The Boschendal Estate is a huge family-friendly wine farm with lots of different things to discover. Besides fantastic restaurants, picnics and wines to taste in a magnificent surrounding, they offer many fun activities for children. Whether they play along in the Tree House, book a horse riding session or take out their bikes on the mountain bike trail – it surely won’t get boring. But let’s start with an overview of all the things you can do.

Tree House Playground & Outdoor Experience

The Tree House Playground is suitable for kids of all ages although the amazing jungle gym with its two large slides might be a bit too challenging for toddlers and they need assistance from their parents. The open playground features acorn hideouts, slides, walkways, platforms, mushroom pods and pyramids and even a pump track. The play area is not supervised by their staff, so you need to keep an eye on your kids while they play along or ride their bikes at the small pump track at own risk.

The outdoor programme is designed for children aged 5 – 14 years and limited to a group of 10 kids. So if you want your kiddo to be part of this guided outdoor farm experience tour, you should definitely book a slot in advance. With 2 hour morning, mid-day,  afternoon as well as immersive full-day slots available, the Outdoor Experience focuses on delivering a captivating eco-edutainment that unpacks the joys of farm life. Each child needs to bring a backpack with their own water bottle, snacks & a change of clothes.

On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday the programme offers the following time slots and activities:

• 10:00 – 12:00 Harvesting and Foraging (R180 for day visitors): The kids venture into the gardens to learn about permaculture, sustainability and where food comes from, how to tend to your garden and harvest farm fresh seasonal produce.
• 12:15 – 14:15 Forgotten skills and lunch (R250 for day visitors): Outdoor cooking on the fire, using what was harvested. African drumming session.
• 14:30 – 16:30 Survivor Skills (R180 for day visitors): Shelter building & survival skills, plant-based natural remedies.

If you want to book the full day for your child, it is R610 for day visitors.

On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday the programme offers the following time slots and activities:

• 10:00 – 12:00 Gardening and Crafts (R180 for day visitors): Planting, harvesting & seed saving. Learn about worm farms, weeding & watering. Build a nest as a gift to nature & make a wind chime.
• 12:15 – 14:15 Forgotten skills and lunch (R250 for day visitors): Using friction to make a fire, fire safety, making pizza on the fire. Fruit preservation. African drumming session.
• 14:30 – 16:30 Survivor Skills (R180 for day visitors): Shelter building & survival skills, plant-based natural remedies.

If you want to book the full day for your child, it is R610 for day visitors.

To make a booking you can call +27 (0)21 870 4211 or send an email to reservations1@boschendal.co.za

MTB, Running & Hiking Trails

The trail center is open daily from 08:00 – 17:00 (on weekends they open at 07:00 already) and you can purchase a MTB Trail Day Permit or a Running Permit for R60. Their hiking, biking and running trails cater to all levels of experience and you can expect some mean climbs and sweet single track rides while enjoying the beautiful views of the Franschhoek Valley.

The MTB trail consists of a 4km Yellow Route; 9km Green Route; 11km Blue Route; 15km Red Route; 23km Black Route. The Black XL route adds 3-4 sections onto Black route. Runners can choose between a 5km or 10km route.

If you’re keen to go on a hike, you can even bring along your dog to join you on the trails, but the canine friends need to be kept on a lead at all times.

Horse Riding

Book a 1 hour horse riding session and enjoy the views of the Franschhoek Valley on horseback. For the younger guests, you can arrange a pony ride between 12:00 and 16:00 on weekends and public holidays. This activity is available at The Werf area and costs R60 per child. The pony rides are only suitable for children aged 4 to 7 years.

The one hour horse riding sessions are available at three different time slots during the day and should be booked in advance to secure your seat in the saddle. This activity costs R450 per person.

• 10:00 – 11:00: Novice Riders
• 14:00 – 15:00: Novice / Experienced Riders
• 16:00 – 17:00: Experienced Riders

Art Gallery

You get free entrance to the Art Gallery at Boschendal and can visit the exhibition between 09:00 and 17:00 from Monday to Sunday. The art is displayed at the beautiful Manor House and visitors get to see the Norval satellite art exhibitions at the farm. Check out new and upcoming exhibitions on their website: https://www.boschendal.com/things-to-do/norval-art-gallery/

Farm Tours

The guided walking tour around the farm offer rare personal insight into the history of the farm, regenerative farming practices and sustainable gardening while experiencing and enjoying the beauty of the farm and its gardens. Guests will also be harvesting seasonal herbs from their herb garden. The walking tour takes approx. 1.5 hours and comfortable shoes and hats are recommended.

You can book the tour from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 – 11:30 at a cost of R110 per person.

Picnics

If you want to experience a relaxed day on the lawn with family and friends around, then a picnic might be just the right thing for you. Guests can choose between a table & chair (limited table seating available) or picnic blankets and lawn chair options upon booking. You are also allowed to bring your own blankets and chairs and enjoy a leisurely afternoon complemented by the best local, seasonal produce and treats packed for your indulgence.  The Tree House Playground and Pump Track is accessible from the picnic lawn for children aged 5 -14 years, but be aware that there is a small shallow dam next to the Pergola on the picnic lawns and the little ones should be supervised at all times.

To secure a picnic basket, reservations should be made at least 24 hours in advance and basket collection can be arranged between 12:00 – 14:00. The picnic area closes at 17:00.

You can check out their picnic menu here: PICNICS

The baskets usually include freshly baked bread, green salads from the Werf Food Garden, free-range charcuterie cuts from the Boschendal Butchery, homemade preserves and one of their celebrated desserts. A vegan option is also available.

In case you’re not lucky with the weather and it’s raining on the day of your booking, you can either move your booking to another date or you can take your basket as a takeaway.

Eat, Drink & Wine Tasting

Settle down under the oak trees, look over the rose garden and taste a wide variety of the finest Boschendal wines. Their wine tasting Cellar Door is open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 – 17:30 and you can spice it up a little bit with delicious pairing combinations. Get yourself a delicious cheese or charcuterie platter as a perfect between meal treat. Or, if you are a sweet tooth, go for the Chocolatier’s tasting. Whatever you do, you can only win.

In case a platter is only a starter for you, you can easily move on to one of their two restaurants for a hearty farm meal. The Werf Restaurant is situated in the beautifully revamped original cellar of the Manor House. Check out their menu: The Werf Menu. At The Deli restaurant you’ll find an all-day Farmer’s breakfast, wood fired pizza, salads, burgers and much more. Check out The Deli Menu