EXCELSIOR WINE WALKS, ROBERTSON

Excelsior Wine Walks - Explore the beautiful Robertson Wine Valley, Cape Winelands, Western Cape

Take a walk on the Wine Side!

Indulge in the ultimate Excelsior Wine Walks experience, complete with three luxurious nights at the Excelsior Guesthouse, delectable breakfasts, lunches, and three-course dinners perfectly paired with exquisite wines. Along the way, explore a variety of estates and savor fantastic wine tastings, partake in exciting activities, and be accompanied by an accredited guide.

The Excelsior Wine Walk is an exciting three-day excursion with daily distances of between 9 to 14 kilometres. It stops off at half a dozen prominent wine estates and there are some non-wine related surprises along the way! Excelsior Manor is the starting and ending point for the 3 days.

A full continental and cooked breakfast buffet and our gourmet 3 course dinners (including Excelsior wines) are served at the Manor House, whilst lunch is enjoyed at a venue along the route.

GOUDMYN WALK: 14kms

After a scrumptious breakfast, we depart from Excelsior Manor and follow the Cogmanskloof river down to its confluence with the Breede River. Our first stop is the grandiose House of Chardonnay, the tasting room at DeWetshof Estate, for an early morning wine tasting. From here it is a short walk to the Van Loveren Family Vineyards. The lush gardens, which have been lovingly cultivated over generations, create the perfect setting for a tantalising MCC tasting and pairing.

From Van Loveren the walk ambles through vineyards and crosses over the Breede River were the hikers can enjoy the coolness and birdlife. The trail continues along the foothills of the Elandsberg Mountains, with a panoramic view over the Goudmyn area. Down to the river once again, where hikers will be picked up by the Viljoensdrift river barge for a well-earned picnic lunch on board the boat! Washed down, of course, with a variety of Viljoensdrift’s fine wines.

Leaving Viljoensdrift it is a leisurely 3 km walk back to Excelsior.

ZANDVLIET WALK: 9 or 12kms (your choice!)

After another hearty breakfast, we depart Excelsior heading to Arabella Wine Estate. Along the way, you might be lucky enough to see a new-born foal, as Arabella has a long-standing affinity for thoroughbred race horses!

A short 3km walk brings you to the next wine tasting of the day: Zandvliet Estate - birth place of the famous race horse Pocket Power and well known for their exceptional Shiraz. You will be treated to award winning wines in their beautiful Kalkveld Lounge.

Hopping on the Wine Valley Safaris bus, we drive to Kleinhoekkloof, our last destination of the day: A family owned boutique wine estate that also specialise in handmade charcuteries. Here you will be spoiled with lunch platters and their excellent wine, followed by an optional 3km hike on the farm. Those that don’t feel up to more walking, can relax in the garden. A tasting of their other Boutique wines wraps up the day, before heading back to Excelsior by bus.

KLAASVOOGDS WALK: 9kms

This day starts with a quick bus ride to our starting point in the Klaasvoogds valley: a walk through the Sheilam Cactus Gardens. Boasting approximately 2000 species of plants, the
nursery is recognised by authorities as one of the finest collections of specimen plants!

3kms away is our first official stop of the day: Owls Rest Lavender Farm. A short introduction to Lavender farming is explained, including the many uses and healing properties it has!
A refreshing drink will be served, but alas, no wine yet! Don’t worry, only another 3 kms away is our first wine tasting stop of the day, Kranskop. Here, an exquisite and informative tasting of their award winning wines is offered. Panoramic views over the Klaasvoogds valley will entice you to linger longer…

However, you won’t want to miss out on the final stop of the day, where Clive and Briony captivate you by their passion and knowledge for all things olive at Marbrin Olive Farm!

Enjoy olive oil and olive tastings, whilst a 3 course vegetarian lunch is being prepared, and will be paired with our Excelsior wines. The Wine Valley Safari bus will meet you at Marbrin to bring you back to Excelsior.

Whats included in the rate?

• 4* Accommodation for 3 nights (4 night packages are also available)
• Full continental and cooked Breakfast Buffet
• Gourmet lunches on tour
• 3 course set Dinner including wine during dinner
• All wine tastings and activities @ various Estates (10 Estates!!)
• Wine Blending @ Excelsior
• Transfers with bus to various destinations
• Accredited Tour Guide

WINE WALK COSTING

• 2023 (3 night package) :  R6150 pp sharing  |  R7800 pp single 
• 2023 (4 night package) :  R7200 pp sharing  |  R9000 pp single 
• 2024 (3 night package) :  R6750 pp sharing  |  R7950 pp single
• 2024 (4 night package) :  R8000 pp sharing  |  R9200 pp single

* (Please note: in order to keep the single supplement low, our smaller rooms will be utilised for single guests)

PROPOSED ITINERARY: 

Every walk starts at 08:15 and ends around 15:30 each day! There will be a talk each evening explaining the next days’ itinerary so that you know what to expect.
We do recommend staying an additional night in the nearby vicinity so that you can enjoy the last day’s tour and tastings to the fullest! Alternatively the 4 night package can be reserved on certain tour dates.  

Day 1:

• Arrival – check in between 14:00 & 18:00
• A short introduction by the owner before dinner – depending on availability
• 3 course set Dinner including Excelsior wines

Day 2:

• Continental & cooked breakfast buffet
• Meet your tour guide that will walk with you for the next 3 days.
• First day of walking and tasting begins
• Lunch at one of the Estates with wine
• Walk/transported back to Excelsior
• Leisure time
• Excelsior Reserve Wine Tasting & Blending Experience
• 3 course set Dinner including Excelsior wines

Day 3:

• Continental & cooked breakfast buffet
• Day 2 of walking and tastings begin
• Lunch at one of the Estates with wine
• Walk/transported back to Excelsior
• Leisure time
• 3 course set Dinner including Excelsior wines

Day 4: (for 3 night package)

• Continental & cooked breakfast buffet
• Bags need to be packed and rooms vacated in morning before tour so that we can clean rooms
• Last day of walking and tastings begin
• Lunch at one of the Estates with wine
• Walk/ transported back to Excelsior
• Departure

Day 4: (for 4 night package only) 

• Continental & cooked breakfast buffet 
• Last day of walking and tastings begin 
• Lunch at one of the Estates with wine
• Walk/ transported back to Excelsior
• Leisure time
• Light Dinner and wine

Day 5: (for 4 night package only)

• Continental & cooked breakfast 
• Departure by 10:00

Load shedding? - We are very pleased to inform you that we have full solar backup at the Guesthouse, so we are not effected by load shedding! Load shedding at the various estates won’t stop you from enjoying the experience and wines!

What should I bring?

• Comfortable walking shoes (NO new shoes!)
• Walking stick – if you like to walk with one – but the terrain is not too difficult (mostly farm roads)
• Suitable walking clothing, wind jacket and rain jacket (just in case!)
• Small rucksack & water bottle (we provide fresh mountain water to fill bottles)
• Hat, sunglasses, sunblock, mosquito repellent
• Swimming costume (for the warmer weather!). Swimming towels are provided
• Leisure clothes for afternoon and evenings
• Snacks – but we do also make sure you are well fed!
• Personal medication, electrolytes, plasters, bandages etc.
• Cash/ card for adhoc purchases as well as wine purchases at the various Wine Estates! 

VERY IMPORTANT: PLEASE LET US KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE ANY DIETARY REQUIREMENTS! PLEASE ALSO RECONFIRM YOUR PREFERRED BED CONFIGURATION (DBL/ TWIN BEDS…)

What if I can’t walk all the way?

No worries! You can easily drive yourself to all the various Estates, so you won’t miss out on any of the fun!  If you only want to skip a portion of the walk, and require a drop-off, there will be a R80 fee to cover the expenses of using our vehicle.  Should a whole group want to skip the walking and be transported from one venue to the other (yes, we do get these requests!) then we can hire in a bus (depending on availability) at a cost of R2500 per day.

What if it rains on tour?

Many guests opt to walk in the rain with ponchos, however if it is really coming down heavily, we have a backup bus that will take you to all the various destinations, so you won’t miss out on any of the fun, only the walking.

Terms & Conditions:

Minimum of 6 guests per walk required in order to start a new tour date. Maximum of 20 guests (10 rooms). Once a tour date is established any amount of guests can join the group until all our rooms are full. In order to book the guesthouse exclusively for your group, a minimum of 9 rooms need to be booked. Walks are offered in the months of March to November: There are 3 night and 4 night packages – please enquire for available dates! The 4 night package has the benefit of not having to pack up your bags the morning of the last day’s tour. All wine tastings & activities are subject to availability. Guests need to be 18 years or older to participate Only if the guesthouse is exclusively booked out by 1 group, are children allowed, however some of the establishments we visit unfortunately do not have grape juice available. The full rate will apply to children joining. The walk sequences differ to the proposed itinerary mentioned above.

A 50% deposit is payable to confirm the reservation of which 10% is non-refundable. Remaining 50% payable 7 days before arrival. Cancel less than 90 days before arrival date forfeit 25% of total invoice; cancel less than 6 weeks before arrival date forfeit 50% of total invoice. Once the deposit is paid, you are agreeing to these terms and conditions and our cancellation policy.

For availability, and to secure your reservation, give Kirstin a call at 082 850 2267 or send an email to guesthouse@excelsior.co.za.

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