Taste + Tram the Winelands Tour: Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Paarl
Description
Be swept away by the tastes and sights of the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek wine region. Sample local wines and also paired with artisanal cheeses or seasonal produce. Indulge with Fairview's Farmer Tasting as you sample a selection of fine wines paired to perfection with a spread of cheeses. Continue on to the quaint town of Franschhoek to uncover the beauty of this region aboard a vintage style railway tram while sipping on a glass of world-renowned vino from the surrounding vineyards. Hop on the Franschhoek Wine Tram for a short 2-5 minute one way journey through the vineyards to reach Rickety Bridge winery (or similar) for a standard wine tasting of 3 of their wines. On the way back to Cape Town you'll stop at one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms, Muratie Winery near Stellenbosch. Taste their port-style wines to end the day with this sweet tasting experience before a lazy late afternoon drive back towards Cape Town.
Tour Options
Itinerary
-- Please Note: This tour may be outsourced to a different tour supplier. -- Meet your guide at your accommodation in central Cape Town, and then set off in an air-conditioned minivan to begin your full-day tour of the Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Winelands. Our wine experts custom-designed this tour to give you a real taste of the Cape winelands region. Sample local produce, learn about flavour profiles and vintages and savour time sitting back and sampling some of South Africa’s finest with lines upon lines of vineyard views. Your day starts on the south-western slopes of the Paarl Mountain Range where incredible views and a farmer's tasting experience await at the world-renowned Fairview Estate. You'll pair artisanal cheese, produced at the onsite cheesery with fine reds and whites, giving you an out-of-this-world pairing experience coupled with the in-depth knowledge of the wines you are tasting.
Continue on to the quaint town of Franschhoek to uncover the beauty of this region aboard a vintage style railway tram while sipping on a glass of world-renowned vino from the surrounding vineyards, with one stop at a local wine estate - either Rickety Bridge or Plaisir Wine Estate, subject to the train's daily route and availability. The tram ride usually last about 5 minutes to the wine tasting farm.
When the wine is flowing, it’s easy to work up a big appetite, so it’s off down country laneways lined with leafy vineyards to the foothills of the Franschhoek Valley for a well-earned lunch stop. Whether it’s the weekend farmer's market or a sunny roadside cafe in Franschhoek's old town - just go with the flow and enjoy your free time in South Africa’s epicurean capital, with its multitude of eateries. You’ll have time to soak up the history of this town and learn more about the French Huguenots who arrived in the Seventeenth Century; browse the art galleries and arts & crafts shops for souvenirs along the main street and enjoy lunch at a deli or street corner cafe.
When arriving at the local winery's train platform, you'll disembark for a short walk and wander towards the farm's tasting room. The standard route usually stops at historic Rickety Bridge. Relax and enjoy an included Estate Wine Tasting; savouring 3 favourites with stunning valley views as backdrop. On days when the Franschhoek Wine Tram route heads towards the Simonsberg Mountains, the tram stops at picturesque Plaisir Wine Estate for the included tasting to sample a choice of 3 of their estate range wines.
Just north of Stellenbosch tucked in a picturesque corner of the Knorhoek Valley lies one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms, Muratie, dating back to 1685. Wine tasting in historic Muratie happens in ancient carved-out cement fermentation wine-making tanks. This is where the first Pinot Noir in South Africa was crafted, and the location where you'll experience the perfect tasting of sweet-toned port-style wines. End with a lazy drive back and a late afternoon drop-off at your Cape Town or Stellenbosch accommodation.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Hotel pickup & drop-off within 5km in Cape Town central. You'll receive your pickup time for your pickup location during the checkin process a day before the tour.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 8 years
- Must be 18 years and older for wine tasting
- Children between 8 and 17 years must be accompanied by an adult
- Contact supplier to arrange departure time, further details on voucher
- Please note: Minimum of passengers per tour apply.
- Personal comprehensive travel insurance is excluded and recommended.
- If some wine, farms or wine pairing options are unavailable during certain times of the week or season, we reserve the right to offer a similar type or value alternative.
- *Muratie's chocolate wine pairing experience will be discontinued by April 2024, and will be replaced with a similar value of wine tasting experience.
Reviews(60)
I've been in South Africa so many times, and always with Hotspots2c. I've been there on this tour to Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek for 3 times and now was my 4th time and of course it was perfect again. Our guide Uriel I already knew and it was amazing to meet him again with all his patience, friendship, knowledge and i can say that we had lots of funny moments with all group. He's more than perfect!!!!! We've been in 3 amazing wineries and all were perfects and with amazing wines. The first one (Farmview) was my preferred. I can't wait to visit Cape Town again and I'm sure I'll want to be back with Hotspots2c. ❤️🇿🇦📍🤩
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re overjoyed to hear that your 4th tour with us was just as perfect as the previous ones. It’s amazing to have guests like you who keep coming back for more incredible experiences! It’s great to know that guide Uriel once again made your tour unforgettable with his patience, friendship, and fun moments. He truly has a special way of connecting with guests, and we’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. It sounds like the wineries were a highlight of the trip, and we’re so happy to hear that Fairview was your favorite. We’re already looking forward to welcoming you back on your next adventure with Hotspots2C in Cape Town! Thanks again for your trust and support. We can’t wait to see you again soon! From, Team Hotspots2C
We had a wonderful day exploring the winelands with our tour guide Ulrich. Ulrich was really friendly, chatty and knowledgeable – we really enjoyed speaking to him and learning more about the Cape & SA on our journeys to and between tastings. All 3 tastings were really enjoyable and all take place in beautiful surroundings. Getting to go on the wine tram briefly was also a lot of fun. We enjoyed having a brief break at the farmers market which was a great spot to grab some lunch. The whole day was very enjoyable and very well organised – thank you Ulrich for a wonderful day!
Hi EdinAle, thank you for this 'wine'tastic 5-star review! Your day in the Cape Winelands sounds absolutely delightful! It's fantastic to hear that local guide Ulrich made your experience so enjoyable with his friendly way and a wealth of knowledge about South Africa. Exploring the tastings in such beautiful surroundings must have been a treat for the senses! And how fun to hop on the wine tram for a brief adventure. Here's to more wonderful adventures and delicious wines in the future! Thank you for choosing to travel with us and for supporting our #tour2cchange movement. Your adventure not only created unforgettable memories for you but also contributed to meaningful community projects through our non-profit 2Cchange. Together, we're making a positive impact wherever we roam. Keep'on adventuring - South Africa has much more to explore... let us know, we can take you there, - from Team Hotspots2c
My wife and I had a great day visiting the wine region on 10th Feb. Our private tour guide was TK. He was very knowledgeable and really easy to get along with. A big thanks to him.
Hi Robert! Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so happy to hear you and your wife had a fantastic day exploring the beautiful wine region with guide TK. It's great to know he made the day both informative and enjoyable. We'll definitely pass along your big thanks to him. Cheers to many more wonderful adventures with Hotspots2C!
Great day out, made very enjoyable by the group who were on this trip with us and our driver (Jacubis) who was very knowledgable and ensured we were all on time at various wine stops, including the Franschhoek Wine Tram. A really lovely day to remember.
Thank you for your awesome review! We’re so glad to hear you had a fantastic day out, and it’s great to know Jacobus made the experience even better with his knowledge and punctuality. The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a highlight for sure, and we’re thrilled you had such a lovely day to remember. We are looking forward to having you join us on another adventure soon! -Team Hotspots2C
I want to start of by saying that we have been beyond happy with any tour that we did with hotspots directly. This one in particular however was outstanding. Not only because the wine lands around Cape Town are just breathtaking but specifically because our tour guide Mr. Nev was not only an incredible tour guide but enriched our experience immensely by firstly being an amazing human to spend time with and also by him just being beyond accommodating and focusing on giving us the best experience ever! He went above and beyond throughout the entirety of the tour and even after - checking if everything went well during our tour the day after (which was not with hotspots directly). We have done many tours and have had many tour guides, but have to say that the ones at hotspot and especially Mr. Nev are outstanding. Additionally, his experience as a tour guide for many years and his immense knowledge about the area and the history of the region and his personal experiences that he so kindly shared with us made the tour even more special! If you get him, you can be assured that you will have the best experience ever since he goes way beyond what his scope as a guide is!
Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an outstanding experience with Hotspots2C, and especially with Mr. Nev. It’s wonderful to know that his dedication, knowledge, and personal touch made your tour truly special. The Winelands around Cape Town are indeed breathtaking, and it sounds like Mr. Nev added a whole new level of enjoyment to the trip. We’re so glad he went above and beyond to ensure you had the best experience possible. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another adventure with us! -Team Hotspots2C
Great door to door service and a fabulous day. Our guide Urial gave us some great local info and took us to some breathtakingly beautiful places. We sampled 3 different wineries as well as a short train and tractor ride. Great value and well organised. Would recommend.
Thank you for your kind review! We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed a fabulous day exploring the Winelands with Uriel as your guide. It's wonderful that you found value in the experience and appreciated the beautiful locations and local insights he shared. We’re glad you enjoyed the winery visits and the unique train and tractor ride. Your recommendation is greatly appreciated, and we hope to welcome you back for another well-organized adventure in the future. Always keep exploring, -Team Hotspots2C
Our guide Urial was absolutely the best! He was so kind, helpful, informative and made our trip so much fun. We had many stops at great vineyards and beautiful scenery! Would highly recommend.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear that Uriel made your trip so enjoyable with his kindness, helpfulness, and wealth of knowledge. It's wonderful that you had the chance to visit great vineyards and take in the beautiful scenery along the way. We appreciate your high recommendation and hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you on another tour soon! Always keep exploring, -Team Hotspots2C
The whole day was amazing, our tour guide named Ulrich aka GG was the best, he told us everything about everything, he was professional and kind. Wine was nice as well as lunch spot and tram ride. Can recommend!
Thank you for your great feedback on the Taste + Tram the Winelands Tour: Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Paarl! It’s wonderful to hear you had such an amazing day enjoying the wine, lunch spots, and tram experience. We’re especially happy guide Ulrich made the day even more enjoyable with his knowledge and friendly approach -we’ve shared your kind words with him. We truly appreciate your recommendation! From, Team Hotspots2C
My wife, daughter and I took the 1 day Taste + Tram Winelands tour in September 2023. Enjoyed the wine tasting and all the information about the area our tour guide TK provided us.
Thank you for joining us on our popular 1 day Taste + Tram Winelands tour - we're stoked that you enjoyed it, and TK, your tour guide provided you with all the fascinating vino-info needed. We're also very appreciative that you chose to tour with us, especially as a portion of your tour fees goes towards community projects supported by our non-profit, 2cChange. We hope to have you adventuring with us again soon, not just to see more and do more, but to feel good while making an even bigger difference as you travel on our #tour2cchange trips. Always keep exploring, Team Hotspots2c
Fairview and Muratie were excellent tastings. The wine tram and Rickety Bridge did not meet my expectations. We were dropped off at a market at Franchoek to get lunch!! Not much choice and no place to dit and eat. Would have preferred lunch at a winery restaurant which looked very nice.
Thanks so much for taking time to inform us of your experience on this exciting wine tour. We're so happy that you loved the older Fairview and Muratie wine estates tastings and it's a pity that the Franschhoek wineries and activities did not live up to expectations this time. The market is across the road from the main street dotted with cafes, deli's and restaurants for a sit down lunch option. Guests have lunch time free to explore the small town at leisure, and we've added a note on the guide's brief for this trip to give more suggestions for lunch too. A visit to a wine farm restaurant is not possible in the timeline for this full day tour however. See you on tour again soon, Keep'on exploring - Ferdi & team Hotspots2c
