A valley that smells like oak barrels and fynbos
Part 1 · The Bush | Part 2 · Cape Town | Part 3 · Franschhoek
Haute Cabriere
An Uber Black from Cape Town to Franschhoek takes about an hour — through the Winelands highway, past the first vineyards, into a valley that announces itself slowly and then all at once. By the time you arrive on Huguenot Street, the main drag of a small, serious town devoted to wine and food and extraordinarily good living, you understand immediately why people come here and find reasons to stay longer than planned.
Franschhoek — French corner — was settled by Huguenot refugees in 1688, and the valley has spent the centuries since perfecting its particular version of the good life. The mountains hold it on three sides. The vineyards cover everything else. The light in the late afternoon, when the mountains go gold and the vines catch it, is something I have not encountered anywhere else.
You take an Uber Black for an hour through the most beautiful wine country you have ever seen, and then you arrive somewhere that immediately makes you want to cancel your flight home.
Leeu House
Where you stay in Franschhoek matters, and Leeu House is the answer. Twelve rooms on Huguenot Street, part of the Leeu Collection. The property is a traditional Cape Dutch building behind an immaculate garden, with sculptures on the front lawn, marble bathrooms, natural linen throughout, and a pool with mountain views. What Leeu House really is — a place run by people who genuinely care. By our second day the staff knew our names, our preferences, our plans. With only twelve rooms you never feel like a guest number. You feel like a guest in someone's very beautiful, very well-run home. We had our own private garden terrace, and the intimacy of it was something I have not found at hotels that cost significantly more. Rates from $653 per room per night.
The spa — and why $175 is the best money I spent
On our first day, the Leeu House team coordinated a spa treatment at Leeu Spa by Healing Earth at Leeu Estates — a five-minute shuttle through the vineyards. The package was a spring special: full body scrub, facial, and massage. The facilities are set among the vines with a wellness philosophy rooted in African botanicals. The therapists were skilled and warm, the atmosphere unhurried, the results the kind that make you want to book again immediately. At the rand-to-dollar rate, the full experience came to approximately $175 per person. I have paid double in the United States for a quarter of the care. The Leeu House team handles all booking and the transfer seamlessly.
Babylonstoren — the day that surprised us most
Babylonstoren was our day excursion and it turned out to be one of the most genuinely rewarding experiences of the entire trip. Dating back to 1692 — one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms in South Africa — it covers 500 acres of vineyards, orchards, vegetable gardens, cattle, olive groves, and working farmland. The owners have sister estates in the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Netherlands, all grounded in the same philosophy of farm-to-table living and celebrating place.
You arrive and board small vehicles — they look exactly like game drive trucks — for an audio-guided tour through the land. The route takes you through the vineyards and gardens and eventually to the historic Cape Dutch section: an original settler's home, preserved with real care and context. The old kitchen, the biltong drying racks, the cold fires, the traditional coffee setup, the koeksisters — it is a window into a specific chapter of South African history, handled honestly.
We came for a workshop and left with something harder to name — a genuine understanding of a culture, learned not from a textbook but from standing in a kitchen, making meat with our hands, laughing with strangers.
We booked the boerewors and biltong-making workshop at Soetmelksvlei. There were about twelve of us. The day started with coffee and a koeksister. Then the better part of the morning learning the cuts of meat, the spice blends, the technique. A full farm-style lunch at the Old Stables Restaurant was included, and the table of strangers we had been making meat with all morning had, by that point, become something closer to friends. The workshop is $65 per person and includes farm entry, the shuttle, all materials, refreshments, and lunch. Pre-book well in advance — these fill up.
Babylonstoren also runs workshops in candle making, leather work, baking, milk tart, bobotie, flower arranging, soap making, and beekeeping — each grounded in a traditional Cape Dutch or Afrikaner practice.
Three wine farms in one afternoon
On our second day we hired a private driver for four hours — approximately $60 total — and visited three wine estates: Haute Cabriere, Glenwood, and Paserene. Haute Cabriere alone is worth the trip to Franschhoek — a family-led winery established in 1694, built into the Franschhoek Pass mountainside, run by the von Arnim family for generations and specialising in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Burgundian tradition. The underground cellar is extraordinary, the infinity deck has the best views in the valley, and the bakery on site produces bread I am still thinking about.
There is no wrong choice when it comes to Franschhoek wine estates. The pours are full glasses — not tastes. The Franschhoek Wine Tram offers nine stops which sounds wonderful in theory. With full-glass pours at each stop, nine stops requires a commitment I would approach with real caution. The private driver at $60 for four hours is exceptional value and gets you home safely.
La Petite Colombe
The highlight of Franschhoek. Possibly the highlight of the trip.
La Petite Colombe is set at Leeu Estates amid vineyards and mountain views — the sister restaurant to the award-winning La Colombe in Constantia. Multi-course tasting menu from $92 per person plus a 13.5% service charge. Wine pairing additional. Seasonal, technically brilliant, with a flair for table-side presentation that never tips into performance for its own sake. The service did not miss a beat across the entire evening. There is a course called Meet the Chefs where you are invited to the kitchen pass — it costs an additional $5 per person and is worth every cent.
If you go to Franschhoek and do not book La Petite Colombe, you have missed the point of Franschhoek. Book it before you book your flights. It fills up and it is worth every rand. Full review coming.
The rest of it
Franschhoek rewards slow walking. The main street has galleries, specialist wine shops, antique stores, excellent cafes. The Huguenot Monument at the top of the village is beautiful and the museum beside it gives real context for why this valley is the way it is. Three days was not enough. It never is.
Some practical notes
Franschhoek essentials
What 3 days in Franschhoek costs
Franschhoek, Western Cape · October 2025 · 2 people
| Item | Notes | Source | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | |||
| Leeu House (3 nights) | 12-room boutique, private garden terrace | leeucollection.com | From $653/room/night |
| Experiences | |||
| Leeu Spa — spring special | Full body scrub + facial + massage | Actual receipt | $175 per person |
| Babylonstoren workshop | Boerewors + biltong class. Farm entry, tour, materials, lunch all included. | Actual receipt | $65 per person |
| Private wine tour driver | 4 hours — Haute Cabriere, Glenwood, Paserene | Actual receipt | ~$60 total |
| Wine tastings x3 estates | Full glass pours — pace yourself | General pricing | ~$60–100 total |
| Dining | |||
| La Petite Colombe | Tasting menu + 13.5% service charge. Wine pairing extra. Meet the Chefs +$5pp. | lacolombe.restaurant | From $92 pp |
| Other meals | 2 days casual village dining | Estimated | ~$80–120 total |
| Getting there | |||
| Uber Black from Cape Town | ~1 hour each way. Always book Black. | Uber app | ~$30–40 each way |
| Total estimate (2 people, 3 nights) | ~$2,800–3,200+ | ||
Bold actual figures from receipts. Sourced figures from official venue websites. All others estimated. USD conversions from ZAR at approximate October 2025 rates.
Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you book or purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend places and products I genuinely believe in.z