Which Is The Most Unique And Charming Cape Town Wine Tour?

Cape Town wine tour

Cape Town seems to be drowning in a sea of vineyards. Even the City Sightseeing Tour bus stops at a few, and once you leave the city centre, it isn’t long before row after row of beautiful vines becomes the norm. With 21 wine regions, over 560 vineyards and hundreds of types of wine, selecting your wineries can be a real headache. However, one Cape Town wine tour you should not miss is in the beautiful small town of Franschhoek, less than an hour from the city. This quaint place, nestled at the base of dramatic mountains, offers a wine tasting train like no other!

Franschhoek church
Franschhoek church
Franschhoek shops
Franschhoek shops

Get merry on the Franschhoek wine tram tour

You may have heard of a pub crawl but have you heard of a vineyard crawl? The Franschhoek wine tram tour takes thirsty visitors on a journey of discovery amongst 22 wine estates in the Franschhoek valley. Visitors can choose from six different Franschhoek wine tram tours. Each is a combination of bus and tram, carefully choreographed into a timetable allowing a maximum of eight stops and plenty of opportunity to sample wines from the area. The bus/tram passes by each estate on an hourly basis allowing you to spend one or more hours in each.

Wine tram meeting place
Wine tram meeting place

Rest assured that even non drinkers will enjoy the ride, as many vineyards offer access to museums, farm shops, gardens and restaurants. Plus, the unparalleled views of the valley are worth the price of the ticket alone

Orange line

We opted for the orange line which takes in the vineyards of Solms Delta, Vrede en Lust, and Babylorenstoren amongst others. Each offers different specialities and attractions. Sadly on the day we visited, I had a stomach bug and could not face wine tasting (I know that may be hard to believe for those who know me!) so Jason, and our friends Michala and John are helping out with pictures and commentary for this tour.

Planning your day

We decided to visit three vineyards during the day, as we felt that this would allow us more time to enjoy each location. We also wanted to savour the wine tasting, and enjoy a relaxed meal, without feeling rushed.

Most people seemed to visit every stop, as we had the bus to ourselves on virtually every transit after the first stop. I would strongly discourage this. Some vineyards were extremely busy, and you might struggle to complete a full wine tasting session in just one hour.

wine bus
wine bus

Babylonstoren

Our first stop of the day was Babylonstoren. It’s easy to see why they have named it after biblical gardens, as it is in an exquisite setting and is perfectly manicured. It houses a luxury boutique  hotel with a fabulous spa, healing garden, selection of restaurants and stunning gardens.

You could easily spend the whole day here. The sun was beating when we visited, but with my body wracked with chills, exploring proved a challenge. Thankfully, Jason captured some pretty incredible snaps of the gardens to convince you that this vineyard is a must.

Given the early hour, we skipped the wine tasting at this estate, and opted instead for a leisurely brunch. Well, they did! I just looked on woefully, sipping on my rooibos iced tea.

Solms Delta

Solms Delta offers a sharp contrast to Babylonstoren. The estate is operated under shared ownership with the local community. Locals live and work on the farm, as well as taking shares in the business.

It is a more rustic affair, with just one main restaurant, and a large lawn for wine tasting. As you enjoy sampling the different wines on offer, you can enjoy views of autumnal vines in a quiet, rural setting. You can even bring your own picnic to this estate.

Wine tasting costs 45 Rand (around £2.25) for five ‘lifestyle’ wines or 65 Rand for four ‘heritage’ wines. (It is usually 85 but one of our wines was sold out). Our server provided a little introduction to each wine and a small sample. Jason, Michala and John sipped contentedly on the wines, soaking up tales of German princesses and ancient wine.

The estate also houses Music and Slavery museums providing some insight into the terrible struggles of the local population during the slavery period.

Solms Delta wine estate
Solms Delta wine estate

The Vrede en Lust

Our third vineyard of the day was my favourite for wine tasting. The estate has spectacular tasting rooms, and a terrace overlooking the Simonsberg mountains. You can wave to the tram as it leisurely passes by, or simply bask in the sun while you sip on a cool Sauvignon Blanc or their flagship Blanc Fume. The estate only produced 2,600 bottles of this wine so please do not to spill a drop!

If it’s too cool for the terrace, the indoor tasting lounge has several large comfortable sofas arranged around crackling log burners. It feels more like a boutique hotel than a wine estate, and was packed to the rafters on the day we visited.

The wine tasting at Vrede en Lust is an absolute steal at just 25 Rand per person. That includes around seven generous portions of wine (although I did lose count if I am honest!) and absolutely no pressure to buy. I have no doubt that if I had not felt so ill, I would have walked out of there with at least a few bottles.

Views of the Simonsberg from Vrede en Lust
Views of the Simonsberg from Vrede en Lust
Vrede en Lust wine estate
Vrede en Lust wine estate
Wine tram sighting from Vrede en Lust wine estate
Wine tram sighting from Vrede en Lust wine estate

Things you need to know

Franschhoek wine tram price

The wine tram costs 220 Rand for adults and 90 Rand for children. It is wise to pre-book for tours to avoid disappointment.

Timings

The first buses leave at 9:40 and the last return at around 6pm. At each stop, you will receive information regarding the next tram/bus, and of course details of the last pick up. The first bus to return to Franschhoek leaves at around 2pm, so if you only plan to be out a few hours, you may wish to book onto a later departure in the morning.

a couple of people standing on a trolley

Purchases

There’s no need to worry about carrying your packages. You can hand these into the driver on the bus/tram and pick them up at the end of the tour. Franschhoek is definitely a merry place in the early evening as revellers return laden down with packages.

Don’t get drunk

Clearly the idea of the tram is for you to try the wine, however the terms and conditions of carriage clearly state that they will refuse entry to anyone who is too inebriated. Get plastered at your peril!

Planning

You can check out the various routes in the Franschhoek wine tram brochure, and a google search of each vineyard will tell you a little more about each.

The wine bus at Plaisir de Merle
The wine bus at Plaisir de Merle

Where to stay

There are a variety of guest houses in the town of Franschhoek, but we opted for a stunning Airbnb on the Chamonix wine estate. Surrounded by views of mountains and with panoramic windows, it was utterly captivating. It even had a resident dog Lea, who we wanted to adopt by the time we left! If you have yet to sign up for Airbnb, use this link for £25 of free credit.

Airbnb in Franschhoek
Airbnb in Franschhoek
Airbnb living room and bedroom
Airbnb living room and bedroom

Verdict

Even though I felt shocking all day, taking the Franschhoek wine tram tour was a fabulous way to visit the area, and see a variety of very different wine estates. We loved the quaint little trams, the spectacular scenery of vineyards overlooked by the Simonsberg, and the open air busses. I really cannot think of a better Cape Town wine tour to take, but do stay over for the night after your drinking excursion. Franschhoek has plenty of gorgeous boutiques, bars and restaurants to explore.

Tuk Tuk Microbrewery, Franschhoek
Tuk Tuk Microbrewery, Franschhoek
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About Anne

Anne is the founder and editor of Frommilestosmiles. If she isn't travelling, she is thinking of travelling or planning her next trip. She has visited over 90 countries on six continents and sampled everything from backpacking to bank bursting travel. Her mission is to help you enjoy more luxurious travel without the luxury price tag through the use of airline and hotel rewards and other money-saving travel tips

32 comments

  1. Vineyards look beautiful. Great that you visited so many of them and compiled the information in one place. If I can’t take the entire tram tour i would definitely like to go visit babylonstoren.

  2. I love South African wines and have to surely go for wine tasting when I visit Cape Town. This one interests me particularly because it’s a vineyard hopping tour on a tram! That is super cool. I am bookmarking this post for 2019. Thanks for the tip on booking in advance!

  3. A wine tour will always make me merry but this one looks extra cool! I love the trolley taking you around and the views look amazing! I have never been to Cape Town but I definitely want to visit someday. I have always liked wines from South Africa, so I’m sure I would enjoy this tour as well.

  4. blair villanueva

    Reading your post is like having a virtual wine tour with you. You shared it very detailed and vividly!
    Hope to visit Cape Town and experience they have to offer.

  5. I had no idea Cape Town had such a prolific wine culture. 550 wineries!! Where would you even start? I guess the wine tram is a good way to get a feel for it and that way you don’t have to worry about driving and deciding which one to go to. Looked like fun!

    • I know. It’s crazy isn’t it? I love South African wines and even I had no idea. I could spend a whole year exploring them but that might not be good for my health!

  6. Wine trip. Wow what a concept and the details are very helpful. The tram is an exciting and eco friendly way of travelling so thumbs up. The post has some great details and the visuals compliments it. Thanks for sharing this post will be handy if you are around here.

  7. There is a wine trolly??? upper michigan should DEF get on that!! And lol at the dog on the fence.

  8. You had me at wine tram! Cape Town is producing some amazing wines lately. What a fantastic way to sip and sightsee on the wine tour tram.

  9. That looks like a lot of fun! I can imagine to combine two amazing things – a winery tour and such charming landscape around Cape town must be something absolutely unforgettable. Everything looks so chilled and inviting. Franschhoek looks so cozy and beautiful, I would love to see and visit this whole area one day as well.
    Also the impressions from Babylonstoren are wonderful, I love the sea roses.

  10. A vineyard hopping tour on a tram sounds pretty cool to me! I love South African wines so going for wine tasting in Cape Town is definitely on my list. Thanks for suggesting the best ones to pick and it’s good to know that the tour should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment. Also, no worries of carrying your baggage around with you if you can hand it over to the tram driver and receive it at the final destination. I imagine they must’ve had some bad experiences with people getting really drunk and hence the rule of not allowing them onboard!

  11. Cape town is on our bucket list. Would go more for adventure but wine sounds like a good idea always! Your Airbnb looks AMAZING wow, what a good choice.

  12. This is such a unique tour idea! I would love to ride a tram to explore the neighboring areas while enjoying a glass of red. Lots of great information in this post, too!

  13. I have never explored wine regions. When I was in Florence, I cancelled my trip to Tuscany since it was raining so heavily. I would like to explore them when I go to Cape Town. Ha Ha, I like the don’t get drunk point on the checklist 😛

  14. I have never been on a wine tram, but that seems like an easy way to do wine tastings! It’s great that they offer different tours as well to give visitors some options. You made a good decision to do 3 – that gives you more time to enjoy at each estate!

  15. I live in a beautiful wine country but I don’t drink too much of it myself unfortunately! But I have always wanted to learn more about wine and vineyards so Franschhoek wine tram tour
    sound like a fun way to explore the vineyards in South Afrika! Too bad that you had a stomach bug but it sounds as you had a great day!

  16. I never knew that Cape Town have stunning vineyards. Vineyards are the most beautiful place to visit as they have stunning landscapes with interesting story of creation of wine. Going through 22 wine estates with Franschhoek wine tram tour must be interesting and beautiful tour. Carefully stopping at 8 stops only and now allowing the passenger to get into drunk state is also very well managed. I am saving this for my future trip to Cape Town.

  17. Abhinav Singh

    I had no idea that Cape Town had so many vineyards. Franschhoek looks like such a charming place. It is the first time I am hearing the term vineyard crawl. Haha, I liked the tip where you advice not to get drunk. I understand, no one would want to suffer an co passenger in an inebriated state. The Airbnb you stayed at looks fab!

  18. I’ve never been on a wine tour but it has been on my bucket list for so long. Your post has motivated me to tick it off my bucket list soon. I love the detailed descriptions of the vineries. Babylonstoren would be my favourite one owing to its beautiful gardens and fish ponds and ofcourse the breath taking views. If I’ll ever plan my visit to Cape Town, I’ll definitely go for this amazing wine tour. Meanwhile, let me check out the similar tours near me. Thanks for sharing this lovely post.

    • Yes Babylonstoren was absolutely stunning! I wish I’d been feeling better so I’d had more time to enjoy it!

  19. Wow I had no idea that Cape Town had 21 wine regions – how amazing. I absolutely love exploring wine regions, and Cape Town would be so fantastic. The Franschhoek wine tram tour does sound quite interesting and a great way to see a variety of places. Plus it’s a great way to avoid any drinking and driving issues!

    • Yes that is definitely true. South Africa has apparently zero tolerance so it simply is not worth it. It is seriously cute too

  20. Wow thats such a detailed post must say, I have never taken a wine tour here back in India, but I am sure all this would be fun. And I am amazed, the prices you have mentioned are dirt cheap for all the offerings. Well dont know when I will be able to do so in Cape Town but I am now seriously thinking of doing one here in India

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