Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.
It lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful garden in Africa and one of the great botanic gardens of the world. It deserves being the best-known of South Africa's nine national botanical gardens, thanks to its stunning scenery, diverse flora and themed gardens. This botanical garden is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (a first for Kirstenbosch) and is a must-see for anyone visiting Cape Town.

Kirstenbosch was established in 1913 to promote, conserve and display the extraordinarily rich and diverse flora of southern Africa, and was the first botanic garden in the world to be devoted to a country's indigenous flora.The land now occupied by the Kirstenbosch Gardens was bequeathed to the Nation by Cecil Rhodes, who died in 1902. The Kirsten part of the name is believed to be the surname of the manager of the land, J.F. Kirsten, in the 18th century. The bosch part of the name is a Dutch word for 'forest' or 'bush'.

The garden is located only 13km from Cape Town city centre and boast over 7,000 plant species, including many rare and threatened species.The 36-hectare garden is part of a 528-hectare estate that contains protected mountainside supporting natural forest and fynbos along with a variety of animals and birds. The Kirstenbosch Estate borders the Table Mountain National Park and the Garden merges seamlessly with the natural fynbos and forest of the mountain. It covers five of South Africa's six different biomes and is administered by the South African Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), founded in 1951.
Kirstenbosch displays a wide variety of the unique plant life of the Cape Flora, also known as fynbos, including sugarbushes (Protea spp.), pincushions (Leucospermum spp.) and heaths (Erica spp.). Plants from all the diverse regions and biomes of southern Africa are also grown at Kirstenbosch, including a near-complete collection of cycads (Encephalartos spp.). Their mission is to promote the sustainable use, conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich plant and animal life of South Africa, for the benefit of all people.
Operational Hours
The Garden is open 365 days a year- Sep-Mar (Summer): Mon-Sun
- 08h00-19h00
- Apr-Aug (Winter): Mon-Sun
- 08h00-18h00
- Conservatory: Mon-Sun
- 09h00 -17h00
Contact Information
- Telephone +27(0)21 799 8783
- Ticket Office +27(0)21 799 8782
- Garden Office (weekdays only)
- +27(0)21 799 8899
- Fax: +27(0)21 797 6570
- Email: Kirstenboschinfo@sanbi.org.za
