The Cape Winelands are famous the world over. Each year, this unique wine region – which spans from the West Coast to the Overberg Coast, including towns such as Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Somerset West and the Breede River Valley to name a few – draws visitors in their droves.
South Africa’s Cape Winelands region is known (and loved) for being a food-and-wine-centric cultural and outdoorsy hub.
Whether you love art galleries, exquisite lunches (or dinners), fun picnics or outdoor adventures, this unique part of the Western Cape has it all.
Aside from being great for families, friends and couples alike, the Cape Winelands provides wonderful sightseeing opportunities, fun in the sun and of course, first-hand exposure to some amazing wine estates and wines.
In this post, we look at the top ten things to do in Cape Winelands:
#1 Enjoy a Spier Sunset Segway Tour (Stellenbosch)
Although the popular Spier Wine Farm offers these fabulous vineyard segway tours during the day as well – what is more beautiful than a sunset segway tour?
Hop onto one of these fun, self-balancing personal transporters and enjoying floating through the vineyards, past the River Garden and more.
Spier Sunset Tours cost R700 (p/p) for +/- 2 hours – or R450 (p/p) for 1 hour.
Sunset tours are available from November to May, from 17:15 pm.
Note: Not suitable for kids under 12 or if pregnant. 120kg weight limits also apply.
Contact: +27 (021) 809 1100,
info@spier.co.za
Website: www.spier.co.za
Address: Spier, Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#2 Go on a Winelands Horse Ride (Various)
The Cape Winelands is one of the best places to experience untamed natural Cape beauty.
Better still, many of the towns and farms also have guided horse riding trails and tours on offer.
Most cater to everyone from professional, experienced riders to beginners and even children.
Some great local horse riding tour companies operating in the Cape Winelands include Cape Winelands Riding, Horse About and Mountain View Horse Trails to list only a few.
For more on local horse riding tours and experiences, please contact the local tourism body or service provider of your choice.
Contact: Various
Website: www.visitwinelands.co.za
Address: Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#3 E-bike through Town to Boschendal (Stellenbosch)
Another great, outdoor-focused experience you can enjoy in the Cape Winelands are e-bike tours.
Although several different tour operators and providers offer e-bike experiences and rentals around the Western Cape – one of the most well-known is Adventure Shop.
With them, you can enjoy a selection of fun tours, including a tour through Stellenbosch to the magical Boschendal Wine Estate.
This family-friendly tour takes you along the Stellenbosch Trail Funds routes through town, up into Idas Valley and the Banhoek Conservancy trails to beautiful Boschendal.
Along the way, their experienced guide(s) give you insights into the local area.
After your trip to Boschendal, the bus takes you home to Stellenbosch (around early afternoon).
Note: Kids taller than 140 cm in height can ride e-bikes.
Riders need intermediate MTB skills to do a tour. Also, overall fitness is required, as this has an activity level of 2/5.
For more information, contact Adventure Shop directly.
Contact: +27 (021) 882 8112, info@adventureshop.co.za
Website: www.adventureshop.co.za
Address: Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#4 Have Lunch at a Wine Farm Restaurant or Deli (Various)
The Cape Winelands, much like the Mother City, is famous the world over for offering some of the best cuisine you will find anywhere.
Add to that, incredible South African wines, beers, gins and stunning wine farms and venues and you have some spectacular dining opportunities.
Lunch (or dinner) in the Cape Winelands is a glamourous and special affair. Each wine region offers stellar town restaurants and wine farm restaurants to choose from.
Just pick your favourite (there are options to suit every budget) and pre-book a table, as most places fill up fast, sometimes even days or weeks in advance!
Contact: Various
Website: www.visitwinelands.co.za
Address: Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#5 Sample a Unique Wine Pairing (Various)
The Cape Winelands is loved for its world-famous, award-winning wines and something that also delights both locals and international travellers alike are the amazing wine tastings and wine pairing offerings visitors can savour here.
With everything from savoury cheesecake pairings to sliders and fynbos-infused cupcakes or macaron pairings, there are some really excellent options out there to choose from.
And if you prefer something more traditional, the cheese and/or charcuterie platters are always winners!
Most platters comfortably feed two people sharing and make for a wonderful, wine-accompanying snack or light lunch.
For more on unique Cape Winelands wine tastings and pairings, please contact a local tourism body or the relevant wine farm of choice.
Contact: Various
Website: www.visitwinelands.co.za
Address: Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#6 Hop on the Wine Tram (Franschhoek)
One of the most popular local travel experiences in fair Franschhoek is the hop-on, hop-off Franschhoek Wine Tram.
This incredible tour company offers the most amazing local tours on fun little wine trams, buses and even tractors and takes you to some of Franschhoek’s most enviable wine farms.
Best of all, there are a number of different, colour-coded tram lines so you can enjoy this experience again and again, each time visiting a different selection of wine farms.
This experience excludes on-site experiences like cellar tours, wine tastings, picnics and lunches but as a wine tram guest, you can often enjoy great discounts or specials at the participating estates.
And, whether you enjoy drinking wine or not, this offering is the best way to see multiple wine farms in one special day!
Contact: +27 (021) 300 0338, info@winetram.co.za
Website: winetram.co.za
Address: Franschhoek Wine Tram, Franschhoek, Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#7 Visit a Local Art Gallery (Various)
The Cape Winelands is also a treasure trove for local galleries. Aside from the museums, art galleries, national monuments and more littered in every winelands town, many local estates and wine farms have their own incredible art galleries.
In fact, aside from their galleries and museums, many estates also offer outdoor artwork thanks to beautiful mosaics and murals, statues and quirky art installments to name just a few.
A lot of these galleries are free to visit, although some have a small entry fee and optional guided tour offering.
For more on the local museums and galleries in the Cape Winelands, please contact a local tourism body or estate of your choice.
Contact: Various
Website: www.visitwinelands.co.za
Address: Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#8 Pop into a Motor Museum (Franschhoek)
The Franschhoek Motor Museum is another hugely popular winelands attraction.
Here, at beautiful L’Ormarins, you can see up to 220+ vehicles (made up into over 80 exhibits at any given time), showcasing over a hundred years’ worth of motoring history.
Best of all, the motor museum is ideal for families, tourists and car lovers alike.
When you are done mooning over the vehicles, bicycles and motorcyles, enjoy a bite to eat at the deli or catch the tram to Anthonij Rupert Wines for a classy wine tasting.
Contact: +27 (021) 874 9002
Website: www.fmm.co.za
Address: Franschhoek, Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#9 Explore a Local Market (Various)
Another special, much loved part of the Cape Winelands are its glorious weekend markets.
With everything from popular town markets like the Franschhoek Village Market to on-site wine estate markets like the Lourensford or Blaauwklippen Markets, locals and tourists alike are spoilt for choice.
Most of the local markets offer a wide range of goods too. Everything from farm fresh produce to artisanal culinary masterpieces and delicacies, as well as African arts and crafts, homeware and even vintage finds.
For more on local Cape markets, please see here: capemarkets.co.za/markets/cape-winelands-markets/
Contact: Various
Website: capemarkets.co.za
Address: Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
#10 Head on a Tuk Tuk Ride (Franschhoek)
Another hugely fun activity to enjoy in the Franschhoek wine region is a tuk tuk ride!
With Tuk Tuk Franschhoek, you can choose between half- or full-day wine tours through selected local Franschhoek wine estates.
This unique winelands experience is great for tourists, groups of friends and couples to enjoy together.
Tour durations and pricing vary – but tours run anywhere in length from 1 to 5 hours – to full day experiences.
For more information on their available tours and pricing details, contact Tuk Tuk Franschhoek directly.
Contact: +27 (072) 735 3035, info@tuktukfranschhoek.co.za
Website: www.tuktukfranschhoek.co.za
Address: Tuk Tuk Franschhoek, 54 Huguenot Road, Cape Winelands, Western Cape, South Africa.
These are just ten of the best Cape Winelands experiences for all ages – and budgets – to enjoy!
Book your charming Cape Winelands stay now.
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