Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (or Kirstenbosch) is situated on Rhodes Drive between Bishopscourt and Newlands, two of the most sought after and leafy suburbs in Cape Town. With several entrances you can always get a fresh perspective on the botanical gardens, which are set against a beautiful mountain backdrop. Enjoying nature, walking among the natural fauna and flora, there are many ways to experience Kirstenbosch.
You can visit the gardens alone. Reflective, peaceful and meditative tranquillity. Spreading out in all directions there are many places where you could find a quiet spot to close your eyes and breathe. Then, there’s also the exercise aspect with many getting the gardens to take a walk and literally stop and smell the roses.
The gardens play host to many tourist group and school visits, offering a diverse range of flowers and trees that also serve the purpose of studying natural science. Visitors are also welcome to picnic on the lawns, a popular destination for small get-togethers and low-key birthdays.
While Kirstenbosch Gardens caters to the simplest of pleasures for all ages, the venue has come to be known for its glorious music concerts and open-air cinema. During the warmer seasons you can watch a live performance from local and international acts or take in a starlit symphony concert with picnic.
It’s not quite Woodstock (or even trying to be) but makes a majestic setting nestled against the Eastern side of Table Mountain. On the balmy summer nights it could very well be just as memorable as a mud-soaked music festival. The open-air cinema is a seasonal screening event series of familiar favourites and crowd-pleasers, turning movie night into a mini festival with food vendors.
Kirstenbosch Gardens also serves as the starting point for many hikes, which branch out from the upper parking lot to Skeleton Gorge. One contour path from Cecilia Forest used to allow you into the gardens at no charge, but now requires you to stop by one of the entrance booths to pay (Adults R75, Students R40, Scholars R20). While the entrance fee is relatively expensive for locals, Kirstenbosch Gardens does offer attractive membership options as part of their Botanical Society, which could save regular visitors quite a bit over the course of the year.
While the charge may seem quite steep, it does enable the gardens to sustain their immaculate and manicured look. Kirstenbosch is also adjacent to Moyo, an African themed restaurant with a menu and ambiance to match the natural setting. The main entrance and centre has a Vida coffee shop, a few curio shops and an information centre offering a mini shopping experience.
Most Cape Town locals speak fondly of Kirstenbosch Gardens, an inviting place that encapsulates many fond memories of music concerts, picnics, movie-watching and fun restaurant get-togethers. It’s become a hub for tourist activity, also a stopover for the Red Bus tour, where you can hop on or off.
One of Cape Town’s main attractions, the gardens receive hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and bejewels the city, which is always try to keep a healthy balance between nature and infrastructure. If you’re wanting to become a regular, there’s a host of membership options, which allow you to become a principal member and invite a guest or join as a family.
Another popular feature of Kirstenbosch Gardens is the Boomslang, a snaking suspended walkway, giving you an aerial view of the gardens from the tree canopy. It seems that every couple of years the gardens add another wonderful feature to their repertoire. A sanctuary for indigenous plants and trees, allowing for botanical studies, the appeal has branched out in all directions making it a much loved and enjoyed hive of activity.
While it’s always there, the only challenge is making a point of visiting it more often. As a guest quest there are so many facets to this beautiful garden venue that it’s easy to schedule your next visit and any excuse will do!
One word review: Glorious
Kirstenbosch Gardens
Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Cape Town
8am to 7pm (Sep-Mar)
8am to 6pm (Apr-Aug)
Photo credits: Main – Mattias Hill, Ericas – Andrew Massyn