Franschhoek Wine Tram Lines: Which Route to Choose

Red, Blue, Pink, Orange and Navy — what each Franschhoek Wine Tram line actually serves, what a ticket costs, and how to plan a day around it.

Updated September 2026

The Franschhoek Wine Tram is a hop-on hop-off network of vintage-style tram cars and open-air tram-buses that link around 30 wine-estate stops across five colour-coded lines. You pick one line, ride it for the day, and get off wherever a tasting or a lunch reservation calls you.

For visitors staying in Cape Town, it works best as a full day out: arrange the transfer to Franschhoek, spend the day working one line, and let someone else do the driving on the way back. The lines themselves are the part most guides skip past — and the one that decides which estates you actually reach.

Check Availability

Pоwered by GetYourGuide

Standard tickets currently run about R350 per adult and R90 for children aged 3–17, with tastings and meals charged separately at each estate. Routes, participating estates and prices change from season to season, so treat the figures here as a shape and confirm the current timetable before you book. For the return transfer from Cape Town bundled with a tram ticket, see the Cape Town Wine Tram package.

How the Wine Tram Works

You choose one colour line for the day. Each line connects a specific group of estates using a combination of tram and tram-bus services, and you decide where to get off and how long to stay.

At a stop you can:

  • do a standard wine tasting;
  • book a premium tasting or cellar experience;
  • stay for lunch;
  • try a food-and-wine pairing;
  • explore the estate grounds;
  • continue to the next winery when the next service arrives.

You do not need to visit every estate on your line. Three or four wineries is the right number for a relaxed full day. A sensible structure is one tasting in the morning, a second estate before lunch, a long lunch stop, then one final tasting in the afternoon.

Which Wine Tram Line Is Best?

There is no universal best line. The most useful method is to pick the estate you most want to visit, then choose whichever route serves it.

Red Line

A strong choice for recognisable Franschhoek estates and a first-time visitor. It has included names such as Haute Cabrière, Mont Rochelle, Grande Provence, Rickety Bridge, Franschhoek Cellar, Eikehof and Lynx.

Choose it if you want a classic introduction to the valley, easy access from Franschhoek village and a mixture of wine, food and scenery.

Blue Line

A good wine-focused route, with estates such as La Bri, Holden Manz, Paserene, Maison, Rickety Bridge and Grande Provence appearing on current or recent line-ups.

Choose it if wine tasting is the priority and you like the idea of mixing smaller producers with larger visitor estates.

Pink Line

A varied route that has included estates such as Chamonix, Dieu Donné, Leopard’s Leap, Atlas Swift, Grande Provence and Rickety Bridge.

Choose it if your group has mixed interests and you want food, scenery or other experiences alongside wine.

Orange Line

Particularly relevant if Babylonstoren is a priority. The route has also included estates such as Boschendal, Plaisir, Vrede en Lust, Baccō and Noble Hill.

Large estates such as Babylonstoren deserve more than a one-hour stop, so build the timetable around them rather than trying to maximise the number of wineries.

A scenic route through the Groot Drakenstein side of the network, with estates such as Boschendal, Plaisir, Vrede en Lust, Allée Bleue, Bartinney and Zorgvliet appearing on current or recent line-ups.

Choose it if you want mountain scenery and a mix of larger and smaller properties.

Other Experiences

Other experiences you might enjoy

Other Cape Town experiences you might enjoy — Table Mountain, Cape Point, the peninsula drive and more, all bookable with free cancellation.

Wine Tram Tickets and Real Day Costs

The tram ticket covers transport around your chosen route. Wine tastings are normally paid separately, and current estate tasting fees are often around R60–R260 per person, depending on the winery and the tasting selected.

When budgeting, separate:

  1. wine tram ticket;
  2. Cape Town transfer;
  3. tasting fees;
  4. lunch;
  5. premium pairings or cellar tours;
  6. wine purchases.

A relatively inexpensive day might mean the tram, two or three standard tastings and a casual lunch. A premium day can include a private transfer, flagship tastings and a destination restaurant. We run the full arithmetic against a guided day tour in wine tram vs guided wine tour.

Getting to the Wine Tram from Cape Town

The tram itself does not start in central Cape Town. Travellers have several options:

Organised Wine Tram day tour

The simplest choice for first-time visitors. The Franschhoek Wine Tram package bundles the return transfer with the tram ticket, with tastings paid separately at each estate.

Official transfer

The Wine Tram operator offers advance transfer arrangements from Cape Town. Rates vary with group size, so they become better value for couples and groups than for solo travellers. Book transfers well in advance.

Private driver

Useful when you want more control over collection time or plan to combine the tram with another Winelands activity.

Self-drive

Only sensible if the driver is not drinking. Avoiding exactly that problem is one of the main reasons to choose the tram in the first place.

Franschhoek Terminal vs Groot Drakenstein Terminal

The network uses two main terminals. Red, Blue and Pink services generally operate from the Franschhoek Terminal, while Orange and Navy operate from the Groot Drakenstein side, with connections where required.

Read your ticket carefully so you know where your day starts.

How Many Wineries Should You Visit?

Plan around three or four. The estates are designed for lingering, and a one-hour stop can disappear quickly after ordering, tasting, browsing and returning to the pickup point.

If you have a lunch reservation, make that the fixed point of the day, then build the morning and afternoon wineries around it.

Wine Tram or Guided Wine Tour?

Choose the wine tram if you want flexibility, a social atmosphere, freedom to choose your own wineries, and a full day focused on Franschhoek.

Choose a guided wine tour, such as the 3 Regions Wine Tour, if you want a wine expert throughout the day, tastings arranged for you, less planning, and Stellenbosch and Franschhoek in one itinerary.

Several guided days split the difference by including a tram section without handing you the timetable — the Winelands and Wine Tram tour spends the morning in Stellenbosch before moving to Franschhoek for the tram in the afternoon. We compare the two approaches, including the real day-cost arithmetic, in wine tram vs guided wine tour.

Practical Tips

  • Start early.
  • Book popular restaurants in advance.
  • Choose your estates first and the route colour second.
  • Give large destination estates two hours or more.
  • Bring sun protection and a light layer.
  • Eat breakfast before the first tasting.
  • Check the current timetable rather than relying on old travel blogs.
  • Do not schedule a major Cape Town activity immediately after the return journey.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Franschhoek Wine Tram worth it?

For most visitors wanting several Franschhoek estates without driving, yes. The main value is the ready-made transport network and the freedom to choose your own stops.

Are tastings included on the wine tram?

Normally no. They are paid directly to each estate, typically R60 to R260 per person. See wine tram vs guided wine tour for the full cost breakdown.

How many wineries can I visit on the tram in a day?

Three or four comfortably, out of roughly eight stops on a line.

Can children use the Wine Tram?

Yes, the standard hop-on hop-off service offers child fares, although individual estate experiences can have their own age restrictions.

Can non-drinkers enjoy the wine tram?

Yes. Choose estates with gardens, restaurants, scenery and broader visitor attractions rather than tasting rooms alone.

Is the wine tram a full-day trip from Cape Town?

Yes. Once you include transfers, several winery stops and lunch, it occupies most of the day.

The Franschhoek Wine Tram works best when you use it to build a slow, selective wine day rather than a winery-counting exercise. Choose one or two must-visit estates, add a good lunch, and leave enough flexibility to stay longer somewhere you particularly enjoy.

Ready to ride? Check availability for your date, or see what a guided day tour includes instead.

Useful official sources

Taste Three Wine Regions in One Day

Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl — three estates, 15 tastings, a cellar tour and cheese, with pickup in Cape Town. Rated 4.7/5 by more than 2,500 guests. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Check Availability & Book