Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by thecapetownblog
If you ask me, horse riding in Cape Town is a pretty underrated activity. In fact, it didn’t really cross my mind during the first year or so that I lived here. It was only when I left the country for a while and went horse riding abroad that my friends informed me there are actually lots of places to do it near the city.
So when I got home, naturally I just had to go for a scenic ride on the beach! But I also discovered that if you’re willing to go a little further out of the city, you can do horseback safaris and wine tours – how cool is that?
There are quite a few options to choose from, so I’ve listed the best ones in this blog post, starting with the ones that are closest to central Cape Town. So saddle up, and let’s go!
Do you need experience to ride horses in Cape Town?
No, you don’t need any riding experience to enjoy a horse riding tour on the Western Cape. The horses on these tours are very well-trained. Although you do get basic instructions on how to steer and tell the horse to speed up or slow down, all you really need to do is sit there. I’m far from an equestrian and am painfully clumsy, but even I haven’t had any problems!
Do the horse riding tours include transport out of the city?
For the most part, no. However, this Franschhoek horseback tour does, which is handy since you’ll go wine tasting along the way! The others either require you to drive yourself out of Cape Town. They’re close enough that you can drive there and back in a day, although you could always stay nearby overnight if you’re travelling around the Western Cape.
5 best places to go horse riding in Cape Town
Noordhoek
Distance from Cape Town: 41 kilometres (25.4 miles)
Drive time: 40 mins – 1 hour
Noordhoek is a coastal suburb just south of Cape Town, and it boasts one of the most stunning beaches I’ve ever seen. It’s a long stretch of pristine white sand, with gorgeous blue water and mountain views, but best of all, it’s always really quiet! When I went horse riding here, I only saw one family on the beach.
I did my tour with Horse Riding Cape Town, and I would definitely do it again! First of all, they were really accommodating to my very picky friend who wanted to ride a specific type of horse. I didn’t mind which type of horse I rode, but I ended up riding a beautiful palomino. All of their horses appeared well-cared for, which was something I had been a little worried about.
The route was also very cool, because we rode past a petting zoo, through some wetlands, and a lagoon before we got to the beach. Walking through the lagoon water was such a cool experience, and I’m glad we got to do it because the horses definitely didn’t want to walk anywhere close to the cold ocean water! Riding on the beach itself was the highlight though, as it was just so beautiful.
The tour cost R850, and lasted for 1.5 hours. We only had four people in our group, which was nice, and the instructors were happy to take tons of photos for us! I booked directly through their website, and then they emailed me a payment link to complete the booking.
Tip: if you’ve got some extra time, or are driving from Camps Bay, drive to Noordhoek via the stunning Chapman’s Peak Scenic Drive.
Stellenbosch
Distance from Cape Town: 42.8 kilometres (26.5 miles)
Drive time: 40 mins – 1 hour
Stellenbosch is a very charming university town that’s also known for its fantastic wine farms. Lots of travellers even stay here for a night or two so that they can make the most of all the wine!
Horseback wine tour
I think that this horseback wine tour is ideal if you’re staying in Stellies, although you could also do it on a day trip from Cape Town! It’s such a fun way to soak in the beauty of the winelands, not to mention all the vino.
The tour meets at 10 am in the tasting room at the Vredenheim wine estate. There’s also a really nice perfume shop on-site and a deli where you can grab a morning coffee if you arrive ahead of time. Then, you’ll head out across the winelands, enjoying gorgeous mountain views and stopping at 3-4 different wineries for tastings!
One thing that I like about this tour is that you are allowed to trot and canter if you’re a more experienced rider. Okay, so I myself am not included in that category, but when Sophie and I did the Noordhoek riding tour, she really wanted to canter but wasn’t allowed.
The tour costs R3,200 per person, and then you’ll need to pay for your lunch and tastings on the day. It only runs on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, so bear that in mind when planning your trip.
Click here to reserve your spot!
Horseback safari
Alternatively, this horseback safari delivers a very different experience. It’s more budget-friendly at R1,025 per person, and the meeting point is only 25 minutes outside of Cape Town, so it’s convenient, too.
But the main draw, of course, is that it’s a horseback safari! Does it really get cooler than riding around a game reserve and spotting zebras, giraffes, and antelope?
Better still, you’ve also got the option to extend your ride and head out to one of Stellenbosch’s vineyards for a tasting! This way, you truly get the best of both worlds.
This tour lasts 1.5 hours if you go for the safari only, or if you want to upgrade to add a wine tasting, it will last for 3 hours and cost R1,700. Either way, you’ll head out at 9 am, so this is a nice half-day activity.
You can book your horseback safari spot here!
Franschhoek
Distance from Cape Town: 64.5 kilometres (40 miles)
Drive time: 1 hour
Franschhoek is a beautiful wine region about an hour outside of Cape Town. It’s known for its mountains, gorges, and vineyards – not to mention the wine tram! And since Franschhoek is so well known for its wine, it’s only right that horseback tours here let you sample a tipple or two.
Evening and Moonlight Horse Trail
If you’re staying at one of the gorgeous wine estates in Franschhoek, then this evening horseback ride promises a magical experience. You start at the Vrede en Lust wine estate, which I can confirm is absolutely stunning, and then you’ll ride through the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain. Best of all, you’ll stop at a viewpoint to watch the sunset and enjoy a glass of wine – and does it really get better than that?
This tour costs R3,900 per person, so it’s not the cheapest one around, but if you’re staying in Franschhoek and have the budget for it, I think it’s totally worth it.
Click here to book your spot, with free cancellation!
Horseback wine tour
Listen up everyone – this is the ONLY horseback tour that includes transport from Cape Town! So if you’re keen to go horseback riding but don’t want to hire a car, this is the tour for you.
You’ll need to head to the Southern Sun hotel in the CBD for pickup at 7:30 am, and then you’ll be driven out to Franschhoek to saddle up. The tour visits Rickety Bridge winery, which is a lovely wine farm where two of my friends got married, and Mont Rochelle, which has epic valley views. You get between 30 and 45 minutes to enjoy a tasting at each estate, which is included in the price.
I think that this is a really fun way to check out Franschhoek’s stunning wine farms! It costs R2,800 per person, which I think is pretty good value for money all in all since it includes tastings and return transport from Cape Town.
Yzerfontein
Distance from Cape Town: 85 kilometres (53 miles)
Drive time: 1 hour
Yzerfontein is a teeny tiny harbour town, about an hour’s drive north of Cape town. It’s quiet with pretty beaches, and from August to October, it’s one of the best places to see the Western Cape’s beautiful wildflowers!
Since Yzerfontein doesn’t see a ton of international tourists, horseback rides here tend to be cheaper than they are in the popular winelands. Going horse riding in Yzerfontein is actually a great way to see a lesser-known side of the Western Cape, because you can also visit the Langebaan Lagoon in West Coast National Park on the way there or back. It’s one of my favourite beaches of all time, because the warm, shallow water is perfect for swimming.
But anyway, back to horse riding… I would recommend a beach ride during the summer, but during late winter and spring, definitely take advantage of wildflower season with a ride through the local farms!
Horse safari and beach ride
I think that this tour is incredible because it combines a beach ride with a horseback safari – how cool is that? You’ll go for a ride on the scenic Blombosch Farm, which is a game reserve where you’ll have the chance to spot giraffes, water buffalo, and zebras!
The route also takes you along the coast for a beach ride, so the changing scenery definitely keeps things interesting. You’ll travel for 16 miles (26 kilometres) in total, so this is a decent ride, and definitely makes it worth the drive from Cape Town!
This is a private experience so you get to enjoy a very tranquil ride, and it’s a much more personal experience. The guides are fantastic and very communicative – in fact, if you don’t want to rent a car, you can even ask them to help you arrange a private driver from Cape Town. So all in all, I’d say it’s more than worth the R800 price tag.
Horseback safari
This tour is actually operated by the same company as the one above, but it’s designed for the off-season. Since the weather is colder, it’s a shorter ride and it skips the beach section so that you can avoid those chilly coastal winds.
From August to early October, the wildflowers should be in bloom, so I would recommend booking this tour then. The purple and yellow wildflowers are famous, and you’ll also have the chance to see giraffes, zebras, springbok, kudus, ostriches, and more! For R550, it’s pretty good value for a 1.5 hour ride, especially since this is a private experience.
Hermanus
Distance from Cape Town: 118 kilometres (73 miles)
Drive time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Last but not least, we have Hermanus. It’s a little bit further out from Cape Town as it’s almost two hours away. For that reason, I would only recommend horse riding here if you’re coming to stay for a few days anyway, but that’s definitely worth doing. I mean, with amazing hikes and opportunities for whale watching and shark cage diving, there’s plenty to keep you occupied here.
The whale watching season in Hermanus lasts from June until late November, so if you do this beach ride then, you may well spot some whales as you trot along the shore. The ride takes place in the Walker Bay Whale Sanctuary, a conservation region where whales abound. It’s one of the best places in the entire country (and maybe even the world) to see whales, and watching them breaching, lobtailing, and spy-hopping is just amazing.
The coastline itself is also stunning. The meeting point for the tour is the Ou Meul cafe in Stanford, which is a 15-minute drive from Hermanus. Then, you’ll ride over sandy plains, dramatic rocky beaches, and long sandy stretches of beach. In August and September, this tour is another fantastic opportunity to see the wildflowers in bloom! So really, for R1,100 per person, I think this tour presents great value for money.
Click here to book your spot on this tour, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before!