Cape Town From Above: Best Panoramic Views

Whenever I visit a new city, one of my favorite things to do is getting a bird's eye view of the area. This gives me a sense of the urban landscape and expanse, some amazing pictures, and all the feels. Fortunately, Mother Earth set up Cape Town pretty nicely for this pursuit.  If you've ever seen the skyline of Cape Town, you'll know it is dominated by one of the most incredible natural backdrops in the world: Table Mountain.

Table Mountain is within a National Park & Reserve and is reachable by hiking,  but it is also accessible by a (much more convenient) cable car. Either way, making it to the top should be a priority regardless of how long you spend here in Cape Town. You can spend hours walking around on top of it and enjoying the views of the city to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, suburbs to the east, and more mountain peaks in the south. On top, near the cable car station, you can also find a cafe and a souvenir shop.

If you look to the left of the picture and spot the lower peak that rises up to a point, you'll be looking at Lion's Head. This is probably the most popular hike for both tourists and locals alike. Whether it's for sunset, the views, or just for exercise, the trek to the top of Lion's Head is incredibly rewarding. But be warned: just because it's a popular hike doesn't mean it's easy. Though it only takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hours from the parking lot to the peak, the hike was a bit more challenging than I thought it would be. Be prepared with water, proper shoes, layers to manage the weather, and a few hiking buddies.

Once you make it to the top and catch your breath, it'll be taken away again by the view. It can get pretty crowded since the top isn't very big, but if you can find your own rock to sit on, relax and enjoy it for a while. It definitely feels like an accomplishment making it to the top, so be proud of yourself too! The cool part about Lion's Head being lower than Table Mountain is that you can clearly see how the city is settled inside almost a full circle of mountains. If you're lucky, you'll also see the "tablecloth", the incredible phenomenon of clouds swirling and hovering over the top of Table Mountain.

The truth is, pictures do these views no justice, so if you ever get an opportunity to take them in with your own eyes, make it happen!

The Mother City is waiting!