CAPE TOWN AIRPORT - PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL (approx. 23 km / 0:28 h)
First day of the group program wine tour
During the day you will arrive in Cape Town, the dream city between two oceans. Upon arrival, you will be met by your chauffeur and transferred to your hotel.
Relax the rest of the day, take a walk and let the first impressions take effect on you. Enjoy the hotel with pool, gym and restaurant - treat yourself to a first relaxation.
Why not take a hop-on hop-off bus and discover the history of Cape Town and some parts of the city in the comfort of an open double-decker bus.
PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL - CAPE POINT / BOULDERS BEACH / CHAPMAN'S PEAK DRIVE
Today brings a little variety:
Today would be a good day for a trip to the Cape Peninsula. There is much more to see here than the world famous Cape of Good Hope. Unforgettable experiences await you: spectacular coasts with steep cliffs and endless beaches, one of the most beautiful coastal roads in the world, a unique flora and fauna (only here you can swim with penguins) and of course the wave-tossed Cape.
Around 17:30 you will be picked up at the hotel. In the evening a first highlight awaits you: All Africa in Cape Town - The Restaurant Experience "Gold". With African way of life with live music and dance, Djembe drumming and a wonderful pan-African dinner menu, this day in the land of the rainbow comes to an end.
PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL - HASKELL VINEYARDS ANNENDALE (approx. 52 km / 0:45 h)
The morning is at your leisure.
Around 13.30 you will meet again at the hotel and then drive to Stellenbosch. Besides the university there, the town is THE "wine highlight" in South Africa in the South African province of Western Cape. This beautiful town lies amidst the vineyards of the Cape Winelands district and the mountainous Jonkershoek and Simonsberg nature reserves.
You will visit the Haskell Vineyards wine estate there. It is located at the foot of the Helderberg mountain range.
( https://www.haskellvineyards.com )
PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL - PAARL / DRUK-MY-NIET (approx. 71 km / 0:55 h)
Before the afternoon excursion starts towards Paarl, we have arranged an exclusive meeting for you at the hotel at 10:00 am: The opportunity to talk together with Christo Brand and hear about his experiences with Nelson Mandela. (in English).
Christo Brand is a former South African prison guard who was one of several responsible for guarding Nelson Mandela. He arrived at Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned, in 1978 at the age of 19. In 1982, he was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison along with Mandela. A close friendship developed between Christo and Mandela over the course of many years. He is co-author of his book Doing Life with Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend (2014). Christo retired from Robben Island on July 31, 2018, to devote himself full-time to storytelling and telling children, youth and leaders about his encounters with Nelson Mandela.
Departure from the hotel is around 1:30 p.m. for today's destination at Druk-my-Niet Winery near Paarl. The winery is run by Georg and Dorothee Kirchner. After the wine tasting in the afternoon they are pleased to offer you a South African Braai evening.
PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL - BACKSBERG / FRANSCHHOEK (approx. 75 km / 1:02 h)
In the morning we offer a ride up Table Mountain is an absolute must! For this we will leave quite early and use one of the first rides.
We leave around 13:30 in the direction of Franschhoek where it goes to the Backsberg winery. Fourth generation owner Simon Back and his team are committed to preserving Backsberg's rich 100-year heritage while leading the way in areas such as sustainability and conservation.
The name Franschhoek means something like "Frenchman's Angle" or "Frenchman's Corner." The town was founded in 1688, when about 200 Huguenots who had emigrated from France settled in the area, which probably reminded them of their home in the French foothills of the Alps. A year earlier, a group of Dutch settlers under Simon van der Stel had already established a 50-hectare farm there. The group of Frenchmen adapted so quickly that after only one generation hardly any French was spoken, but Afrikaans, the language of the Cape settlers.
PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL - PAARL / RIDGEBACK WINES (approx. 63 km / 0:48 h)
This today's excursion starts again around 13:30 / 14:00 at the hotel and brings you again to the region around Paarl. The name Paarl means "pearl" and goes back to the first white man who reached the place. When Abraham Gabbema reached the valley on October 22, 1657, he was amazed by the sight of a large, arched granite ridge on the ridge on the western edge.
This hill was wet from rain or dew and shone like a pearl in the morning sun - hence the name. Today, this 728-meter-high hill is called Paarl Mountain and has been a national monument since 1963.
The first farms were established here around 1687, mainly by Huguenots who had emigrated from France. They are the nucleus of the South African wine industry. the KWV (Kooperatieve Wijnbouwers-Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Beperkt), one of the largest winegrowers' cooperatives, has its headquarters in Paarl. Other well-known Paarl wineries include Backsberg Estate, Boland Kelder, Nederburg and Simonsvlei.
PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL - CLOETESVILLE / DEUX FRÈRES (approx. 51 km / 0:45 h)
On the last day of the trip in Cape Town, you will be taken once again in the direction of Stellenbosch, starting at 13:30. From Brackenfell, the route then goes via the Stellenbosch Farms, the cultivation areas of the many agricultural products in the northeastern regions of Cape Town. Passing golf courses and numerous wine estates, you will reach the first of today's two wine estates after a good hour's drive: Deux Frères.
"As the smallest winery in Stellenbosch with an area of 4.6 hectares, we are modest about our accomplishments (but also quite proud of the fact that we punch well above our weight!) Stephan brings his experience gained at L'Avenir and Marianne, as well as French wineries in St. Estephe and Pomerol, to the care of the grapes that come from the 9,480 vines he hand-planted here with the help of his small team. The team goes to great lengths to manage the vineyards as organically as possible, and there are plans for expansion..."
PORTSWOOD / THE COMMODORE HOTEL - KAPSTADT AIRPORT (approx. 21 km / 0:18 h)
The last day of the group tour you will be picked up individually by your driver at the hotel and brought to the International Airport of Cape Town. We are happy if you take back many beautiful impressions and eventful moments.
In any case you should have some good wines in your "mental" luggage.
Have a good trip home!
If you have booked a follow-up program, it will start after breakfast. We wish you a pleasant stay!
