Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens: Same Trail, Different Attitude

This place is sometimes confused with the Pretoria Botanical Gardens.

By people.

Me. I am people.

It is not that place.

(I Know This Because I Checked. Eventually.)

Although, now that I think about it, the Pretoria one probably needs to go on my list too.

Anyway, this trail is one I first attempted with my sons, Salt and Pepper, back when my hiking journey was still firmly lodged in its "trial and error" era.

In my memory, it was short, savage, wildly technical - full-body scrambling all the way up - and only slightly traumatic.

(Lies. Very traumatic.)

The Waterfall

We saw the waterfall - the cinematic, show-offy one.

I was immediately excited to see what magic the uphill section would unlock.

It unlocked nothing.

The waterfall had already peaked. At the bottom.

Instead, the climb felt like punishment for… something.

A past-life misdeed?

A personality flaw?

Choosing cotton socks?

Unclear.

What WAS clear: the reward-to-suffering ratio was deeply offensive..

So I emotionally clocked out and fully committed to enjoying the walk back down the brick road instead -where there’s an outdoor gym and scenery that just casually shows off the entire time.

Expectations Off, Appreciation On

For my first hike of 2026, I returned ... with only Pepper.

The traitorous Salt has gone AWOL on me… but no matter - one less witness to my huffing and puffing.

This time? Entirely different experience.

Without "waterfall tunnel vision", I actually noticed the views at the top.

Stunning.

Totally worth the climb.

Turns out, when expectations leave the chat, enjoyment enters.

Yes, the incline is still rude - but it felt shorter.

Less dramatic.

Definitely none of the “deploy all four limbs” scrambling my brain had archived.

Which means those gazillion trails I’ve obsessively stumbled through over the last year or so have actually helped.

It would have been deeply concerning if they hadn’t, though.

About The Trail

This trail delivers a tough incline with intermittent stairs.

It’s technical in a “watch your footing on the way down” way - not a “climb like a distressed mountain goat up” way, despite what my memory insists.

Opening Times & The Heat

The gardens only open at 8 am, which honestly feels rude.

Start as early as humanly possible. This place gets busy, and the sun shows zero mercy the later you arrive.

Impeccably Maintained

Everything is immaculately maintained.

Trails, gardens, signage - it’s all fabulous.

Beyond the hike, the gardens themselves are beautiful. It’s one of those rare spaces where hikers, families, photographers, and casual wanderers coexist without judgement.

Also, a moment for Anton Smit’s sculptures: towering human figures, haunting heads, masks in steel and stone. Dramatic, moody and stunning.

Not Just For Hikers

Hiking aside, it feels like the perfect destination for people who:

Don’t want a hike

Don’t want anything technical

Just want beauty, nature, and calm

Same Place, New Perspective

Just when I thought I’d learned all my life lessons… the trail slapped me with another one.

The trail doesn’t change.

You do.

Fitness improves.

Expectations shift.

Appreciation deepens.

Rude incline aside, it’s a brutal but beautiful reminder that perspective is everything

RATINGS

Trail Information

AREA

Roodepoort

COST

R 100

Trail Details

TRAIL DIFFICULTY

Epic views that make you forget the incline just personally assaulted you.

TRAIL LENGTH

4 km

Short on paper. Long in feelings.

TRAIL MARKERS

Good… mostly

Go left. at the top. 

Trust me.

Or follow strangers if confused - outsourcing navigation is totally underrated.

WEATHER CONDITIONS TO CONSIDER

There is no poetic way to say this.

In summer - start early or suffer.

ABLUTIONS

SAFE FREE PARKING

AMENITIES

A coffee shop

Children’s playground

Plenty of shade under stunning trees for picnics.

NOTE TO SELF

Eye-rolling from Pepper increases in direct proportion to photo stops.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Yes

PET FRIENDLY

No

ON A FINAL NOTE

Yes, it’s tough.

But it’s also beautiful, rewarding, and absolutely worth returning to - whether you’re hiking hard or strolling slowly.

(TO)SOLO OR (NO)SOLO

(NO)SOLO for the actual hike.

But I am so returning - solo.

No incline goals or lung betrayal.

Just me, ground-level paths, and the freedom to wander left, right, and forward without someone aggressively rolling their eyes at my photo stops.

Yes. I am absolutely looking at you, Pepper.