Kirstenbosch is said to be one of the great botanic gardens of the world. The gardens cover 36 hectare of a 528 hectare estate and are set against the dramatic backdrop of the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.
The gardens were created in 1913 to display and conserve the fantastically rich and diverse flora of South Africa. There are now 7,000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, and about 22,000 species indigenous to the whole of South Africa.
The best time to visit: Every season has its charm, however, to see the fynbos at its best and the maximum number of plants in flower, the best time to visit is towards the end of winter, in spring or in early summer (mid August- early November).
Author: Bob Saunders.
Restaurants There is a restaurant and a coffee shop with visitors centre that are open every day from 9am to 5pm and a Tea Room located in the Home Gardening Centre that opens at 8.30 in summer and 9am in winter and closes all year at 5pm.
Guided Tours Free Guided Garden Walks are offered Monday to Saturday, leaving from the Visitor Centre Information Desk at 10h00, no extra fee. All walks are approx. 90 minutes long
Disabled Access: All visitor facilities are wheelchair friendly, but Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden is set on a very steep gradient and not all areas of the garden are accessible to wheelchairs. Visitors in wheelchairs are urged not to visit the areas of the garden on the steep upper slopes, without assistance. Disabled parking bays and stop-and-drop zones are provided at Gates 1 and 2.