Imagine rising above treetops, suspended in a walkway that curves like a serpent through forest and sky. That’s exactly what awaits visitors at Kirstenbosch’s Tree Canopy Walkway — a thrilling bridge between earth and air, where botanical beauty meets architectural elegance.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden already had the reputation. Nestled against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town, it’s long been celebrated as one of the world’s greatest gardens. But the canopy walkway — dubbed the Boomslang (tree snake) — adds a new dimension. Suddenly, rather than strolling through flower beds, you’re strolling among the branches.
On the ground, you enter the Arboretum, wandering past the Protea Garden, Cycad Amphitheatre, The Dell, Mathews Rockery, and the Concert Lawn. Then a narrow steel‑and‑timber ramp leads you upward. You start low, step by step, and then you’re in the canopy, gliding through forest arms. The walkway curves, dips, rises. At its highest, it crests over 12 meters above ground, giving you a rare eagle‑eye view over the garden and forest canopy.
It’s 130 meters long — slender, purposeful. Most of the time it feels intimate, even a bit fragile, but that’s precisely the appeal. The design hides in plain sight. From below, you almost don’t see it. Intermittent widening gives space to pause, lean on railings, frame a view. You look out. Table Mountain anchors the horizon. The garden’s mosaics of green spread below you.
Walking the Boomslang isn’t just about height. It’s about scale and silence. While your heartbeat might skip, you also feel small in a generous way — part of the living wood around you. Leaves overhead filter light. A soft rustle. The railway of branches sways. You feel both elevated and grounded.
It’s accessible: the walkway is included in the garden’s entry fee (around €4). No extra tickets, no hidden charges. Good design and inclusivity. Even wheelchairs can use parts of it, though getting to the start may demand effort (some steep paths in the Arboretum). The walkway is built with care — minimal intrusion, respectful of trees, discreet in its presence. You don’t feel imposed upon nature; rather, you feel welcomed into its rhythm.
If I could advise you: go at golden hour. The slanting light through leaves, long shadows, and first evening chill — that’s when the magic heightens. Pause in a widened spot. Peel your gaze from fountain to forest. Let the breeze brush your face. You’ll come away thinking not only, “I saw this view,” but “I lived it.”
The Boomslang isn’t just an attraction. It’s an invitation: step above, lean out, and let your perspective shift—from seeing the forest, to being in it.
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