Wine Tours and Tastings in Cape Town

Join the popular wine tours from Cape Town and enjoy the historic wine estates of the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek valleys. Go on a whale watching cruise in Hermanus and end your day with a delightful wine tasting in the Hemel en Aarde Valley.

Discover the craft beer and wine tasting spots of the West Coast and finish with a game drive in a nature reserve.

Here's all you need to know about a wine tour, one of the most delightful gastronomic experiences in Cape Town.

What are the best wine tours in Cape Town?

Full-day tour to Winelands with food and wine tastings

Sample South Africa's best wines paired with olives, chocolate and cheese tastings on a day tour to Winelands. On this wine tour, you will visit Cape Town's wineries and have lunch at one of the vineyards.

This tour includes a professional guide, pickup and drop-off services and roundtrip transportation.

Private wine tour to Stellenbosch-Franschhoek

During this private wine tour and tasting from Cape Town through the Stellenbosch and/or Franschhoek wine regions, you will experience South Africa's celebrated wine craft.

Accompanied by a wine expert as guide, you will visit various wineries in the regions and hear remarkable success stories as you taste along.

Pickup for the tour are from all hotels and accommodations in central Cape Town and the Atlantic Sea Board. You will be traveling in a private, air-conditioned vehicle driven by your guide. During your tour, you will visit four different wineries in the regions with wine tastings at each.

Your first stop is the well-known Simonsig Estate, with the third generation Malan family heading this Stellenbosch wine farm. They are known for producing South Africa’s first Méthode Cap Classique in the classic bottle-fermented style, Kaapse Vonkel.  Savor the high quality wines of one of South Africa’s oldest wine estates.

Your next stop is the Kanonkop Wine Estate, its name derived from a hill (kop) above the farm. During the 1600s and 1700s, a cannon (kanon) was fired from here to signal the arrival of ships in Table Bay.

Local farmers would then load their wagons with fresh produce and travel the 50 kilometers to the Cape harbor to barter.

The estate was founded in 1929 by Paul Sauer, a former Minister of Agriculture, who actively promoted the country’s wine industry internationally. The first wine under the Kanonkop label was produced in 1973.

Next on your wine tasting list is the Rainbow's End winery, where a dedicated family team applies traditional wine-making methods and modern advances in viticulture. They harvest all grapes by hand at daybreak and grape bunches are sorted one by one.

Conclude your wine tasting at Stark-Condé Wines, whose vineyards are farmed organically and wine production is done as natural as possible. Though they have limited production, the winery remains focused on producing hand-crafted premium wines.

Finish your tour enjoying their exquisite red and white wines, before returning to your place of accommodation in Cape Town.

Wildlife safari, beer and wine tasting day tour

Experience the delight of a craft beer and wine tasting, and a wildlife safari all in one private tour up the West Coast from Cape Town. Visit the Darling Breweries to enjoy their craft beer and Groote Post winery for a taste of local wines.

Then finish your day with a game drive to experience a part of Africa on the West Coast. After pickup from your accommodation, you will travel in an air-conditioned minivan from Cape Town up the West Coast.

Enjoy the scenery on the way to Buffelsfontein, where you will go on an exciting guided game drive. Coffee, tea and bottled water will keep you hydrated.

Your first stop is at Darling Olives where they produce delicious olives and wine. You also have the opportunity to taste their entire range of olive products while listening to a 30-minute presentation.

After lunch, you will visit Darling Sweets, well-known for its toffees in various flavors. You can taste for free and make sure to buy some as gifts for family and friends.

From sampling toffees, you go to beer tasting in Darling. Visit Africa’s first carbon neutral brewery, Darling Brew, operating since 2010.

The brewery is one of South Africa’s first established microbreweries, known for its wide range of specialty beers, including ales, dark beers and traditional lagers. Each beer is dedicated to an endangered species. Enjoy the beer tasting and lunch at your own cost.

You will stop at the historic old farm Groote Post for your wine tasting experience. Originally known as Groene Kloof, it later became “Groote Post” (Large Post) as the largest in the VOC’s system of guard posts.

The current owners bought the property in 1972 and changed over from the traditional dairy farming to winemaking. The winery lies in a beautiful green valley, with the Klawer Stream running through it. Enjoy your wine tasting from a fine selection of red, rosé and white wines.

You will then head to Buffelsfontein Game and Nature Reserve on the West Coast, about an hour’s drive from Cape Town. Originally a cattle farm, it started with humble beginnings in 1993.

Here, you will find some of Africa’s best wildlife, such as buffaloes, white rhinos, lions and giraffes. From Buffelsfontein you will return to Cape Town. Your last stop for the day will be beautiful Bloubergstrand, where you will marvel at the lovely view of Table Mountain across Table Bay.

For the beer tasting, the price is ZAR20 (US$2) per taster. Lunch costs from ZAR65 (about US$4) to ZAR275 (US$16).

Which places are visited on a wine tour from Cape Town?

Hemel en Aarde Valley

The valley is very popular with tourists because of its mountains, breathtaking scenery, wine estates and orchards. It’s hard to imagine that, for some time since 1817, it had been home to a leper colony.

Huts were constructed, vegetable gardens laid on and a hospital added. Missionaries from the Genadendal mission station tended to their needs, but in 1825 a missionary was permanently stationed amongst them.

By 1846, with only 38 lepers left, they were moved to Robben Island. It is estimated that about 400 lepers were buried on the old farm. Today no traces of the colony remain, but the Leper Hiking Trail in Fernkloof commemorates their heritage.

Hermanus

Hermanus was named after Hermanus Pieters, who arrived in the Cape from Holland in 1815 and moved from farm to farm to teach farmers’ children. Looking after sheep in his spare time, he one day discovered a spring in the mountains bordering Walker Bay.

Soon farmers were flocking here and the outspan became known as Hermanuspietersfontein. Later, families began settling in the town. A thriving fresh-produce market developed, and the area became very popular with fishermen.

The town was officially renamed Hermanus in 1902. By 1908, there were already four hotels and, by 1939, Hermanus had a well-established international tourist trade. Hermanus’s original old harbor is a national monument and includes the Old Harbour Museum.

Groote Post

The area was originally known as Groene Kloof, where vegetables were grown to supply the VOC’s fleet. It was also a grazing ground for its great herds of cattle.

Because of constant cattle raids by the Khoi tribes, the VOC established a permanent system of guard posts. The biggest of these was known as “Groote Post” (Large Post).

Later, Merino sheep from Holland and cattle and horses from England were introduced and the manor house was built in 1808. The current owners bought the property in 1972 and switched from the traditional dairy farming to successful winemaking.

Are there any combos available with wine tours and tastings from Cape Town?

Hermanus whale watching boat trip and private wine tour

Spend a day watching the migrating whales before enjoying a wine tasting on this private boat tour to the seaside town of Hermanus from Cape Town. On the way back, have a close-up look at the African penguin colony at Betty’s Bay’s Stony Point.

After being picked up at your accommodation in Cape Town, you will enjoy a 1.5-hour drive to the seaside town of Hermanus for the whale watching excursion. When you arrive at New Harbor in Hermanus, an experienced whale specialist will brief you on the whales.

You will go on board a modern shared boat for a 2- to 3-hour sea cruise to find the whales. When a whale is spotted, the captain will stop the boat for everyone to see these giant creatures up close. Aboard the boat, you can also enjoy the light refreshments.

At the end of the boat trip, you will return to the New Harbour. You can then enjoy lunch at your own expense at a seaside restaurant.

You can also have lunch in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, where you can also enjoy the wine tasting at the Creation Wine Estate or Newton-Johnson Family Vineyards.

On your way back to Cape Town, you will visit the African penguin colony at Stony Point in Betty's Bay. This is one of the largest colonies in South Africa.

Going back to Cape Town, you will travel along the picturesque R44 coastline. Enjoy the spectacular views of the Atlantic Seaboard. At the end of your tour, you will be dropped off at your accommodation in Cape Town.

How much does a wine tour from Cape Town cost?

A full-day tour to Winelands with food and wine tastings from Cape Town costs around US$85 per person.

The wine tour and tasting in Stellenbosch-Franschhoek from Cape Town costs US$200 per person.

The West Coast wildlife safari, beer and wine tasting tour from Cape Town costs US$210 per person.

A combination of whale watching and wine tasting tour to Hermanus from Cape Town costs around US$200 per person.

What is included?

Wine tours from Cape Town include pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Cape Town, and roundtrip transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle. Most tours also provide alcoholic beverages, bottled water and coffee or tea.

Where does it start?

The wine tours and tastings from Cape Town start with pickup at all hotels and other accommodations in central areas and the Atlantic Sea Board. Pickup can also be arranged in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl.

For the West Coast tour, pickup is from Cape Town CBD, V&A Waterfront, Atlantic Seaboard and Bloubergstrand, also from the Cape Town Cruise Terminal.

How long does it last?

The duration of the wine tour and tasting to Stellenbosch from Cape Town is 8 hours. The duration of the West Coast wildlife safari, beer and wine tasting tour from Cape Town is 9 hours.

The whale watching and wine tasting tour to Hermanus from Cape Town lasts 10 hours.

When is the best time for a wine tour and tasting in Cape Town?

The best months to visit Cape Town are from March to May and September to November when the weather is pleasant. If you’re whale watching, May and October are the best months to visit the Cape.

Is it safe?

These wine tours and tastings from Cape Town are safe, but not recommended for people with back or heart problems or other serious medical conditions.

Are children allowed?

All ages are allowed and infant seats are available for the Stellenbosch-Franschhoek wine regions tour from Cape Town. The minimum age is 5 for the West Coast wildlife safari and beer and wine tasting.

For the whale watching and wine tasting combo tour to Hermanus, the minimum age is 2.

Travel tips

• Make sure to book your wine tour and tasting in advance.
• Contact your local embassy or consulate on safety precautions.
• Wear comfortable shoes (tennis shoes for whale watching).
• Bring a windbreaker, hat and sunscreen.