I want to sleep on Table Mountain!

So many people are dreaming about this. To sleep on Table Mountain. To see the stars so near and bright. But is this something that can really be possible? Will it be safe and is there any way that you can make this dream come true?
For sure, you aren’t the only one that wants to sleep on Table Mountain. The only thing is that it is quite hard to figure out if this is something that you can do. Are you allowed to take your sleeping bag and food to camp out on Table Mountain? These are some things that you should know and consider about sleeping on Table Mountain.

Is sleeping on Table Mountain really possible?
Wouldn’t it be great if this was really possible? Waking up to the most beautiful view in the world? The surface of the mountain is quite flat, so why can’t you sleep on the mountain?
This is every tourist’s dream. To camp out on the mountain for a night. Or, even for a weekend. The good news is that this is possible to sleep on Table Mountain. There are some cottages where you can sleep. You might have seen it when you were walking around on the mountain. It is hidden between the natural habitat of the mountain, so you should look carefully before you can actually see the cabins. However, the good news is that staying on Table Mountain can be more than just a dream. It can come true. You can, in fact, sleep on the mountain!

Why do you want to sleep on Table Mountain?
Why are there people that want to sleep on Table Mountain? There is nothing but a restaurant and some fynbos on the mountain. This is great to go up the mountain during the day. Enjoy the views and eat a great meal at the restaurant. But, to sleep there?
The thing is that during the night, the views from Table Mountain is completely different. You will have a completely new outlook of the Mountain. The stars will shine brighter, and you will see the lights of ships, and of Cape Town. This is a view that you will not see anywhere else. And, the only way that you can see it, is by making some time to sleep on the mountain. This is something that you as a tourist will never be able to do again. Away from the city, away from the noise and just you and the mountain. What more do you really want in life?

Taking your sleeping bag and sleep on the mountain?
Now, you might be wondering if you can take your sleeping bag and spend the night on the mountain. Finding a spot where you can be comfortable and sleep there for the night?
No, this isn’t what we mean. And, no this isn’t allowed for you to just take your sleeping bag and spend the night on the mountain. You should go with a tour group that is taking people on the overnight Table Mountain hikes. Then, you can spend the night as a group of people on the mountain. Making it a lot safer for you. You can get in serious trouble if you are just camping there, without permission or without the overnight hike group. This is a nature reserve and sleeping in a sleeping bag anywhere on the mountain is going to get you in trouble.

Are there any overnight facilities on the mountain?
This is a big surprise. Yes, there are a couple of overnight facilities on the mountain that you can make use of. You should make sure that you are making bookings ahead of time, but this is really possible to find a cottage or two on the mountain.
The overnight hikes, for example, have their own cottages where they can overnight when they are taking tourists on the overnight hike. This isn’t luxurious cottages that you will find in Cape Town, itself. However, there is everything that you need to have to be comfortable during the night. Making a booking for the overnight hike is easy. Everything that you need can be found at the tourist information station in Cape Town and online. Online, you can make the bookings directly and easily.
Then, there are cottages that you can rent for spending the night on the mountain. These are private cottages that you can rent from Table Mountain National Park. You can even spend the weekend there with friends and family. There are some strict rules to ensure that you don’t damage the park or the mountain.

Overnight hikes that let you sleep in the cottages on the mountain
Overnight hikes are when you are going on a hike that is taking more than just a couple of hours. You need two days to complete the whole hike. There is such a hike on Table Mountain. And, therefore, they need to have overnight facilities for the hikers.
You can only do this hike with a guide, so making a booking to a tour group for the hike is important. This isn’t one of those hikes that you can do by yourself, by just following the guides on the route. But it is worth it, to make the booking and to take the overnight hike. Normally these overnight hikes are fully booked, so booking beforehand is essential if you want to experience sleeping on the mountain before returning home.
It will give you a completely new way of appreciating nature and the wonder of Table Mountain. The overnight facilities for the overnight hikes aren’t luxurious, but you won’t sleep on the floor in your sleeping bag. The last tip is that you can’t really take children with you on this hike. The walk is too much for them. Teenagers won’t have a problem with this walk, but this is difficult to take this hike with smaller children. They will get too tired to continue.

What should you take with you for an overnight hike on Table Mountain
If you never have done an overnight hike before, it might be difficult to know what you should take with you. Especially, when you are going to do the overnight hike on Table Mountain with the rest of a tour group.
Normally, these tour groups ensure that there are food and drinks at the overnight facilities on the mountain. But, snacks for the two days, is your responsibility. Taking enough water with you are also essential to make sure that you are staying hydrated.
With clothing, you need to take warm, weatherproof clothing with you. You will not know when the weather is going to change. An extra pair of clothing for day 2 is also essential. You don’t want to walk in the same clothes as the day before. It is going to be filthy and sweaty. Or, even wet. It is best to take clothing for all weather conditions with you. But you should remember to keep your bag light. You are going to carry it the whole time that you are hiking. So, the more you are going to pack, the heavier you are going to carry.

Renting cottages for the weekend or for an overnight stay on the mountain
This is the good news. You don’t need to attend the overnight hike in order to stay on the mountain. This is your second option for sleeping on the mountain. There are a couple of cottages that you can rent for a weekend. Or, just for one night if this is what you prefer.
The cottages are large enough for a whole family, or for a group of friends. So, making this an experience that you can enjoy with friends and family, is possible. The one thing that is essential to remember is that these cottages are limited. There aren’t many of them. So, making sure that you are booking beforehand is really essential. This is to make sure that you are able to sleep on the mountain when you are visiting Cape Town, South Africa.
These cottages are a bit more luxurious than the overnight hike cottages. However, this is still not offering you 5-star accommodation. This is units that you need to clean yourself and where you should prepare your own food if you don’t want to eat in the restaurant every day. But it is offering you enough to have a wonderful, dream come true, with sleeping on the mountain. And, experiencing a completely different view from the mountain.

You are visiting Cape Town for the first time. And, you see the great Table Mountain, the first thing that you think is that you want to sleep there, for a night or two. Is this really something that you can do? The answer is yes. There are cottages that you can rent, and there are overnight hikes that let you sleep on the mountain. But this is the only way that you can sleep on the mountain. You can’t just go up the mountain with your sleeping bag and sleep there overnight. This will get you into trouble. But, with the hike or renting the cottage, you are going to have a view that you will never see, ever again.