These 5.28 square kilometers of botanical gardens combine space and unique flora to be among the most beautiful gardens in the world. Gate 1 is the main entrance at the Newlands end of the gardens, where you’ll find the information centre, an excellent souvenir shop and the conservatory.
Added for Garden Century in 2013, popular Tree Canopy Walkway. (Informally known as ‘Booms Long’, meaning snake of trees) is a curving steel and timber bridge that passes through the trees and offers amazing views.
The gardens run free guided walks, or you can hire a MyGuide electronic gizmo (R40) to get recorded information about the various plants you’ll pass on the signposted circular walk.
More than 7000 of South Africa’s 22,000 plant species are grown here, including the famous fynbos (literally ‘fine bush’; mainly proteas, heaths and erica) of the Cape Floral Kingdom. You will find an aroma garden that is elevated so that you can more easily take in the fragrance of the plants. braille trail; A kopje (hill) planted with pelargoniums; a sculpture garden; a section devoted to ‘useful’ medicinal plants; two hiking trails up Table Mountain (Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Vine); and the main remnant of Van Riebeeck’s Hedge, a hedge of wild almonds planted by Jan von Riebeek in 1660 to form the boundary of a Dutch outpost.
The outdoor summer sunset concerts, held here on Sundays between November and April, are a Cape Town institution. The gardens are a stop on the city sightseeing bus. Calm Gate 3 (aka Rycroft Gate) is the first point you’ll approach Rhodes Dr. Gardens from the south. There are three cafes including the excellent Kirstenbosch Tea Room.