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This is my opinions of each line, you might have a completely different palate/experience to me, but these are things that I think make a difference when picking a line to go on. The max I have managed to do is 6 stops, so consider this when choosing your line. 6 stops was with doing each stop for the minimum amount of time too so if you want to relax and have lunch somewhere I would look at 5 stops maximum (this is if you start on the earliest tram too... would recommend).
They do change the wineries on each line often so do check the wineries against the list on their website and let me know if I'm out of date.
There are 2 terminals which both have multiple different lines:
Franschhoek Terminal Lines
Franschhoek Terminal Lines
The positives of these lines are the ease if you're staying in Franschhoek as you are a short safe walk from the terminal if you are staying in Franschhoek itself. The other joy is that if you do the tram last then you can end at the Franschhoek Cellar which is only a couple of minutes walk from the terminal so if you miss the last tram/want to stay for a bit longer you can without worrying how to get back into Franschhoek.
The common wineries that all these lines stop at are (on the tram section):
Rickety Bridge - a bit on the pricier side compared to the others. You can make your own red blend here though, I haven't done this but it is on my list. It sounds like it would make a great activity.
Grande Provance - you get a tractor trailer up to this place from the tram which just adds to the fun. It has a beautiful setting with lots of sculptures and art.
Franschhoek Cellar - near Franschhoek itself so easy to walk back after. Does a popcorn and wine pairing and even a biltong and wine pairing so if you fancy something a bit fun to end the day it is a great shout. They also serve pizzas.
Pigcasso
Pink
Pink
If going with kids, I think this is a good line to go for as you have some entertainment on the way (Pigcasso).
Stops:
Dieu Donne - small winery with a great view over the Franschhoek valley.
Chamonix - quant garden vibes, with some gorgeous wines and good cheese boards.
Pigcasso - farm meets art gallery meets winery. A great one for the kids, lots of farm animals wondering around, which you can feed, wine tasting is an after thought here. A different stop and can be a bit of a break from wine tasting if needed.
Atlas Swift - small cosy courtyard with some lovely wines and very friendly staff. Also good platters. We bought wine and were given quite a few extra tastings.
Leopard's Leap - larger wine farm with big restaurant area with buffet. Beautiful building but lost it's intimate wine tasting vibes for me.
Haute Cabriere
Red
Red
Might be my favourite of the Franschhoek lines.
Stops:
Eikehof - We have visited this place multiple times and have always been greeted by the owner and his family. Some incredible wine and cheese platters, family feel and they even have ostriches that you can see and feed.
Lynx - relaxed outdoor seating with a view over the mountains. Brownie or Oyster pairings are a highlight.
Mont Rochelle - Richard Banson's winery. Good hikes in this area and I've heard the food was great. Large variety of how many wine you'd like to taste, if you're still going strong at this point they offer a 7 wine tasting.
Haute Cabriere - beautiful location with an amazing view. The tastings usually take place in the tasting room rather than outside enjoying the view. Would highly recommend the macaroon and sparkling pairing. If you just fancy a glass you can stay outside and enjoy stunning surroundings.
Paserene
Blue
Blue
A mix of history and modern design.
Stops:
Maison - You can get up close to some of the vines here and enjoy the atmosphere in their beatiful garden with chickens running around. There is a Chef's warehouse here so a great lunch is a certainty (booking required).
Paserene - architecturally stunning building on a small lake with a view over the mountains. They also do wine cocktails here so if you need a mini wine break.
Klein Goederust - a wine farm making history as the first black-owned wine cellar. A must just based on it's history but also has a beautiful family feel.
La Bri - Small rooftop terrace for intimate experience. Offering pairings such as wine and chocolate or biltong.
Holden Manz - an experience you might want to stay a little longer for at Holden Manz is their barrell tasting (book in advance). Where you enjoy your wine tasting with some straight from the barrell.
Groot Drakenstein Terminal Lines
Groot Drakenstein Terminal Lines
Slightly quicker to get to if coming from Stellenbosch or Cape Town as you don't go into Franschhoek itself, but then you don't go into Franschhoek itself. You can easily get here from Franschhoek too though but going to the Franschhoek terminal and the wine tram (actually a bus for this bit) will transfer you to Groot Drakenstein terminal.
I think the tram section of these lines is much prettier. It also is longer than the Franschhoek line so you get to soak up the views for longer.
The common wineries that all these lines stop at are (on the tram section):
Verde en Lust - the ladies in red will serve you from one of the most beautiful tasting rooms overlooking the vineyards and the Simonsberg/Groot Drakenstein mountains.
Plasir - a lovely open courtyard with a small market that you can wonder around. Lots of lawn space, usually with beanbags and some lawn games, and sometimes live music, a very relaxing vibe. These guys also do great gins, so if you want a change from wine why not do the gin tasting instead.
Boschendal - this is a huge winery and well worth a visit on its own. Be warned this has a bus to take you from the tram and takes about 12mins to transfer between the two, so you won't catch the next tram. For the wine tram you will be taken to the oak cellar tasting room which if sunny will be under a big oak tree, again lawn games are usually scattered around. This is closest to the main road back to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek so it is easy to get an uber from here if you want to stay a bit longer. If planning a wine tram trip on a Friday make sure you end here and check out their Friday night market. Check out the page below for more info on this.
Bartinney
Green (formally Navy)
Green (formally Navy)
Dare I say my favourite line out of them all. Good variety in wineries offering different things. No stand out place for lunch though, but if you don't mind a cheese platter here and there or a good breakfast before hand/Allee Bleue this is a great line.
Stops:
Allee Bleue - great start with a good selection of wines and also breakfast options if you want line your stomach.
Camberley - family run, small winery with knowledgable attentive staff. They have a Philosophers Stone wine for those HP fans.
Bartinney - STUNNING! I think this has one of the best views and to top it off they have 3 dogs wondering around that are super friendly. Cheese platters are also beautiful. Heavy emphasis on chardonnay here so wine wise if you're an ABC (anything but chardonney) might not be the best wines for you.
Le Pommier - personally I haven't been, look quite large with lunch options but didn't get the best reviews from the wine trammers that had just been.
Zorgvliet - you can feel the history from the beautiful 1600s dutch architecture to the classic wine choices. Don't dismiss if it's sunny as has a lovely outdoor table set up.
Babylonstoren
Orange
Orange
WARNING: as of writting there are roadworks taking place around the bus section of this route, this can cause delays in getting to your wineries, so you get less time at them, which is very sad.
We love the orange line but only 2 stops apart from the tram, at the moment it is hard to justify doing the orange line. I would highly recommend the wineries though and they're worth their own trip.
Stops:
Bacco - modern tasting room in a beautiful setting. Offering small plates if you want to grab a quick bite and stick to your plan of hitting as many as possible.
Babylonstoren - worth a visit on the wine tram but you could easily skip and make a whole day of it here. Think pick your own fruit gardens, cafes, bakeries, cheese shops and there's even a spa. If you are from the UK there is a major hack you can do by visiting this wine farm, check out my page below for more info on this.
Here is a table of all the wineries and what they offer at a glance, also with which lines they go on. Anything highlighted in red is activities that need to be pre-booked, so consider this. This board is available in the Franschhoek terminal.
Bartinney
There's a few other questions you need to ask yourself before booking the wine tram:
What time to start?
Bus or Tram first?
How are we getting there?
Where to have lunch?
Where can we stay? - if the answer to this is you just want a day trip from Cape Town, check out this super stress free option.
For answers to these check out our other posts....
Where to stay?
Where to stay?
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.
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