Franschhoek Wine Tram from Cape Town: Real Costs and How It Works
7 min read
If you want the Winelands at your own pace, the Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-on Hop-off from Cape Town is the right day: from €47.97, 4.6 stars from 2,551 reviews, 8.5 hours, and at every stop you decide for yourself whether to get off. The catch sits in the small print. Tastings are not included, and four to five wineries add roughly R240–1,300 per person to the bill. If you would rather pay one fixed price with the wine already in it, take the 3-region wine tour with 15 wines at €58.70 from the same operator.
See prices and dates for the Franschhoek Wine Tram
The operator is City Sightseeing South Africa, the same as for the guided 3-region tour. The price looks like good value. What it doesn’t include only appears under “Good to know” – and turns €43.92 into a noticeably higher amount by the end of the day.
What You Get for €43.92
According to the booking page, included are:
- Return transport from Cape Town by coach, with wifi according to the description
- A day ticket for the tram and the open-top tram buses in the Franschhoek Valley
- Commentary on board the tram and the tram buses
- Free choice of where you get off and how long you stay
Not included:
- Tastings. The wineries bill separately, according to the booking page typically R60–260 per person and winery.
- Food. You buy lunch and snacks at the wineries yourself.
- Cellar tours, which are available as an optional extra.
- Tips for guides and staff.
The Bill at the End of the Day
The booking page states that you typically manage four to five of the route’s eight wineries. At R60–260 per tasting, that comes to roughly R240–1,300 per person just for the wine, depending on where you taste and which selection you choose. On top of that comes lunch in the Winelands.
This is the point where the Wine Tram becomes more expensive than the same operator’s guided 3-region wine tour at €48.23: there, 15 wines, cheese and a cellar tour are already included in the price. If you’re watching your budget, work this out before booking. One guest sums up the disappointment in German: you have to pay for the wine, so it’s not a tasting, it’s a sale. That is, however, stated on the booking page; only those who don’t read it to the end are surprised.
Seen the other way round, that’s exactly the advantage: you taste what interests you, stay as long as you like, and don’t have to spend anything at all at a winery you don’t like. One guest writes that they took three bottles home.
Check availability for the 3-region wine tour with 15 wines
Pickup: Earlier Than You’d Think
The booking page lists six pickup points in Cape Town, which you choose when booking. The last departure point is the V&A Waterfront in front of the aquarium. All other pickups start up to 30 minutes before this last departure. You get the exact time by email the day before at 8 am. The operator explicitly asks you to also check your spam folder and the GetYourGuide app if the message doesn’t arrive.
The poor reviews show why this is stressed so much. Several guests write that they weren’t picked up at their pickup point. One guest describes their booking calendar showing 8.15 am, but at the Long Street pickup point you had to be there at 8 am – the bus had already left. Read the email from the day before carefully, then, and go by the time stated in it, not the time on your booking.
How the Day Unfolds
After the coach ride into the Franschhoek Valley, you board the tram or one of the open-top tram buses and follow a route past several wineries. At each stop, you decide whether to get off. The next vehicle picks you up again later. According to the operator, which routes run depends on the day of the week, and the ticket is valid only on the booked day.
The principle is simple, but in practice it takes a bit of planning. If you stay too long, you wait for the next vehicle. In one negative review, a guest writes that because the driver was pushing to leave, they missed lunch and worried about the return trip. Others praise the opposite: everything self-explanatory, nothing to worry about.
In early 2025, guests reported delays: one mentions roadworks on the bus sections and writes that they only managed three wineries because of it. Another mentions two hours on the bus before even reaching the tram. Whether such roadworks are still ongoing can’t be told from the reviews; if your schedule is tight, ask the operator beforehand.
With Children
In South Africa, wineries may only serve wine to guests aged 18 and over. Whether children can join, and at what price, isn’t stated on the booking page; you’ll need to clarify that with the operator beforehand. One negative review says the tram wouldn’t be recommended for families with small children, and that you had to work a lot out for yourself. For days with children, you’ll find more suitable ideas in Cape Town with Kids.
Four Ways to Do the Valley
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Tastings | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franschhoek Wine Tram Hop-on Hop-off | 8.5 hrs | €47.97 | 4.6 (2,551) | no, R60–260 per winery | couples and groups of friends who want their own pace |
| 3-region wine tour with 15 wines | 8.5 hrs | €58.70 | 4.7 (2,709) | yes, 15 wines and cheese | anyone who wants one fixed price |
| Full-day wine tasting tour with the Wine Tram | 9.5 hrs | €77.83 | 4.7 (366) | yes according to the title, scope on the booking page | anyone who wants the tram with a guide alongside |
| Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, wine tasting and tram | 8 hrs | €107.54 | 4.7 (322) | yes according to the title, scope on the booking page | anyone who wants two wine towns in one day |
The Wine Tram suits you if you want your own pace, enjoy sitting a long time in one place, want to have lunch at a winery, and are budgeting for tasting costs.
The guided 3-region tour suits you if you want a fixed price without doing the maths, want to see three wine regions instead of one, and want a guide to explain what you’re drinking. It’s more tightly scheduled, and time at each individual winery is limited. Details in our article on the 3-region wine tour from Cape Town.
The combinations at €77.08 and €94.73 combine the tram with tastings, according to the titles. How many tastings are included and whether food is part of it is something you check on the booking page – only then can you tell whether they’re cheaper than the tram plus wines paid separately.
All offers to the Winelands are listed under Winelands Wine Tours.
Our Recommendation
For most people: the Wine Tram. Anyone who wants to experience the Winelands at a relaxed pace without driving themselves, and is prepared to pay at the wineries for what they like, gets the best day out of it. If you want a good lunch anyway, this is the easiest way to combine the two.
See prices and dates for the Franschhoek Wine Tram
If you’re watching the budget, or want the wine in the price: the guided 3-region tour. €48.23 covers 15 wines, cheese and a cellar tour, so the day ends without a surprise. Four to five tastings on the tram cost more than the €4.31 difference.
Check availability for the 3-region wine tour
Not for you if your budget can’t absorb a surprise, if you’re travelling with small children, or if you want to set off without any planning and hope for the best. If you miss the email from the day before, you risk the whole day.
An overview of the surrounding area, from the Winelands to the Whale Coast, is in What to See in the Western Cape. If you want to use the same operator in the city, you’ll find routes and time needed in the article Cape Town Hop-on-Hop-off Bus. More ideas: What to See in Cape Town and all Cape Town Tours.
