Summer will soon be upon us, and as days in Cape Town become increasingly sunny, a cable car trip up Table Mountain with 360° views starts sounding more and more appealing.
More locals and tourists flock to the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway during this season than any other time of the year due to the splendid Cape Town summer days.
We have compiled a list of tips to travel up the mountain during peak season – from avoiding the long queues to saving money on deals for locals.
Here are some tips for a great visit to the Cableway during peak season:
1.Buy tickets online instead of waiting in line
Pre-purchasing tickets on the web means you can skip the ticket office queue and get in line to board a cable car immediately. Tickets can be bought from tablemountain.net.
Visitors who haven’t purchased tickets online can do so at the Lower Station Ticket Office before joining the queue to the cable cars.
2. Plan ahead
Check the official Table Mountain Aerial Cableway website and social media page before you visit the Cableway to see whether it will be open as well as to find out live queueing times and weather conditions.
When weather conditions are deemed unsafe for riding, the Cableway closes.
3. Cross these off your check-list of things to bring
The Table Mountain Cableway advises its visitors to bring along walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, a warm jacket (incase weather conditions change), and a camera.
4. Look up deals for locals
South African ID holders can head up the mountain for the half-price sunset special from 6pm daily. This deal is valid until December 19 2018 and again from January 3 to February 28 2019.
There is a weekly special of a R100 return ticket for South African senior citizens (ages 60 and older). All pensioners must provide proof of their SA ID.
A Friday student discount is available and those with a valid student card will pay R150 for a return ticket.
More details on the sunset special can be found here.
5. Make the most of free cableway services
There are a few free extras available that visitors to the Cableway can take advantage of:
-MyCiti shuttles: Patrons can park their vehicles at the Lower Tafelberg Road parking area and take the shuttle up to the Lower Cableway Station. Shuttles depart every 20 minutes and operate from 7am until 7pm.
-30-minute guided tours: Free family-friendly guided walking tours educating visitors on interesting facts and stories about the mountain and the Cableway are available daily. Tours depart from the Twelve Apostles Terrace every hour, on the hour from 9am to 3pm.
-Wi-Fi: Connect to the free Wi-Fi available at both the Lower and Upper Cableway Stations, or settle in at the Wi-Fi Lounge on Table Mountain’s summit, where you can plug in, upload your pics and grab a drink or a bite to eat.
-Children’s activity book: A free activity book is handed out to children at the Lower station. The kids will be kept busy with its fun activities and treasure hunt map.
-VoiceMap: A free Table Mountain Cableway audio tour is available via the VoiceMap app, which can be downloaded from Apple iStore or Google Play. The tours run offline and so do not use mobile data, providing users with in-queue entertainment at the Lower Cableway Station, and enabling them to learn facts about the flora and fauna at the top of the mountain at their own leisure as they wander the summit.
The Table Mountain Cableway has recently launched a new high tea offering.
Picture: Table Mountain Cableway