These rides are a 'must-do' for anyone who loves fine wine and good food - the wine tastings are a delight and the meals are a highlight.
One of South Africa's most beautiful areas, this trip has wonderful riding on horseback through the stunning scenery of the Western Cape’s Winelands along with wine tasting at some of South Africa’s best wine estates.
The Winelands area of the Western Cape is amongst the most scenic winelands in the world. Splendid mountains form a dramatic backdrop to lush vineyards and gabled Cape Dutch homesteads steeped in history.
With its magnificent natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and world-renowned wines, the Winelands region is synonymous with all the best that the Cape has to offer. Combining this setting with the joy of riding great horses through some of South Africa’s best known vineyards makes for a magical riding experience.
Adding the decadence of multiple wine tastings and fine cuisine leads to a truly unforgettable holiday.
The Cape Gourmet Wine Trail offers guests the opportunity to ride through stunning wine estates as they follow the trail over mountains and through valleys and forests. On the trail you visit wine estates and delight in the food and wine offered by the local community along the way.
The horses are a mix of different breeds of horses including Thoroughbreds, Boerperd crosses, Nooitgedacht and Saddlebreds; they even have some Basotho and Shire crosses. The horses are well schooled and do regular work in the arena.
To best enjoy this ride you should be a confident rider, fit and capable at walk, trot and canter in open spaces.
Please note that hard hats are mandatory on this ride.
This ride has 2 choices of itinerary.
Please note that the itinerary may change depending on the weather at the time and other local conditions, but always with your best interests in mind.
Day 1Your precise itinerary for your stay will be agreed with you when you arrive and will depend on how long you are staying, the weather, other riders in the group etc. It is always possible that some of the wine estates mentioned in the outline itinerary may be closed to the public and they would be replaced by another of equal quality. You will normally ride for an average of four hours each day. Guests staying for seven nights will have one non-riding day. Guiding and vehicle costs are included for this day, but entry fees are payable locally.
The following is an example of a four night itinerary.
Day 1
You are met you on arrival at Cape Town International Airport and then it’s a 40-minute drive to your accommodation at the foot of Simonsberg Mountain in the Cape Winelands. Once settled into your accommodation you have a short, gentle ride, giving you a feel for your horse and the general landscape. Then, back at your accommodation, enjoy sundowners before a seafood dinner paired with local wines.
Day 2
After breakfast saddle up and head into local vineyards and orchards stopping at a lookout point with the magnificent Paarl Valley stretched out below. You then head along the foot of Simonsberg Mountain towards Anura Wine Estate. Here you can enjoy a canter between the vines and along old farm roads. At Anura, enjoy a wine and cheese tasting before strolling over to the Estate restaurant for an à la carte lunch with your preferred wine.
After lunch head home through the mountains with an afternoon stop at award winning estate Neil Joubert, a vineyard not normally open to the public but which offers exclusive wine tastings for our riders. Arriving back at the yard at around 4pm there is time to relax before a dinner which will be a culinary showcase of traditional Cape cuisine prepared by local chefs.
Day 3
Now acclimatised and comfortable with your horse, today starts with a longer exhilarating morning ride through peach, pear and plum orchards and on to a wine tasting at Backsberg, another internationally-acclaimed vineyard and the first wholly organic wine estate in the region.
From there you head for the western face of Simonsberg Mountain, enjoying more spectacular views across the Paarl and Franschhoek Valley and over to the dramatic Great Drakenstein mountain range. The mountain trail takes you through refreshing eucalyptus and pine forests, ending back at the stables.
Enjoy a late lunch hosted by another local wine farm. Without an afternoon ride today, you can relax at their accommodation or amble through the historical towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek or Paarl any of which are a 10 to 20 minute drive away. Dinner is at a local restaurant in whichever of these towns you prefer, giving you another taste of local fine dining and wines.
Day 4
Today’s morning ride takes you through orchards, vineyards and along estate dams. The pace will depend on the wishes of the group but whether it’s a fast canter or lazy meander, it’s another exhilarating morning on horseback followed by lunch at another winery. Spend your afternoon either relaxing or you may wish to play nine holes at the local golf course (payable locally).
For those wanting to venture further afield today, other full-day excursions can be arranged. Please note that these full day excursions are charged extra. Some of the most popular include:
* Beach ride and lunch in nearby coastal town Hermanus
* Cape of Good Hope – full day sightseeing following the peninsula coastline with a visit to a protected African penguin colony
* Great White Shark Cage Diving – a day for the true adrenalin junkie
Alternatively, head out on a full day’s ride along the Simonsberg Mountain with a picnic lunch in the forest. This is a fantastic route for riders keen on a faster, more invigorating ride through the wood mill forests. A home-cooked dinner is hosted either by Cape Winelands Riding owner Louis or one of the stable’s local friends who will pull out all the stops to make you feel one of the family, Africa-style.
Day 5
Your final ride takes you up to one of the most spectacular view points in the winelands where you crack open some champagne and reflect on the week’s highlights.
After you check out, you will be transferred to the airport. If you are on an evening flight out of Cape Town, you can enjoy a trip to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront for some last minute shopping and sightseeing and later transfer to Cape Town international airport.
There are a variety of accommodation options.
The standard accommodation is to stay in one of the comfortable rooms at the Stables. They are basic but comfortable and have en-suite shower, a safe and a fridge. They are on-site and have a lovely view of the mountains. Continental breakfast is provided for you to have at your leisure in your room.
You may choose to stay at a beautiful four star guest and we normally use the Klein Waterval or the Laborie Wine Estate.
Or you may choose to stay at a five star luxury boutique hotel and we recommend the Angala.
Accommodation on the Cape Gourmet Wine Trail is in guesthouses representing local traditions, style and decor.
Upcoming Dates
Open all year round, you can arrive and depart any day and stay for as long as you wish. We recommend a stay of at least four nights.
The Cape Gourmet Wine Trail is offered on set dates, and can also be confirmed for groups of four or more (subject to availability).
Availability |
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Please select a date on the
calendar to request a booking.
CAPE WINELANDS RIDING
Shorter or longer stays are possible
Staying on Farm |
Wine Estate / Guest House | Luxury Boutique Hotel | ||||
2018 |
||||||
Four Nights |
$1,974 |
$2,130 |
$2,458 |
$2,978 |
$3,013 |
$3,809 |
Seven Nights |
$2,744 |
$3,017 |
$3,982 |
$4,891 |
$4,895 |
$6,289 |
There are discounts for stays of 5 or 6 nights in farm accommodation (min 2 people). Please ask us for details.
INCLUDES Accommodation; riding; all meals; wine with lunch and dinner. (Please note, for stays of 7 or more nights there is one non-riding day.)
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: There is no single supplement on the farm if you book as a single traveller and are willing to share. If you would like to guarantee a single room, the single person rate is payable. There is a single supplement if you are in a single room at the Wine Estate / Guest House or the Luxury Boutique Hotel.
PAYABLE LOCALLY Gratuities; drinks; Spa treatments; items of a personal nature; any non riding excursions not specified in the itinerary.
NEAREST AIRPORT Cape Town. Flights are available with a variety of airlines.
TRANSFERS Transfers from Cape Town airport or Cape Town city to the riding centre cost from $114 per vehicle each way.
CAPE GOURMET WINE TRAIL
2018: $3,887 per person sharing
INCLUDES Accommodation; riding; all meals (except lunch & dinner on non-riding day); wine with lunch and dinner.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $972 There are a very limited number of single rooms. If you are willing to share and we find a sharer for you, then the supplement is refunded to you.
PAYABLE LOCALLY Gratuities; drinks (other than with meals and wine tastings); items of a personal nature; entry fees in Cape Town on non-riding day.
NEAREST AIRPORT Cape Town. Flights are available with a variety of airlines.
TRANSFERS Transfers from Cape Town airport or Cape Town city to the ride start cost from $114 per vehicle each way.
In The Saddle Gallery
Riding in South Africa's Western Cape. Nearest airport is Cape Town.
The seasons in South Africa are the reverse of the UK with summer from November to March and winter from June through to September.
Cape Town has a Mediterranean summer (November to March) with day time temperatures in the high 20°C and warm evenings in the high teens. Rain is very unlikely.
Winter (June to August) has day time temperatures averaging 15°C and cool nights averaging 6°C. Rain is possible at this time. Spring arrives in September and temperatures rise to the low 20°C but rain is possible through to late November.
Day | Weather | Max. Day (°C) |
Min. Night (°C) |
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Weather is unavailable at this time. |
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These rides are a 'must-do' for anyone who loves fine wine and good food - the wine tastings are a delight and the meals are a highlight.
A four night stay is the perfect extension to one of our safari rides and Cape Town is easily accessible from elsewhere in South Africa, Botswana or Namibia.
Riding in the Winelands was fantastic. I will definitely go back to experience more of what the Winelands has to offer.
Wendy, Hampshire
Overall Rating 4.9/5. Based on 13 reviews in the last 12 months.
Catherine Holloway
One of the great things about our ride in the Cape Winelands is that you can...
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