The signature Winelands experience: a hop-on hop-off tram and tram-bus that loops between the Franschhoek wine estates, so you taste, eat and ride from farm to farm without anyone touching the car.
The Franschhoek Wine Tram is the signature way to taste the Winelands, and the answer to the one rule of the region: never drink and drive. It’s a hop-on hop-off loop of the Franschhoek valley on a vintage open-air tram and a fleet of open-sided tram-buses, linking the wine estates so you can taste, eat and move from farm to farm without anyone getting behind the wheel.
It runs on eight colour-coded lines, each available on certain days and each a fixed loop of around eight estates, from big names like Boschendal and Babylonstoren to small family cellars. You buy a day pass for the riding, pick the line that runs on your date, and the tram or tram-bus comes past each stop about once an hour. The tastings themselves are paid at each estate, usually between R60 and R260, so it pays to plan rather than wander.
The trick is not to be greedy. Three or four stops with a lunch in the middle make a better day than chasing all eight, and a booked line and start time saves you waiting, especially at weekends and in summer. Stay in Franschhoek and you can walk to the central terminus and back to bed; from Cape Town, a packaged version comes with return transport so no car is needed at all. Either way, the open-air heritage tram leg, running on a restored railway through the vines, is the part everyone remembers.
Pick a colour-coded line, ride the loop, and hop off to taste. Here's how to plan it.
Each of the eight colour-coded lines runs on set days and links about eight estates in a loop, from big names like Boschendal and Babylonstoren to small family cellars. Check which line runs on your date, pick it by the estates you want, and plan three or four stops rather than trying to ride the whole loop.
If you're staying in Cape Town and don't want to drive at all, a packaged hop-on hop-off comes with return transport from the city. You're dropped at the Franschhoek terminus, ride the tram for the day, and driven home, with no car and no one sober at the wheel.
The eight lines run on different days and cover different farms. Check which line runs on your date, then choose it by the estates you most want to taste.
Tastings and travel fill the day fast. Three or four estates, with a lunch in the middle, is a better day than rushing all eight.
The tram is popular and sells out on weekends and through summer. Book your line and start time in advance.
The pass only covers the riding. Each estate charges its own tasting fee, roughly R60 to R260, so carry a card and some cash.
Part of the loop runs on a restored railway in an open-air heritage tram, the prettiest stretch. Tram-buses cover the rest of the route.
The whole point is to taste without driving. Stay in Franschhoek and walk to the terminus, or take the Cape Town transfer so no one has to stay sober.
Book the tram and the valley through our trusted partners, at the same price as booking direct.
The classic day pass on the tram and tram-bus, hopping between the Franschhoek estates at your own pace.
Book on GetYourGuide →The hop-on hop-off Wine Tram with return transport from Cape Town, so you don't need a car or a driver.
See the Cape Town option →A shorter, guided half-day that pairs the Wine Tram with a cheese and wine tasting, good if you're tight on time.
See half-day tours →Boutique hotels and guesthouses near the terminus, so you can ride the tram and walk back to bed.
Find a stay →We may earn a commission when you book through our partner links — at no extra cost to you.
The Wine Tram is the easiest way into the Winelands. See the rest of what the wine country holds.
