Safety guide: Table Mountain and Cape TownAdventure without the anxiety.
This guide is not meant to scare you. It was put together by the volunteers who patrol these trails, so you can enjoy Cape Town and its mountains with local knowledge on your side.
Save these numbers before you hike
- Table Mountain emergency0861 106 417
- Wilderness Search and Rescue021 937 0300
- TBOM Table Mountain alert group073 624 4287
Free downloads
Our own guides, plus Cape Town Tourism’s TravelWise material, which this guide draws on. Our thanks to their team.
- TBOM top trail safety tipsPDF, 6 pages, 5.6 MB
- Top trail safety guidelines (English)PDF, 6 pages, 6.3 MB
- Top trail safety guidelines (German)PDF, 6 pages, 6.7 MB
- What to bring: hike checklistPDF, 1 page
- TravelWise safety guide (PDF)Cape Town Tourism
- TravelWise safety brochure (PDF)Cape Town Tourism
- Safety in Cape Town, on Cape Town Tourism’s websiteCape Town Tourism
- Cape Town Tourism’s safety video playlistCape Town Tourism
On the mountain
- 01
Hike in groups of four or more.
- 02
Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back, and stick to it unless you have to change.
- 03
Hike with a qualified guide or a reputable hiking group.
- 04
Use a tracking service, such as @safetymountaintracking by Hikers Network.
- 05
Stick to popular, busy trails such as Platteklip Gorge, Lion’s Head and Constantia Nek.
- 06
Take a reliable map, such as a Slingsby map.
- 07
Carry plenty of water and be ready for the weather to change.
- 08
Be extra careful around sunrise and sunset, when most incidents happen.
- 09
Stay on marked paths. If you get lost, stop and call for help.
- 10
Keep your group together, with a leader and a sweeper, at the pace of the slowest person. Regroup at junctions and river crossings.
- 11
Leave nothing valuable in your car, and keep valuables out of sight on the trail.
In the city
- 01
Never share your PIN or accept help from strangers at ATMs. Use machines inside malls or shopping centres.
- 02
Keep cameras, phones and jewellery out of sight.
- 03
Avoid walking alone, especially at night. Stick to busy areas like Sea Point, Green Point and the V&A Waterfront.
- 04
Keep your bag and phone in front of you. Pickpocketing is common around Signal Hill, Lion’s Head, Camps Bay beach and the city centre.
- 05
Lock your car and leave nothing visible inside it.
- 06
Parking is generally free in Bo-Kaap. In the city centre, use official parking areas or attendants.
- 07
If you drive, avoid unfamiliar suburbs and townships without a local guide, and be careful in areas such as Philippi and Browns Farm.
- 08
Avoid buying things on informal online marketplaces, where scams are common.
- 09
Check that any taxi, Uber or chauffeur vehicle shows three discs on the windscreen: a vehicle licence, a public operating permit, and a charter or e-hailing permit.
- 10
If you want to help someone in need, give food rather than money, or support a registered charity or shelter.
Watch before you go
Safety updates and alerts on our Facebook page, and watch our latest reel.
The safest way up is with a guide.
Send us a WhatsApp with your date, how many of you there are and where you are staying, and we’ll come back to you with what happens next. Prefer email? info@takebackourmountains.org
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