What each Wine Tram booking includes
Taken from the inclusion and exclusion lists on the product pages, checked on 29 September 2026. “Not listed” means the product page neither includes nor excludes it.
| Tour |
Tram |
Tastings |
Lunch |
| Franschhoek Wine Tram from Cape Town |
Hop-on hop-off day ticket, plus transfer from Cape Town |
Not included — paid at each estate |
Not included |
| Winelands Day Tour with Tram Ride |
A tram ride as part of the programme |
Included — three estates, four to five wines each |
Not included |
| Full-Day Wine Tour with Wine Tram |
Tram tickets included |
Not listed — check the booking options |
Not included (optional) |
How a Wine Tram day from Cape Town works
With the transfer from Cape Town, a coach takes you to Franschhoek, and from there the hop-on hop-off day ticket takes over. Despite the name, the network is not all tram: parts of it run with open-air trolleys or buses, so a typical day mixes both. One reviewer describes doing the tram in the morning and the open-air bus in the afternoon; another started with the bus and finished on the tram.
The lines are colour-coded, and each one links a different set of estates. You choose a line and, along it, the estates you want to visit. The coach back to Cape Town runs at a set time, so the day has a firm end — one reviewer had to be back at the pickup point at 4.30pm. Franschhoek is about 1 to 1.5 hours from Cape Town by road, and the drive takes a real share of the day: one reviewer describes an 8.30am pickup at the V&A Waterfront and arrival in Franschhoek at 10.45am.
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The transfer covers the ride, not the wine
The Wine Tram booking from Cape Town is transport and a tram ticket. Tastings, food and cellar tours are paid at the estates on the day, so set money aside for them — and compare it with the guided tours on what the booking covers, not on the headline figure.
Planning your line and your estates
The Wine Tram rewards a little homework. Read up on the lines before the day, pick one, and choose a handful of estates along it. Trying to fit in every stop makes the day rushed — reviewers describe managing two or three estates, and the waits between tram, bus and estate add up. Plan lunch into the route too, at an estate on your line.
Check your booking details a few days before you travel. One reviewer found that the line she had chosen had been switched to another colour without notice. If you have set your heart on particular estates, that is worth catching early.
The guided tours with a tram ride
If you like the idea of the tram but not the planning, a guided tour puts a tram ride into a set programme. The Winelands day tour by African Eagle Daytours includes tastings at three estates — four to five wines at each — and a tram ride; lunch is paid separately. The tram ride is a short part of that day: one reviewer timed it at around five minutes and another found it did not travel far, and on one reviewer’s day the tram was not running, so the group drove to the tastings instead.
The full-day tour with the Wine Tram by Cape Archives Tours includes the tram tickets and, going by the reviews, spends time in Stellenbosch as well as Franschhoek. Its name mentions wine tasting, but tastings do not appear in the inclusion list on the product page. Check the booking options there before you choose it. Expect the tram to be one part of the day rather than the whole of it: two reviewers found the tram section short and touristy.
Summer on the Wine Tram
December to February is the busiest time on the Wine Tram, and the summer days get hot. Book ahead for those months, expect company at the popular estates, and bring water, sunscreen and a hat — much of the day is spent outdoors or in open-air vehicles. Our guide to the best time and the harvest season has more on the seasons.
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In short
Book the transfer if you want to choose your own estates and pay for tastings as you go; plan your line, and aim for two or three estates. Book a guided tour with a tram ride if you would rather have the route set and the tastings sorted — and on the Cape Archives tour, check the tasting details first. Still undecided? Our Wine Tram vs guided tour comparison sets out the whole decision.
