Wine estates
Historic and contemporary estates across the region offer tastings, cellar tours and restaurants, many set among vineyards and mountains.
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The CapeWinelands.
Historic wine estates, Cape Dutch architecture and mountain scenery, less than an hour from Cape Town.
Overview
Wine country, within easy reach of Cape Town.
The Cape Winelands sit inland of Cape Town, in valleys framed by the Simonsberg, Franschhoek and Helderberg mountains. Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington and Somerset West are the best known towns, each built around a long wine-growing history and Cape Dutch architecture, and each an easy day trip or short stay from the city.
Most visitors treat the Winelands as either a day trip from Cape Town — tasting at a handful of estates and a leisurely lunch — or a short stay of its own, usually combined with a few nights in the city beforehand. It also sits naturally on the route east towards the Garden Route.
Cape Dutch architecture
Gabled, whitewashed homesteads are a hallmark of the region, many dating back to the Dutch and French Huguenot settlers who established the first vineyards.
University town
Stellenbosch is also a university town, with oak-lined streets, museums and a lively restaurant scene alongside its wine heritage.
Easy to combine
Close enough to Cape Town for a day trip, yet substantial enough to justify a stay of its own on the way to the Garden Route or further afield.
Where to stay
Stellenbosch.
The second-oldest town in South Africa and the heart of the Winelands — oak-lined streets, Cape Dutch buildings, a university, and estates on every road out of town. This is where our current Winelands portfolio is concentrated.
Stellenbosch
7 Ackermann Place Guest House
One of the better-value Stellenbosch guesthouses, on Ackermann Road in town.
StellenboschVan der Stel Manor
A restored 1910 Cape Dutch homestead on Van der Stel Street, hosted by Viljee and Hanlie Keller.
Stellenbosch WinelandsLovane Boutique Wine Estate
On Polkadraai Road, about 5km from the town centre, among the Stellenbosch vineyards.
StellenboschBonne Esperance Boutique Guest House
An established guesthouse at the corner of Neethling and Van Riebeeck streets, with a strong review history.
Franschhoek, Paarl & Wellington
The valleys beyond Stellenbosch.
Franschhoek, settled by French Huguenots, is known for its fine-dining restaurants and estates set against dramatic mountains, with a hop-on hop-off wine tram as one way to see several estates in a day. Paarl, one of the larger Winelands towns, sits beneath the granite domes of Paarl Mountain, while Wellington, just north of Paarl, is a quieter wine and fruit-farming town.
We do not yet carry contracted guesthouses in Franschhoek, Paarl or Wellington on this page — ask your consultant for current recommendations, or base yourself in Stellenbosch and visit on a day trip. Request a quote →
Somerset West
Where the Winelands meet False Bay.
Somerset West sits at the southern end of the Winelands, in the Helderberg basin, closer to False Bay and Cape Town than Stellenbosch or Franschhoek — a convenient stop for travellers moving between the city and the Winelands, or on to the Garden Route via Gordon's Bay and Hermanus.
Manor on the Bay, on the False Bay side in Gordon's Bay, is a convenient base for this corner of the route — see it on our Cape Town & the Peninsula page.
Combine it
The Winelands as part of a longer trip.
The Winelands sit naturally between Cape Town and the Garden Route, and feature in several of our South African itineraries.
Cape Town & Winelands Classic
5 nights, 2 camps, from US$1,950 pps — indicative pricing. Full itinerary →
Winelands Grand Estate Escape
5 nights, from US$3,450 pps — indicative pricing. Full itinerary →
The Garden Route
Continue east from the Winelands along the coast. Explore the Garden Route →
Taste the good life.
Tell us how many nights you have, and a consultant will recommend the right Winelands base.