Travel advisory · South AfricaSome governments advise against travel to parts of South Africa.The warnings cover only these areas: Alexandra (Johannesburg), Berea, Cape Flats, Hillbrow, Pretoria Central, Sunnyside (Pretoria), Yeoville.Advice depends on your passport. Read your own government's advice before you book.Official advice
- Alexandra (Johannesburg) · avoid non-essential travel · France, Italy
- Berea · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, France, Italy
- Cape Flats · avoid non-essential travel · France, Italy
- Hillbrow · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, France, Italy
- Pretoria Central · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, Italy
- Sunnyside (Pretoria) · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, Italy
- Yeoville · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, France, Italy
Also named by one government: Arcadia (Pretoria) (Spain), Area near Phabeni Gate and Numbi Gate (Hazyview) (France), Atteridgville (Pretoria) (Italy), City centres (general) (Spain), Durban CBD (Germany), Durban marginal neighbourhoods (Spain), Johannesburg CBD (Germany), Mamelodi (Pretoria) (Italy), Marabstad (Pretoria) (Spain), Old city centre (France), Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) CBD (Germany), Pretoria CBD (Germany), Rotunda bus terminal (Johannesburg) (Spain)
| Government | Advice | Updated | Read the advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (FCDO) | No specific advice against travel; general precautions only | – | Read the advice |
| United States (State Dept) | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | May 27, 2025 | Read the advice |
| Canada (Global Affairs) | Exercise a high degree of caution | – | Read the advice |
| Germany (Auswärtiges Amt) | Keine generelle Warnung für das gesamte Land (regional advisories) | Oct 28, 2026 | Read the advice |
| New Zealand (SafeTravel) | Exercise increased caution due to violent crime | – | Read the advice |
| France (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) | Vigilance renforcée (zone de vigilance renforcée pour l'ensemble du pays) (regional advisories) | – | Read the advice |
Checked daily from the governments' published advice; last checked Nov 2, 2026. RoamLedger summarises official advice; it is not advice from any government.
Cape Winelands
The Cape Winelands is a wine district inland from Cape Town, with vineyards in broad valleys below sandstone peaks and snow on the mountains in August and September.
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The Cape Winelands is a district in the Boland region of South Africa's Western Cape province, covering about 22,289 square kilometers. It includes the towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington and Worcester, and it borders Cape Town to the southwest. 'Boland' is Afrikaans for 'up land' or 'higher land', a term for the inland country above the low coast where the first Dutch settlement at the Cape was founded. The district was called Boland until 2004, when it was renamed Cape Winelands.
The area is mountainous, with sandstone peaks reaching toward 2,000 meters and broad, fertile valleys that hold some of the country's finest vineyards. Travelers come for the wine and the mountain scenery. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and cool, damp winters. Snow can fall on the peaks in August and September, so winter is the season for snowy mountain views. Most people in the municipal area speak Afrikaans.
Cape Winelands in five
- Do not drink and driveThe legal limit is low and roadblocks are common. Use a driver, a tour or the Franschhoek wine tram.
- Book tastings and lunch aheadPopular estates limit tasting slots and fill up on weekends and in summer.
- Stay a night in Franschhoek or StellenboschStaying lets you taste without a long drive back and see the valleys in evening light.
- Come for the harvestGrapes are picked from about February to March, when estates are busiest and most active.
Need to know
- Airport
- Cape Town International (CPT), about 30–60 min
- Getting there
- About 45–75 min by car from Cape Town
- Getting around
- Driver, wine tram in Franschhoek, bike tours in Stellenbosch
- Best base
- Stellenbosch for a town, Franschhoek for food
- Time needed
- 1–3 days
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryClear3 rainy daysHigh29°Low16°Hot, busyJanuaryClear
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 15 mm
- Rainy days
- 3
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busy
- FebruaryClear3 rainy daysHigh29°Low16°HarvestFebruaryClear
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 12 mm
- Rainy days
- 3
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Harvest
- MarchClear5 rainy daysHigh27°Low15°Harvest endsMarchClear
Best
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 39 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Harvest ends
- AprilClear5 rainy daysHigh24°Low13°Autumn colorAprilClear
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 39 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Autumn color
- MayClear8 rainy daysHigh21°Low11°Cool, rainMayClear
Good
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 71 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, rain
- JunePartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh18°Low9°RainyJunePartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 134 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rainy
- JulyPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh16°Low7°RainyJulyPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 111 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rainy
- AugustPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh17°Low7°RainyAugustPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 17°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 78 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rainy
- SeptemberClear7 rainy daysHigh19°Low9°SpringSeptemberClear
Best
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 52 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring
- OctoberClear6 rainy daysHigh23°Low11°MildOctoberClear
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 31 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild
- NovemberClear5 rainy daysHigh25°Low13°WarmNovemberClear
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 24 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm
- DecemberClear5 rainy daysHigh26°Low14°Hot, busyDecemberClear
Best
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 25 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, busy
Average daily high and low in Stellenbosch, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Cape Winelands
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
21
- Feels like
- 13°
- Humidity
- 38%
- Wind
- 33 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Cape Winelands
10:08 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today24°9°0%Monday: Cloudy. High 24°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Tue27°9°0%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 27°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed32°13°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 32°, Low 13°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu22°11°2%Thursday: Cloudy. High 22°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Fri19°9°2%Friday: Cloudy. High 19°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Sat16°6°20%Saturday: Cloudy. High 16°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 20%.
- Sun22°6°2%Sunday: Clear. High 22°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 2%.
Updated 06:20 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 16.69 ZAR
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- Cape Townabout 45–75 min by carTable Mountain, the Waterfront and beaches.Read the guide
- Hermanusabout 1.5 hours by carWhale watching from the cliffs in season.
Before you go to Cape Winelands
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Rules for Cape Winelands, checked
- Check South African entry requirements on the Department of Home Affairs site (dha.gov.za) before you fly, since visa rules depend on your passport.Source
- Drive on the left and carry your licence and passport; read the rental company's terms before you book a car for the wine routes.
- Fresh fruit, plants, meat and animal products are restricted at South African borders. Declare any food you carry, and check the Department of Agriculture rules before you pack it.
- Dial 10111 for police and 112 from a mobile phone for any emergency. Keep the number of your car rental company handy as well.
- Do not drive after wine tasting. South Africa sets a legal limit for alcohol while driving, so leave the car until you are sober.
Plan around Cape Winelands
Safari, cities and the road routes
Read the guideCape Town travel guideThe mountain, penguins and Cape Point
Read the guideGarden Route guideContinue east along the N2 coast
Read the guideTransport planningDrivers, car hire and getting between estates
Read the guideTravel insuranceRental excess and cancelled-flight cover
Read the guideCape Winelands FAQ
Stellenbosch or Franschhoek?
Stellenbosch is a university town with more estates and nightlife. Franschhoek is smaller and known for restaurants and the wine tram.
Can I visit the Winelands as a day trip from Cape Town?
Yes, both towns are within about an hour. Use a driver or a tour so nobody has to drive after tastings.
When is the best time to visit the Cape Winelands?
February to April for harvest and autumn color, and November for green vineyards before the summer holidays.
Do I need a car in the Cape Winelands?
A car gives the most freedom, but nobody should drive after tastings. Hire a driver for the day, join a tour or base in Stellenbosch or Franschhoek and use ride-hailing.
How many days do you need in the Cape Winelands?
One day is enough for a tasting-and-lunch loop from Cape Town. Two or three nights let you see Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl at a slower pace.