Go Together Life

📍 Out-and-Back | 5.1 km | 470m Elevation | ~2.5 hours
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥾 Hike At-a-Glance

• Distance: 5.1 km (out-and-back)
• Elevation Gain: 470 m (expect some huffing!)
• Time: ~2.5 hours at a steady pace
• Best For: Families, new-to-Cape Town hikers, fitness-friendly dog walks, post-work leg stretchers
• Highlights: Constantia vineyards, sweeping views over Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, Table Mountain dams
• Difficulty: Moderate — the easiest route up Table Mountain, but still a workout

If we had to pick one hike that feels like home to us, it would be this one. The Constantia Nek to De Villiers Dam trail is the route we’ve returned to more times than we can count: through blazing summer sun, Cape Town drizzle, howling winds, and those rare golden days when the weather is absolute perfection.

We’ve done it carrying toddlers on our backs, coaxing along little legs with skinned knees (and some adult legs too), or bribing hangry teens with jellytots. We’ve hiked it with friends, family, colleagues, and strangers who became friends by the time we reached the top. And here’s the thing, it never disappoints.

So why does this trail keep pulling us back? Simple: it’s easy to access, just challenging enough without tipping into “Everest-level suffering,” and the views are spectacular. In Goldilocks terms, the length is just right. You’ll finish with a sense of achievement, deserving of that post-hike ice cream or glass of wine, but without needing to collapse for the rest of the day.

The Trail

Starting from the parking lot at the top of Constantia Nek, you already get a leg up on elevation before the trail even begins. From there, the Jeep Track leads you into the mountainside before a sharp right turn takes you onto the Constantia Nek Hiking Trail. You can follow the broader, partially paved road or branch off onto single-track sections that feel a little more wild.

The path is rarely empty. You’ll pass (or be passed) by trail runners, families, dog walkers, students, and, inevitably, that one sprightly granny who hikes at twice your pace without breaking a sweat.

On the way up, the views stretch over the Constantia vineyards and across Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs. It’s almost surreal to be immersed in such natural beauty while knowing you’re just minutes from city life.

Family Tested, Jellytot Approved

This trail is where we discovered the magic of “jellytot motivation.” A few well-timed sweet rewards turned a hike with very small children that could have been a nightmare into an actual adventure. Pro tip: save a few for yourself, nothing hits quite like a secret sugar boost when no one’s watching.

Is It Easy?

Let’s be clear: this is the least strenuous route to the top of Table Mountain, but it’s not exactly a stroll in the park. The inclines will get you huffing and puffing, no matter how many times you’ve done it. That said, if our then-5-year-old managed it with only minimal complaining (and a few piggyback lifts), most fit adults should be just fine.

Beyond the Dam

Most often we turn back at the De Villiers Dam, but if you’ve got the legs for it, the path continues past the Overseers Cottage and towards the other dams on Table Mountain. Feeling ambitious? Try descending via Skeleton Gorge into Kirstenbosch Gardens, a spectacular (but much longer and more demanding) option.

Why We Love It

This trail has been part of our lives for years. It’s where our kids unknowingly fell in love with hiking. It’s where we trained for AfricanX (or in Patrick’s case, offered “sympathy training”). It’s where countless conversations, milestones, and memories have unfolded against a backdrop of mountains, clouds, and Cape Town sunshine.

It’s accessible, beautiful, and reliably rewarding, a hike that always gives more than it takes.

We can’t recommend it enough.

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🧳 Packing List

• 🎒 Daypack
• 💧 Water bottle or hydration pack
• ⛑ First aid kit
• 🧢 Hat & 🕶 Sunglasses
• 🌧 Rain jacket
• 🧥 Warm top/layers
• 🧦 Hiking socks
• 👟 Proper boots/shoes
• 🍫 Snacks