January 2026

Celebrating my birthday in the breathtakingly beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Some websites claim that Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of the great botanical gardens of the world.

Could it be because:

  • It’s home to over 7,000 plant species.
  • This 528-hectare garden is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Few gardens can match the absolute grandeur of the Kirstenbosch setting.
  • The soft green grass, variety of plants, trees and flowers and then of course the beautiful Table Mountain that forms the backdrop of this garden, make it an absolute wonderworld to visit.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is only 13km/8 miles from Cape Town’s city centre and nestled against the eastern slopes of the iconic Table Mountain. Here you will find not only an enchanting carpet of colour and majestic mountains, but also absolute tranquility. A picnic in the beautiful garden with our friends sounded like the perfect way not only to celebrate my recent birthday but also to kick off the new year.

While we were waiting for our friends, Berto spoiled me with a takeaway cappuccino and pastel de nata at Vida e Café located at the entrance of the garden – a great start to a wonderful day.

Early picnic snack

It was interesting to see the display of flowers in the foyer that can currently be found in the garden. I immediately noticed the beautiful agapanthus and hoped to come across them. (Spoiler alert: There was plenty to see and smell).

Look out for these flowers during the middle of summer

After we paid the entrance fee, we walked towards the gate that provides access to the garden. (Note: South African residents get a discounted fee on presenting their ID/proof of residency).

On our way to the entrance gate

Even before we entered the garden, we could take a closer look at beautiful bonsai trees, as well as the display of artwork by a local artist.

Artwork at the entrance

Bonsai trees

Water feature at the entrance gate

After we entered the garden, the beautiful main green lawn stretched out before us. We decided to first look for shade under one of the many trees where we could enjoy our delicious picnic food and then take a walk through the garden.

Time to find a tree for our picnic

Visitors are allowed to bring their own picnic baskets, or they can purchase picnic baskets and/or takeaways at the Kirstenbosch Tea Room and Moyo restaurant. Remember that no chairs/tables/umbrellas are allowed, but you are welcome to bring your favourite picnic blanket.

Our picnic food spread out on our blankets

Just after we unpacked our picnic food, we were visited by guinea fowls. There was even a baby guinea fowl that strutted up close. (Fun fact: Did you know that baby guinea fowls are not called ‘chicks’, but rather ‘keets’?)

A visiting guinea fowl

A baby guinea fowl (keet)

And what is a birthday without sparkling wine and cupcakes? Remember to bring a bag for all the empty bottles/cans/paper. (Note: Kirstenbosch is a ‘no bins garden’ and visitors need to take their trash with them when they leave the garden.)

Sparkling wine and cupcakes for my birthday

It was one of the hottest days of the summer in Cape Town so far – a sizzling 36°C/96°F – and the shady trees provided lovely coolness while we enjoyed each other’s company.

One of the best birthday gifts ever – picnic with friends

After we enjoyed all the picnic food, we packed everything up and took it back to our vehicles. Now it was time to walk through the beautiful garden (a good idea to work off all the food we had just eaten).

Note: There is a lot of haziness in our photos – probably due to the high humidity and temperature of the day. It’s in any case impossible to capture the grandeur and beauty of Kirstenbosch in photos. I’m sure the garden is much greener (and cooler) during winter, but what could be better than walking through a beautiful botanical garden on a warm summer’s day?

A hot day at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

We decided to first walk to the well-known ‘Boomslang’ (meaning tree snake). This Tree Canopy Walkway is a curved steel and timber bridge that winds and dips its way through and over the trees of the Arboretum.

We were ready to walk up the steep slopes of Kirstenbosch

Beautiful nature on the way to the ‘Boomslang’

Beginning of the ‘Boomslang’

Walking over the trees of the Arboretum

View over the trees

Close up of the magnificent mountain

From the top of the ‘Boomslang’, we could see the Cycad Amphitheatre and followed the path towards this part of the garden.

View of the Cycad Amphitheatre

Walking down to the Cycad Amphitheatre

If you look closely at the next photo, you’ll actually see a dinosaur. Now you’re probably wondering, what is a dinosaur doing among the cycads, right? South Africa’s cycads are on the brink of extinction, and could soon face the same fate as the dinosaurs. The dinosaur sculptures were made by David Huni and the aim of the exhibition is to raise awareness about the threats faced by cycads, and to increase public participation and support for cycad conservation and research.

A dinosaur sculpture in the middle of the photo

Our next stop was at Colonel Bird’s Bath. It was built in approximately 1811 by Colonel Christopher Bird, Deputy Colonial Secretary.

This pathway leads to Colonel Bird’s Bath

Interesting tree next to the path

Colonel Bird built this bird-shaped pool (a play on his name) to collect the spring water, and let it stand and clarify before being piped to the house. The bath is fed by four crystal-clear, ice-cold springs.

Colonel Bird’s Bath

We spend a while at Colonel Bird’s Bath, relaxing in the shade by the icy water. It was now really hot, and the best spot in the botanical garden was in the shade of a tree.

This must be the best place in the garden on a hot day

There is still so much to see in the botanical garden (I would have loved to do the Fynbos Walk which is probably one of the most popular areas at Kirstenbosch), but it was just too hot to walk around in the sun any longer. We chose the shortest route and walked through the Water-Wise garden towards the exit.

Interesting trees on our way back to the gate

Back on the main pathways

People enjoying the shade of a big tree

Although we missed the Fynbos Walk, I was surprised to see a small display of fynbos in a glass box next to the pathway. These are my favourite flowers to see in nature, and I hope we can visit Kirstenbosch again during winter when the fynbos is usually at its most beautiful.

Fynbos display

Kirstenbosch is located on a very steep slope, and not all parts of the garden are wheelchair accessible. There are quite a few wheelchair-friendly areas, and a map is available at the entrance gates (also online) showing these paths.

There are steps in places which is not accessible to wheelchairs

And do you remember that I mentioned at the beginning of the post that we saw a lot of agapanthuses? It was a feast for the eyes to walk past an area covered with agapanthuses just before we left the garden.

The gorgeous agapanthus

Agapanthus in bloom

Although Kirstenbosch was founded in 1913, there is a hedge, called Van Riebeeck’s Hedge (after Jan van Riebeeck), which was planted in 1660 and still exists in the garden. It makes you wonder how old some of the many walls and stone paths are.

Old wall at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Our friends pose for a fun photo on one of the many benches

It was time to leave the beautiful garden of Kirstenbosch. We hurried to the café to buy ice cream and cold drinks.

One last look at the stunning agapanthuses

Oh, and make sure you don’t miss a visit to the Kirstenbosch Gift Shop. Here, the Cape Floral Kingdom is celebrated in the form of clothing, homeware, bath and body products, as well as crafts and souvenirs.

Inside the Kirstenbosch Gift Shop

Whether you are interested in unique plants and seeing them up close or would like to have a picnic under shady trees or maybe attend a music concert (during summer), you will not be disappointed that you chose Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden as your destination.

What a wonderful way to start 2026