Cape Winelands Walk

About Cape Winelands Walk

This self-guided, fully-catered walk through the sumptuous winelands of the Cape has two options. The slackpacker hike is seven days, but there is a shorter version over four days. Most of the paths are through wine estates of the region as well as the Helderberg, Jonkershoek and Assegaaibosch Nature Reserves.

Start: Somerset West

Finish: Stellenbosch

Duration: 100 km over 7 days, roughly 10km to 19km per day

Fitness: moderate

Our tip: you can walk at your own pace

This area is in the heart of the Cape Floral Region with over 9 000 species of fynbos – the world's richest and smallest floral kingdom recognised as a World Heritage site (the four day version excludes Helderberg Nature Reserve).

Anticipate views out over Gordon's Bay, the Strand, Somerset West, False Bay, Stellenbosch and the Cape Peninsula and overnight stays in guest houses en route. The walk follows country roads, farmland tracks and mountain paths through, arguably, some of the most scenic parts of the country.

The walk starts in the Helderberg Nature Reserve, Somerset West through the vineyards of Lourensford Estate and heads north west towards Dornier Wine Estate and the Blaauwklippen Valley.

The hike continues into the Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch via Vriesenhof Wine Estate and the Coetzenburg playing fields and then into the Jonkershoek State Forest. A walk through the Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve is optional, as is the Panorama route.

The last day's route is through the historical university town of Stellenbosch.

Wine estates include Lourensford, Vriesenhof, Vergelegen and Dornier Wines.