Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch Day Tour: Huguenot History, Mandela Prison, 3 Tastings

The day begins in Paarl: the valley, the rolling vineyards and the Pearl of Paarl set high above. The town made headlines when President Mandela was released from Groot Drakenstein prison, formerly Victor Verster prison. A wine tasting at a local estate comes first. The route goes north-west to Franschhoek, founded in 1688 by French immigrants fleeing Huguenot religious persecution in Europe. A memorial in the town commemorates these early settlers, who helped develop wines that Napoleon, Bismarck and Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, are said to have sought. A lunch stop, paid separately, and a second tasting at a local vineyard happen here. The last stop is Stellenbosch, the second oldest town in South Africa, for a final tasting before the return to Cape Town.