A proper winelands trip rather than a rushed day trip — this spreads Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl over two days, with the wine tram doing the designated-driving for you on day two.
The itinerary
- Day 1
Walk the oak-lined town centre, then visit two or three estates for tastings — pace yourself, since a full itinerary of estate visits in one day is more than most people actually want. Stay over in or near the town.
- Day 2, morningFranschhoek tram
Drive to Franschhoek (about 25 minutes from Stellenbosch) and take the hop-on-hop-off wine tram between several estates — it removes the designated-driver problem entirely for this leg.
- Day 2, afternoonPaarl
On the way back toward Cape Town, stop in Paarl — more estates if you still have the appetite for tastings, or just a drive through one of the Cape's oldest wine towns.
- Arrange a designated driver or use the Franschhoek tram for estate-to-estate travel — this genuinely isn't a self-drive-and-taste day.
- Book a restaurant table at your Stellenbosch or Franschhoek estate of choice in advance, especially on weekends — the well-known ones fill up.