7 Day Winelands and Whale Route Tour

Guests are met in Cape Town and travel to Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands, home to the renowned Stellenbosch Wine Route. The town is known for its oak-lined streets, historic Cape Dutch architecture, and vibrant student atmosphere. After a gentle orientation around the town center, there is time to browse galleries, cafés, and landmark buildings while your guide provides context on the region’s wine heritage and explains why the surrounding valleys have become central to South African viticulture. Along the way, key viewpoints highlight how mountains, rainfall patterns, and cool ocean influences shape local growing conditions.

Later, you visit two wine estates along the Stellenbosch Wine Route for tastings and a behind-the-scenes look at cellar operations. Estate staff explain vineyard practices and how climate, soil, and winemaking choices influence aroma, structure, and flavor across different wine styles. Where available, you may also see barrel cellars and learn how maturation contributes to texture and complexity. If time allows, your guide may include a short scenic stop for photographs of the vineyards and mountain backdrops before returning to your Winelands accommodation.

Today focuses on Franschhoek and its surrounding estates, a valley shaped by French Huguenot heritage and the Cape’s long-standing wine tradition. You explore the village’s characterful main road and historic buildings before visiting the Huguenot Monument and museum precinct, which provides deeper insight into how early settlers influenced culture, agriculture, and winemaking in the valley. Your guide also highlights Franschhoek’s reputation for fine dining and artisanal produce, a natural complement to the wines produced along the Franschhoek Wine Route.

The afternoon is devoted to visiting selected wine estates chosen to suit your interests, whether you prefer expressive reds, elegant whites, or traditional bottle-fermented sparkling wines. Tastings may be paired with a relaxed lunch stop or a cellar visit where available, allowing time to compare styles shaped by different terroirs and winemaking approaches. If a slower pace is preferred, the day can focus on fewer estates with longer tastings before returning to Franschhoek later in the afternoon to enjoy the village’s celebrated food-and-wine atmosphere.

After breakfast, depart the Winelands and climb the Franschhoek Pass for sweeping views across the valley and surrounding peaks. Continue toward the Elgin/Grabouw area, known for deciduous fruit orchards and cool-climate farming, with scenic mountain backdrops along the way. Short photo stops can be included where viewpoints and conditions allow, and your guide may share quick insights into how altitude and temperature swings influence agriculture in this region.

Arrive in Hermanus, set on Walker Bay and famous for shore-based whale watching in season. Since August 1992, Hermanus has featured the world’s only Whale Crier tradition, using a kelp horn to alert visitors when whales are close to shore. Spend part of the afternoon at the Hermanus Whale Museum, where exhibits help explain whale biology, behavior, and migration patterns. Time permitting, enjoy a brief stroll along the waterfront viewpoints to start scanning the bay and settling into this coastal town.

Begin with a walk along the Hermanus Cliff Path, a celebrated coastal route linking the New Harbour area and Grotto Beach. You can choose a shorter stroll or a longer section depending on fitness and interest, with benches and lookout points that are excellent for scanning the bay for marine life in season. The path also offers frequent photographic moments, with rugged shoreline, tidal pools, and panoramic sea views that change constantly with the light and weather.

After time in town for lunch, enjoy a mid-afternoon whale-watching cruise operated by a licensed company following responsible viewing protocols. The trip typically lasts around 1.5–2 hours and can include dramatic surface activity such as breaching or tail slapping when conditions and luck align. Your guide and crew can also point out seabirds and other marine life that often accompany feeding areas. Return to your accommodation with the evening free to explore waterfront restaurants and viewpoints at your own pace.

Leave Hermanus and travel inland through Overberg farming landscapes, where birdlife sightings are often rewarding. Continue via Stanford and Napier toward Bredasdorp, a small historical center in the region. Your guide can add short stops to stretch legs, photograph scenery, or browse local curios depending on timing, and may share background on the Overberg’s rural heritage and seasonal farming rhythms.

Continue to Cape Agulhas, widely described as the southernmost point of the African continent and associated with the “Cape of Needles” name. Visit the lighthouse area and take photos at the iconic southern tip marker, allowing time to enjoy the windswept coastal atmosphere and rugged seascapes. Then drive on to Arniston, a seaside village with a distinctive coastal character. The town’s name is linked to the 1815 Arniston shipwreck near Waenhuiskrans, where only six people survived out of 378 aboard, and your guide can point out locations connected to the story.

This morning, explore Arniston and Kassiesbaai, a distinctive fishing village known for its whitewashed cottages and coastal character. The walk is relaxed and scenic, with time to photograph the architecture and shoreline and to learn how fishing and the sea have shaped local life over generations. Depending on conditions, you may also spot seabirds and marine activity in the bay, and enjoy the contrast between bright cottages and the deep coastal blues.

After lunch, stroll to Waenhuiskrans Cave, a dramatic coastal cavern accessible at low tide. The cave’s name is often linked to its large interior space—popularly described as big enough for a wagon to turn—and the surrounding coastline is equally photogenic. From inside, enjoy views across the rugged shoreline and listen to the surge of the ocean echoing through the rock. Return to your hotel for a restful late afternoon, with time to enjoy the coastal ambience before dinner.

After breakfast, return to Cape Town via a scenic coastal drive, passing through Rooi Els and Gordon’s Bay with worthwhile viewpoints along the way. Your guide can include brief stops at lookouts to scan for whales in season and to enjoy the dramatic meeting of mountains and ocean along this stretch of coast. The route offers a fitting finale to the journey, with changing coastal perspectives and several opportunities for final photographs.

If timing allows, consider a short stop at Betty’s Bay, where Stony Point Nature Reserve offers a boardwalk route past a well-known African penguin colony. It’s a memorable final nature encounter before arriving in Cape Town, especially for travellers who enjoy wildlife viewing beyond whales. Guests are then assisted with airport check-in or dropped off at a preferred city location, with practical guidance provided for onward connections and timing.