Overview
#Cape Winelands South African wines are rated with those of the other top wine-producing regions in the world. The majority of wine estates, over 100 in fact, are found in the Cape Winelands, which is within easy reach of Cape Town and vicinity, it offers a great one-day excursion. If you are a wine connoisseur you could spend weeks exploring the various estates and their excellent cultivars. For the not so informed various estates offer introductory talks, tours and guided tasting sessions to help you enter the extraordinary world of viniculture.
Located within the Winelands are the historic and beautiful towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschoek. The changing colour palette of vineyards over the seasons combined with mountainous backdrops makes for stunning scenery.
Many of the wine estates falling within the Cape Winelands offer wine tasting sessions. For a small fee you will receive a wine tasting glass and join other visitors in a tasting venue (lecture type setup or more relaxed environments). A wine connoisseur will introduce you to various wines produced at the estate. Introductions include the aroma (nose), body and palate (taste). You then get to taste each wine after its introduction and part of the experience is to try to identify the different elements as explained.
Tours that visit Cape Winelands
popular
Scheduled tours
16 Day HIghlights of South Africa Northbound
On this tour you journey through the most popular areas of South Africa, following the most-travelled, tried and tested route for first time visitors to the country. The tour provides a mix of cities, countryside, historical sites, scenic drives, nature, wildlife, culture and people.
from R20,910
popular
Scheduled tours
16Day Highlights of South Africa Southbound
On this tour you journey through the most popular areas of South Africa, following the most-travelled, tried and tested route for first time visitors to the country. The tour provides a mix of cities, countryside, historical sites, scenic drives, nature, wildlife, culture and people.
from R20,910
popular
City & day tours
Cape Winelands Full Day Tour
This tour takes you through the scenic winelands of the Cape with visits to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl and wine estates for wine tasting.
from R800
popular
Scheduled tours
Garden Route and Route 62
On this scheduled tour you travel from Port Elizabeth through the Tsitsikamma Forest, and visit Storm's River Mouth. You travel along the Garden Route, enjoy a sunset oyster cruise and an ocean safari. You visit an ostrich farm in the Klein Karoo, interact with elephants, do a tour of the Cango Caves and travel along the scenic Route 62 to Cape Town.
from R9,980
City & day tours
Cape Town Surrounds Tour
This tour is a combination of the half day Cape Point and half day Winelands tours.
from R980
City & day tours
Cape Winelands Afternoon Tour
This tour takes you through the scenic Winelands of the Cape with visits to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and a wine estates for wine tasting.
from R580
Scheduled tours
Cape Winelands and West Coast
This tour gives you the opportunity to visit the Cape Winelands, taste some of our best estate wines and experience the special kind of West Coast hospitality and cuisine. Visit two factories at Clanwilliam producing two quintessential South African products: velskoene and rooibos tea. Overnight at the quaint Paternoster. Visit Saldanha Bay harbour and the West Coast National Park. In season you might enjoy vast expanses of indigenous flowers.
from R6,550
Scheduled tours
The Cape Discovery
On this scheduled guided tour you experience the scenic beauty of Route 62, you visit the iconic Cango Caves and interact with ostriches. Your route takes you along the Garden Route. At Knysna you enjoy a Sunset Knysna Oyster Cruise. You visit the museum complex at Mossel Bay, post a postcard at the famous Post Office Tree. Enjoy game viewing in an open safari vehicle on the lookout for the big five. Do cheetah tracking and visit the southernmost point of the African continent. Return to Cape Town via a wonderfully scenic coastal drive.
from R12,065
Things to see
Town
Franschhoek
##Franschhoek Franschhoek (“French corner”), a small town in the heartland of the Cape Winelands, is one of the very popular places to visit when in Cape Town. It is situated in the picturesque Franschhoek Valley, surrounded by magnificent mountains and vineyards. It is named after the the French Huguenots who settled here in 1688.
2 tours visit here
Town
Paarl
##Paarl The Town of Paarl is one of the three main centres in the Cape Winelands, rich in history and culture. The name Paarl means “pearl” and is derived from the granite boulders on top of Paarl mountain. A visit to Paarl is normally the first stop on a full day tour or the Cape Winelands.
3 tours visit here
Town
Stellenbosch
##Stellenbosch Stellenbosch, 46 km east of Cape Town, is the undisputed heart of the Cape Winelands. It is also a lively student town with the University of Stellenbosch influencing just about everything in town. The town’s main attraction lie in the beauty of its preserved architecture and the streets lined with Oak trees.
5 tours visit here
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