Table Mountain Tours from Cape Town, Without the Hike
Day and half-day tours from Cape Town that stop at Table Mountain: how long at the mountain, what the cable car costs on top, what wind and queues do to the stop, and when a hike is the surer bet.
A Table Mountain tour from Cape Town that is not a hike is a van tour that stops at the lower cableway station for an hour or so while you ride up and down. The fullest is Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa’s Cape Town Tour: Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape Point+Pickup, from US$58 a person (checked November 2026): 1.5 hours at the mountain, then Chapman’s Peak, Cape Point and the Boulders penguins. The cable car is not in the price of any of these tours, and wind or cloud can close it on the day.
The calendar above is the peninsula day. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before.
How far the mountain is from town
The lower cableway station is 5.2 km by road from Cape Town City Hall and 7.4 km by road from the V&A Waterfront, so the stop costs a tour little driving; the peninsula day’s itinerary goes there after a short look at Bo-Kaap, before the long drive south to Cape Point.
The tours compared
| Tour | Length | At Table Mountain | Then | Not in the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town Tour: Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape Point+Pickup (Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa) | 10 hours, 7:00 AM | 1.5 hours | Chapman’s Peak Drive, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, Boulders penguins, Simon’s Town | Cable car and all entry tickets; meals |
| Cape Town Uncovered: Half-Day City Tour and Table Mountain (The Glorious Cape Tours) | 5 hours | 1 hour, cable car up and down | Signal Hill, Camps Bay, Bo-Kaap, the city centre | Table Mountain ticket; lunch |
| Guided Half-Day City Tour with Table Mountain (African Eagle Daytours) | 4 hours | The cable car at the end, weather permitting, or a drive to Table View instead | District Six Museum (entry included), Bo-Kaap, Signal Hill, Camps Bay | Cable car fare; meals |
From the GetYourGuide listings, November 2026.
What the cable car adds to the price
You buy the cable car yourself. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway’s adult return ticket is R475 online and R530 at the ticket office, prices valid 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 (checked November 2026). Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa sends a link the day before to buy the Table Mountain and other tickets, and in December and January, when the cableway queues are long, it may do Cape Point first and the mountain later. tablemountaincablecartickets.com covers the cableway’s ticket types and prices in more depth.
When the cableway does not run
A day tour cannot wait for the wind to drop. We read the 350 most recent reviews of the peninsula day, dated 25 July to 8 November 2026: 34 give three stars or fewer, and several of those are about the mountain. One reviewer in August 2026 came back to the cableway at 4:40 PM to find it had just closed for wind; one in October 2026 reached it in fog, and nobody in the group wanted to go up; another in October found it full after paying for an 800-rand ticket; and one in November 2026 had bought tickets in advance for a day the mountain turned out to be closed.
A hike does not depend on the cable car to get you up. If the top is the point of your trip, a guided hike gets you there on foot, and you walk down if the cableway is shut.
Which to book
Cape Town Tour: Table Mountain, Penguins & Cape Point+Pickup
Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa: hotel pickup within 8 km of the city centre, 1.5 hours at Table Mountain, then Cape Point and the penguins, up to 19 in a vehicle. All entry tickets, the cable car's among them, on top.
Check dates →Cape Town Uncovered: Half-Day City Tour and Table Mountain
The Glorious Cape Tours: hotel pickup, an hour at Table Mountain by cable car, Signal Hill, Camps Bay and Bo-Kaap, 5 hours. The Table Mountain ticket is not included.
See the tour →Cape Town: Guided Half-Day City Tour with Table Mountain
African Eagle Daytours: 4 hours with the District Six Museum included and the cable car at the end if the weather allows, or a drive to Table View. The cable car fare is extra.
See the tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
More from Cape Town
Hikes and Tours in Cape Town with Open Dates
Guided hikes and day tours from Cape Town with live availability. The meeting point, what is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Penguins in a Day
Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa's peninsula day with hotel pickup: 1.5 hours at Table Mountain, then Chapman's Peak, Cape Point and Boulders. Entry tickets are bought separately.
Check dates