Lion’s Head Trail Hike Guide
Lion’s Head is a rewarding trail in Cape Town most often hiked for sunrise and sunset views over the coast.
Depending on how long you’ll stay at the top, plan for 1.5 hours of hiking. We encountered some trail runners and seriously fast peeps while hiking so it can deff be done faster! I always need a break or two on these mountain uphills…
If you’re hiking during sunrise or sunset, you should bring a flashlight or headlamp with you just in case!
Overview
- Difficulty: 2/4
- 1.5 hours—50 min up and 40 minutes down
- Highlight: a short hike for rewarding views over Cape Town
Lion’s Head Trail Hike Guide
The Beginning
Park or have an uber drop you off at the Lion’s Head Hiking Trail start point. If you’re running low on caffeine on a morning hike, there is a small hut with some drinks and snacks.
The initial incline is not that bad so hopefully, you’re in good spirits!
p.s. we ran into a puff adder snake while on the Lion’s Head trail hike! They are common in South Africa and are very dangerous as they blend in with dirt trail paths. If you encounter one, don’t provoke it and just keep away until it slithers away. The one we found made moves off the trail once we saw it and stopped. There was a young girl in front of us and she didn’t even see the snake!
Check out the puff adder on the right!
The Middle
Once you’ve climbed the mountain and only the rocky portion is left on the Lion’s Head trail hike! You’ll have the option of taking a longer way around to loop to the top (the “recommended route” or you can take the ladders up and climb. The views are ahmazinggg.
If you feel you’re missing out if you don’t take the ladder route, there are still 2 or 3 left to reach the tippy top of Lion’s Head. We did the loop because we had some slow-moving people ahead of us who were already using the ladders. You can take the ladder route down, so you get the full picture.
Once at the top, you get incredible views of Camps Bay, Table Mountain, Signal Hill, and the harbor.
The weather changes quickly up here! When we first sat down to enjoy the views, the sun was shining. A couple of minutes later when I stood up to have my picture taken, the clouds rolled in, and eventually, we made our way down.
Sad vibes for my photo… But it cleared up for a second (top right picture).
The End
Obvi, you can go back the way you came.
Or you can take the loop towards Signal Hill and the Shrine of Sheikh Mohamed Hassen Ghaibie Shah. On this trail, you could also continue to the trail to the end of Signal Hill.
To get on this trail, take a right after the path transitions from the rocky staircase to gravel (here on Google Maps).
An uber will pick you up anywhere on Signal Hill Road, though they will have to U-turn so be considerate of where you request it as the road is narrow.
What did you think of the Lion’s Head Hiking Guide? Let me know in the comments!