Cape Town Winelands: Franschhoek Wine Tram & Stellenbosch Tour

Two Wine Estates & a Tram Ride Through Franschhoek Valley

You get picked up from your Cape Town hotel and driven to Stellenbosch for a walk through the town's historic streets, then visit two wine estates: Lanzerac for wine and chocolate pairing, Tokara for five classic wines with views to Table Mountain. After lunch in Franschhoek, you board the wine tram and choose two farm stops for tastings or food. The drive back includes a stop at Mandela's prison before hotel drop-off. The whole day runs around ten hours with a qualified guide, tram tickets and bottled water included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Winelands tour: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek

• Pickup from Cape Town hotel
• Drive to Stellenbosch with guide commentary
• Explore Stellenbosch town on foot
• Chocolate and wine tasting at Lanzerac estate
• Drive to Tokara for wine tasting
• Travel to Franschhoek via Pniel town
• Lunch and explore Franschhoek town
• Receive tram tickets and instructions
• Take wine tram to Rickety Bridge farm
• Wine tasting or relax at Paulina's restaurant
• Visit Franschhoek cellar for wine and chocolate pairing
• Return to tram terminals and meet guide
• Stop at Nelson Mandela prison statue
• Drive back to Cape Town hotel for drop off

The experience

The N2 motorway stretches ahead, Cape flats giving way to mountains, and your guide is already talking about the landmarks sliding past the window. You're heading to Stellenbosch first: a town of Cape Dutch buildings and 150-year-old water furrows that still run beneath leafy streets. When the van stops, you walk it on foot, grab a coffee if you want, let the place settle into you before the wine starts. It's small and cozy in a way that doesn't feel staged, and that's the whole point of starting here instead of jumping straight into the estates.

Lanzerac comes first: one of the oldest wine estates in Stellenbosch, sitting at the foothills of Jonkershoek Mountains on about 200 hectares. The Manor House dates back to the 1830s and has the kind of Cape Dutch architecture people actually come to see, not just photograph. Your tasting here pairs five premium wines with artisanal chocolates, and the chocolates aren't decoration. They're meant to shift how the wine tastes on your tongue, showing you angles you'd miss alone. After that, you drive the winding Hell's Heights pass to Tokara, which looks nothing like Lanzerac: modern, with views stretching to Table Mountain and an olive grove that produces some of the best oils in the region. The Tokara advisor walks you through five classic wines, including a Cabernet Sauvignon that's been carefully aged for two decades. If time allows, you can try the olive oils or a cheese platter.

Lunch happens in Franschhoek, the town the French farmers named in the 1680s when they arrived and were granted land to grow vineyards. It's surrounded by mountains and manicured vineyards, and the Leeu estate (with its art galleries, hotel and restaurants) makes you want to stay longer than you can. You explore the shops, eat, then head to the tram terminals. The tram itself takes about eight minutes between farms, and you can hop off at two stops, maybe three if time permits. Rickety Bridge is the first female-owned farm in Franschhoek. A tractor picks you up from the tram terminal and takes you to the tasting area, or you can skip the wine and sit at Paulina's restaurant with a coffee and mountain views instead. Franschhoek Cellar is the closest stop to the terminals and offers wine paired with handmade Belgian chocolate made down the road, or wine alone if that's what you want.

On the drive back to Cape Town, there's one more stop: the prison where Nelson Mandela spent the last two years of his 27 years in incarceration. A life-size bronze statue stands outside the gates, his fist raised. Your guide gives a brief summary of the prison's history and Mandela's release before you head back to your hotel. It's not a long stop, but it lands differently after a day of wine and architecture and vineyards.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle with complimentary bottled water, a qualified tour guide for the full day, wine tram tickets for the Franschhoek leg, and tastings at two estates: Lanzerac (five wines paired with artisanal chocolate) and Tokara (five classic wines). You also get two or three farm stops by tram in Franschhoek where you choose between wine tastings or food, plus time to walk and explore both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek towns, and a brief stop at Nelson Mandela's prison on the return journey.

Options for this experience

3 options

Small group, tasting fees paid by youGuide in English · 08:00

Small group with tasting fees coveredGuide in English · 08:00

Private tour with standard tasting feesGuide in English · 08:00 and 09:00

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 09:00

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (3 to 17 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableNot for heart conditions

Operated by Cape Archives Tours

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see two different wine regions and taste at multiple estates without arranging transport, tram tickets or timing yourself. The fixed itinerary handles all three, and the small group format means you're not herded through a dozen stops in a day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 17 years); Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the full tour?

Around ten hours from pickup to drop-off at your hotel.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, qualified tour guide, wine tram tickets, and complimentary bottled water in the air-conditioned vehicle.

How many wine tastings are there?

Two estate tastings (Lanzerac and Tokara) plus two farm stops by tram in Franschhoek, where you choose between wine tastings or food at a restaurant.

Can I skip wine tastings and just eat?

Yes. At Rickety Bridge you can sit at Paulina's restaurant instead, and Franschhoek Cellar offers food options alongside wine.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

It's not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health. The day includes walking in towns and tram travel, though the pace is leisurely.

Do we stop anywhere else besides the wine estates?

Yes. You walk through Stellenbosch town, explore Franschhoek, and stop at the prison where Nelson Mandela was held on the return to Cape Town.

How does the wine tram work?

The tram takes about eight minutes to travel between farms. You receive tickets and a timetable from your guide and can hop off at up to three farms depending on time.