Kirstenbosch Gardens

Spread across the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Sweeping lawns, giant camphor trees and beds of proteas, ericas and other fynbos plants run up to the foot of the mountain's cliffs, and the views change with every turn of the path. Founded in 1913, Kirstenbosch was the first botanical garden in the world devoted mainly to a country's own indigenous plants, and it remains one of Cape Town's most loved places to spend a day. It is about a twenty to twenty-five minute drive from Bo-Kaap.

A garden on a mountain

The Kirstenbosch estate covers more than 500 hectares, most of it natural forest and fynbos on the mountain slopes, with a cultivated garden of around 36 hectares at its heart. The garden lies within the Cape Floral Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Kirstenbosch was the first botanical garden in the world to be included within a natural World Heritage Site. Because it is so close to the mountain, the garden receives plenty of rain, and streams run down through the forest even in summer.

The land was bought by Cecil John Rhodes in 1895 and left to the nation when he died. In 1913 the government set it aside as a national botanical garden, and its first director, Professor Harold Pearson, began the work of creating it. Today the garden is managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

Highlights

• The Tree Canopy Walkway ("the Boomslang"). Opened in 2014, this curving steel-and-timber walkway winds through and above the trees of the Arboretum, rising to around 11 metres above the ground. Its shape was inspired by a boomslang, a tree snake, and it gives wonderful views over the garden to the mountain and the Cape Flats.
• The Protea Garden. South Africa's national flower and its many relatives grow on the upper slopes, attracting sunbirds and sugarbirds. The king protea and the pincushions are especially striking.
• The Fragrance Garden and Braille Trail. Raised beds of scented and textured plants that you can touch and smell, and a trail designed for visitors with visual impairments.
• The Cycad Amphitheatre. A collection of cycads, ancient plants whose ancestors grew alongside the dinosaurs.
• Colonel Bird's Bath. A small bird-shaped pool fed by a spring, built in the early 19th century, in a shady glade of ferns and trees.
• Van Riebeeck's Hedge. The remains of a hedge of wild almond trees planted in 1660 to mark the boundary of the Dutch settlement — one of the oldest living reminders of the colonial frontier.
• The Conservatory. A glasshouse displaying plants from the drier regions of southern Africa, including baobabs, succulents and desert plants.

Summer Sunset Concerts

From late November to around April, Kirstenbosch hosts its famous Summer Sunset Concerts on Sunday evenings. Local and international musicians play on a stage at the foot of the lawns, while thousands of people spread out picnic blankets on the grass with the mountain behind them. Tickets sell out quickly for popular acts, so book early. Bring a blanket, a warm layer and a picnic, and arrive early to find a good spot on the lawn.

Hiking from Kirstenbosch

Two of the most beautiful routes up Table Mountain start inside the garden. Skeleton Gorge climbs steeply through shaded forest, with wooden ladders and boulders near the top, and reaches the "back table" near Maclear's Beacon. Nursery Ravine, a little further along, is often used as the descent to make a loop. Allow at least four to five hours for the round trip, start early, and carry plenty of water and a warm layer. You need a garden ticket to start these routes, and you should check the garden's closing time so you are back before the gates close. For gentler walks, the contour path and the forest trails above the garden offer shade and views without the climb.

Picnics, food and facilities

Kirstenbosch is perfect for a picnic. You are welcome to bring your own food and spread out on the lawns, and there are restaurants, a tea room and coffee shops near the gates for meals and snacks. If you need halal food, packing a picnic from one of the restaurants and delis in Bo-Kaap is an easy option — see our halal guide. There are toilets, a garden shop, a plant nursery and a visitor centre at the main entrance. Some areas are accessible for wheelchairs and prams, and a garden cart service has been available for visitors with limited mobility.

Opening hours and tickets

The garden opens every day of the year from 08:00, and closes later in summer than in winter. There is an entry fee, with reduced rates for South African residents, students, pensioners and children; members of the Botanical Society enter free. Check the current times and prices on SANBI's website before your visit, and note that concert evenings have separate tickets.

Getting there from Bo-Kaap

Kirstenbosch is on Rhodes Drive in Newlands, on the other side of Table Mountain from Bo-Kaap. By car or ride-hailing app it takes about twenty to twenty-five minutes via De Waal Drive and the M3. There is parking at the main gate and at the upper gate, though it fills up on weekends, public holidays and concert days. The hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses also stop at the garden.

When to visit

Something is always in flower at Kirstenbosch. Spring (August to October) brings the brightest displays of flowers, while winter is the best season for many proteas and ericas, and for misty, atmospheric walks in the forest. Summer is perfect for picnics and the sunset concerts. Go early in the morning for birdsong and quiet paths, and combine your visit with other sights in the southern suburbs or with a day on the mountain. Find more ideas on our attractions page, and a base in the city on our accommodation page.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: yeowatzup, CC BY 2.0; Axxter99, CC BY-SA 3.0.