Stellenbosch, South Africa
48 hours in Stellenbosch, South Africa
Where to stay, eat and play in Stellenbosch
Two days in Stellenbosch might not sound like much – but trust us, it’s enough to fall hard for this town’s wine-soaked charm, oak-lined avenues and easy rhythm of life. Set in the heart of South Africa’s Cape Winelands, Stellenbosch unfolds with centuries-old architecture, cutting-edge food, world-class vineyards and a youthful energy thanks to its thriving university scene. It’s walkable, welcoming and wildly scenic. This 48-hour guide is designed for wanderers who want more than just a tasting room checklist. We’ve handpicked spots that feel personal – where the people, the passion, and the details all come together to give you a real sense of Stellenbosch. There’s a rhythm here – slow, sun-warmed, quietly confident – and once you tune into it, two days might just stretch into something longer. But if all you’ve got is a weekend, we’ll help you make every hour count.
Day 01
15.00
A stay amongst the vineyards
Delaire Graff Estate is where you go when you want your wine with a side of art, your views cinematic, and your stay unapologetically indulgent. Established in 2003 by Laurence Graff, the estate has transformed into a premier destination in South Africa’s Cape Winelands. The lodges, crafted by DHK Architects and later refined by David Collins Studio, blend stone-clad walls and reclaimed French oak beams to create spaces that feel grounded yet light. The Deluxe Lodge, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and private plunge pool, invites you to linger with a glass of the estate’s signature reserve as dawn breaks over Simonsberg. Strolling through the gardens, you can spot more than 350 indigenous plants interspersed with bold sculptures from Graff’s personal collection – a subtle reminder that art and nature here share the same canvas. We love the wine lounge, where they offer informal tutored tastings in a light-filled room overlooking vine-clad slopes.
Delaire Graff Estate
Helshoogte Rd
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Affiliate link (what is it?)
Photography courtesy of Delaire Graff Estate
16.00
Wine sips in Bartinney’s glass‑walled wine pavilion
Set on the dramatic slopes of Botmaskop in Stellenbosch’s Banhoek Valley, Bartinney Wine Estate greets you with a minimalist tasting pavilion designed to channel the Stellenbosch light through its glass walls. Established in 1912, Bartinney has been in the Jordaan family’s hands since 1953. The estate has flourished under the guidance of Michael and Rose Jordaan, who are dedicated to producing exceptional wines while nurturing the land’s natural beauty. You can enjoy Bartinney’s wines at The Tasting Shed on the estate, which offers panoramic views of the Banhoek Valley. Each bottle of Bartinney wine features the winged figure Elevage, symbolising the French art of the selective maturing and ascension of a wine to its ultimate heights. This emblem embodies the estate’s philosophy of artisanal craftsmanship and gentle winemaking methods. Renowned sculptor Dylan Lewis created a magnificent Elevage sculpture that resides in the estate’s acclaimed fynbos gardens.
Bartinney Wine Estate
Helshoogte Rd
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Bartinney Wine Estate
17.30
Cocktail hour at Wijnhuis
Wijnhuis sits in a restored Dorpsmeent building, right in Stellenbosch’s historic core, where they’ve updated the late-19th-century architecture with a touch of modernity. Inside, the open-plan ground floor unfolds into a vaulted dining room with timber beams and reclaimed brick floors, while outside, a shaded courtyard beneath oak trees offers the ultimate spot for sundowners. Upstairs, an intimate bar and private-event loft share views of Kerk and Dorp streets. Wijnhuis has an extensive wine list, as expected of a restaurant and bar in Stellenbosch, but their cocktails are spectacular – you can’t go wrong with the hugo spritzes and negroni sbagliato. You can also pop in at the adjoining SMAC Art Gallery, which showcases rotating exhibitions of South African and pan-African artists – sip your cocktail while viewing framed canvases and sculptures that punctuate the walls.
Wijnhuis
11 Andringa St
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Wijnhuis
19.00
Steak dinner at The Fat Butcher
If you’re a steak lover, The Fat Butcher is the place to be in Stellenbosch. The Fat Butcher’s rustic yet stylish setting, complete with soft leather booths and textured wall panels, sets a warm mood, while printed butcher-style placemats hint at the culinary focus – prime cuts from pasture-reared, grain-fed beef. This steakhouse has earned a reputation for excellence, serving up top-quality cuts from ribeye to fillet. One standout dish is the biltong-crusted fillet, a nod to South African flavours. It’s juicy, tender and they cook it just the way you like it. This dish pairs beautifully with their bone marrow gravy and a side of truffle fries.
The Fat Butcher
1 Van Riebeeck St
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of The Fat Butcher
Day 02
09.00
Breakfast at the pond
Set on a jetty above a koi-filled pond at Stark-Condé Wine Estate, Postcard Café welcomes you with sweeping views of oak-dotted slopes and the Drakenstein Mountains beyond. The décor is understated, letting the natural beauty outside take centre stage. You can get settled in under the thatched pergola, where the morning light dances on your cappuccino and dig into one of the café’s signature breakfasts. The Valley Breakfast is a classic – eggs, sausage, bacon and the works – but the homemade granola with Dalewood Jersey yoghurt and fruit compote and the smoked trout with scrambled egg and lemon-and-dill crème fraîche are worth trying.
Postcard Café
Stark-Condé Wine Estate
Jonkershoek Valley
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Stark-Condé Wine Estate
11.00
Wander through the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
Visiting the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden is a walk through Lewis’s imagination, set on a seven-hectare patch where wilderness and suburb meet. The garden opened in 2009 when Lewis reshaped flat farmland into undulating hills, valleys and water features – his largest earthwork to date – using excavators much as he sculpts clay. More than 60 of his bronze and steel pieces are sited along four kilometres of winding paths, grouped intuitively rather than by strict plan. Inside the garden, minimal Japanese wabi-sabi influences shape stone edifices and seating spots that frame views of the Stellenbosch Mountains and the Stellenbosch valley beyond. As you wander past monumental torsos and mythic animal forms, the hush of the landscape prompts reflection on nature’s power and creativity. Before you leave, pop into the Old Studio courtyard to view Lewis’s earliest works and imagine how this living gallery will continue to evolve.
Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
Paradyskloof Rd
Paradyskloof
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
13.00
Enjoy a traditional lunch at De Volkskombuis
De Volkskombuis is housed in a labourers’ cottage built in 1902 by Sir Herbert Baker on the old Vredenburg farm. These stone-walled rooms were revived in 2016 at the request of the Rupert family and transformed into the restaurant you see today. Inside, you’ll find corner booths beneath low-beamed ceilings, where pressed-tin lamps create a mellow glow over butcher-block tables. The menu revives traditional Cape dishes like potjiekos (a stew cooked in a cast-iron pot over an open fire) spring rolls, venison bobotie (spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping) and butter-soft mieliepap (maize porridge) drizzled with a wild mushroom ragout. For dessert, try the rooibos tea crème brûlée.
De Volkskombuis
Aan-de-Wagenweg
Krigeville
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of De Volkskombuis
15.00
Sip wine at one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms
Muratie Wine Estate is one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms, established in 1685. Muratie’s story begins with Laurens Campher, a German soldier who started farming the land in 1685. He was officially granted ownership in 1699 by Governor Simon van der Stel. Campher’s love story with Ansela van de Caab, a former slave, is integral to the estate’s history. Their original homestead still stands on the property, now home to the Legacy Gallery, specialising in legacy and heritage projects – an underserved niche in the art world. The tasting room has been transformed from four former concrete fermentation tanks in the wine cellar, with the gentle patina of wine and beeswax serving as a backdrop for Canitz’s landscape artwork, while a wood-burning stove keeps things cosy. With its cobwebbed walls and antique furnishings, this unique tasting setting is steeped in history.
Muratie Wine Estate
Knorhoek Rd
Koelenhof
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Muratie Wine Estate
19.00
A night at Dusk’s culinary theatre
Dusk Restaurant is an experiential dining destination that pushes the boundaries of traditional fine dining. The concept, born from a decade-long collaboration between chefs Darren Badenhorst and Callan Austin, explores contrasts – light and shade, simplicity and complexity – through a 13-course tasting menu. The restaurant’s dark, intimate setting enhances the theatrical presentation of each dish. When dining at Dusk restaurant, expect to see local and indigenous ingredients used in creative ways, with a strong emphasis on foraging and fermentation. You can expect dishes like razor-thin radish crisps atop creamy goat cheese panna cotta, smoky duck breast nested against ribbons of pickled beetroot and a creative deconstructed bobotie.
Dusk Restaurant
43 Plein St
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Dusk Restaurant
Day 03
09.00
A decadent breakfast at Meraki
The name Meraki means to do something with soul, creativity or love and this café truly lives up to its name. It’s bright and airy, with rustic wooden tables, pops of greenery and a vibe that instantly makes you want to stay a while. The Hemelkos breakfast is a great choice if you are looking for something a bit different – poached egg and artichoke hearts on a butter-toasted mosbolletjie (a sweet brioche made with fermented grape juice and aniseed) with hollandaise. We also love the pulled beef Benedict, which features poached eggs, pulled beef and hollandaise on toasted ciabatta.
Meraki
43 Church St
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Meraki
Day 03
10.00
Explore Anton Rupert’s art collection
The Rupert Museum houses Anton and Huberte Rupert’s private collection, now open to the public as a curated journey through South African art. Established in 2005, it houses an impressive collection of modern South African art from the 1940s to the early 2000s. Notable pieces include J.H. Pierneef’s Johannesburg Station Panels and Richard Townley Johnson’s rock art tracings. The collection features works by renowned South African artists such as Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto and Maggie Laubser, as well as European masters like Marc Chagall and Auguste Rodin. Designed by architect Hannes Meiring, the museum reflects the Cape Dutch architectural style and is set in the middle of vineyards and oak trees along the Eerste River. After renovations in 2018, it now includes a café, an art studio and a garden featuring indigenous plants.
Rupert Museum
Stellentia Rd
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Rupert Museum
12.00
A final casual fine-dining lunch
Post & Pepper Restaurant is housed in a charming old post office. The space combines classic architecture with modern elements – high ceilings, atmospheric lighting and hints of contemporary design. Chef-owner Jess van Dyk, formerly of La Colombe Restaurant, established an environment where every facet of fine dining is honoured and appreciated, without the formality, pretentiousness and high costs. The core philosophy of this restaurant centres on the simple pleasure of sharing good food, conversation and time with one another. Some standout dishes on the lunch menu include the prawn roti – butter roti with Cape Malay prawns, curry aioli, pickled onion, curry leaf and gem lettuce – and the pork lollipops – crispy and sticky pork belly, doenjang (fermented bean paste) glaze and charred spring onion dip.
Post & Pepper Restaurant
Oude Postkantoor
c\o Bird and, Plein St
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Photography courtesy of Post & Pepper Restaurant
Share this
Stay in the know
Sign up for the latest hotspot news from Southern Africa.
Advertisement
African tastemakers