Review: Hopping On Board City Sightseeing’s Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour



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While there are loads of reasons to visit Franschhoek, one of the biggest draws for the little town is, of course, the wine… and the oh-so-fun Franschhoek Wine Tram. But let’s be honest, you have a better chance of meeting Prince Harry than convincing a friend to be the designated driver for a day of wine tasting and general frolicking in Franschhoek. And, if you’ve ever tried to get a quote for a private shuttle or Uber Van between Cape Town and Franschhoek, then you will know that it can be hellishly expensive and a bit of a mission to arrange.
Fortunately for wine lovers wanting to experience the Franschhoek Wine Tram, City Sightseeing offers a tour to the Franschhoek Valley, making it more affordable and more convenient to get to Franschhoek than ever before. The Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour operates along the same route four times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays), with tours leaving from various stops in and around the Cape Town CBD from 08:30 and 09:00 every morning. The tour returns to the V&A Waterfront (Stop 1) at approximately 17:45.
To hop onboard this special tour bus all you need to do is book a ticket online (or visit any of the designated City Sightseeing offices to buy your ticket on the day). Booking in advance is highly recommended for this popular experience. Your ticket from Cape Town to Franschhoek costs R625 per adult, but is currently running a special winter offer of R599 online for South African residents.
The ticket price includes transport to and from the valley in a double-decker red bus, an entry ticket for the Wine Tram, and a complimentary tasting on the tram. All additional wine tastings at each farm are for your own account, but the great news is, Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour customers get discounted tasting prices at most of the farms on the route!
If you’re keen to visit Franschhoek for the Wine Tram but have putting it off because it seems like an admin nightmare, then this tour will be right up your alley. The City Sightseeing Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour is one of the best ways for locals and tourists to travel to Franschhoek and experience the old-timey tram without all the hassle of arranging transport.
Experiencing the Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour
In honour of Women’s Month, my girlfriends and I booked a City Sightseeing Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour on a sunny Saturday in August and spent the day in Franschhoek soaking up the winter sun and sipping on delicious wines. The City Sightseeing tour is a great way to enjoy a girls’ day out with friends without having to worry about safely getting yourself to and from Franschhoek.
The tram’s various hop-on, hop-off lines allow you to visit a variety of wine estates in the valley. The trams and tram-buses pass each wine farm once an hour so you can explore at your own leisure or hop from one estate to the next.
It’s important to take note that while the Franschhoek Wine Tram offers 5 different routes to choose from, City Sightseeing customers will only have a choice of two routes on the day of arrival. On Saturdays, City Sightseeing customers can choose between the Navy route or the Burgandy route. Other days also offer the Grey route and Pink route, so make sure you plan your trip around which farms you are hoping to visit.

The Navy Line Wine Tram stops include Allée Bleue, Boschendal, Zorgvliet, Plaisir, Vrede en Lust, Bartinney, and more! We managed to fit in 5 farm visits and wine tastings on the day before having to catch the bus City Sightseeing back to Cape Town.
If you want to reserve some time to have lunch, then you’ll lose out on a farm or two, but in the interest of keeping things moving, most of the farms also offer special snack platters for Wine Tram customers. These delicious platters ensure you get a few nibbles in during your 1-hour tasting session without having to sacrifice precious wine-tasting time.

Highlights from the Wine Tram Navy Line
If you are not sure where to hop off, then I highly recommend popping into Plaisir Wine Estate as your first stop. This was the best farm of the day for our group. The wines are bold and complex, the tasting room is stylish and refined, and the service is unmatched. Our tasting room waiter, Colin Palm, deserves a special mention for his enthusiasm, incredible wine knowledge, and palpable passion for wine. Plaisir offers Wine Tram customers a special tasting price of R80 for 4 wines. For Chardonnay lovers, the Plaisir Chardonnay is a must-try!
Another favourite was Bartinney; the sister farm to Plaisir. The scenery at this hill-top tasting room is unmatched. If you’re one for breathtaking views, then do yourself a favour and choose this as one of your stops on a sunny day when you can enjoy the deck and soak in the beautiful views of the valley below. Bartinney offers Wine Tram customers a special tasting price of R84 for 4 wines. Here you’ll also get a chance to sample the Plaisir Grand Brut Cap Classique if you missed it the first time around.

I also loved Allée Bleue for the friendly service and delicious white wines. A must-visit if you’re looking for a more low-key, laid-back farm to visit. Allée Bleue offers a special offer for Wine Tram customers at R65 for an Estate Wine tasting and R105 for a Signature Wine Tasting.
More to do in Franschhoek
If you’re visiting on Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday and you’re able to hop on the Wine Tram Pink Line, then be sure to head off the beaten track for a visit to La Petite Ferme. Located just a hop and a skip over the road from Haute Cabrière (stop No. 9 on the Pink Line); La Petite Ferme is well worth saving some extra time for as an additional visit.

The luxury wine estate situated on the slopes of the Oliphants Pass and Middagkrans Mountain Range boasts astounding views of the Franschhoek Valley. La Petite Ferme’s small and intimate boutique-style cellar offers a full range of wines which includes red, white and rosé. La Petite Ferme also offers wine tastings daily by booking only at 10:30, 12:00, 13:30 and 15:15. The tasting cost is four wines at R100 per person or six wines at R150 per person. My personal favourites from the range include the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2020 and the Rosé 2022.
While this stop at La Petite Ferme may not be on the official Wine Tram Tour line, there’s a little fun in playing hooky and exploring outside of the usual if you’re happy to spare the time. Just make sure you keep the tram line pick-up timetable handy so you can be back at Haute Cabrière to catch the tram bus back to your next stop.
For more information on the Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour visit the City Sightseeing website here.
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After years of working as an Editor and writer for popular websites like Joburg’s Darling, Cape Town’s Darling and Joburg.co.za, Crystal left her sanity and an established career in lifestyle journalism behind to follow her dream of creating a website for the intellectual and discerning woman. Today she spends her time chasing the thrill of being the first to know about ‘the next big thing’. She’ll try anything once and has been known to put her body, hair and health on the line – all in the name of research.