Take a unique road trip full of food, wine, art, and culture on one of the many wine routes within a day's drive from Cape Town. The Western Cape region has an unsurpassed collection of vineyards, restaurants, and cultural attractions. To make the most of your trip, visit one region per day such as Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, or Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Each region has its unique characteristics and deserves a full day to explore.
For a longer trip, combine these regions and spend a few nights in beautiful accommodations on the way. The Western Cape also has food, art, history, and culture to offer.
*** Do not drink and drive. Select a designated driver or drive to the wine region of your choice then make use of local transport.
On the 'Visit Winelands' Website you will find in depth details and articles and maps of all the wine routes and farms in South Africa. They have a lovely overview breakdown of the regions to help you choose what would suit your tastes best. To open this pdf cilck here.
To narrow it down a little these are the ones we love and recommend:
Franschhoek & Stellenbosch
These 2 regions are the most popular wine destinations from Cape Town and for good reason. They are old areas with rich history in wine making and loads of options for Wine, food and cultural experiences located in a beautiful mountainous area
Being just an hour's drive from the city centre makes it a perfect drive for a day outing. although we do recommend staying over in the area at one of the many amazing accommodations for the full experience!
At some point during the day a walk in the village is a must with beautiful boutiques, cafes, restaurants and galleries.
*Insider tip: whenever we are in Stellenbosch we have dinner at Ma'noushe, an amazing Lebanese restaurant!
Heemel-en-Aarde Valley
This area is breathtakingly beatiful and produces some of the most premium wines in South Africa. If you are a Pinot Noir fan, this is the route for you. It is a beautiful drive through a valley and mountains and the wine farms here focus on high quiality batch produced wines.
it is located just above Hermanus and Walker Bay which is famous for its Southern Right Whale breeding grounds. if you are visiting during the whale breeding season (Jun- Dec) it is worthwhile spending a day or two here to do some whale watching and wine tasting.
Darling
Also just and hour's drive from Cape Town, Darling is a quaint little town known for theatre wine and wildflowers. This will be a quieter day trip enjoying the landscapes and farm roads. during spring (Aug-Sep) this area comes alive with vibrant wild flowers and is the perfect time to visit. We recommend a stop at Groote Post and Darling Cellars. If you are a fan of beer too, pop in for a beer tasting and at Darling Brewery!
In Darling village the Marmalade Cat is a great spot for lunch.
Riebeek Kasteel and West
one of the oldest towns in the Cape and especially known for Wine and Olives. When heading out this way we recommend and mid morning stop at eight feet village for a coffee with a view. and just below you will find Kloovenburg estate, a wine and olive farm. here you can do a wine and olive tasting and browse all the olive products they produce.