Hiking trails in Constantia

Browse trails in Constantia, Cape Town.

Constantia covers the widest range of any suburb on this list, from flat picnic lawns to some of Table Mountain's toughest ascents. Kirstenbosch is the hub: its shaded picnic lawns sit at the foot of Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge, two hard, ladder-and-rock-step routes up the mountain's forested eastern face that are often combined into a loop. Lower down, the Constantia Nek – De Villiers Dam circuit and Cecilia Forest's waterfall loop are dog-friendly and less demanding, while Groot Constantia's wine-estate picnics are pre-booked baskets on the lawns rather than bring-your-own.

Parking and access differ by listing too: Kirstenbosch's paid parking fills quickly during its summer Sunday concerts, while Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge both start from the free Kirstenbosch garden entrance and are commonly linked into a single loop by hikers going up one and down the other. Groot Constantia's picnic baskets need at least 24 hours' advance booking through the estate directly, and the Constantia Nek circuit's lower slopes require a SANParks 'My Activity' dog-walking permit even though dogs are otherwise welcome on the route.

6 listings are shown here, graded 2 hard. 3 of 6 are dog-friendly.

Near you

6 trails listed.

Name Area Distance Grade Fee Hours Dogs
Cecilia Forest Waterfall Trail Constantia, Cape Town — — See listing — Yes
Constantia Nek - De Villiers Dam Circuit Constantia, Cape Town — — See listing — Yes
Groot Constantia Estate Picnics Constantia, Cape Town — — See listing — Yes
Kirstenbosch Picnic Lawns Constantia, Cape Town — — R110 08:00–19:00 September–March. 08:00–18:00 April–August. No
Nursery Ravine Constantia, Cape Town — hard R110 08:00–19:00 September–March. 08:00–18:00 April–August. No
Skeleton Gorge Constantia, Cape Town — hard R110 08:00–19:00 September–March. 08:00–18:00 April–August. No
The Twelve Apostles mountain range above the Atlantic seaboard, Cape Town
Cape Town region · representative photo, not this trail

Cecilia Forest Waterfall Trail

Constantia, Cape Town

TMNP forest walk from the Rhodes Drive car park to seasonal Cecilia Waterfall — My Activity for dogs, no SANParks-published kilometre figure.

  • Dogs OK
The Twelve Apostles mountain range above the Atlantic seaboard, Cape Town
Cape Town region · representative photo, not this trail

Constantia Nek - De Villiers Dam Circuit

Constantia, Cape Town

A busier, relatively safe loop from Constantia Nek past a mountain dam.

  • Dogs OK
The Twelve Apostles mountain range above the Atlantic seaboard, Cape Town
Cape Town region · representative photo, not this trail

Groot Constantia Estate Picnics

Constantia, Cape Town

Estate lawns at South Africa's oldest wine farm, with picnic baskets supplied by the on-site restaurants rather than bring-your-own.

  • Picnic
  • Dogs OK
The Twelve Apostles mountain range above the Atlantic seaboard, Cape Town
Cape Town region · representative photo, not this trail

Kirstenbosch Picnic Lawns

Constantia, Cape Town

Open lawns below the botanical gardens' Boomslang canopy walkway, with mountain views and shaded picnic spots.

  • Picnic
  • No dogs
  • 08:00–19:00 September–March. 08:00–18:00 April–August.
Entry from R110
The Twelve Apostles mountain range above the Atlantic seaboard, Cape Town
Cape Town region · representative photo, not this trail

Nursery Ravine

Constantia, Cape Town · hard

SANBI’s steep, mostly stepped climb from Kirstenbosch — the usual descent after Skeleton Gorge, under Castle Rock.

  • No dogs
  • 08:00–19:00 September–March. 08:00–18:00 April–August.
Entry from R110
The Twelve Apostles mountain range above the Atlantic seaboard, Cape Town
Cape Town region · representative photo, not this trail

Skeleton Gorge

Constantia, Cape Town · hard

SANBI’s Smuts Track from the Kirstenbosch Fragrance Garden — about 5.5 hours up and down, ladders and a stream-bed scramble.

  • No dogs
  • 08:00–19:00 September–March. 08:00–18:00 April–August.
Entry from R110

Run a trail here? Get listed free, or ask about a featured slot from R1 990 a year.

Where are hiking trails in Constantia?
Hikeza lists Cecilia Forest Waterfall Trail; Constantia Nek - De Villiers Dam Circuit; Groot Constantia Estate Picnics; Kirstenbosch Picnic Lawns; Nursery Ravine; Skeleton Gorge in Constantia, Cape Town. Compare distance, fee and dogs on each listing.
Which listings in Constantia have published hours?
Kirstenbosch Picnic Lawns; Nursery Ravine; Skeleton Gorge print hours from the official page. Set Hours to Published. A dash in the Hours column means we have not found published hours — confirm before you go.

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