Franschhoek Wine Tram: The Best Way to Taste South African Wine
The Franschhoek Wine Tram is hands down the best way to experience wine country without the hassle of taxis or designated drivers. Unlike other famous wine regions (we’re looking at you, Champagne), this hop-on, hop-off tram and bus service takes you seamlessly between some of the finest wine estates in the Franschhoek Wine Valley—all while offering stunning views along the way. And we mean stunning!
How the wine tram works - Top Tips
The Wine Tram operates multiple colour-coded routes (Blue, Orange, Pink, Red, and Navy), each covering a different selection of wine estates. Some stops are reached via the traditional tram, while others require a short ride on the Wine Bus or both.
The trams and buses run on a set schedule.
You can stay at each estate for as long as you like—just hop on the next tram when you're ready to move on (typically arriving every 30 minutes to an hour).
We’d recommend at least an hour for wine tastings and 90 minutes + if you’re staying for lunch.
You do not need to book any wine tastings
Some estates will have restaurants that can get busy, so if there is a particular place you know you want to have lunch or dinner at, then make sure you book a table in advance.
Any bottles you buy from the estates can be stored safely on the tram until the end of your trip. Just remember to collect them from the terminal at the end of your journey!
Check which terminal your tram departs from as there are 2 depending on the line you have chosen
The Orange line is the line to pick if you want to visit the very popular Babylonstoren and Boschendal
Booking the wine tram
Make sure you book ahead!
Their Information Kiosk is located on the main road at Franschhoek Square; charmingly housed in a tram-like booth - you can’t miss it! But we highly reccomend booking online in advance using the official website www.winetram.co.za.
The starting point is either the Franschhoek Terminal, located in the heart of the town OR the Groot Drakenstein Terminal (depending on the line).
The service runs daily except on:
24th and 25th December
31st December and 1st January.
Between mid-May and mid-September, only certain lines operate during weekdays. It’s worth checking the official website for up-to-date schedules, as construction and maintenance work can affect the lines.
Our Experience on the Red Route
We opted for the Red Route (chosen by our friends who were hosting us), which we chose to start at 10:30 AM and returned to the terminal around 5:00 PM. This gave us plenty of time to sip, savour, and soak up the scenery without feeling rushed.
The Red Route is a mixture of the bus and the tram.
We visited three estates (the red route has seven estates in total). This may not seem very much, but trust us, the sommeliers pour generously; you may have 3 or 4 glasses at each Estate! We took a more leisurely path but if you want you can visit all 7 if you are efficient with your time at each estate.
Red route estates (in bold are the ones we went to):
Rickety Bridge
Grande Provence
Franschhoek Cellar
Mont Rochelle
Haute Cabrière
Lynx
Paserene
Wine Estates We Visited on the Red Line
Haute Cabrière 🍷
Tastings only take place in a cave-like tasting room. You can sit outside to take in the views with a glass or some food but you can’t do outside tastings.
Generous pourings of wine for the tasting!!
Known for their Pioneer Chardonnay Pinot Noir blend—definitely worth a try.
Since it was our first stop we ordered a coffee which was really nice.
Although the tasting room has gorgeous interiors, we wished we could have enjoyed the valley views from their outdoor terrace—especially as it was our first stop, and we wanted to soak in those famous landscapes for as long as possible.
Arrive by wine bus
Lynx Wine Estate 🍷
A relaxed outdoor courtyard, perfect for enjoying the sunshine.
Offers wine and food pairings, including three wines with a trio of chocolate brownies—a fun and unusual twist.
We enjoyed the Bitterbalen Pairing with our three wines (Bitterbalen are similar to croquettes).
A very delightful and jolly sommelier took us through our tastings.
Arrive by wine bus
Grande Provence 🍷
We stopped for lunch first at their restaurant before heading to the tasting area, which is also outdoors. We enjoyed the views whilst tucking into a poke salmon bowl. The potato risotto was excellent and the steak was also very good.
They offer an oyster and wine pairing with a variety of dressed oysters.
The estate has a beautiful lawn with outdoor games, adding to the laid-back atmosphere.
You can browse The Gallery at Grand Provence showcasing amazing pieces of art
Arrive by wine tram, followed by a short journey on a tractor tram through the vineyard - cute!
Calling It a Day after 3 Wine Estates... No Regrets!
We originally planned to visit one more estate, but after generous pours at each stop, we decided to take it slow and truly enjoy the experience. With a tasting menu at La Petite Colombe (and more wine!) planned for dinner, we felt we’d struck the perfect balance between indulgence and pacing ourselves without spoiling our meal that lay ahead!
And what a meal it was - more on that to come.
Final Thoughts
The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a must-do if you’re visiting South Africa’s Cape Winelands. It’s a relaxed, scenic, and social way to explore some of the region’s best wineries at your own pace. Whether you’re here for the wine, the food, or the breathtaking views, it’s an experience we’d happily recommend!
If you have enough time in Franschhoek, then we would also suggest that you spend some time visiting some smaller vineyards that aren’t featured on the tram line. The tram is a great experience, but many of the estates are big and very commercialised. You can often get much more personal service at the smaller family-run estates.
Some recommendations from people we talked to in Franschhoek:
Stony brook (great breakfast)
Colmante (amazing sparkling wine that we tried at La Petite Ferme during our stay there)
Wilderbird
Black Elephant (they offer a musical wine pairing)
Glenwood
Have you done the wine tram in Franschhoek? What tips do you have, and which estates did you visit? Let us know in the comment below.