many of about 6 and upwards. Younger than that, I would suggest you need a carrier to be able to put them on your back (and you need to be strong enough).
Once you get to the top, it is quite obvious and this is where you turn to the right and follow the path along (which will take about another 15 - 20 min) to the cable car.
The cable car used cost R110 per person. It rotates all the way down so you get the most fabulous views.
Truly hope you had a wonderful time.
Pankti Choksi
Mumbai, India2 contributions
hello, We are a group of 6 adults and 3 kids aged 3, 3 & 6years. How could you help me with the activities like scootor ride and abseling etc.
Evan B
Western Cape, South Africa92 contributions
As much as I encourage exposing children to new experiences, table mountain is still a mountain and thus a dangerous place for children. Platteklip Gorge is far more strenuous than Lions Head and I would never take a small child up Lions Head. It only needs a few seconds of inattention for a really bad outcome. I would advise the Cable Car and then stay close to the Upper Station where it is mostly guard railed.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Platteklip Gorge
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