Stellenbosch: South Africa's second-oldest town and the heart of the Winelands, Stellenbosch blends historic charm with vibrant student energy (thanks to the university). The town center features gorgeous Cape Dutch architecture, oak-lined streets perfect for wandering, excellent restaurants, and countless wine tasting rooms within walking distance. Stellenbosch also has a lively café culture.

Franschhoek: Literally "French Corner", a tribute to the French Huguenots who settled here in the 1680s. Today it's one of South Africa's culinary capitals, packed with world-class restaurants, wine tasting rooms, art galleries, and gourmet shops.

La Motte: A beautiful wine estate with a strong focus on art and culture. The estate features an impressive contemporary art collection, including ceramics by Jacques’s aunt! La Motte is particularly known for its commitment to the arts: they even have a museum on the property showcasing their collection.

Lanzerac: One of Stellenbosch's most historic wine estates, dating back to 1692. The beautiful manor house and sprawling grounds offer classic Cape Winelands elegance. Their deli café is a local favorite and gives an interesting glimpse into how Cape Dutch estates were lived in

Babylonstoren: A working farm with incredibly elaborate gardens. At the heart of the estate is its expansive 5‑hectare (12‑acre) formal fruit-and-vegetable garden that’s won international acclaim. The farm also includes on-site restaurants, farm stalls, soap-making workshops, art exhibits, and our favorite spa in the area: just make sure to book early if you’re hoping to get a massage! 

Boschendal: Just down the road, Boschendal offers a more relaxed but equally charming farm experience. One of the oldest wine estates in South Africa, it’s perfect for a laid-back picnic under ancient oaks. It has one of our favorite wine tasting areas with mountain views.

Delaire Graff: Owned by the Graff family of diamond fame, this winery/hotel/spa is an ultra luxe setting with an insane art and sculpture collection. Drop in for a tasting or a massage!

Spice Route: Farm that’s been converted with individual stalls for artisans and food vendors. A nice way to spend an afternoon and pick up gifts! 

Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden: Dylan Lewis is one of South Africa’s foremost sculptors and has an enormous garden that’s been purpose-built to show off more than 60 of his monumental works

Afrikaanse Taalmonument: Fans of Starship Troopers 3 or The Wheel of Time might recognize this striking monument: it’s been used as a backdrop in both! Beautiful, a little surreal, and perched above the valley with sweeping views, it’s absolutely worth a stop if you’re nearby

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kirstenbosch showcases South Africa’s rich plant diversity. If you’ve seen Jacques in action pointing out South African plants, he’s probably just remembering things he’s seen here! In all seriousness, it really is incredible.

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway: Ascend to the summit for views of the city and coastline. This is a great way to get a feeling of the sometimes confusing layout of the city. Hikers should consider taking the cable car up and hiking down to Kirstenbosch - let us know if you’d like a rec for a person who can guide your hike! 

Lion's Head Hike: A relatively easy hike offering stunning sunrise and sunset vistas. It’s also really good way to get a sense of the layout of Cape Town and the views are stunning.

Bo-Kaap: The historical center of Cape Malay culture and the place to watch the Kaapse Klopse on January 2nd. Colorful houses and sweet spice markets. Check out Lekka Kombuis if you want to do a cooking class to learn how to make Cape Malay food!

Robben Island: Take a ferry to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Along the way you might see whales, dolphins and seals!

V&A Waterfront: A bustling hub with shops, restaurants, and the Two Oceans Aquarium. It’s also a big mall! It’s a little touristy but lots of South Africans go there as well.

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA): Contemporary African art in a cool converted grain storage facility. Consider combining this with the Waterfront.

Boulders Beach: Visit the famous colony of African penguins. Yes, you read that right: we have cute but stinky flightless birds that visit us!

Seal Snorkeling: Self-explanatory! The Atlantic is very cold but tour companies rent out wetsuits, and can take you out to kelp forests that are filled with curious seals. Much less scary and a lot cuter than the more famous shark cage diving! See https://capetownbucketlist.co.za/

Sundowners: Sunset/happy hour drinks are a big part of South African culture! Our favorite is the Leopard Bar at the Twelve Apostles Hotel - stunning views of the ocean and sunset. We’ve heard the gin workshop with local botanicals is also nice

Beach walks: If you’re looking for a long paved walk down along a beach, we’ve got you covered! In particular, we recommend Sea Point, Camps Bay and Strand. Camps Bay is our favorite because it’s filled with great restaurants and bars

Cape Town's dining scene is internationally acclaimed, featuring several restaurants recognized by the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best and Michelin Guide. For fancy restaurants, we recommend:

Salsify at The Roundhouse: Modern fine dining tasting menu in a historic building.

La Colombe: Located in Constantia, contemporary/French food.

Thali: Modern Indian food with a cozy, kooky ambiance.

Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia: Perched over vineyards with a very nice tasting menu.

Tintswalo: We really enjoyed the fancy hotel breakfast here! This is a boutique hotel/restaurant that’s literally carved into the rocks on the coast and the breakfast is also for non-guests.

Besides fine dining, we also highly recommend the Jacques’s childhood nostalgia greatest hits:

Nando’s: Jacques’s favorite fast food with locations all over Southern Africa. The peri-peri chicken they serve here is flame grilled and absolutely delicious.

Garage Pies: Almost every garage (gas station) in the nation has premade savory pies. These greasy delights have been Jacques’s favorite food since he was a young boy. Make sure to have an antacid with your pie. Chicken and mushroom is a must! 

Creme Soda: A ubiquitous neon green soda with magical hangover-curing properties.

Woolworth’s (aka Woolies): Fabulous retail chain with groceries and clothing. Visit a Woolies if you want to dress like Jacques! They have particularly good slippers for those of us who work from home.

Roadside Biltong: Look out for signs saying “padstal” if you’re planning on a road trip. These little stalls often have really good biltong.

Spur: Jacques never leaves South Africa without a trip to a Spur. Think Outback Steakhouse where the theme is Native Americans, not Australia! If you can’t fit a pilgrimage to Spur into your schedule there’s the Soaring Hawk Spur at the airport!

Stellenbosch & Franschhoek: Wine regions with picturesque vineyards and gourmet restaurants. Our wedding is close to Stellenbosch and there will be time in the schedule to try wineries besides Vrede en Lust (see below!). There is also a wine tram/train that connects several wineries in the area, including our venue (although you will have to buy tickets at the train terminal and can’t climb on directly from VnL). Franschhoek has a lovely walkable downtown full of art galleries, upscale boutiques, and charming little restaurants.

Hermanus: the Monterey/Santa Cruz to Cape Town’s SF, a chill seaside hamlet about an hour and a half from Cape Town where you can enjoy the beach, surf, and take in great views of the coast. December is the tail end (hah!) of the whale-watching season.

Cederberg: A gorgeous wilderness area around two hours from Cape Town, with fantastic rock formations and dry landscapes. Definitely be wary of the heat! We’ve also enjoyed the Baths at Citrusdal, a hot springs resort in the area.

South Africa is a huge country. Even a few weeks aren’t enough to fully explore just the Western Cape, but South Africa has 8 other provinces and fabulous neighboring countries. Cape Town is a great starting point for things like hikes through Lesotho, cruises along the Zambezi or game drives through the Okavango. 

Reach out to Anna/Jacques if you’re planning on staying longer and want additional advice for seeing more of South Africa and its neighboring countries.

Feel free to reach out with any other questions. We can't wait to celebrate with you!