Lion's Head

The Lion’s Head hike is a popular spiral hike and summits at 669 meters above sea level. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to hike to the top of Lions Head and 1 hour to hike back down. The Lion’s Head hiking route is surrounded by uninterrupted views throughout the hike.

Time: 2.5 hours

Distance: 5 km (up and down)

Difficulty: Moderate

Terrain: Single rocky track, stone steps, ladders, scrambling sections

Lion's Head Hike Description

Lion’s Head hike in Cape Town is a great alternate hike to a Table Mountain summit and is still part of the Table Mountain National Park. It is a shorter hike, and you don’t have to work as hard to get to the top, but this is not an easy hike and a relatively good fitness level is required.

The Lion’s Head hike starts off on a jeep track and soon leads into a rocky single path and some stone steps. There are some steep sections and it is getting harder as you reach the summit. The use of staples/chains and ladders assist hikers in certain sections along the route. The staples can be avoided by taking a slight detour around the corner of the path.

During the Lion’s Head hike, you’ll see varieties of Table Mountain’s unique fynbos and impressive rock formations throughout the hike. Large cape granite boulders are found on the lower slopes, and as we get higher we’ll hike over the sandstone cliffs. Lion’s head in Cape Town is home to the beautiful silver tree, they do not grow anywhere else in the world but on the few slopes of the Table Mountain range. Lion’s head is also home to the Dassie, Table mountain’s popular mammal, and there is a good chance of spotting one on the Lion’s Head hike if you keep an eye out for them.

Once at the top of Lion’s Head, we’ll take some well-deserved time to relax and enjoy the panoramic 360-degree views of the City of Cape Town, Table Mountain, Robben Island, and the white sandy beaches and suburbs of the prestige Atlantic Seaboard. The views from the summit are mind blowing and a great way to put Cape Town into a new perspective.

Best Time To Hike Lion's Head

This is a very popular hike among locals and travellers. And, depending on the time of day, this route can get crowded especially on weekends and school holidays in the summer months. Hiking early in the morning is recommended to beat the crowds and the summer heat.

From Our Hiking Adventures

Take a look at photos from our previous guided hikes up Lion’s Head.

Itinerary

Start

  • We start our hikes at 06:30 – 07:30 am.
  • Our guide will be at the meeting point waiting for you.

Finish

  • The hike takes about 3 hours to complete.
  • The hike finishes back at the start point.

Meeting and Parking

  • We meet at the small wooden shed at the beginning of the jeep track.
  • There is a parking area about 600 m from the start of Signal hill road.

Directions

Lion’s Head, Signal Hill road, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

T's & C's

  • Group hikes stay small and we only pair up if fitness levels and expectations match.

Price

Group hike Private hike
R1200 per person R1600 per person

The Adventure Begins!

Have any questions? Contact us or book now!

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