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Hop on hop off Cape Town Kirstenbosch: the garden stop

Answer in brief

The hop on hop off bus stops at Kirstenbosch Gate 1 from 09:50 to 16:20, and the standard adult garden entry rate is R270.

Garden stop facts

  • The stop is at the Visitors' Centre, Gate 11
  • Children from 6 to 17 pay R404
  • The walkway is 130 m long5

3 options compared

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2 people
  1. Day ticketCruise option · for each guest from $32

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  2. Cable car comboBus plus mountain · for each guest from $61

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  3. Wine bus ticketGroot Constantia · for each guest from $33

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Converted at the ECB reference rate, from-prices as listed by GetYourGuide. The precise amount is shown when you book.

The blue line leaves the seafront for the eastern slope of the mountain. This page gives the stop, the bus times, the fees and what to do once you are inside.

Editorial team, capetownhoponhopoff.click · Updated November 7, 2026 · A 6 min read

Main facts

  • The stopThe bus stops at the Visitors' Centre, Gate 1.1
  • Bus timesThe first bus arrives at 09:50 and the last leaves at 16:20.2
  • EntryThe standard adult rate is R270, and children from 6 to 17 pay R40.3,4
  • The walkwayThe Boomslang is 130 m long and costs no extra.5,6
  • BookingThis site's ticket is listed from $32.

Why the blue line stops at the gardens

The red line holds the waterfront and the mountain station, but the botanical garden belongs to the loop around the back of the mountain. The operator describes that blue route as a circular tour around the back of Table Mountain.7 Kirstenbosch lies 13 km from the city centre, and the bus spares you the drive across town and the search for a parking space at a gate.8

If you searched for the city sightseeing Cape Town blue route, the stop you want is on the garden's official page. The bus stop is at the Visitors' Centre, Gate 1, in the parking area directly below the Vida-e Cafe.1 The garden's own site calls it the Mini Peninsula bus and says it stops at the garden every day of the week.9

The operator's family article numbers the garden stop as Stop 20 and places the Boomslang walkway there.10 That number helps when you read the route map. Your ticket covers the blue route along with the red and purple ones.11

Winter against summer

How the bus serves the garden by season

SeasonStops a dayGap between busesGarden hours
Summer15 times9Every 20 minutes208h00 to 19h0012
Winter12 times9Every 35 minutes208h00 to 18h0012

Summer runs mid-September to April for the bus and September to March for the garden's opening hours; winter is May to mid-September for the bus and April to August for the garden.

Bus times at the garden gate

The garden says the bus stops 15 times a day in summer, from mid-September to April, and 12 times a day in winter, from May to mid-September.9 The first bus arrives at 09:50, with one every 20 minutes in summer and one every 35 minutes in winter, until the last at 16:20.2 Those frequencies matter more than the headline numbers, and a winter wait is much longer.

Now compare that with the garden's own hours. Kirstenbosch is open every day from 08h00 to 19h00 in summer, and from 08h00 to 18h00 in winter.12 The last bus leaves well before the gates close. By bus you will leave the garden earlier than the garden does. Plan your final hour around the 16:20 departure and not around the closing bell.2

The operator runs its tours every day of the year, except during certain major events such as the Cape Town Cycle Tour.16 Its live bus tracker shows where the buses are, and you can scan the QR code at the stop if you are unsure.17 A rider who waits at the Visitors' Centre in winter should expect a gap of 35 minutes between buses.2

What a ticket costs

Garden entry rates in rand

  • Outside Africa270
  • African nationals150
  • SA and SADC residents110
  • Students60
  • Children 6 to 1740

Rates for 2026-2027 as the garden lists them, in rand.3,18,19,20,4

Entry fees in plain figures

A bus ticket and a garden ticket are different things. The operator states that standard bus tickets do not include attraction entries.23 Kirstenbosch sells its own tickets online through Webtickets, and cash payments are no longer accepted.24

For 2026-2027 the garden lists R270 as the standard adult rate for visitors from countries outside Africa and SADC.3 South African and SADC residents aged 18 and over pay R110 with ID, African nationals pay R150, and students with a South African student card pay R60.18,19,20 The table below puts the rates side by side.

Children are the easy part. All children from 6 to 17 years pay R40, and children under 6 are free.4,25 Fees are quoted by the garden in rand and may change, so check the official page on the day. This site converts nothing; the figures come from the garden's own tariff.

Match your visit

What suits your time at the garden?

Pick the line that sounds like you and the answer sits beside it

  • If I only have the morning

    Take the 09:50 bus

    The first bus reaches the gate at 09:50.2

  • If I like guides

    Join a weekday walk

    Walks leave at 10h00 and 11h00 and are free with entry.13

  • If I want a view from above

    Walk the Boomslang

    It raises visitors 12 m above the ground.21

  • If I travel with a wheelchair

    Stay on the lower paths

    The upper slopes need assistance.22

  • If I want an evening here

    Plan your own return

    The last bus leaves at 16:20.2

Three ways to spend it

Canopy walk, guided walk or concert

Self-guided

Canopy walk and lawns

Slow morning

  • Walkway130 m long
  • Height12 m up
  • Extra feeNone
See the day ticket

Volunteer guides

Free guided walk

Weekday mornings

  • Times10h00 and 11h00
  • LengthAbout 90 minutes
  • Group15 people max
See the day ticket

Season only

Sunset concert

Summer evenings

  • Season22 Nov to 28 Mar
  • Time5:15 pm to 7:00 pm
  • AlcoholNot sold
See the day ticket

The canopy walkway and the guided walks

The Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway is informally called the Boomslang, meaning tree snake.29 It is 130 m long and raises visitors to 12 m above the ground.5,21 It opened to the public on 17 May 2014, and there is no extra fee beyond the garden entry.30,6 The structure curves and dips through the trees, which is why it has the snake nickname.

The walkway sits on the steep upper slopes. The garden warns that visitors in wheelchairs need assistance there, as they do at the Fynbos Walk and the Protea Garden.22 All visitor facilities, including gates, restaurants and shops, are listed as accessible, but the garden is set on a very steep gradient.31

If you would rather follow a guide, the garden offers free guided tours, weather permitting, from Monday to Friday at 10h00 and 11h00.13 Each walk takes approximately 90 minutes and takes a maximum of 15 people on a first come first served basis.32,33 Garden entry still applies. Aim for the 09:50 bus if you want to join the 10h00 walk, and allow for a short wait at the Visitors' Centre before it starts.2,13

A garden day by bus

From the gate to the last bus

  1. 08h00

    Gates open

    The garden opens every day at 08h00.12

  2. 09:50

    First bus arrives

    It reaches the Visitors' Centre at 09:50.2

  3. 10h00

    Free guided walk

    Weekday walks leave at 10h00 and 11h00.13

  4. 09:00-16:00

    Tea Room open

    The Tea Room serves from 09:00 to 16:00.14

  5. 16:20

    Last bus

    The last bus is at 16:20.2

  6. 5:15 pm

    Concert season starts

    Concerts run from 5:15 pm to 7:00 pm in the season.15

Picnics, concerts and a bite to eat

Picnics are allowed on the lawns, but you may not take chairs, tables, umbrellas or tents into the garden, and braais are not allowed.27,28 The garden is a no-bins garden, and you carry your rubbish out with you.34 A rug and a bag are all you need for a lunch on the grass.

If you prefer a table, the Fynkos Kirstenbosch Tea Room at the Centre for Home Gardening, Gate 2, is open every day from 09:00 to 16:00.14 That closing time sits neatly beside the last bus at 16:20, which makes it a good final stop of the day.2

The Summer Sunset Concerts of 2026-27 run from 22 November 2026 to 28 March 2027, from 5:15 pm to 7:00 pm.15 Guests bring a picnic, blanket and drinks, no alcohol is sold on site and the venue is non-smoking.35 The last bus leaves at 16:20, and a concert evening needs a car or taxi for the return.2

Video

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town

Hike For Happiness on YouTube · Nothing is fetched until you hit play.

The first bus arrives at 09:50 and there is one every 20 minutes in summer, and one every 35 minutes in winter, until the last at 16:20.
SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site)2

Before you go in

What to bring and check

Check first4

  • Last bus at 16:202
  • Garden ticket bought online, no cash24
  • Rate for your category3
  • Walk times on weekdays13

Bring along4

  • Water for the slopes
  • Sun protection for the lawns
  • A windbreaker for the upper paths26
  • A rug, with no chairs or braai27,28

Mountain weather and safe walking

Kirstenbosch backs onto the mountain, and the garden's safety page is blunt. Only Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge provide safe routes up and down the mountain behind Kirstenbosch.36 Stay on the marked paths if you walk beyond the garden, and treat the upper slopes as mountain terrain.

Weather can change quickly. The garden says that in summer clouds can descend on the top of Table Mountain, blanketing it in mist with no warning, and that the wind there can gust and blow very strongly.37,26 A morning that looks calm at the Visitors' Centre can feel different above the tree line.

The mountain safety checklist says never to hike alone and never to split up, and it advises a group of 5 or more.38 Staying in the lower garden keeps you well clear of mountain terrain. If you do head up, carry water and a windbreaker.

Fitting the garden into a blue-line day

The Cape Town sightseeing bus blue route does more than reach the garden. The listing for this site gives the blue line as 2 hours, while the operator's help centre puts it at about 140 minutes, budget on the longer figure if you stay on board the whole way.39 Plan to get off at the garden for a few hours and ride on afterwards.

Further round the loop, the timetable marks Constantia Nek, stop 21, as the change point for the Groot Constantia wine bus.40 At the Hout Bay end, the operator places the Seal Island cruise at Hout Bay Harbour, Stop 24.41 Those are the natural neighbours of the garden stop on a full blue-line day.

Ticket rules help the plan. The operator's tickets are valid by calendar day and not by 24 hours, and a Premium ticket lasts 2 consecutive days.42 The listing for this site shows its ticket as valid for 2 days and offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance. Spread the red line and the blue line over those days, and give the garden the calm morning.

FAQ

Questions answered quickly.

Where is the Kirstenbosch bus stop?
At Gate 1.

The stop is at the Visitors' Centre, in the parking area below the Vida-e Cafe.1

When does the first bus reach Kirstenbosch?
At 09:50.

In summer a bus follows every 20 minutes, and in winter every 35 minutes, until 16:20.2

How much does Kirstenbosch cost for tourists?
R270 for adults.

That is the standard adult rate for visitors from outside Africa and SADC, and children from 6 to 17 pay R40.3,4

Is the canopy walkway free?
Yes, with garden entry.

There is no additional fee beyond the normal garden entry fee.6

Can I picnic in Kirstenbosch?
Yes, without furniture.

Chairs, tables, umbrellas and tents are not allowed, and neither are braais.27,28

Are there free guided walks?
Yes, on weekdays.

They leave at 10h00 and 11h00 from Monday to Friday, weather permitting, and take a maximum of 15 people.13,33

Does the bus ticket include garden entry?
No.

Standard bus tickets do not include attraction entries.23

Can wheelchair users visit?
Partly.

Facilities are accessible, but the steep upper slopes need assistance.31,22

Sources

  1. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  2. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  3. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  4. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  5. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Tree Canopy Walkway ↩
  6. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Tree Canopy Walkway ↩
  7. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town timetable 2026/2027 (PDF) ↩
  8. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  9. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  10. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Family planning article ↩
  11. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour ↩
  12. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  13. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Guided Tours ↩
  14. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Restaurants ↩
  15. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts 2026 ↩
  16. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  17. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  18. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  19. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  20. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  21. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Tree Canopy Walkway ↩
  22. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  23. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  24. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  25. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  26. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Safety on the Mountain ↩
  27. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Garden Rules ↩
  28. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Garden Rules ↩
  29. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Tree Canopy Walkway ↩
  30. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Tree Canopy Walkway ↩
  31. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Information ↩
  32. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Guided Tours ↩
  33. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Guided Tours ↩
  34. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Garden Rules ↩
  35. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts 2026 ↩
  36. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Safety on the Mountain ↩
  37. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Safety on the Mountain ↩
  38. SANBI Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (official site) · Safety on the Mountain ↩
  39. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩
  40. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Cape Town timetable 2026/2027 (PDF) ↩
  41. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · Blue Route Discovery Pass ↩
  42. City Sightseeing South Africa (operator official site) · FAQ Help Centre, Cape Town ↩

Related guides

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GuideThe red bus stops in orderGuideCamps Bay stopGuideTable Mountain and Waterfront stopsGuideBo-Kaap and city centre stops

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