Lion’s Head is the cone between Table Mountain and Signal Hill, and the path spirals around it to a summit that looks straight back at the mountain’s front face. A guided Lion’s Head hike is shorter and less punishing than Platteklip Gorge, and it is the better choice when the cableway is closed or the plateau is under cloud.
What this Lion’s Head hike covers
A guided ascent of Lion’s Head, with Table Mountain offered as the alternative on some departures. The route spirals the peak on a good path, with a short scrambling section near the top where chains and staples are fixed to the rock, and a ladder bypass for those who would rather avoid them.
Who the Lion’s Head hike suits
Walkers who want a summit in two hours rather than four; sunset and full-moon walkers; anyone whose Table Mountain plan has been cancelled by wind.
The final section involves scrambling with genuine exposure. Anyone seriously uncomfortable with heights should ask about the bypass route before booking, or choose a Table Mountain contour walk instead.
What the Lion’s Head hike is actually like
The path starts on Signal Hill Road and winds anticlockwise around the peak, so the view changes continuously: the City Bowl, then the Atlantic seaboard and Clifton, then Camps Bay, then back to Table Mountain. That rotation is why a Lion’s Head hike is more interesting than its modest 669-metre summit suggests.
The upper section is where the character changes. There is a stretch of rock with chains and metal staples fixed into it — short, well-used and not technical, but genuinely exposed — and a longer, easier bypass to one side. Guides normally offer the choice at the junction.
The summit is small and gets crowded at sunset, particularly on the full moon, when a Cape Town tradition sends a large number of people up the mountain at once. It is a good atmosphere and a poor place to be if you dislike queues on a path.
Practical notes for a Lion’s Head hike
Sunset walks need a head torch for the descent, and the guide should confirm that they carry spares. Coming down that path in the dark without one is the most common avoidable mistake on Lion’s Head.
It is exposed to wind and sun the whole way, with no shade and no water. Two litres in summer, a hat and a windproof layer.
If the cableway is shut, this is the substitute worth taking. It is the only easily reached summit in the city that gives you Table Mountain itself in the frame.
What we do not publish
We do not list the price, the departure times, the pickup points, the inclusions or the cancellation terms, because the operator changes them and a travel guide that copies them out goes stale within weeks. All of that sits on the GetYourGuide listing, which is the live source. Read it before you book: the differences between similar-sounding Cape Town experiences are usually in the inclusions rather than the headline.
Explore the area
- Table Mountain tours and tickets: how to choose
- Table Mountain: routes, cableway and timing
- City Bowl: what it is like to stay there
- Where to stay in Cape Town
Before you book this Lion’s Head hike
Ask whether the scramble section or the bypass is planned, and say so if heights worry you. Confirm the start time relative to sunset if it is an evening departure, and whether head torches are provided. Check the meeting point and whether transport is included. Read the current cancellation terms on the listing.
Current availability and prices
Use the availability button on this page to open the current GetYourGuide listing for this Lion’s Head hike. GetYourGuide is the merchant of record; Cape Town Travel Guide does not set prices, hold inventory, take payment or run the tour.