If the above suggestions don't suit you then check out our blog post on where to grab lunch when you're on the wine tram...

If you are tight on time and are planning to only stay in Cape Town then I would highly recommend making things easy for yourself and getting transfers and wine tram all in one. 

But if you have the time, a few days in Franschhoek is a much better options - stress free but also gives you lots of time to enjoy the wineries. 

This is personally how I love to spend a wine tram day. Ideally I would do this on a weekday to avoid the crowns (preferably a Thursday, read below to find out why). 

First up is where to stay the night before & of the wine tram. My personal favourites are:

• Neighbourgood - such a great location for the wine tram, less than a minute walk to the terminal. Coffee is needed as I'd leave the accommodation to head to Mother Dough at 08:30 to grab a latte and pastry to go before heading to the Franschhoek terminal to catch a shuttle to Groot Drakenstein (15min transfer)

• Stay at Remhoogte winery - perfect for 2 people and you get to wake up to zebra and antelope outside your door. Uber straight to Groot Drakenstein terminal, takes about 20mins, but I'd leave around 08:40 to give time to get tickets at the terminal and maybe a quick coffee. 

Get the 09:14 bus from Groot Drakenstein terminal.

1st stop - 09:24 - Jump off at Allee Bleue and enjoy the outside terrace overlooking the vines. A great breakfast spot if you're feeling peckish. I'd jump back on the next bus which gives you an hour to enjoy a wine tasting. 

2nd stop - 10:47 - Bartinney, this winery is STUNNING. It's mainly focused on chardonnay, so if you're an ABC (anything but chardonnay) like me it's not the best pick for wine but I still always go here for the view and the platter.  Again only here for an hour which is on the tighter side but 2 hours here would be too long, bonus is you can see the road that the bus comes up so you have a good few minutes warning. Tip for Bartinney - pay after you've ordered just to save any stress from missing the next bus. 

 I'd be sad to miss out Camberley as it's a lovely small family run winery but unfortunately time is tight as it doesnt quite make the final cut (if lots of people jumped out at Allee Bleue though I would probably stay on the bus and do Camberley as the 1st stop). 

3rd stop - 11:59 - Zorgvliet, lovely on a sunny day with their row of palm trees and tables on their beutiful lawn in from of the dutch style house. Lots of different tasting options here and you can really feel the heritage. If you hadn't guessed the theme here it's another hour stop, which for a wine tasting is a good amount of time. 

Then it's time to jump on the tram where you'll be greeted by another glass of wine. 

4th stop - 13:46 - Plasir, sister farm to Bartinney, this larger farm offers much more variety in wines and they even do a gin tasting (highly recommend). They also offer pairings like chocolate or fudge and wine. The wine is usually starting to kick in by now so I like to grab a snack from their market that they have right next to the tasting area. The wine tasting is very aware of the tram timings and are very helpful at making sure you get back to the tram in time. To maximise wineries again I would only do an hour here but is a good option to spend a couple of hours. 

5th stop - 14:58 - Verde en Lust, join the red ladies for a tasting on their stunning terrace overlooking the Simonsberg mountains and vines. 

6th stop - Sometimes you seem to be able to get the tram to Boschendal, other times I've not been successful as it's technically collection only rather than dropping you off. This is a great place to end as its only a short Uber to either Franschhoek town or Stellenbosch. Boschendal deserves a whole separate trip in it's own right though so if you don't manage to get the tram here then don't worry .... (if you don't have the time to do Boschendal another time though, don't risk it and miss Zorgvliet instead). 

Finish the day in the Tuk Tuk Brewery in the centre of Franschhoek town which you can easily walk to if you do get the tram back. Great for some Mexican food and a beer tasting as a small wine break. 

The next day (ideally a Friday) after nursing the hangover, head to Boschendal to explore the farm, do a tasting and head to the night market (only on a Friday and you do need a ticket but they're free). For more information on this check out my blog on wineries in Franschhoek:

So you know the wine tram is on your list of things to do when visiting South Africa but not sure where to stay. Well you have a few options, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch or stay in Cape Town and get a transfer or an Uber.