Last Updated on July 24, 2024 by Hannah Stephenson
The leafy green suburb of Constantia is one of the best places to go wine tasting Cape Town, and better yet, there’s even a hop-on, hop-off bus that you can take to explore some of the prettiest wine farms around.
The wine bus is so much fun, and I think it’s the best way to go tasting in Constantia. It’s budget-friendly, you don’t need a designated driver, and it’s SO much easier than using Uber, which is a bit of a nightmare in this area.
So, strap in and let’s get into everything you need to know to enjoy an amazing day out on the Constantia wine bus.
- Where is Constantia?
- What kind of ticket do I need to buy?
- Where do you get the wine bus from?
- What time does the wine bus leave?
- How long does it take to get to Constantia?
- Which wine farms does the bus take you to?
- In which order should I visit the wine farms?
- Do you need to go to all of the wine farms?
- Do I need to book the wine bus in advance?
- How much does the wine bus cost in total?
Where is Constantia?
Constantia is a wealthy suburb of Cape Town that’s about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) away from the city centre. It’s very leafy and green, and many affluent families live out here because it’s so peaceful.
To be honest, I’ve only ever gone to Constantia to drink wine. It’s what draws most tourists over this side of the mountain!
What kind of ticket do I need to buy?
To get the Constantia wine bus, you can buy a classic single day ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus.
This ticket actually grants you access to three different routes: red, blue, and purple. The blue route is the bus that will take you to Constantia.
Then, when you get here, the purple route bus is a smaller bus that visits the Groot Constantia and Beau Constantia wine farms (in that order).
A single day ticket costs R295, or you can book a two-day ticket with a cruise for R395 and see even more of the city.
Click here to buy your ticket!
Where do you get the wine bus from?
You can get on the blue route wine bus to Constantia from a few different stops around the city. They depart every 20 minutes.
The route starts at the City Sightseeing office at the V&A Waterfront. This is where I usually catch the bus from. However, you can also catch the bus from:
- Hotel Sky at the foreshore
- Long Street
- The Mount Nelson Hotel in Gardens
What time does the wine bus leave?
The first bus leaves from out the front of the Aquarium at 9 am each day. Then buses depart every 20 minutes until 5:15 pm.
We usually try to catch the first bus of the day, as it gives you plenty of time to visit all three wineries on the route – and maybe even add a cheeky bonus one!
The last bus back to the city leaves from Constantia Nek at 5:25 pm, so you’ll have to leave the wine farms just before that.
It’s best to end the day at Beau Constantia, because the bus can pick you up right outside! Plus, it’s the prettiest wine farm in Constantia, so I like to save the best views for last.
Seasonal hours: I should add that the Constantia wine valley bus offers extended hours from 16 December – 8 January, which is the busiest time of year in Cape Town. The first bus leaves from the Aquarium at 8 am, so that you can get started even earlier!
How long does it take to get to Constantia?
If you leave from the Aquarium, it will take you about 50 minutes to get to Constantia Nek.
Then, I recommend that you change to the “purple” bus and head to Groot Constantia, which takes another 10 minutes.
So about an hour in total!
Which wine farms does the bus take you to?
The wine bus stops at three wine farms:
- Groot Constantia
- Beau Constantia
- Silvermist – summer only
Silvermist doesn’t offer tastings during the winter, but you can walk up to Constantia Glen instead. I’ll discuss possible routes in more depth below!
Groot Constantia
Groot Constantia is the oldest winery in South Africa. It was founded by Simon van der Stel, the Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony, who is considered to be one of the founding fathers of South African wine.
It’s housed in a beautiful colonial building, and I really like the wines here. I also like the way they do wine tastings!
A tasting at Groot Constantia costs R130 and you get to keep your wine glass afterwards as a souvenir. You get to try five different wines and instead of following a set list, you get to choose from a bigger menu. I love this because it means that I always get to try the exact wines that I want.
Silvermist
Silvermist is the only certified organic wine farm in Constantia. It’s only open during the summer for tastings, so take advantage! The tasting room here has a lovely view but does feel a bit like a gift shop.
Also bear in mind that Silvermist is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays! If you’re doing the wine bus on these days, or during the winter, I recommend replacing it with Constantia Glen, as long as you don’t mind a bit of a hike.
Beau Constantia
Beau Constantia will wow you with its insane views of Constantia’s rolling hills and lush vineyards. In fact, there’s even a “loo with a view” that has mirrored glass, so you can enjoy the amazing scenery as you relieve yourself.
I was honestly blown away the first time I visited Beau Constantia, and I absolutely love coming here for a tasting.
There are a couple of different tasting options available here, and it ranges between R130 – R160, depending on how fancy you decide to go. This place is super beautiful and very popular, so it’s best to book in advance.
In which order should I visit the wine farms?
Summer (Wednesday – Sunday)
During the summer, I recommend doing the Constantia wine bus route like this:
- Get off the blue route bus at the Constantia Nek stop (outside La Parada restaurant)
- Change to the purple route single-decker bus to Groot Constantia
- Do a tasting and get a cheeseboard at Groot Constantia
- Catch the purple route bus back to Constantia Nek and walk up to Silvermist
- Do an organic tasting at Silvermist but don’t bother with the food
- Walk from Silvermist to Beau Constantia (5 mins)
- Spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying views, wine, and maybe another cheeseboard at Beau Constantia. Have this tasting booked for around 2:30 pm
- Catch the bus back to the city from outside Beau Constantia at or before 5:23 pm
You can track the live bus times online, which makes everything really easy.
Winter, or Mondays and Tuesdays
The tasting room at Silvermist is usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and during the winter months, so you’ll need to adjust your route slightly at this time of year.
I mean, you could just visit the two wine farms, but with a little bit of creativity you can still tick off three! The first way of doing this involves a fair bit of walking, while the second doesn’t have any walking involved.
1) The Constantia Glen Way
- Catch the purple route bus from Constantia Nek to Groot Constantia – the same as above
- Come back to Constantia Nek and walk up to Constantia Glen (30 mins)
- Do a tasting and have lunch at Constantia Glen – it’s known for its great food!
- Then, walk to Beau Constantia (25 mins)
- Enjoy a tasting at Beau Constantia and catch the bus from here back to the city at or before 5:23 pm
You’ll need comfortable shoes for this one, but Constantia Glen is really pretty and I think it’s worth the walk. I really enjoyed the old-world elegance of this wine farm.
If you do Constantia this way, start out early. Try to catch the 9 am bus if you can! If you keep an eye on the time during your tastings, you shouldn’t have any problems. I think you’d be best off booking Beau Constantia for 3:30 pm.
2) The La Parada Way
If you don’t feel like hiking up and down hills but still want to visit three spots, I suggest swapping Glen Constantia for La Parada.
Now, La Parada is a restaurant and bar, not a wine farm. However, it’s really lovely and is well known for its yummy food and fun atmosphere. They’ve also got cocktails and beers on tap if you need a break from all the wine!
- When you get to Constantia Nek, change to the purple route bus and go to Groot Constantia
- Enjoy a wine tasting there, then head to Beau Constantia on the purple bus
- Walk from Beau Constantia to La Parada (5 mins)
- The last bus of the day also from outside La Parada back to the city. Service here can be a little slow during summer so just make sure to give yourself plenty of time before the final bus.
Do you need to go to all of the wine farms?
Nope, if you’d rather not consume too much wine or want to do something else with your day, you can choose to just visit one or two of the wineries. It’s totally up to you – that’s what I like about hop-on hop-off tours.
I mean, I usually visit them all because, well, when in Constantia…
Do I need to book the wine bus in advance?
You don’t usually need to book your bus tickets far in advance, but I would recommend doing so if you’re going in late December or early January. This is when Cape Town gets insanely busy because everyone is on holiday!
If you buy them online, you can redeem them at either:
How much does the wine bus cost in total?
A bus ticket costs 295 rand per person, which I think is pretty good for transport all the way to Constantia and back.
Your tastings aren’t included in your ticket and you will need to pay for these once you arrive at the wine farm. Prices are as follows:
- Groot Constantia: R130 for 5 wines
- Silvermist: R150
- Beau Constantia: R130 – R160 for 3-4 wines
So in total, we’re looking at between R705 – R735.
You will also probably want to buy lunch somewhere along the way. You can get cheese and charcuterie boards at all of the wine warms, so no worries there.
The last time I did the wine bus, I spent R810, which covered three tastings, plenty of food, my bus ticket, and a few extra glasses of wine.
Click here to book your Constantia wine bus tickets now!
Thanks so much for reading this blog post! I think that the Constantia wine bus is such an underrated way of going wine tasting in Cape Town, and I really hope that you enjoy it. I also have a ton of other Cape Town content, so make sure to check out the following:
Really useful, thank you 🙂
You’re so welcome – thanks for reading!
Good info, thank you! How do you get to Constantia Glen from Constantia Nek? Do you walk on the road or is there a secret cut-through somewhere? The road seems to be rather busy with no shoulder for pedestrians
Hey Matt!
Yes, you can just walk on the road. It’s a windy road up to Constantia Glen but it’s not usually that busy. Just keep your eyes and ears open for cars!