Cape Winelands riding

Your 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.