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This Cape Winelands Guide to family activities describes the best attractions and family-friendly Cape Winelands accommodation in areas like Stellenbosch and Paarl in South Africa.There are plenty of friendly family activities to enjoy on a Cape Winelands holiday. Many wine farms offer tractor or trailer rides, horse rides and places for children to play while parents enjoy the fruit of the vine and excellent country cuisine.The Cape Winelands are filled with magnificent picnic spots, reserves and places of interest. Most attractions can be reached within an hour of Cape Town or less if staying in a wineland town, such as Stellenbosch, Franschhoek or Paarl. These and other country towns have a wealth of history and local attractions to discover.There are a number of excellent wine route holidays to choose from covering the Western Cape and beyond. Visitors can stick to one route or overlap into others and explore great family-friendly Cape Winelands accommodation. A number of wine and fruit farms offer fruit picking as an activity which is a fun way to keep children busy in beautiful surroundings.Here is an overview of Cape Winelands family activities in South Africa. For expert advice on combining the winelands and safaris with game drives, self-drive holidays or anything else, contact a friendly Siyabona Africa Consultant.

Picnics

• Wine farms all over the Cape Winelands offer baskets to order
• Berg River and Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve picnic spots
• Full moon summer picnics from the Taal Monument cafe, Paarl
• Cape Country Picnic Festival in February, Franschhoek

Fun Rides

• Cape Winelands tractor, trailer and carriage rides
• Horse riding (with or without wine tasting)
• Quad biking
• Ballooning over the Paarl Valley in summer
• Bike trails though the vineyards and surrounding country

Indoor Family Activities

• Oom Samies Se Winkel traditional country shop, Stellenbosch
• Toy and Miniature Museum, Stellenbosch
• Glass blowing, Seidelberg Wine Estate, Paarl
• Butterfly World in Klapmuts, exit 47 off the N1 highway
• Franschhoek Motor Museum, L'Ormarins Wine Estate
• Wijnland Auto Museum, near the nursery, exit 34 off the N1

Animal Encounters

• Game drives and safaris close to the Cape Winelands
• Drakenstein Lion Park (between Paarl and Stellenbosch)
• Cheetah and Eagle Encounters (Spier Estate Stellenbosch)
• Monkey Town (off the N2 highway, Somerset West)
• Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm (between Paarl and Franschhoek)
• Die Vonds Snake Park (between Paarl and Wellington)

Nature Trails and Reserves

• Walks and hikes available throughout the Cape Winelands
• Botanical gardens and Jan Marais Reserve, Stellenbosch
• Millwater Wild Flower Garden, Paarl Mountain Reserve
• Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, Franschhoek

Food Lovers

• Fruit picking offered on many Cape Winelands estates
• Homemade sweets, olives, honey and grape juices available
• Saturday food markets, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek
• Harvest and Cheese Festivals, April in Franschhoek
• Bastille Festival, fun French weekend, July, Franschhoek

Family-Friendly Hotels in the Cape Winelands

Contact us for advice on the best Family-Friendly Hotels in the Cape Winelands. One that is highly suited to children is Babylonstoren which has a spectacular garden to explore. Little ones can help feed the donkeys and collect eggs and fruit from the garden.