Top 5 hiking trails in Cape Town - according to my mum!

Lirette Louw Bezuidenhout
Sep 22
4 min read

My mother belongs to a very active hiking club affiliated with her church. The members of this club range in age up to 86. If you for one moment think that means no mountains or boulder scrambling think again! I asked my mother to share her top five hiking trails in Cape Town with our readers, as well as some practical tips and lovely photographs.

Enjoy this article and hopefully it gets you inspired to go out and clamber over some rocks or just take it easy on a flat surface. Hiking is a fun and social activity, which costs next to nothing!

A photo of the author's 76 year old mother reaching the top of Elsies Peak. Showing the lovely backdrop of ocean and mountains and the Cape Town suburbs of Glencairn Heights and Glencairn. — Mom reaching the top of Elsies Peak

Tips for a safe hike

Check the weather forecast, especially if you plan to hike in a mountainous area known for fog or cloud coverage.
Inform someone of your intended route.
Hike in groups.
Pack a walking stick (or two), sunscreen, sun hat, warm top and water.
Wear proper shoes or at least shoes with a firm grip.
Make sure your cellular phone or camera is charged to take home memories.
Save South African National Parks' emergency number 0861106417.
Carry a basic first aid kit.

Top 5 hiking trails around Cape Town

The following hiking trails have been tried and tested by my mother and her group of fellow hikers:

1) Cecilia forest

An image showing three photos depicting the hike at Cecilia forest. On the left image you can see the forest and trail starting. Middle image shows the board walk part of the hike. Final image shows the author's mother reaching Cecilia waterfall. — Pictures taken in 2025 during a hike in Cecilia Forest

The Celicia Forest hike to the Cecila waterfall is a beautiful hike with plenty of vistas to enjoy and catch your breath. The hike is about 4.7km and takes approximately 2 hours to complete. My mum’s group rates the difficulty level for this hike at 3 out of 5 (moderate in their view).

There are some wooden stairs to ascend, but the waterfall is a great reward for the climb. Winter and early Spring is the best time to hike this route. The area can be very wet and slippery in winter, but the waterfall is then most spectacular. Take walking sticks to have a safe hike.

2) Klein - Tuinkop route at Silvermine

Two pictures taken of the Klein-Tuinkop hiking route. On the left you can see the sandy trail amongst the mountains. On the right the veld and mountains and flowers are photographed. — Whilst hiking in Silvermine, the recovery of the vegetation post fire is clearly visible.

This route offers beautiful flowers and fynbos throughout the year. There is however no shade on this route so best to tackle early on a summer's day or during the more moderate months of the year.

This route is accessed via gate 2 at Silvermine, on top of Oukaapse Weg. It is a circular route of approximately 8.5 kms with a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5 (moderate). My mum’s group frequents this hike, because it offers lovely views over the mountains and feels very far removed from the big city.

3) Kommetjie boardwalk hike

Two pictures of the Kommetjie Boardwalk hike. On the left the boardwalk and Slangkop lighthouse is visible. Left, a picture of the rocky coastline with some wildflowers.

This is an easy flat hike next to the ocean in the seaside town of Kommetjie. The wooden boardwalk is in a good condition, so you don't have to look down and can enjoy the scenery instead. In Spring there is an abundance of wildflowers to see with lots of bird life. This easy and enjoyable walk takes you right up and close to the Slangkop lighthouse, which was built in 1919.

4) Elsies Peak

A photo taken from the summit of Elsies Peak showing False Bay towards Simonstown.

Elsies Peak can be accessed from two different directions. You can either start from Fish Hoek’s side of the mountain, where you will encounter a lot of steps at the start of the route, or you can ascend the Peak from Glencairn Heights.

My mum and her hiking group have also climbed this route at dusk to view the full moon rising, which means descending in the dark with head torches. Make sure you carry a walking stick.

From the top, you will be rewarded with lovely views over False Bay, Simonstown and Fish Hoek. The hike offers plenty of flowers, with different species blooming almost weekly. This is a moderately challenging route. The round trip is approximately 3 km and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete.

5) Yellowwood trail in Kirstenbosch

Two photos of the Yellowwood trail in Kirstenbosch. On the left the picture shows the shaded hiking trail marked with wooden steps. On the left the lovely view across the Cape Flats towards Muizenberg is visible from the hiking trail.

Entry to Kirstenbosch is free for pensioners on a Tuesday. (View the deal on our website) This lovely trail is a bit steep in places but is not a difficult climb. It takes 1.5 hours to complete and is 3km long. The route starts and ends at the Fragrance Garden.

As the name of this hike indicates you will walk past some lovely indigenous yellowwood trees. Not to mention all the other beautiful flora conserved in the gardens.

Keep walking

Six images of different indigenous flower species photographed whilst hiking the trials described in this article. — A collection of indigenous flowers photographed on the hikes described in this article.

We hope that these lovely pictures entice you and your friends to start or keep walking and benefitting from all the pros of doing so: socialising, fitness and health, nature appreciation and fun!

All the best

Lirette

Co-founder, PensionersPayLess!

Lirette is a co-founder of PensionersPayLess! and the heart behind its mission to help South Africa's over-55s enjoy life to the fullest. Backed by a Doctorate of Law and two master’s degrees, she combines legal know-how with a passion for practical advice. Lirette writes about topics that she believes will appeal to a wide audience and which mostly relate back to her personal experiences, be it making plans for retirement with her parents, balancing a household budget or enjoying a good meal or holiday.