10 daysCape Town + Kruger
City, Coast, Winelands & Big Five
- A balanced first trip to South Africa
- Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
From$5,900approx. ≈ £4,450approx. ≈ CA$8,100approx. ≈ A$8,950approx. ≈ €5,050per person sharing
Extension · Customizable Journey
Cape Winelands Escape
Franschhoek, Stellenbosch & long vineyard lunches
- Trip length
- 3 days
- Countries
- South Africa
- Ideal for
- Couples, Groups, Solo Travelers
- Style
- Cities & Food, Romance & Honeymoons, Luxury
Three days among the vineyards an hour from Cape Town: two nights at a boutique country hotel, a private guided tasting day chosen around your taste, and a long lunch at a winery restaurant. An easy, delicious extension we tailor to you.
An hour's drive from Cape Town, the Cape Winelands feel like another world: mountain-ringed valleys, oak-lined streets, gabled Cape Dutch homesteads and some of the best food in South Africa. A day trip gives you a taste, but staying overnight lets you slow down, linger over lunch and see the vineyards in the soft light of early morning and evening.
This extension bases you in Franschhoek or Stellenbosch, depending on your style. Franschhoek is compact and walkable, with a village feel and a strong restaurant scene; Stellenbosch is a lively university town with historic architecture and a huge range of estates nearby. On your first afternoon, you'll ease in with a tasting close to your hotel.
The centerpiece is a private guided tasting day. Rather than a fixed route, your guide chooses estates to match your interests, whether that's historic homesteads, small family producers, sparkling wines made in the traditional method or bold reds. There's time for a long lunch at a winery restaurant, and you can swap part of the day for a guided cycle between farms if you'd like to move. On your last morning, walk through an estate garden or Stellenbosch's old streets before returning to Cape Town or heading straight to the airport.
Make it yours
Every trip is customizable. We'll tailor the dates, hotel, activities and pace around your main journey. Stay in a vineyard cottage, add a cooking class, go horseback riding through the vines, or continue to the coast for whale watching in season. Harvest typically runs from late summer into early autumn, which is a wonderful time to visit. You'll approve the final plan and quote before paying anything.
Every journey is customizable. Use our featured journeys as inspiration. We'll tailor the dates, hotels, activities, pace and budget around you.
Highlights
Two nights among the vineyards
A boutique country hotel in Franschhoek or Stellenbosch, chosen to match your style.
A private guided tasting day
Estates selected around your taste, from historic homesteads to small family producers.
A long winery lunch
Seasonal food and wine pairings with mountain views, at an unhurried pace.
Easy to combine
Just an hour from Cape Town and its airport, before or after a safari.
Suggested day-by-day
A starting point, not a fixed schedule — we adjust every day to suit you.
- 1
Day 1Into the WinelandsFranschhoek or Stellenbosch
A private driver collects you in Cape Town for the drive of about an hour to Franschhoek or Stellenbosch. Settle into your hotel, then enjoy a first tasting at a nearby estate as the light softens over the mountains.
- Private transfer from Cape Town
- Check-in and lunch at leisure
- Afternoon tasting at a nearby estate
Boutique country hotel or guesthouse, or similar · Franschhoek or Stellenbosch - 2
Day 2A day among the vineyardsCape Winelands
Explore the valleys with a private guide who chooses estates around your taste, from historic Cape Dutch homesteads to small family producers. Pair wines with a long lunch, and if you prefer to be active, swap part of the day for a guided cycle between farms.
- Private guided tasting day
- Long lunch at a winery restaurant
- Optional guided cycling between estates
- Evening at leisure
Boutique country hotel or guesthouse, or similar · Franschhoek or StellenboschBreakfast, Lunch - 3
Day 3Gardens and farewellCape Winelands to Cape Town
Take a morning stroll through an estate garden or Stellenbosch's oak-lined streets, with time for a final tasting or some shopping. In the afternoon, transfer back to Cape Town or directly to the airport.
- Morning garden or town walk
- Optional final tasting
- Transfer to Cape Town or the airport
Breakfast
Make it yours
A few of the ways travelers tailor this journey:
Stay in a vineyard cottage
Wake up among the vines in a private cottage on a working wine estate.
Cook with a local chef
Add a hands-on cooking class or a food-and-wine pairing session.
Ride through the vines
Explore the estates on horseback with an experienced local guide.
Add whale watching
Continue to Hermanus, where southern right whales typically visit from about July to November.
Keep going east
Extend into a Garden Route road trip for forests, lagoons and coastal towns.
Typically included
- Two nights at a boutique Winelands hotel, based on two people sharing
- Daily breakfast and one winery lunch
- Private transfers from Cape Town and back to Cape Town or the airport
- Private guided tasting day, including tasting fees at the estates visited
- Afternoon tasting on arrival
- A local contact number for your stay
Not usually included
- International flights
- Visas, if required for your nationality
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Tips
- Meals not listed, wine purchases and shipping
- Optional activities such as cycling or horseback riding
Best months
- Jan
- ✓ Feb
- ✓ Mar
- ✓ Apr
- ✓ May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- ✓ Oct
- ✓ Nov
- Dec
Pairs well with
10 days
9 daysOkavango & Victoria Falls
Falls, River & Delta
- Two fly-in camps in the Okavango Delta
- Best May–Oct
From$7,500approx. ≈ £5,650approx. ≈ CA$10,300approx. ≈ A$11,400approx. ≈ €6,450per person sharing
10 daysNamibia Desert Landscapes
Dunes, Coast, Rock Art & Etosha
- Ideal for photographers and walkers
- Best May–Oct
From$6,200approx. ≈ £4,650approx. ≈ CA$8,500approx. ≈ A$9,400approx. ≈ €5,350per person sharing
Love this journey? Let’s make it yours.
Tell us your dates, who is traveling and how you like to travel. We’ll adapt this itinerary — or design something completely new.