Cape Winelands Holidays

Spend the day soaking up the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Winelands, stopping for three wine tastings and lunch en route. These Vineyard Meander tours operate from both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. The estates are carefully handpicked and you will be incredibly privileged to be able to cycle through their private farmland. The tours are relatively easy-going in terms of distance and cycling expectations, and they’re fully guided the entire way.

On any given tour, 80 per cent or more of the riding is through the vineyards and on gravel roads, not just on the main road in between the estates; it’s the sort of exclusive access you’d never be able to get if you were to rent a bike and try to do it yourself. Cycle right past where the farm workers might be harvesting, where the guys are working with the tractors, where they’re doing the daily manual tasks of a working wine estate. At the right season, from January and April, you could potentially help with the harvest, picking grapes and then 15 or 20 minutes later tasting wines made from that same varietal.

It’s a sensory experience all round. You will be encouraged to stop and smell the roses, literally, and to dip your toes in the farm dams. Take in the beautiful views of the Western Cape, with towering mountains as a backdrop to the green of the vineyards – and if you’re not looking at the mountains, you’re looking over the ocean. If you’re limited for time, you needn’t miss out as there are half-day tours that go to two estates. E-bike tours are also available.

Perfect for foodies and wine lovers, learn about South Africa’s wine industry from an experienced wine expert as you visit three private estates for tastings and a three-course lunch. You will travel onboard a reproduction double-decker tram through the beautiful Franschhoek valleys.

The Curated Wine Experience is a grown-ups-only treat for the senses. Starting at 10.30am, your gourmet adventure includes visits to three world-renowned estates accompanied by a specialist wine guide and a three-course lunch at a top restaurant. Along the way, you’ll enjoy premium tastings and pairings, a cellar tour and an enjoyably informative stroll among the vines and end the day (at around 5pm) with a far better understanding of Franschhoek’s wine culture.

Experience a taste of historic Stellenbosch on a walking tour and learn about this famous Cape Winelands town with a knowledgeable guide, while sampling signature culinary offerings including South African delicacy beef biltong, artisanal chocolate and wine pairings.

The whole theme of the Foodies on Foot tour is to showcase local artisans. There are so many wonderful owner-run, family-run restaurants and businesses, and you can feel the passion that goes into their products. Each product has a story as to how it came to be and after hearing it it’s amazing how everything tastes so much more authentic. There’s a visit to the oldest butchery in town, which has been operating since the late 1800s, and the way they make their cured meats such as biltong and dried sausage is very similar to how they were doing it back then. There’s a tasting, of course – with options for vegetarians and other dietary restrictions – before guests go for a local (award-winning) gin experience. Enjoy snacks to cleanse the palate before going on to a craft beer tasting: three different locally brewed ones, little shots, just to get the flavours. Then at the botanical garden, feel and smell the ingredients used for gin, so it’s a sensory experience as well. \

Immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes of the Franschhoek Valley on the elegant Wine Tram. On rails where trains once carried farm produce to market, reproduction double-decker trams based on a 1920s design from Blackpool now carry passengers through lush vineyards against a backdrop of mountains to long-celebrated wine estates.

The Hop-on Hop-off Experience gives you a choice of eight lines served by tram and open-air tram-bus, which opens at 9.30am, each connecting eight estates. Once you’ve picked your line, the next decision is which and how many estates to stop at: visitors say four is the ideal number. Within the limits of the timetable, you’re free to stay for as long as you like at each one, enjoying everything from wine tastings and cellar tours to art galleries and family-friendly gardens, depending on the particular stop, not forgetting a long lunch at one of the many fabulous restaurants.