Platteklip Gorge is the cleft you can see splitting the front face of Table Mountain from the City Bowl, and it is the oldest and most direct walking route to the summit. A guided Platteklip Gorge hike removes the two things that catch people out on it: pacing and navigation at the top.
What this Platteklip Gorge hike covers
A guided ascent of the gorge from Tafelberg Road to the summit plateau, typically around three hours of walking. Most versions leave the descent open — you either take the cableway down or walk back the way you came, and which of those is included is the detail that varies between listings.
Who the Platteklip Gorge hike suits
Reasonably fit walkers who want to earn the view; travellers who would rather not hire a car and find the trailhead themselves; anyone nervous about doing a mountain route alone.
It is not a scenic ramble. The gorge is a continuous staircase of rock steps with almost no flat ground, it is hot and airless in the middle of the day, and it is unsuitable for small children or anyone with knee problems.
What the Platteklip Gorge hike is actually like
The route gains roughly 700 metres from Tafelberg Road to the plateau, almost all of it on stone steps inside the gorge. There are no technical sections and no exposure, which is why it is the standard route, but it is unremittingly steep and most people find the middle third the hardest part of any walk they do in Cape Town.
The gorge faces north-east and traps heat. In summer the sensible start is early morning, before the sun is on the face; a Platteklip Gorge hike begun at midday in February is genuinely unpleasant and occasionally dangerous. In winter the same route can be wet, and the rock is slick.
The top of the gorge is not the top of the mountain. You emerge onto the plateau roughly twenty minutes’ walk east of the upper cableway station, and that final stretch across the summit is exposed to wind that you will not have felt in the gorge.
Practical notes for a Platteklip Gorge hike
Carry more water than you think: two litres a person in summer is not excessive, and there is none on the route. A hat, sunscreen and a windproof layer for the top are the other non-negotiables.
Check the cableway before you start if you plan to ride down. If it closes while you are on the mountain — which happens — you will be walking, and the descent takes longer than the ascent on tired legs.
Weather changes fast on the plateau. Cloud can arrive within minutes and visibility on the summit drops to a few metres, which is the single strongest argument for going with a guide rather than alone.
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 Platteklip Gorge hike
Confirm whether the cableway ticket down is included or extra, and what the plan is if it is closed. Check the start time against the season. Confirm the meeting point and whether transport to the trailhead is included. Read the fitness description and the current cancellation terms on the listing honestly against your own condition.
Current availability and prices
Use the availability button on this page to open the current GetYourGuide listing for this Platteklip Gorge hike. GetYourGuide is the merchant of record; Cape Town Travel Guide does not set prices, hold inventory, take payment or run the tour.