Franschhoek: Wineries, Wine Tram & More

South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and Franschhoek might well be the most beautiful town in the country. Franschhoek means “French Corner” and was founded by French settlers who planted an array of flourishing vineyards whose wine attracts visitors to this day.

This guide will cover the wineries and vineyards in Franschhoek, one of the two main wine country towns. The other is the university town of Stellenbosch.

Best Wineries and Vineyards in Franschhoek

I’d recommend staying on a vineyard to fully appreciate the beauty of this part of the world. Alternatively, you can visit Franschhoek as a day-trip from Stellenbosch.

Ride the Franschhoek Wine Tram between vineyards

The only thing better than visiting a beautiful South African vineyard is spending the day visiting three to five different vineyards connected by tram.

The Franschhoek Wine Tram is an unmissable experience for anyone visiting the region. There are ten lines to choose from and countless vineyards to visit, so many, in fact, that I’d recommend picking a favourite three or so and spending a couple of hours at each one, rather than attempting to visit every vineyard on your line (transport is provided every hour, so if you’re having a good time stay longer and catch the next one).

The trams depart between 9:30AM and 1:30PM and they book out, so if you want to see a specific vineyard do plan ahead and book in advance. We didn’t do this so we were left with the only available slot, which was the yellow line leaving at 1PM. Leaving later in the day gives you less time to visit each vineyard, which is not ideal, however, we simply walked to Mont Rochelle in the morning and had an excellent day regardless.

The tram (which sometimes is a bus, as the tram line itself is not too long) is a fun experience that I’d highly recommend. It costs 280 ZAR per person and you have to pay extra for wine tastings on top. The famous Boschendal and Babylonstoren wine estates are on a handful of the tram lines, but these are often the lines that get booked out first. Note that the restaurants at Babylonstoren get booked up as much as 6 months in advance.

However, you don’t have to be part of the tram tour to do a tasting at any of the vineyards, so if you’re just planning to visit one vineyard it would be more economical to arrange your own transport (a half-day tuk tuk tour is 250 ZAR per person).

Remember to pace yourselves and drink lots of water ;)

Enjoy Family Farmhouse Vibes at Eikehof Wines

Perhaps my favourite of the many vineyards I visited in South Africa, Eikehof Wines felt more like a family farmhouse than a wine estate. We sat outside in the sunshine, a handsome rooster clucking under the table, and enjoyed the views of the mountains, a complimentary chardonnay, an excellent wine tasting set and a cheese and fruit platter, all for less than 200 ZAR per person.

I particularly appreciated the friendly and patient staff. After our cheese and wine, we staggered off and sat in the grass to enjoy the sun. Our waitress thoughtfully brought out a blanket for us to lie on and said she’d make sure that the bus didn’t leave without us.

Appreciate the stunning views at Rickety Bridge Winery

Rickety Bridge Winery is a stunningly beautiful winery that’s on the Franschhoek Wine Tram tour. A tractor takes you from the tram stop to the winery itself, giving you plenty of time to admire the view. This was a very popular stop and the winery was full of people who’d been drinking since before lunch-time, giving the place a fun but chaotic vibe, with the staff rushed off their feet to attend to everyone.

Visit Richard Branson’s Mont Rochelle Wine Estate

We arrived in Franschhoek with a few hours to kill before our tram was due to set off, so we decided to walk fifteen minutes out of town to the nearest winery we could find, which happened to be Mont Rochelle. It quickly became clear from some subtle Virgin branding that we’d wandered into Richard Branson’s wine estate!

Fortunately for us, bookings aren’t required and wine tasting starts at a very reasonable 70 ZAR. We had some of the best wines I tried in South Africa, including an optimistically named “breakfast wine,” alongside impeccable service. It was too early for us to eat lunch, but the menu looked amazing and the rosemary-infused olives with feta that we did try were delicious.

Best Things To Do in Franschhoek (other than drink wine)

Enjoy Franschhoek Village Market

Franschhoek Village Market runs every Saturday from 9AM to 3PM. It’s a small market, with stalls mostly selling arts and handicrafts. The market had live music and a decent selection of food stands. I crammed down a handful of cheap and tasty homemade samosas, with fiery chilli, in an effort to line my stomach before boarding the wine tram.

Fuel Up on Coffee in Franschhoek

Get Lost Coffee

Before beginning your heady day of wine drinking, start your morning with a specialty coffee from Get Lost Coffee. This cute little cafe serves up a smooth cortado in the prettiest ceramic mug you’ll have ever seen, and there’s outside seating so you can soak up some morning rays. Snacks and sweet treats are available too.

Terbodore Café

For a heavier brunch option to line your stomach, head to the wooden-windowed Terbodore Cafe. This Franschhoek staple has strong coffee and an extensive brunch menu. It gets busy on weekends, so grab a seat if you see one free. We stopped just for a small snack and can absolutely recommend their coconut and blueberry muffin which was as soft and squishy as they come.

Is Franschhoek Safe?

For those concerns about safety in South Africa, we found Franschhoek to be safer than Cape Town. Whilst you should still take the usual precautions, we had no unpleasant encounters in Franschhoek.

Have you visited Franschhoek? Let us know what you got up to on your trip in the comments below!