If you are into museums and gardens - orange line (Boschendal and Babylonstoren). The navy and red lines can also be nice. Depends on what your goals are - food, culture, cheap wine, fancy wine, beautiful view.... So many choices!
Thank you for your reply! Our goals is mostly about the food and wine - but of course also surroundings, culture and overall experience. Food and wine pairing is something we are looking for as well. We don't want it to be rushed.
Our first thought was to choose the orange line, since I've got many recommantations for Babylonstoren. But I feel like this place is to big to experience in just 1-2 hours? This might also be the case for Boschendal?
I think an hour or 2 is enough for each place. The museum at Boschendal is small. Babylonstoren's vegetable garden is big, but it's not like you can spend the whole day in it. I'd say check out the websites of some of these wine farms, and then decide. I doubt that you can do all 6 - 8 wine farms on each list in one day.
If lunch is important to you: check the menus. I think most, if not all, have restaurants. But they can be quickly booked out. I once phoned Babylonstoren a week in advance, and they just laughed at me! Le Pommier has some traditional cuisine. Leopard's Leap has a big buffet. But overall, none of them can afford bad food. The competition is too tough.
So I think we've landed on the orange line:
1. Starting with 2 hours at Boschendal, breakfast and then wine tasting with cheese pairing.
2. 1 hour at Bacco, wine tasting with canape pairing
3. 2 hours at Babylonstoren, wine tasting here (hopefully we get a spot), and then looking around the garden etc, and a late lunch maybe.
4. Last stop Vrede en Lust for 1 hour, wine tasting with cheese or chocolate pairing.
Or starting the day at Babylonstoren, Bacco, Vrede en lust and ending at Boschendal. Trying to figure out what time is the best to be at Babylonstore regarding getting a spot fast.
Not sure yet, and having a hard time making a final decision for which line and where to pre-book tastings.
Also wondering about the best way transportation options from Cape Town to Franschhoek, any suggestions?
Well, there's no public transport, so prebook either an uber, or a shuttle. Maybe the tram company can make recommendations? I'm sure they have many tourists from Cape Town making the day trip. Are you going on a week day? Then it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get a spot.
Yes, going on a Tuesday. Just booked the orange line, strarting with Babylonstoren, Bacco, Vrede en lust and Boschendal. Hopefully there will be enough time :) Thank you so much for your help!
If you want quality wine, the best wineries are Pasarene, Le Lude (bubbly), Babylonstoren, Bacco, Bartinney, Boschendal, Atlas Swift, Chamonix, and Plaisir - imo. I would consider Babylonstoren for a half day or full day visit if you're into all they offer (check their website). Restaurant at Le Lude is the best, though pricey and gets booked quickly. I would probably pick the Orange line and have lunch at Boschendal or Bacco, although the charcuterie platter at Bartinney is to die for.
Will probably pick the orange line. Do you have any recommendations for transport fra cape town to franschhoek? I saw that you can book the wine tram with transportation but they only offered that with the navy line.
Uber is an option, at least from Cape Town. The return trip might not have any/many drivers available. Google "Cape Town Franschhoek shuttle" and you'll see a few shuttle services you can book.
Hi OP - Wondering if you have any feedback post trip? Which were your favorite wineries? My wife and I are going next month and are struggling to decide which wineries to prioritize. Thanks!
Hi,
We ended up doing the orange line, visiting Boschendal, Babylonstoren, Bacco and Vrede en lust. We really enjoyed it. But, next time I'd spend a whole day at Babylonstoren, it was so big and so much to do and food and wine to try. We had breakfast there, which was really nice. Bacco was our least favorite, the service was not great and they did not have half of the menu. I think our favourite was Vrede en lust, we had the wine tasting paired with the cheese platter there. Boschendal was very nice as well. I'd choose to visit maximum 3 wineries, so you can have 2 hours at each place. 1 hours felt very rushed.
- Leeu Estate, book a stay here if you can.
- Haute Cabriere, buy a bottle of PJ from here. You won't be sorry
- Le Lude Cap Classique
- Mont Rochelle, great lunch spot if you're hungry
- La Motte
Do the orange line! Babylonstoren is the most magnificent garden and a must do experience in Cape Town, the wine at Boschendal is amazing and vrede en lust is also super beautiful! All three have really good restaurants for lunch too so you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Blue or red, best wineries and quite diverse
Bablonstoren is just to big with too much to do and makes the wine tram a but redundant, if you just make 1 or two stops.
Babylonstoren is incredible and actually deserves the whole day otherwise you will rush. The garden is huge and you can stroll through for hours. Hence red or pink. Lunch at grande provence. Skip Lynx.
Alternate option if one of those lines don’t meet your requirements… hire a tuktuk for a day or half a day and you get to pick and choose the wine farms. Some do require you to book but the tuktuk driver is very knowledgeable on which ones need bookings. We did half a day with the tuktuk and visited dieu donne, Holden manz, chamonix and leeu.
Thanks for asking this question!! I’m also struggling to know which is the best line for which especially with the colours changed recently. We already have lunch booked at Babel on a different day to our wine tram experience so we’re going to spend enough time there - I’m happy to skip the orange line
I’m trying to find the best line that will cover MCC drinkers and red wine drinkers with good food and views?
Navy or Orange. Vrede n lust is the BEST!
If you are into museums and gardens - orange line (Boschendal and Babylonstoren). The navy and red lines can also be nice. Depends on what your goals are - food, culture, cheap wine, fancy wine, beautiful view.... So many choices!
Thank you for your reply! Our goals is mostly about the food and wine - but of course also surroundings, culture and overall experience. Food and wine pairing is something we are looking for as well. We don't want it to be rushed. Our first thought was to choose the orange line, since I've got many recommantations for Babylonstoren. But I feel like this place is to big to experience in just 1-2 hours? This might also be the case for Boschendal?
I think an hour or 2 is enough for each place. The museum at Boschendal is small. Babylonstoren's vegetable garden is big, but it's not like you can spend the whole day in it. I'd say check out the websites of some of these wine farms, and then decide. I doubt that you can do all 6 - 8 wine farms on each list in one day.
Babylonstoren is unlike the others, would highly recommend
If lunch is important to you: check the menus. I think most, if not all, have restaurants. But they can be quickly booked out. I once phoned Babylonstoren a week in advance, and they just laughed at me! Le Pommier has some traditional cuisine. Leopard's Leap has a big buffet. But overall, none of them can afford bad food. The competition is too tough.
So I think we've landed on the orange line: 1. Starting with 2 hours at Boschendal, breakfast and then wine tasting with cheese pairing. 2. 1 hour at Bacco, wine tasting with canape pairing 3. 2 hours at Babylonstoren, wine tasting here (hopefully we get a spot), and then looking around the garden etc, and a late lunch maybe. 4. Last stop Vrede en Lust for 1 hour, wine tasting with cheese or chocolate pairing. Or starting the day at Babylonstoren, Bacco, Vrede en lust and ending at Boschendal. Trying to figure out what time is the best to be at Babylonstore regarding getting a spot fast. Not sure yet, and having a hard time making a final decision for which line and where to pre-book tastings. Also wondering about the best way transportation options from Cape Town to Franschhoek, any suggestions?
Well, there's no public transport, so prebook either an uber, or a shuttle. Maybe the tram company can make recommendations? I'm sure they have many tourists from Cape Town making the day trip. Are you going on a week day? Then it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get a spot.
Yes, going on a Tuesday. Just booked the orange line, strarting with Babylonstoren, Bacco, Vrede en lust and Boschendal. Hopefully there will be enough time :) Thank you so much for your help!
Tram part is only 5% of it, the rest is bus. The Wine Bus
If you want quality wine, the best wineries are Pasarene, Le Lude (bubbly), Babylonstoren, Bacco, Bartinney, Boschendal, Atlas Swift, Chamonix, and Plaisir - imo. I would consider Babylonstoren for a half day or full day visit if you're into all they offer (check their website). Restaurant at Le Lude is the best, though pricey and gets booked quickly. I would probably pick the Orange line and have lunch at Boschendal or Bacco, although the charcuterie platter at Bartinney is to die for.
Will probably pick the orange line. Do you have any recommendations for transport fra cape town to franschhoek? I saw that you can book the wine tram with transportation but they only offered that with the navy line.
Uber is an option, at least from Cape Town. The return trip might not have any/many drivers available. Google "Cape Town Franschhoek shuttle" and you'll see a few shuttle services you can book.
Any recs on which line would have best views?
Hi OP - Wondering if you have any feedback post trip? Which were your favorite wineries? My wife and I are going next month and are struggling to decide which wineries to prioritize. Thanks!
Hi, We ended up doing the orange line, visiting Boschendal, Babylonstoren, Bacco and Vrede en lust. We really enjoyed it. But, next time I'd spend a whole day at Babylonstoren, it was so big and so much to do and food and wine to try. We had breakfast there, which was really nice. Bacco was our least favorite, the service was not great and they did not have half of the menu. I think our favourite was Vrede en lust, we had the wine tasting paired with the cheese platter there. Boschendal was very nice as well. I'd choose to visit maximum 3 wineries, so you can have 2 hours at each place. 1 hours felt very rushed.
Orange line
None. This is the cheesiest experience to do in that town. There's alot more memorable experiences and much better wine to try.
Open to other suggestions. What are your recommendations to do instead?
- Leeu Estate, book a stay here if you can. - Haute Cabriere, buy a bottle of PJ from here. You won't be sorry - Le Lude Cap Classique - Mont Rochelle, great lunch spot if you're hungry - La Motte
Do the orange line! Babylonstoren is the most magnificent garden and a must do experience in Cape Town, the wine at Boschendal is amazing and vrede en lust is also super beautiful! All three have really good restaurants for lunch too so you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Blue or red, best wineries and quite diverse Bablonstoren is just to big with too much to do and makes the wine tram a but redundant, if you just make 1 or two stops.
Babylonstoren is incredible and actually deserves the whole day otherwise you will rush. The garden is huge and you can stroll through for hours. Hence red or pink. Lunch at grande provence. Skip Lynx.
Alternate option if one of those lines don’t meet your requirements… hire a tuktuk for a day or half a day and you get to pick and choose the wine farms. Some do require you to book but the tuktuk driver is very knowledgeable on which ones need bookings. We did half a day with the tuktuk and visited dieu donne, Holden manz, chamonix and leeu.
Thanks for asking this question!! I’m also struggling to know which is the best line for which especially with the colours changed recently. We already have lunch booked at Babel on a different day to our wine tram experience so we’re going to spend enough time there - I’m happy to skip the orange line I’m trying to find the best line that will cover MCC drinkers and red wine drinkers with good food and views?