Lion's Head
The spiral hike above Cape Town with the city's best summit payoff — short, steep, and busy.
Trip Role
Ideal stay
Best for
Our take
The essential Cape Town summit for those who prefer a quick, high-intensity workout over a long trek.
The essential Cape Town summit for those who prefer a quick, high-intensity workout over a long trek.
- Trip Role
- Day Trip
- Ideal Stay
- 2–3 hours
- Time Needed
- 2 hours
- Best For
- Reasonably fit hikers, sunrise walkers
- Skip If
- Anyone uncomfortable with exposure or scrambling
- Go If
- It's a clear, calm morning.
Why it's worth your time
This conical peak offers a steep, short climb that rewards hikers with a 360-degree view of the city and the Atlantic coastline. It is a high-traffic route, so expect crowds and consider a sunrise or sunset ascent to avoid the midday heat.
What we love
The 360-degree payoff for under two hours of effort.
What to know
There's a short scrambling section with chains and staples. Skip it if you're unsure — there's a bypass. Don't go in high wind.
Pair it with
Babylonstoren
A working farm with one of the Cape's most extraordinary gardens and a lunch worth the drive.
Camps Bay
Cape Town's glamorous Atlantic-Seaboard beach — palm-lined, sunset-facing, and crowded for good reason.
Table Mountain
Cape Town's flat-topped icon — take the cableway up, or hike Plattekloof Gorge if you're fit and the weather's right.
More hike in Western Cape
Cecilia Forest Hike
A half-day forest walk on the back of Table Mountain near Kirstenbosch, rising gently onto the contour path.
Cederberg Cracks Hike
A half-day hike through the Cederberg's signature rock formations, the Cracks, near Algeria.
Cederberg Wolfberg Arch Hike
The iconic Cederberg hike to the Wolfberg Arch and Crack — two nights, rock formations, and a high plateau camp.
Devil's Peak Hike
The Table Mountain sibling hike to the peak that frames the City Bowl — a steep, quiet summit away from the cableway crowds.
Du Toitskloof Hike
A Boland mountain hike between Paarl and Worcester — high passes, a waterfall tunnel, and a Cape-fold range crossing.
Elephant's Eye Cave Hike
A half-day hike in Silvermine Nature Reserve to a cave with a view over False Bay.