Cape Gourmet Wine Trail

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 1

Meet your guides and horses at 13:00 before an afternoon introductory ride around the vineyards and orchards that surround the farm. A welcome drink is served in the yard after the ride, then there is time to freshen up and change prior to dinner.

Day 2

After breakfast, you are transferred to the start of the ride, where the horses are tacked up and waiting for you. The morning’s ride will take you through the world famous vineyards of Boschendal towards Plasir De Merle wine estate where you stop for wine tasting and lunch.

After lunch the trail heads onwards towards Kunnenburgh farm, offering breathtaking views over the Franschhoek and Paarl Valleys below. After drinks you are transferred back to your accommodation to relax and freshen up before heading out to dinner of a traditional Cape Fish “braai” or barbecue.

Day 3

After breakfast you return to the horses for another day’s adventure. The trail into the mountain side of Simonsberg provides sweeping views of the Franschhoek and Paarl valleys behind you.

After a long, lazy lunch with wine tasting, the route continues through more wine farms and orchards such as Backsberg, Niel Joubert and Babylonstoren until you reach the yard where the horses will stay this night. Transfer to one of the oldest wine farms in the Paarl region, where you will stay the next two nights in a traditional manor house. Dinner tonight will showcase the cuisine that has helped to make this region famous for its food.

Day 4

Today is a rest day for the horses. You may opt to stay at the guesthouse and relax for the day, or join a visit to Cape Town. Lunch and dinner today are to your own account.

Day 5

Sweeping views, forest trails and wine estates are on today’s agenda, with a wine, or even beer, tasting mid-morning at Anura before heading onwards to lunch in a secluded valley on Marianne farm.

After a relaxing time spent around the lunch table, the afternoon’s ride takes you further afield through more wine farms such as Mont Destin, Natte Vallij, Uitspan, Le Bonheur and more, all with their own unique atmosphere and feel. At the end of the ride you are transferred to this night's accommodation at Uitkyk grape farm. The owner and his wife welcome you with local South African hospitality over dinner and home produced wines.

Day 6

Moving on again today, the ride takes you over Klapmuts koppie with far reaching views over the flat lands stretching out towards Table Mountain in the background. Continue onwards to Warwick wine estate for a wine tasting before moving on to Uitkyk Wine Estate where a picnic lunch and more wine awaits.

This day will probably be the longest riding day of the week with lots of inclines and declines. Depending on the season, riders might have to dismount to walk short distances with their horses.

After lunch continue to Knorhoek Wine Estate where both horses and riders will overnight. The day is rounded off with refreshing drinks or more wine and the horses are turned out to their paddocks for the night. Tonight authentic South African home cooking will be on the menu. The owners of the farm accommodation where you are staying will prepare a traditional meal paired with wine from their own farm.

Day 7

This morning you meet the horses for the last ride of the week. The trail heads into the mountains offering views of Stellenbosch, the oldest town in South Africa after Cape Town itself. You should also get to see as far as False Bay towards the Atlantic Ocean.

After a slightly more technical ride you arrive at Morgenhof wine estate for lunch, complimented by the tasting of their lovely wines. After lunch, the last leg of the trail route takes you along the Southern side of Simonsberg through Remhoogte Wine Estate. Champagne is waiting for you to toast the end of the trail.

After snacks and refreshments you are transferred to the last night’s accommodation where you can enjoy the pool and relax before a farewell dinner.

Day 8

After a hearty breakfast you are free to depart for home.

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.