Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Information

What’s a visit to Cape Town without taking a little time to explore a few of the top attractions that have made the city famous?

Join us for a full day of seeing some of the best sights in and around Cape Town with a lovely stop at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Newlands. 

Attractions in Cape Town: Kirstenbosch 

Just a short drive and only 13km from the city centre, you'll find one of Cape Town's most visited destinations.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is internationally acclaimed as one of the seven most magnificent botanical gardens in the world and the first botanic garden in the world to be included within a natural World Heritage Site. Spend the better half of the morning exploring the cultivated gardens and nature reserve. (Own expense)

Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Towns Table Mountain. The 1,305-acre (528-hectare) site contains over 7000 species of plants from southern Africa and falls under the Cape Floristic Region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For many plant lovers, scent plays an important role in enjoying a garden, and you'll get the chance to not only see magnificent and numerous plant species but also smell pleasantly scented breezes wafting from all directions of the garden. 

Birds are abundant at Kirstenbosch, particularly in the Garden – more than 125 species have been recorded.

Fragrance Scent Gardens 

Explore the fragrance garden and have fun trying to identify the unique and medicinal scents. The fragrance garden was grown for its pleasant smell and healing properties that come from the plant's leaves which produce pungent scents when rubbed.

Top things to see and do in Kirstenbosch

The developed garden displays collections of southern African plants including many rare and endangered species.

There are also visitor facilities in the garden including restaurants, a nursery, a gift shop, a bookshop a braille trail, a cycad amphitheater a Protea garden (best seen in spring!), and a permanent exhibition of Zimbabwean stone sculptures.

There is also the Botanical Society Conservatory, which houses plants from the continent’s more arid regions.

Don't miss a visit to the popular Boomslang (tree snake) attraction. In 2013, Kirstenbosch's centenary was celebrated with the building of a 130-meter-long curved tree canopy walkway in its arboretum, the structure built by local architect Mark Thomas and engineer Henry Fagan

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden entry fees from 1 August 2021

Standard fees
Standard Adult: R200
Students from a South African institute (with student card): R45 *

All Scholars/Learners (6 – 17 years): R25

All Children under 6 years: Free

All BotSoc members (with membership card): Free

South African residents over the age of 60 (with ID): Free on Tuesdays except on public holidays

Fee for South African Residents & SADC Nationals 
South African Residents & SADC Nationals 18 years and older (with ID): R80
Fee for African Nationals **
African National Residents 18 years and older (with ID): R120

Click to see a virtual tour of Kirstenbosch