Free entry to Cape Town nature reserves this Heritage Day weekend

Cape Town residents looking for something to do over the Heritage Day long weekend will be able to explore some of the city’s natural spaces without paying an entrance fee.

The City of Cape Town is offering free entry to four of its nature reserves from Thursday, 24 September to Sunday, 27 September 2026, allowing residents to get outdoors and explore the city’s natural heritage.

The offer forms part of the City’s Heritage Month celebrations and coincides with the Heritage Day weekend.

Four Cape Town nature reserves will offer free entry

The free-entry offer applies to Blaauwberg, Helderberg, Table Bay and Tygerberg nature reserves.

These reserves usually charge entrance fees, making the long weekend an opportunity to visit them without the usual entry cost.

The City is encouraging residents to use the weekend to discover a reserve they may not have visited before.

“This Heritage Month we want to celebrate Cape Town’s natural heritage,” said Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

He said the reserves protect the city’s landscapes and biodiversity while also providing places where residents can experience and enjoy nature.

There are plenty of other reserves to explore

The four reserves included in the free-entry offer are not the only places where residents can enjoy Cape Town’s natural heritage.

The City manages a wider network of nature reserves and conservation areas that residents can ordinarily visit free of charge.

These areas protect Cape Town’s biodiversity while giving residents access to spaces for walking, hiking, birdwatching, picnicking and other nature-based activities.

The City’s wider network includes:

• Blaauwberg Nature Reserve
• Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve
• Botterblom Nature Reserve
• Bracken Nature Reserve
• Durbanville Nature Reserve
• Edith Stephens Nature Reserve
• False Bay Nature Reserve
• Harmony Flats Nature Reserve
• Helderberg Nature Reserve
• Paardevlei Nature Reserve
• Schapenberg Nature Reserve
• Steenbras Nature Reserve
• Table Bay Nature Reserve
• Tygerberg Nature Reserve
• Uitkamp Wetland Nature Reserve
• Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve
• Wolfgat Nature Reserve
• Zandvlei Nature Reserve

What can you do there?

The reserves offer plenty of ways to spend the Heritage Day weekend outdoors.

Depending on the reserve, visitors can go for a walk or hike, look for birds, enjoy the spring landscape or pack a picnic for a family outing.

The City is particularly encouraging residents to use the weekend to explore their local natural environment and discover parts of Cape Town’s conservation network they may not have encountered before.

The timing also means visitors can enjoy the city’s natural spaces as spring gets into full swing, with opportunities to see seasonal blooms and wildlife.

However, free entry does not mean every activity inside the reserves is free.

Normal charges will still apply to other permitted recreational activities, including water sports.