The wine tram from Cape Town

How do you get from Cape Town to the Franschhoek Wine Tram?

Four ways: a coach day that drops you at the tram, a guided tour, an Uber or transfer, or your own car with a sober driver.

Here is how they compare. Driving times depend heavily on traffic out of the city.

Coach out of Cape Town, a full day on one colour line, coach home. Nobody in your group has to drive.

★ 4.6 · 8.5 hours

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How long is the drive from Cape Town to Franschhoek?

About an hour to an hour and a half, depending on traffic. The distance is roughly 75 to 80 km.

The usual route, as Cape Town Magazine describes it: take the N1 toward Paarl for about 35 km, leave at the Klapmuts (R44) off-ramp, follow the Franschhoek signs to a T-junction and turn right on the R45. About 20 km later you are in Franschhoek. The R45 passes the Groot Drakenstein Terminal on the way, at its junction with the R310.

Leave early. Morning traffic out of the city adds time, and the operator mentions roadworks around Franschhoek, Simondium and Klapmuts that can cause delays. If you are heading straight to Groot Drakenstein for the Orange or Green line, the FAQ says to add 30 minutes to your departure time. Parking at the Franschhoek Terminal is free.

Can you take an Uber to the Franschhoek Wine Tram?

Yes, and getting there is easy. Getting home is the problem: the operator warns that Ubers can be hard to find after 5 pm.

If you use ride-hailing, book the return before your last stop or arrange a transfer for the way back. The operator sells dedicated transfers from Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Paarl, and its FAQ says chauffeurs usually collect guests 1.5 to 2 hours before departure and confirm by email and SMS.

Our advice for couples staying in Cape Town: the coach day is less hassle than two ride-hailing trips. For a group of four or more, a private transfer can make sense. Either way, nobody drives after a day of tastings.

Which tours from Cape Town include the wine tram?

Three on this site come from Cape Town and include some tram. Only the coach day gives you the full hop-on hop-off ticket and a whole day on a line.

The coach day. The wine tram day from Cape Town is sold by City Sightseeing South Africa: a coach with WiFi to Franschhoek, a one-day hop-on hop-off ticket, and the coach home, 8.5 hours in all. Tastings are paid at the estates, as its know-before-you-go makes clear.

The guided full day. The full day with the wine tram by Cape Archives tours starts with a Stellenbosch walk, Lanzerac and Tokara, then lunch in Franschhoek and the tram to Grande Provence, Rickety Bridge and Franschhoek Cellar. Tram tickets are listed as included; the tastings at those three stops are marked optional.

The half day. The half-day tram and cheese tour by GOCAPE Adventures goes to Fairview for wine and cheese, rides a short tram leg and finishes at Rickety Bridge. It is adults only and a very new listing.

What does "includes the tram" mean on a guided day?

Often a short ride. On guided days the tram is one stop among many, and on one listing it is a paid extra.

Read the Includes list line by line. The Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and tram day by Excitement Travel and Tours lists the tram ride and the tastings as separately charged extras, and one guest wrote that the tram part lasted about three minutes. It is a good day out for Zevenwacht, Stellenbosch, the Huguenot Monument and Rickety Bridge, just not a tram day.

The full day with the wine tram gives you more rail, with three tram estates in a row. The half-day tour calls its ride the "Silver Line", a name the operator no longer uses, and lists it next to 20 minutes of free time in Franschhoek. If the tram is the reason you are going, book the coach day or a direct ticket.

Two valleys in one day: a Stellenbosch walk, Lanzerac and Tokara, then the tram to three estates near Franschhoek.

★ 4.7 · 9.5 hours

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Which Winelands tours from Cape Town skip the tram?

The best all-inclusive day on this site has no tram at all: the full-day winelands tour with tastings and food, in a group of up to 11.

The full-day winelands tour by African Story Wine Tours visits Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch over nine hours. The listing includes the tastings, a cheese and wine pairing, a chocolate and wine pairing, a cellar tour and lunch. Guests must be 18 or over. If what you want is wine rather than a tram ride, this is the stronger day.

Already staying in Franschhoek? Two shorter tours start in the village and leave the tram out: the storytelling walk to three wine farms and the e-bike and wine tour. Both include their tastings. More on spending time in the valley in Franschhoek in one or two days.

Where is the best wine tasting near Cape Town?

Constantia for a short trip inside the city, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek for a full day. Franschhoek is the one with the tram.

Constantia sits on the southern side of Cape Town itself. Klein Constantia there was named Africa's best vineyard on the 2025 World's 50 Best Vineyards list, Wesgro reports. Stellenbosch, about 50 km from the city, has the biggest spread of estates. Franschhoek, further out, is the most compact valley and the easiest to do without a car, thanks to the tram.

For the most beautiful wine farms within a day of Cape Town, our shortlist is in the Franschhoek wineries guide. Babylonstoren, Boschendal and Grande Provence come up on most lists, and all three are on tram lines.

Are tourists safe travelling from Cape Town to the Winelands?

Most trips go smoothly, but take normal big-city precautions in Cape Town. On a tour or the coach, the main risks are the usual ones: valuables and walking alone after dark.

Canada's travel advice asks visitors to South Africa to take a high degree of caution because of crime. Its practical points for Cape Town: walking is inadvisable in most areas after dark, so stick to lit, busy streets in tourist areas; avoid the downtown area at night; hike Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill in groups; and if you drive, keep doors locked and windows closed, because smash-and-grab theft at junctions is common.

Where not to walk in Cape Town? Isolated trails and parking areas on the mountain, empty streets at night, and townships without a reputable guide, per the same advice. For a wine day, a pickup at your door or a coach from the Waterfront removes most of the worry. Leave passports and spare cards in the hotel safe.

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