Taste + Tram the Winelands Tour: Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Paarl

-- 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.

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.