How the Franschhoek Wine Tram works: lines, times and costs

The Franschhoek Wine Tram's five hop-on hop-off lines, the estates on each, how often the tram and its buses run, what a day costs once the tastings are added, and three sample days.

Introduction

This guide explains how a day on the tram runs, which line suits which kind of day, what it costs once the tastings are added, and how to plan around the timetable. Times and ticket prices come from the tram's timetable of 22 June 2026 and its website in October 2026. Tasting prices and opening hours come from each estate's page on Winetrip, linked below.

The short answer

How a day on the tram works

1. Choose a line and a departure time. A ticket is for one line. Bookable departures run from about 08:45 to 13:00.
2. Book lunch with the estate. The tram doesn't book meals. It suggests reserving at least 24 hours ahead.
3. Collect your ticket at the terminal 10 to 15 minutes before your departure. A digital booking confirmation is enough. Departures don't wait for latecomers.
4. Ride, hop off, and catch a later one. Each line combines the tram, which runs on a short stretch of railway, with a tram-bus for the estates away from the track. Stay at an estate as long as you like, then take the next tram or bus on your line from the same stop. Each loop runs in one direction, and you can get off at each stop once.
5. Watch the last drop-off. The 15:30 bus is the last that drops you at an estate. Later buses only collect, so plan your final stop around it.
6. Leave the wine with the estate. Bottles you buy along the way are kept for you and handed over at the terminal at the end of the day, against a sticker you're given.

The two terminals

The Red, Blue and Pink lines start at the Franschhoek terminal, on the corner of Main Road and Cabriere Street in the village, where parking is free. The Orange and Green lines start at the Groot Drakenstein terminal, where the R310 meets the R45, about 15 minutes away by road. Parking there is at the station.

If you're staying in Franschhoek, a shuttle runs from the village terminal to Groot Drakenstein half an hour before each Orange and Green departure. Green line shuttles leave at 08:45, 09:45, 10:45 and 11:45, Orange line shuttles at 09:05, 10:05, 11:05 and 12:05.

How often it runs

• The village tram loop leaves the Franschhoek terminal every half hour from 09:30 and stops at Rickety Bridge, Grande Provence and Franschhoek Cellar before returning 30 minutes later. The Red, Blue and Pink lines all include it.
• Each village line's bus leaves the terminal every hour from 09:30. The loop takes an hour and passes back through the terminal halfway round.
• The Green line runs a tram loop and a bus loop from Groot Drakenstein, both every hour from 09:14.
• The Orange line leaves Groot Drakenstein only at 09:35, 10:35, 11:35 and 12:35. Its vehicle then comes round each stop once an hour, and passes Babylonstoren twice on each round.

So at any stop, the next ride on your line is at most an hour away, or half an hour on the village tram loop.

Which line to choose

The prices below come from each estate's page on Winetrip, which also has its hours for every day. Pigcasso, an animal sanctuary rather than a wine farm, doesn't have one.

The village tram loop (Red, Blue and Pink)

• Rickety Bridge: tastings from R150, booked ahead, and a wine-blending session for R600.
• Grande Provence: tastings from R175, oysters with Cap Classique for R375, a restaurant, and a gallery and sculpture garden.
• Franschhoek Cellar: a restaurant, and a children's area with a childminder.

Red line

• Mont Rochelle: while The Country Kitchen is closed for refurbishment, tastings and lunch are at MIKO, elsewhere on the estate.
• Haute Cabrière: Cap Classique and Chardonnay. Tastings start at R95, tram guests can taste three wines for R40, and the Pierre Jourdan Cap Classique tasting with four macarons is R190.
• Eikehof: five wines for R155 or its Cape Ruby for R55, and cheese platters.
• Lynx: tastings for R120 and R150, an oyster pairing for R170, and a restaurant.

Blue line

• La Bri: tastings from R130, and chocolate, Turkish delight or biltong pairings for R150.
• Holden Manz: tastings from R140, R20 less for tram guests, and the Franschhoek Kitchen restaurant. Its Elysium is rated 4.6 on Vivino.
• Maison: lunch at Chefs Warehouse at Maison, which you book ahead.
• Paserene: tastings of its two ranges for R200 and R250, small plates, wine cocktails and a game of boules in the garden.
• Klein Goederust: a spit-braai menu and platters at weekends.

Pink line

• Dieu Donné: high on the mountainside, with a tasting for R150, and pairings with chocolate (R140) or a Cap Classique and brownie (R165).
• Chamonix: two restaurants and cellar tours.
• Pigcasso: a farm sanctuary with an art gallery, animals to meet and a wine tasting.
• Atlas Swift: tastings from R170, by appointment, so book ahead. There's also a collection of antique Ford cars.
• Leopard's Leap: tastings from R80 (R60 for a single pour of its flagship Pardus), or more with a small dish to match, a restaurant with a South African table at weekends, and room for children. It closes on Mondays.

Orange line

• Babylonstoren: the garden is the reason to come. Entrance is R190 per adult (free under 18), and the tasting starts at R50.
• Baccō: tastings of its Prelude red blend from R90, by appointment. Small Italian plates are served too.
• Noble Hill: tastings for R100 and R140, and the Harvest restaurant.
• Vrede en Lust: tastings from R100, and a cheese pairing for R180.
• Plaisir: tastings for R110, or R205 for The Griffon range. Its Charles Marais is rated 4.6 on Vivino.
• Boschendal: a cellar-door tasting for R100 and pairings from R200, with a play area for children.

Babylonstoren and Boschendal deserve two hours each. At the large estates a farm vehicle takes 10 to 20 minutes from the platform to the tasting room.

Green line

The Green line's tram loop stops at Boschendal, Plaisir and Vrede en Lust, the same three estates as the Orange line. Its bus loop climbs towards Stellenbosch:

• Allée Bleue: tastings, wine pairings and picnics, booked online. Its website doesn't publish prices.
• Camberley: tastings from R120, every day, and self-catering cottages on the farm.
• Bartinney: tastings for R125, a wine and fynbos tasting for R130, and gin.
• Le Pommier: a restaurant, a play area and a fireplace for winter.
• Zorgvliet: a Wine Tram tasting for R75, and a jungle gym and splash pad for children.

How many estates fit in a day

Three or four, if you start in the morning. On the hourly buses each stop takes about an hour, and lunch takes two. Babylonstoren, Boschendal, Grande Provence, Plaisir, Rickety Bridge and Baccō need two hours or more. A departure after 12:00 leaves time for two or three.

What a day costs

For one adult on a village line, with four tastings:

That makes about R750 to R950 per adult before lunch. Children cost R90 for the ticket, and several estates pour juice or serve children's pairings.

Three sample days

The times below follow the tram's timetable. If a bus runs late, wait for the next one: it comes an hour later.

Before you go

Getting to the terminal

Franschhoek is about an hour's drive from Cape Town. Plan how you'll get back before you start tasting: the tram sells transfers from Cape Town, which you add at least 48 hours before your day. Ride-hailing cars are hard to find in Franschhoek after 17:00. Or stay the night in the village.

For other ways to visit estates without driving, such as Stellenbosch's Vine Hopper and the Constantia wine bus, see wine tasting without a car.