Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Day Tour

Last checked: 6 October 2026

Two of South Africa's most famous wine valleys sit either side of the Helshoogte Pass, close enough to visit in one go. A Stellenbosch and Franschhoek day tour gives you Stellenbosch's big-name estates and university-town energy, then the drive over the pass into Franschhoek's mountain-ringed valley. It's a wonderful day, but a busy one, so this guide is honest about the trade-offs and compares the tours that genuinely cover both valleys.

How we checked this

Every tour below was checked on the operator's official website on 6 October 2026. We list the estates as each operator publishes them, so you can see how much of the day is spent in each valley. Prices are copied exactly with year, basis and whether tastings are included.

Two valleys or one? The honest trade-off

Why combine them:

You see two very different landscapes in a day: Stellenbosch's rolling Simonsberg and Helderberg slopes, and Franschhoek's narrow valley beneath the mountains.
The Helshoogte Pass between them is one of the prettiest drives in the Winelands.
It's ideal if this is your only Winelands day.

Why you might not:

More time in the vehicle, less time at the cellar door.
Many "Stellenbosch & Franschhoek" tours lean heavily towards one valley, or include stops in Paarl or Simonsberg-Paarl.
Three or four estates is still the realistic maximum.

If you'd rather go deeper in one valley, see our Stellenbosch wine tour and Franschhoek wine tour guides.

Two-valley tours at a glance

Tour	Format	Stellenbosch side	Franschhoek side	Price (as published)
Wine Tours South Africa — Scheduled Private	Private	Lanzerac, Delaire Graff, Tokara	Haute Cabrière	2 guests R5,400 per person; 9+ R2,900 per person (no year shown), tastings included
Kabura — Cape Winelands Private Tour	Private, up to 7	3 estates of your choice across both valleys		From R1,739 per person (no year or group basis shown), tastings at 3 estates included
Wine in the Cape — Full-Day Private	Private	Estates matched to your palate		2026: R5,500 per person for 2; R2,500 per person for 7+, tastings included
Vine Hopper — Private Wine Tour	Private	Customisable across both valleys		From R6,100 per group (2026, 1–2 guests), 4 tastings included
Wine Flies — Stellenbosch & Franschhoek	Shared, max 13	Delheim; Mitre's Edge (Simonsberg-Paarl)	La Motte (closed Mondays; Grande Provence instead), Rickety Bridge	R2,277 per person (2026), tastings and lunch included
Wine in the Cape — Franschhoek & Stellenbosch	Shared, min 4	Mitre's Edge (Simonsberg-Paarl)	La Motte (closed Mondays; substitute that day), Dieu Donné, Rickety Bridge	R2,280 per person (2026), tastings and lunch included
Wine Tours South Africa — Full Day Group Tour	Shared, max 12	Stellenbosch town stop	Franschhoek Cellar, La Bri (plus Fairview, Paarl)	R1,690 per person (no year shown), tastings and lunch included

Private two-valley days

Wine Tours South Africa — the prestige loop over Helshoogte

Distinct trait: the most evenly split published route in our checks, with three Stellenbosch icons and a Franschhoek Cap Classique house.

The Scheduled Private Tour: Stellenbosch & Franschhoek visits Lanzerac (on the Jonkershoek side of town), Delaire Graff and Tokara (both on the Helshoogte Pass) and Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek. All tastings, pairings and entries are included: chocolate and wine, cheese, a cellar experience and Cap Classique sabrage. Lunch is for your own account at Lanzerac, Delaire Graff or Tokara (deposit required). Pickup is 10:00 from Cape Town or Stellenbosch, back about 18:30.

Price (per person, tastings included, no year shown — confirm the current price): 1 guest on request; 2 R5,400; 3–4 R4,400; 5–6 R3,900; 7–8 R3,400; 9+ R2,900.

Scheduled Private Tour

Kabura Travel & Tours — your three estates, from the airport if you like

Distinct trait: you choose the three estates (or take the guide's suggestions), with pickups that include the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town International Airport.

The Cape Winelands Private Tour to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek is a seven-hour private day for up to 7 guests via Helshoogte Pass. Tastings at three estates, water and fuel are included; lunch is not. Free cancellation up to 24 hours.

Price: from R1,739 per person. No year or group-size basis is shown, so ask for the rate for your party.

Kabura Stellenbosch & Franschhoek

Wine in the Cape — matched to your palate

Distinct trait: cheese and chocolate pairings and cellar tours built in, with estates chosen after a chat about what you like.

The Full-Day Private Wine Tour can be Stellenbosch only, or Franschhoek and Stellenbosch together. Three estates, tastings and pairings included; lunch for your own account (the team books it). 09:00 to 17:30 from Cape Town hotels.

Price (2026, per person, tastings included): 1 guest R8,600; 2 R5,500; 3 R4,000; 4 R3,300; 5 R2,900; 6 R2,600; 7+ R2,500. Higher rates apply from 1 January 2027.

Wine in the Cape full-day private

Vine Hopper — Stellenbosch locals, with a one-way option

Distinct trait: a one-way transfer option, handy if you're moving from Cape Town to a Franschhoek stay.

Vine Hopper's tailor-made Private Wine Tour (operated with Adventureshop Stellenbosch) covers Stellenbosch and Franschhoek with a registered guide, about 7.5 hours, collecting from Stellenbosch guesthouses or Cape Town. Four premier tastings are included; lunch is not.

Price (2026, per group, tastings included): from R6,100 for 1–2 guests on dates to 30 October 2026; R7,520 for 2 guests from 2 November 2026.

Vine Hopper private tour

Going wider: three regions in a private day

Wine Tours Cape Town's Cape Winelands Private Wine Tour visits Fairview (Paarl) for a master cheese pairing, Anthonij Rupert (Franschhoek valley) for a flagship tasting and Waterford (Stellenbosch) for wine and chocolate, with a lunch stop at Tokara on your own account. 2026, per person, tastings included, valid to 31 July 2027: from Cape Town 2 guests R5,140 down to R2,950 for 6. Cape Winelands private tour

Shared two-valley days

Wine Flies — Franschhoek first, then Stellenbosch-side boutique

The Stellenbosch & Franschhoek Wine Tour visits La Motte (or Grande Provence), Rickety Bridge, Mitre's Edge and Delheim, with a guided drive through Franschhoek village and a cheese and chocolate pairing in the winemaker's home at Mitre's Edge. Twenty-plus tastings, pairings, a cellar tour and lunch are included. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday; La Motte is closed on Mondays, when Grande Provence is the alternative. Up to 13 guests.

Price: R2,277 per person (2026), tastings and lunch included.

Wine Flies Stellenbosch & Franschhoek

Wine in the Cape — Franschhoek-heavy, with a village walk

The Franschhoek & Stellenbosch Wine Tour visits La Motte, Dieu Donné, Rickety Bridge and Mitre's Edge, with a guided Franschhoek village walk and estate lunch. Most of the tasting time is in Franschhoek. Same weekdays as Wine Flies; expect a substitute for La Motte on Mondays. Minimum four guests per booking, 08:00 to 17:30.

Price: R2,280 per person (2026), tastings and lunch included; R2,680 per person from 1 January 2027.

Wine in the Cape Franschhoek & Stellenbosch

Wine Tours South Africa — the late start, with a Stellenbosch stroll at the end

The Full Day Group Tour visits Fairview (cheese pairing, in Paarl), Franschhoek Cellar (lunch with wine), La Bri (chocolate pairing) and finishes with a stop in Stellenbosch town. Daily, 10:00 from Cape Town or 11:00 from Stellenbosch, back about 18:30. 18+, 2 to 12 guests, fixed itinerary.

Price: R1,690 per person, tastings and lunch included (no year shown — confirm the current price).

Full Day Group Tour

Doing both valleys without a guide

You can stitch the two valleys together yourself using shared transport networks, with tastings paid at each farm:

Franschhoek Wine Tram — Green Line: runs from the Groot Drakenstein terminal over to the Helshoogte side (Camberley, Bartinney, Le Pommier, Zorgvliet) as well as Plaisir de Merle, Boschendal, Allée Bleue and Vrede en Lust. At Vrede en Lust, the Savoye restaurant is closed to the public from 12 October 2026 to 16 May 2027, so plan lunch elsewhere. Hop-on is R350 per person adult (2026), transport only, with estate tastings R60 to R260 per person extra. The Tram's inclusive Flavours of the Vine (Stellenbosch) day is another option. Everything Tram-related lives in our Wine Tram guide.
Vine Hopper — Eastern Route: from Stellenbosch over Helshoogte to Lanzerac, Neil Ellis, Le Pommier, Boschendal and Zorgvliet on weekdays. R450 per person (2026), transport only, rising to R470 per person from 2 November 2026. See Stellenbosch hop-on hop-off.
By e-bike: VineBikes' full-day ride links Tokara and Rainbow's End (Banhoek) with Boschendal, and Adventureshop Stellenbosch runs an adventurous Stellenbosch-to-Franschhoek trail ride. See e-bike wine tours.

Making a two-valley day work

Pick a lead valley. Decide which valley matters more and give it two of your three or four stops.
Lunch in the middle. The Helshoogte and Banhoek estates make a natural halfway lunch. Ideas in /restaurants.
Check weekday closures. La Motte is closed on Mondays; Vrede en Lust's Savoye is closed to the public from 12 October 2026 to 16 May 2027.
Stay over if you can. A night in Franschhoek turns a rushed day into a relaxed one. See /places-to-stay.
Don't over-plan. See how many wineries in one day.

FAQs

Can you do Stellenbosch and Franschhoek in one day?

Yes. Several tours do, usually visiting three or four estates across both valleys via the Helshoogte Pass. Expect a full day of 7 to 10 hours from Cape Town.

Which tour splits time most evenly between the two valleys?

Of the published routes we checked, Wine Tours South Africa's Scheduled Private Tour (three Stellenbosch estates and Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek) is the most evenly split. Tailor-made private tours (Kabura, Wine in the Cape, Vine Hopper) let you decide the balance.

How much is a Stellenbosch and Franschhoek day tour?

Shared seats are R2,277 per person (Wine Flies, 2026) or R2,280 per person (Wine in the Cape, 2026), and R1,690 per person with Wine Tours South Africa (no year shown), all with tastings and lunch. Private days for two start around R5,400 per person (Wine Tours South Africa, no year shown) or R5,500 per person (Wine in the Cape, 2026), tastings included.

Is lunch included?

On the shared tours, yes. On the private tours above, lunch is usually for your own account.

Is it better to do one valley properly?

If you love wine more than scenery, often yes: fewer kilometres, more tasting time. If it's your only Winelands day, the two-valley drive is hard to beat.

Can we bring our dog?

Not on shared tours. For dog-friendly farms in both valleys, see dog-friendly wine farms in the Western Cape.

Related guides

Last checked: 6 October 2026

Rates, guest numbers, and what is bookable change. Check the farm’s website before you commit.