Hiking Table Mountain is exciting for any hiker, but for your safety, it is important to keep a few things in mind:

• You can get maps from the Cape Town tourism visitor information centers.
• Check the weather forecast. Cape Town weather can go from sunny to cloudy very quickly, so there is always the threat of cloud cover over the mountain. The clouds will not only spoil your views, but they will also bring down the temperatures considerably.
• Once you are on the mountain, have a good sense of where you are and where your hiking buddies are, because if the clouds blow in, you may have trouble seeing each other.
• The South African spring and summer is the best time to hike Table Mountain safely. Experts recommend November to February because the weather is nice and there is less chance of rain.
• Despite the weather forecast, be aware that there might be sudden changes in weather. Pack a fleece just in case.
• People will often hike up the mountain and come down with the cable car. While this is completely acceptable, do keep in mind that the cable car will close sometimes due to bad weather.
• If you are an inexperienced hiker, it’s a good idea to hike in a group or at least with someone else.
• If you decide to take the cable car up Table Mountain and hike down, you should know that the recommended route for hiking down the mountain is via the Platteklip Gorge route. However, the end of the Platteklip Gorge route is 2km from the cable car station. You can solve this minor dilemma by following the signs on your way down and turn off the Platteklip Gorge, and walk towards the cable car station.