Wine Tasting In Cape Town
For wine lovers and aficionado’s alike in search of the very best wine tasting, Cape Town is the quintessential destination for savoring the beloved grape. Cape Town vineyards and wineries have long enjoyed a reputation for unparalleled standards of every kind of wine.
Don’t feel guilty adding ‘drink wine’ to your to-do list, it’s a perfectly worthy task to accomplish while in Cape Town. With the notorious drought that has swept through the Mother City, you would be admired for your attempt to save water, and rather drink wine instead!
Best Wine Farms In Cape Town, Tour Options and Prices
Life is too short to drink bad wine. You will, however, be hard-pressed to find a drop of bad wine in Cape Town. Nonetheless, with so many outstanding options available, it helps to have a shortlist of the best wineries in Cape Town at your disposal.
Just a short, leisurely drive from the city and its surrounds, lies wine country in Cape Town. Wide open spaces, lush rolling green hills and vines heavy with grapes lie nestled beneath mountainscapes at award-winning South African wineries.
The most difficult decisions you will have to make all day are red, white or rosé? Or, wine tasting in Stellenbosch or in Franschhoek? If you are not keen on taking the 45-minute drive, then maybe somewhere a little ‘closer to home’ is on the cards, so consider spending the day in one of the beautiful wineries in Constantia. You can then partake in best Winelands tour near Cape Town!
We’ve taken the guesswork out of navigating your way around some of the top tasting rooms in South Africa and rounded up tours to the best wine farms for a day of wine tasting near Cape Town.
You can check online for more information on the wine tours Cape Town prices.
Best Wine Farms In Stellenbosch
A leisurely 45-minute drive from Cape Town lies Stellenbosch, notorious home of university students and dotted with renowned Stellenbosch vineyards. This hilly region of the Cape Winelands is well known for the numerous Stellenbosch wineries that flank the wide, oak-lined streets and Cape Dutch style architecture of central Stellenbosch.
Being the oldest in South Africa, the Stellenbosch wine route has been divided into subroutes to make experiencing it a little easier. These are namely;
- Bottelary Hills
- Greater Simonsberg
- Helderberg
- Stellenbosch Berg
- Stellenbosch Valley
Best Wine Farms In Franschhoek
Just a 45-minute drive inland you’ll find some of the oldest wine estates in Cape Town, nestled in this valley of vines between rugged mountains and picturesque natural scenery.
Dating back to the 16th century, the gourmet capital of South Africa promises a truly unforgettable experience, memorable for both its cuisine, breathtaking beauty and its world-renowned wines grown on the best vineyards in South Africa.
Best Wine Farms In Constantia
Some of the very best wineries in Cape Town can be found on the doorstep of central Cape Town itself. Meandering through the leafy, affluent suburb of Constantia, and at the foothill of Table Mountain, the Constantia wine route is truly unforgettable.
Wine lovers unite and take in the scenic, green open spaces a quick 20-minute drive from Cape Town, blanketed by vines and intermittent horse filled paddocks. The Constantia valley delivers some of the best wine tours Cape Town has to offer.
Half-Day Wine Tasting Tours
Enjoy one of these exceptional Cape Town Winery tours on offer and experience the beauty of the Cape through rosé tinted glasses. There is no other way to experience the best Winelands tour Cape Town provides!
Half-Day Wine Tasting Capetown Tour
On collection from your hotel in Cape Town, your morning or afternoon excursion begins with a 45-minute drive to Stellenbosch Wine Estate where you will savor a delightful wine and cheese pairing.
Your guide will then take you on a historical tour of Stellenbosch to view the beautiful Cape Dutch architecture, with a trip down memory lane via Dorp Street and DeBraak.
On return to Stellenbosch Wine Estate, enjoy a guided cellar tour to learn more about the aging process of the wine in the numerous barrels and tanks. A second wine tasting follows to bring the afternoon to a close at one of the best Stellenbosch wineries. Why not purchase your favorite wines of the day to take home with you?
Estimated time:
4-5 Hours
Languages:
Live guide in English, French or German
Pick-up service:
Return transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
Highlights:
Explore the Cape Winelands
Discover the historical ‘Town of oaks’, Stellenbosch
Taste award-winning South African wines
- Return hotel transfers
- Onboard Wifi
- Tour guide
- Two wine tastings
- Wine and cheese pairing
- Cellar tour
- Wine purchases
Half-day Winelands Lunch by Private Helicopter
An unforgettable experience lies ahead as you are whisked away from the V&A Waterfront by private helicopter. Soak up Cape Town from a bird’s eye view as you leave the city behind and head towards the Franschhoek Valley. You can bask in luxury with this Cape Town half-day wine tour!
Make memories with a scene-stealing grand entrance at your chosen Franschhoek wine estate, where wine pairings await in the cellar.
After a leisurely lunch, your dedicated pilot will return you to the Mother City, leaving your head filled with magic and wine.
Estimated time:
Approximately 4 hours
Languages:
Live and audio guide in English
Pick-up service:
Return transfers
Highlights:
Exclusive helicopter flight from Cape Town to Franschhoek
Steal the scene with a grand entrance
- Return hotel transfers
- Private return helicopter flight
- In flight commentary
- Lunch
- Tastings
- In-Flight HD video (can be purchased for an additional charge)
Full Day Best Wineries in Cape Town Tours
Experience the most fun, intimate and insightful tours of Cape Town’s famous wine farms! Spend your day making memories and basking in the magic of breathtaking landscapes.
Full-Day Cape Town Wine Tasting & Cellar Tour
Your wine-fuelled day begins with a pick-up from your hotel from around 8 am for your first stop in Stellenbosch, just a mere 45 minutes from Cape Town. Get ready for one of the best wine tasting tours Cape Town can offer!
Enjoy a behind the scenes tour of the production process before indulging in the first of up to four tastings for the day, one of which includes a well-anticipated cheese pairing at one of the best wineries in Stellenbosch! A well-deserved lunch break is followed by a historical tour of Stellenbosch and the beautiful Cape Dutch architecture that it is renowned for.
After a final late afternoon wine tasting to conclude the day, head back to Cape Town with a belly full of wine and memories to last a lifetime.
Estimated time:
Approximately 9 Hours
Languages:
Live guide in English or Afrikaans
Pick-up service:
Return transfers
Highlights:
- The behind-the-scenes wine production process
- Discover the historical ‘Town of Oaks’, Stellenbosch
- Taste award-winning South African wines
- Return hotel transfers
- Lunch
- Wine tastings
- Wine and cheese pairing
- Wine purchases
Full-Day Babylonstoren, Wine & Ice-Cream Tasting
Stimulate all the senses on a day filled with surprises and innovative treats, just 45 minutes drive from Cape Town in your private air-conditioned vehicle.
First stop is Babylonstoren, an old Cape Dutch farm where you will stroll through the charming fruit and vegetable garden and delight in the first wine tasting of the day. This is one of the best wine-tasting tours in Cape Town!
Onward to Marianne Wines, where you will learn more about the art of winemaking in South Africa and enjoy an unusual wine and cured meat tasting. The experience of the best wine tasting in Cape Town just got more exciting.
After a drive through the lush Devon Valley, find yourself presented with an innovative tasting of wine and artisanal ice-cream, with seasonally adjusted flavors.
A short trip further to Ernie Els Estate, where your gaze will drift off into the surrounding views of Stellenbosch and Table Mountain over a tasting of up to four wines at a beautiful Cape Town winery. Return to Cape Town for a lazy evening to reflect over the day.
Estimated time:
Approximately 9 hours
Languages:
Live guide in English
Pick-up service:
Return transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
Highlights:
- Visit the popular old Cape Dutch farm, Babylonstoren
- Innovative wine and artisanal ice-cream pairing
- Typically South African wine and cured meat tasting
- Return hotel transfers in a private air-conditioned vehicle
- Tour guide
- Wine and cured meat pairing
- Wine and Ice cream pairing
- Wine purchases
- Additional food and drinks
Full-day Wine Tour with Land Rover Drive & Lunch:
Leave Cape Town behind for the day as you head toward the leafy, oak-lined neighboring Constantia Valley just 20 minutes away.
Navigate the steep farm terrain by Land Rover on a tour through a vineyard, where a panoramic view of Constantia and Cape Town is in store. Wine tasting awaits back at the tasting room.
More wine tasting greets you at your lunch spot for the day, Constantia Glen, before commencing on a guided tour of Groot Constantia Estate, the oldest wine producing estate in the country, dating back to 1685. Be entertained by the history of the estate and savor an indulgent chocolate and wine pairing before your return to Cape Town.
Estimated time:
Approximately 8 hours
Languages:
English
Pick-up service:
Return transfers
Highlights:
Rugged vineyard tour by Land Rover
Visit the oldest wine producing estate in South Africa
Indulgent chocolate and wine pairing
- Return hotel transfers
- Guide
- Wine tasting
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Wine museum entrance fees
- Optional extras
Full-day Whale & Wine Tour
Combine two well-loved activities into one on a day filled with wine and whale watching!
On departure from Cape Town, meander across the rolling landscape of apple country through Grabouw and Elgin as you head for Hermanus less than two hours from town. Get your sea-legs ready as you board a whale watching boat for a 2-3 hour trip in one of the world’s 12 best whale watching destinations.
Briefly stretch your legs with a stroll around Hermanus before a well-deserved wine tasting and lunch in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. One last stop on the way home at Stony Point penguin colony completes the day.
Estimated time:
Approximately one full-day
Languages:
Live guide in English or French
Pick-up service:
Hotel pick-up possible
Highlights:
Southern right whale spotting by boat
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Stony Point penguin colony
- Guide
- Luxury transport for the day
- Onboard Wifi
- Whale watching boat tour
- Wine tastings
- Penguin colony entrance fees
- Bottled water
- Lunch
Full-day Winelands Tour & Duck Parade
Journey to the heart of the Winelands and enjoy both Franschhoek and Stellenbosch on this full-day guided tour around Cape Town.
Meet at the V&A Waterfront to begin a short scenic drive to Blaauwberg beach, where you are sure to capture the most incredible photos of Table Mountain.
Onward to wine country where the cellar master at Backsberg Wine Estate will keep you engrossed with a tour of the winemaking facilities, and of course wine pairings. The gourmet capital of South Africa, Franschhoek, is the perfect next stop for a spot of lunch and browsing.
A trip over the Hellshoogte mountain pass leads to a city tour of Stellenbosch, and the perfect ending for the day at Vergenoegt Wine Estate to watch hundreds of runner ducks bustle by in the most picturesque setting.
Estimated time:
Approximately 8 hours
Languages:
Live guide in English
Pick-up service:
Meeting point at the V&A Waterfront
Highlights:
Get to enjoy both Franschhoek and Stellenbosch
Capture perfect views of Table Mountain
Watch the runner ducks at Vergenoegt Wine Estate
- Guide
- Wine tastings
- Cheese tasting
- Cellar tour with cellar master
- Lunch
Private Wine Tours Cape Town
Return Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour
Departing Cape Town, take in the passing scenery on the 45-minute drive to the Franschhoek Valley, where the Franschhoek Wine Tram awaits your arrival.
Your only decision is, will it be the blue or orange tram line? On deciding which hop-on hop-off line is to your liking, visit 5-6 estates for an hour each, to delight in wine tastings and scenic views of the surrounding Franschhoek Valley. Wind down the day around 4 pm for your return to the Mother City.
Estimated time:
Approximately 8 hours
Languages:
Live guide in English
Pick-up service:
Return transfers
Highlights:
- Visit the gourmet capital of South Africa
- Hop onto the Franschhoek Wine Tram
- Taste award-winning local wines at multiple wineries
- Return hotel transfers
- Franschhoek Wine Tram entrance
- Live guided tour on the tram
- Wine tasting on the tram
- Additional wine tastings
- Lunch
Private Table Mountain & Constantia Valley Wine Tasting Tour
Your private, full-day tour begins with a pick-up in Cape Town before moving onward and upward to the top of the iconic Table Mountain by cable car ride.
Traveling along Victoria road, you’ll have the opportunity to stop at Maidens Cove to soak up the views of Camps Bay and The Twelve Apostles before reaching the Constantia Wine Route.
Tastings begin at Constantia Glen Vineyards, before tucking into lunch at the renowned Chef’s Warehouse at Beau Constantia wine estate, or the delightful La Parada restaurant.
Moving on to the oldest wine producing estate in South Africa, Groot Constantia, for a chocolate and wine pairing before closing the day at the oldest registered farm in the Cape, Steenberg Estate.
Estimated time:
Approximately 10 hours
Languages:
Live guide in English or French
Pick-up service:
Return transfers
Highlights:
Table Mountain cable car ride
Taste award-winning local wines at multiple wineries
Visit the oldest wine producing estate in South Africa
Indulgent chocolate and wine pairing
- Return hotel transfers
- Guide
- Wine tasting
- Bottled water
- Table Mountain cableway ticket
- Optional extras
- Additional meals and drinks
Cycling and Wine Tasting in Cape Town
Something for the adventure seekers! What better way to experience the best vineyards in Cape Town than on one of the many Cape town wine tours on wheels? Take the best wine and cheese tasting Cape Town has, and add a picturesque twist to it by jumping on a bicycle.
Take it off-road on a Jeep experience, or get sheer pedal pleasure away on an indulgent afternoon of wining, dining and cycling.
Stellenbosch to Franschhoek Cycling Wine Tour:
Meet in Stellenbosch for a brief orientation by your guide for the day, before putting the pedal to the metal in the ‘town of oaks’.
Discover the historic town of Stellenbosch by bicycle, and visit two wine estates to savor wines and soak up the view.
Kick it up a gear to Franschhoek, the gourmet capital of South Africa with its beautiful scenery and French Huguenot charm.
Estimated time:
Approximately 8 hours
Languages:
Live guide in English
Pick-up service:
From your hotel in Stellenbosch
Highlights:
Explore the Cape Winelands by bicycle
Taste award-winning local wines at multiple wineries
- Bicycles and all equipment
- Guide
- Transfers
- Wine tastings
- Lunch
- Optional extras
Constantia Valley Cycling Wine Tour
Leave Cape Town behind and spend a few hours cruising around the leafy, tree-lined streets of Constantia.
Start by sitting back and saving your energy on the 20-minute drive from your pick-up in town to the Constantia Valley. Along the 15-kilometer meander discover award-winning wines, horse-filled paddocks, and few hidden historical sites and Cape Dutch architecture.
A sampling of wines is on offer from many renowned Constantia wine farms such as Buitenverwachting, Steenberg, and the oldest wine producing estate in South Africa, Groot Constantia. A well-earned picnic-style lunch and wine tasting await at Constantia Uitsig to whet the appetite.
Estimated time:
Approximately 5 hours
Languages:
Live guide in Dutch, English, Afrikaans or German
Pick-up service:
Return transfers from Cape Town
Highlights:
15 Kilometer cycle through leafy Constantia
Visit the oldest wine producing estate in South Africa
Taste award-winning local wines at multiple wineries
- Bicycles and all equipment
- Transfers
- Wine tastings
- Optional extras
- Lunch
Devon Valley Cycling Wine Tour
Take as much or as little time as you need in this half-day or full-day tour through the Cape Winelands by bicycle. On collection from Cape Town, take in the passing sights on the 45-minute drive to Stellenbosch on the most thrilling cycling and wine tasting tour Cape Town boasts.
Hop onto a bicycle and get off the beaten track for an eco-biking tour through the breathtaking Devon Valley. Most of the 20-kilometer trail is off-road as you pass through the very heart of the Valley, and can be adapted to any level of experience.
Enjoy a myriad of exceptional wine tastings, pairings, and the grand finale of lunch at one of the most popular restaurants in the region, Clos Malverne. Relax, sit back and unwind even more after an incredible day after enjoying one of best wine tours Cape Town has!
Estimated time:
Approximately 3-8 hours
Languages:
Live guide in English
Pick-up service:
Return transfers
Highlights:
Explore the Cape Winelands by bicycle
Gourmet lunch at Clos Malverne
- Bicycles and all equipment
- Return transfers
- Wine tastings
- Gourmet lunch
- Sparkling wines and canapes
- Optional extras
Last updated on November 28th, 2019 at 04:49 pm
Not as expected Though the driver was extremely nice and provided us with so many information, the wineries the trip includes are not good ones. I tasted 11 wines and I couldn't buy any of them. I was hoping to go back home with good quality South African wine, but I was disappointed. Among the three wineries, Marianne was the best. The third winery is the worst. Not only their wine was awful, but they didn’t care about the guests and didn't give useful information or even had a conversation with their guests.
Had a great morning at two different wine tastings. Awesome guide (Machy) knew lots about places on the route to stellenbosch etc and great folks on the tour with us. Great range of wines, cheeses and biltong. All in all a great day with good laughs!
Nice day that included beautiful scenery and some interesting wines
Gide (Nick) was very nice and gave a lot of information. We would liked to have had water to drink with our wine at the first Estate. Cheese with the wine were realy good. We had beautiful weather and would have liked it more if some of the tasting would have been outside