Booking choice: The wine tram day from Cape Town, 8.5 hours. Book this Tour details
The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a hop-on hop-off transport ticket between wine estates. You choose a colour line, ride a mix of tram and open-air tram-bus, and get off where you like. Nobody has to drive. That is the whole appeal, and it is a good one.
What the ticket does not do is pay for any wine. Every tasting, platter and lunch is bought at the estate. One GetYourGuide listing even puts tasting fees under Includes while its own know-before-you-go says they are paid separately. Below is how the day really works, how long it takes and who should book something else.
The quick answer
Yes, for most visitors, if you want a relaxed wine day without a driver and you plan around the timetable. Budget for tastings and lunch on top of the ticket, book ahead in summer, and pick three or four estates. Skip it if you want everything included or more than a few minutes on actual rails.
Is the Franschhoek Wine Tram worth it?
Worth it for a no-driving wine day where you set the pace. Less worth it if you expect tastings included, a full day on rails, or the freedom to double back.
Here is the honest balance, built from the operator's FAQ and the listings on this site.
| What works well | What catches people out |
|---|---|
| Nobody drives; the estates are linked for you | The ticket is transport only; tastings are paid at each estate |
| You choose the estates and how long to stay | Lines run one way; you cannot go back to an estate |
| Commentary on board and views of the valley | Much of each line is on open-air tram-buses, not rails |
| Wine you buy can wait for you at the terminal | About an hour between vehicles, so timing matters |
| Works in light rain; vehicles are well protected | Weekends and December to February sell out |
Our view: it is worth it for couples, friends and first-time visitors to the Winelands who like to wander. It is not the best pick for serious wine buyers who want a guide in the cellar. For them, an all-inclusive day such as the full-day winelands tour with tastings and food gives more wine per hour and no timetable.
The classic tram day: coach from Cape Town, a hop-on hop-off ticket on one line, and your own choice of estates.
Book this Tour detailsHow does the Franschhoek Wine Tram work?
Book a line and a departure time, collect your ticket at the terminal, ride to the first estate, and hop on the next vehicle when you are ready to move on.
- Choose a line and departure. Red, Blue and Pink leave the Franschhoek Terminal at the corner of Main Road and Cabrière Street. Orange and Green leave Groot Drakenstein.
- Check in 10 to 15 minutes early at the ticket office. Tickets are collected there; a digital confirmation is enough.
- Hop off at an estate, pay for a tasting, lunch or a cellar tour there.
- Hop back on at the platform when the next tram or tram-bus comes. The timetable shows the times.
- Finish at the terminal and collect any wine you left with the estates.
Departures do not wait, and you cannot join an earlier one. Food and open alcohol are not allowed on board, though both terminals sell coffee, cold drinks, beignets and toasted sandwiches. Pets are not allowed either.
Should I take the bus or tram first on the Franschhoek Wine Tram?
Both versions visit the same estates in a different order. Take Tram First with young children, as the operator suggests; otherwise pick the order that puts your favourite estate early.
Red, Blue and Pink each sell a Tram First and a Bus First departure. As the names suggest, Tram First starts on the rails to Rickety Bridge, Grande Provence and Franschhoek Cellar. Bus First heads out on the tram-bus to the outer estates of your line first.
Our rule of thumb: go to the estate you care most about while you are fresh and the tasting room is quieter. If that is Haute Cabrière on the Red line, go Bus First. If it is a long lunch at Grande Provence, Tram First and a late lunch can work. The FAQ recommends Tram First for families, which gets the novelty of the tram done before small people tire.
How long do you need for a Franschhoek Wine Tram?
A full day. The operator says plan at least three hours, but with an hour between vehicles, three or four estates fill a day comfortably.
A plain tasting takes about an hour, and a pairing or lunch about two, according to Stingy Nomads. Add the wait for the next vehicle and each stop is roughly an hour and a half. At Babylonstoren, Boschendal, Grande Provence, Plaisir, Rickety Bridge and Baccō a farm vehicle takes 10 to 20 minutes from the platform to the tasting area each way.
The coach day from Cape Town is listed at 8.5 hours door to door and its listing says to expect four or five of the eight estates on your line. We think four is the realistic upper limit if you want lunch. Coming from Groot Drakenstein? Add the shuttle from the village, about 15 minutes, and arrive 30 minutes earlier than your departure if you drive straight there, says the operator.
Eight and a half hours from Cape Town and back, with four or five estates on your line realistic.
Book thisDo you need to book the Franschhoek Wine Tram in advance?
Yes. The operator sells a limited number of tickets each day and strongly recommends booking ahead. You cannot reserve without paying.
Weekends and the December to February summer go first. From mid-May to mid-September only certain lines run on weekdays, so check that your line runs on your date. The service is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.
How to buy tickets: book online on the operator's website, or book a tour that includes the ticket, such as the wine tram day from Cape Town, which adds the coach. Direct tickets can be moved to another date 24 hours or more ahead if there is space, and cancelled for a full refund 24 hours or more ahead. The tours on this site carry their own free-cancellation terms, also up to 24 hours before.
Do you need to book tastings? Usually not for a standard tasting, but restaurant lunches should be booked at least 24 hours ahead, and some experiences need a booking: the Chamonix cellar tour and the chocolate and cheese pairings at Vrede en Lust, for example.
How much does the Franschhoek Wine Tram cost?
The ticket price depends on age and season and is listed on the operator's booking page. Plan for tastings and lunch on top, because the ticket covers transport only.
We do not print prices on this site, because they change. New-season rates apply to bookings from 1 November 2026, the operator announces. There are no discounts for students, pensioners or non-drinkers.
What you pay on the day: a tasting at each estate, lunch, any cellar tour, and wine you buy. The FAQ says no estate charges an entrance fee except Babylonstoren on the Orange line. Tips for staff are not in any ticket. A tour that packages the ticket with a coach, such as the wine tram day from Cape Town, saves on transport but still leaves the tastings to you. If you want a single booking that covers the wine, the e-bike and wine tour and the storytelling walk list tastings and lunch as included.
Ten wines at three farms, lunch at La Cotte and four kilometres of vineyard paths: the day where the tastings are part of the booking.
Book this Tour detailsWhat to wear on the wine tram?
Layers, flat shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Jeans and sneakers are fine; it is a farm valley, not a dress code.
The vehicles are open-air. Mornings can be cool even in summer, and the operator hands out blankets on chilly days, one travel blog reports. By early afternoon in January you will want shade and water. Some estates mean gravel paths, lawns and a ride in a farm vehicle, which is no place for high heels.
Can you wear jeans at a winery? Yes. Sneakers? Yes, here as in Napa. Smart casual is plenty for the tasting rooms on the lines. The one dress rule the operator mentions is to avoid offensive clothing or accessories, and it does not host birthday or bachelor parties, so leave the sashes at home.
What time of year is best for the Franschhoek Wine Tram?
Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) for mild days and fewer people. Summer for long, hot days and full trams. Winter is quiet, with fewer weekday lines.
December to February is peak season: hot, busy, and weekends sell out. Harvest usually runs from about February into April, and the vines turn yellow and red in autumn. Winter, June to August, is wetter and cooler, and the Western Cape gets heavy rain from May to September, Canada's travel advice notes. The tram and tram-bus are well protected from rain, says the FAQ, and rare cancellations for weather are refunded.
Our pick: a weekday in October or March. If you travel in late December, read our Christmas and New Year post for closed days, and the new-season post for roadworks around Franschhoek, Simondium and Klapmuts that can slow the lines.
Frequently asked questions
Are wine tastings included in the wine tram ticket?
No. The hop-on hop-off ticket covers the tram and tram-bus. You pay for each tasting, lunch and cellar tour at the estate.
Do you tip after a wine tour?
Tipping is customary in South Africa, and the tour listings on this site mark tips as optional or not included. Check restaurant bills for a service charge first, and carry some cash.
Can children ride the wine tram?
Yes. The operator suggests Tram First departures for families, and prams must be folded on board. Some guided tours on this site are adults only, so check the tour page.
Does the wine tram run in the rain?
Yes. The vehicles are well protected, according to the operator. Rare cancellations for weather or mechanical reasons are refunded in full.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option, and live availability on the booking page.
Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-on Hop-off from Cape Town
- Return coach from set pickup points in Cape Town
- One-day hop-on hop-off ticket on a tram line
- Trams and open-air tram-buses between the estates
Storytelling Walk to Three Wine Farms
Four kilometres of vineyard trails, ten wines and lunch
Full-Day Winelands Tour with Tastings & Food
Four wineries, pairings and lunch, max. 11 guests, no tram
