LION'S HEAD Private Hike

Tour Pricing

📌 Note: Rates scale dynamically based on the total number of participants in your party. Please ensure you select the correct transport preference (Self-Drive vs. Transport Included) at checkout to match your itinerary needs.

Essential Details

Experience Overview

Experience some of the most spectacular vistas in the Cape with a hike up Lion's Head, Table Mountain's famous neighboring peak. This challenging yet rewarding ascent offers magnificent 360-degree views from the summit, overlooking the vibrant city and Table Bay on one side, and the stunning Atlantic Ocean coastline on the other.

The majority of the walk consists of a steep, but generally straightforward, route along a gravel road and rocky single track.

The final section is steeper, and you have two route options for the ultimate climb to the top:

1. The Thrilling Route: This exciting path involves a scramble up a section of boulders, assisted by chains and ladders. This option significantly increases the difficulty and adventure factor of the hike.
2. The Standard Route: This path allows you to bypass the chains and scrambling, offering a less intense but still steep and satisfying route to the summit.

Whether you choose the adventurous scramble or the standard path, this short, steep ascent guarantees truly unforgettable views.

Inclusions & Exclusions

• ✅ What’s Included: Round-trip transport if transported option was paid for (hotel pickup & drop off), a fully qualified professional mountain guide, a basic trail snack (1x chocolate bar) and baseline refreshments (1x 500ml bottle of water) per person.
• ❎ What’s Excluded: Round-trip transport if self-drive option was chosen (hotel pickup & drop off), extra snacks & refreshments, all items of a personal nature.

What to Wear & Bring

• Footwear: Proper walking or hiking shoes with excellent grip are essential. Smooth-soled shoes or sandals are highly dangerous on the steep granite paths.
• Clothing: Comfortable, flexible athletic clothing. Always bring a warm jacket, windbreaker, or rain shell, as the weather at the peak can change rapidly and drop in temperature, even in the summer.
• Sun Protection: High-SPF sunblock and a hat are crucial due to sun exposure along the ridge.
• Specialized Gear: If you have coordinated a sunrise itinerary slot, carrying a functional flashlight or hands-free headlamp is mandatory for navigating the dark rocky tracks safely before dawn.
• Supplies: It is advised to pack extra snacks and supplementary water to stay energized and hydrated.

Safety Rules & Participant Requirements

Lion's Head is a rewarding spiral ascent that offers continuous, uninterrupted views, and summits at 669 meters above sea level. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to hike to the top of Lions Head and 1 hour to hike back down. The Lion’s Head hiking route is surrounded by uninterrupted views throughout the hike.

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Physical Fitness Profile: A moderate difficulty rating requires an average to fit physical level. The trail features stone steps, uneven rocky tracks, ladders, and vertical climbing sections.
• Terrain: Single rocky track, stone steps, ladders, scrambling sections.
• Minimum Age: Participants must be at least 8-10 years old.
  The recommended absolute minimum age for a guided hike up and down Lion's Head is 8 to 10 years old. Children this young must possess physical coordination, excellent agility, reach, stamina and be comfortable with steep drop-offs/steep scrambling sections, metal ladders, and chains.
• Indemnity Waivers: All participants must sign on-site safety waivers/indemnity form to partake in the hike. Guests under 18 years old require a parent or legal guardian to sign on their behalf.
• Prohibited Items & Conduct:
  • Safety & Pacing: For your own safety and that of the group, running, racing, or reckless behavior of any kind is strictly prohibited on the trail. Hikers must remain with the group and are not permitted to overtake or move ahead of the guide at any stage of the trek.
  • Prohibited: No person under the influence—or suspected of being under the influence—of alcohol or illegal substances will be allowed to participate. No alcohol or illegal substances may be brought onto the mountain trails.
  • Food & Waste: No loose or uncontained food items are permitted on the trek.
• Environmental Responsibility:
  • Nature Reserve: The mountain trails are part of a protected environmental network. Littering is strictly forbidden; all trash must be carried back out with you.
  • Best Practice: We ask all guests to implement best-practice conservation principles: respect local wildlife, reduce personal waste, and actively protect the area's biodiversity.

Pick-Up & Transport Information

⚠️ Please Note: This section is only applicable to guests who have booked this activity with transport included. If you booked the self-drive option, please follow your specific arrival instructions.

• Pick-Up Window: Morning collection generally takes place between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM in summer and 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM in winter. Your exact collection time is tentative and subject to change. The final schedule relies heavily on weather tracking and a final conditions check.
• Pick-Up Time Confirmation: Our operations team finalizes the most efficient collection and start times the day before departure. A Cape Xtreme consultant will reach out to you directly during the day or afternoon prior to your tour to confirm your exact collection time.

Booking Terms & Cancellations

View our full Terms & Conditions online here: www.capextreme.com/terms

Cancellation / Refund Policy

PRIVATE & CUSTOM TOURS CANCELLATION POLICY
Please be advised that the cancellation fee & refund percentage (%) is applicable to the TOTAL tour/activity price LESS a less 5% transaction fee in the case of online or POS card transactions made for payment. This represents a direct bank processing cost and is not a revenue-generating charge.

Cancellation or changes:

• 30 days or more prior to tour date = 80% Refund
• 29-15 days prior to tour date = 50% Refund
• 14-0 days prior to tour date, late arrivals or “NO-SHOWS” = 0%/No Refund

❗️Late arrivals and/or no-shows for a tour/activity/time slot, regardless of the reason, unfortunately forfeit the full booking. Similar to booking an airline ticket; the plane will not wait for any passenger that is late. Please ensure you are on time for your booking.
❗️All transaction/transfer fees and/or forex conversion costs charged by the banks during the refund process will be billed to you (the client/booking holder)
❗️Refund and credit values are calculated in our local ZAR (South African Rand) currency. Transaction values in your own currency could be affected due to bank fees and currency exchange fluctuations.