The Franschhoek Wine Tram, with supper at Boschendal

The Franschhoek Wine Tram with supper at Boschendal is a day in two parts. A driver takes you from Cape Town to the tram terminal in the morning, you spend the day hopping between estates on the tram, and the driver collects you for supper at Boschendal before bringing you home, about 50 minutes to the city. You get the tram's open-air day among the vineyards without anyone in the party having to drive at the end of it.

It is one of the days guests ask for most. It works well because the tram handles the daytime and the driver handles the parts the tram cannot: the drive from the city, the evening and the trip home.

How the Wine Tram and Boschendal day runs

The concierge books the tram, the lunch on the tram day and the supper table, and sends you one itinerary with every time on it.

How the Franschhoek Wine Tram works

The Wine Tram is a hop-on hop-off service that runs a loop between estates on a mix of trams and open-air buses. There are several colour-coded lines, each serving its own set of estates. Tours start and end at either the Franschhoek Terminal in the village, on Main Road at Cabriere Street, or the Groot Drakenstein Terminal, where the R45 meets the R310.

A few details matter for planning:

• Book ahead. The operator strongly recommends it, and some lines fill in summer.
• Book lunch ahead too. Tastings and lunch are paid at each estate, and lunch tables should be reserved.
• Each stop once. The tram runs in one direction, so you can visit each stop only once.
• The last tram. Tours can finish after 17:00, so check the timetable for the last departure on your line.
• Closed days. The tram runs daily except 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.

For a fuller comparison of the tram and a fully driven day, read Franschhoek Wine Tram or a private driver.

Choosing a line that ends near Boschendal

Boschendal is itself a stop on the Green and Orange lines, which leave from the Groot Drakenstein Terminal. That makes those two lines the natural choice for this day, and Groot Drakenstein is also the closer terminal for guests coming from Cape Town. If your line stops at Boschendal, you can end the tram day there and let the driver collect you from the estate. Confirm this with the operator when the tram is booked.

The Orange Line also stops at Babylonstoren, known for its garden, which is the only stop that charges an entrance fee.

Supper at Boschendal

Boschendal sits in the Dwars River Valley near Franschhoek. The land was granted in 1685 and the manor house was built in 1812. Arriving before supper gives you time to walk the werf, the historic farmyard, and see the vegetable gardens that supply the kitchens.

There are two good choices for the evening:

• Arum, Boschendal's newest restaurant, in the 1812 cellar overlooking the organic vegetable gardens. It is led by Peter Tempelhoff, serves lunch and dinner every day, and takes bookings directly rather than through the estate. The concierge books it for you.
• The Deli, which serves wood-fired pizzas for dinner every day and welcomes walk-ins, a relaxed option after a long day of tasting.

From 14 November, Boschendal also holds sundowner picnics on the werf on Saturday evenings, which must be booked in advance. Meals, tastings and tram tickets are for your own account unless they are itemised on your quote.

How we quote the transport for this day

The tram does the driving during the day, so you do not need a vehicle standing by for eight hours. For most parties the concierge quotes this day as two legs: the morning drop-off and the evening collection, supper and return. That is usually better value than a full day with a vehicle on hand.

If you want the vehicle available all day, for example to leave the tram early or to add an estate off the tram's lines, the concierge quotes a full day instead. A full day covers ten hours and 250 km, and this day runs longer than that, so the extra hours are billed at the overtime rate on your quote. A Hyundai Palisade seats six guests and a Staria eight, and parties of nine or more travel in two vehicles on one booking.

When this day is not the right choice

The trams and buses are open-sided. On a wet or very windy day a fully driven day, as described in a Franschhoek day with a private driver, is more comfortable. The same applies if you want to choose your estates freely across the valley, or combine Franschhoek with Stellenbosch. For families with small children the operator suggests its tram-first departures, and the driver fits child seats for the drives either side.

Common questions

Does a guide come with us on the tram?

No. The tram is a shared service, and the day does not include a guide. On a fully driven curated Winelands experience a CATHSSETA-accredited tour guide travels with you, so choose that day if a guide matters to you.

What if the last tram runs late?

Supper is booked with time to spare. If the tram day runs over, message the driver from the tram and the collection moves.

Can we stay overnight in Franschhoek instead?

Yes. The driver takes you to your Franschhoek hotel after supper, which is a short drive, and collects you the next day. Overnight itineraries are quoted individually.

Is supper at Boschendal possible on a Sunday?

Arum and the Deli both list dinner every day, but check when booking, since restaurants can change their hours. The concierge confirms the table before your quote is final. The Winelands tours page sets out the full-day terms.

To plan the day, send the concierge your date, the number of guests and where you are staying, and say whether you want the vehicle on hand all day. You will receive a written quote and a booking reference in reply.