Spice Route is surely one of the most family friendly destinations in Paarl when you’re looking for a place where you can entertain the kids for an entire day. They have so many places and activities to explore that it surely doesn’t get boring! We are 100% sure that you and the kids will absolutely love this farm. Find out what you can discover when visiting Spice Route Destination.
Unlock the Secrets of the Farm: A Family-Friendly Scavenger Hunt Adventure
If you want to kick off your visit in a fun way, you can do a SPIES Route Scavenger Hunt across the farm and get to know the area. At the Information Office, you will receive everything you need as well as a little demonstration of how it all works. Your challenge: Find 10 hidden boxes around the farm, solve riddles and find out the name of the Traitor. If you are successful and manage to guess everything correctly until you reach the very last box, you will find out the traitor’s name and can report it back to the guest information office.
You will be equipped with a tool box that contains everything you need to solve the riddles and it’s a lot of fun for the whole family.
The Scavenger Hunt is recommended for children from the age of 12 years, but our kiddos (ages 4 and 7) enjoyed it just as much with our help and they were super excited to find all the right equipment in the tool box, opening the boxes and write down the correct answers. It took us about 45 minutes to find all 10 boxes and solve the riddles. So it was a fantastic way to kick off our visit and get an idea of the size of the Destination.
It’s R80 per child. But of course, you can also do it with a group of adults. In that case, you will have to pay the R80 per person.
Indulge in a World of Chocolate: Tastings and Treats at Spice Route’s Chocolate Room
Who doesn’t love chocolate? At Spice Route, you can indulge in their very own Chocolate Room filled with delightful treats, pralines, chocolate in all forms and flavours as well as confectionary from Beyers. If you are overwhelmed with the offer and don’t know what to pick, simply try one of their chocolate tasting options and experience an explosion for your taste buds.
The Chocolate and Confectionary Tasting is R60 per person and you’ll be treated to 5 different handpicked pralines in their very own tasting room.
You can also do a Premium Chocolate Tasting for R100 per person where you’ll taste a selection of 5 single origin chocolate.
If you are a group of 10 people or more, it’s recommended to make a booking in advance to avoid any disappointment. Otherwise, walk-ins are more than welcome and the last tasting of the day concludes at 16:30.
Feast with a View: La Grapperia’s Pizza & Bistro Family-Friendly Culinary Delights
For a family-friendly (and dog-friendly) lunch and dinner experience, we highly recommend La Grapperia Pizza & Bistro. At the restaurant, you can indulge in a delightful array of wood-fired, thin-crust pizzas (voted the finest this side of the Winelands!), flammkuchen, salads, German inspired dishes and enticing platters, all served alongside a refreshing Wilderer Gin & Tonic, a glass of wine, or a choice brew on tap at La Grapperia Pizza & Bistro.
La Grapperia Pizza & Bistro invites you into a laid-back, welcoming dining environment with the most amazing views of the mountains and valley while enjoying a refreshing summer breeze on their outside deck.
They have a fabulous playground for the children in eye-sight, so that you can sit down and relax while the kids can run off and burn off some energy at the playground close-by. The play area consists of a huge wooden jungle gym with swings, climbing walls, balancing beams and lots of spaces to explore.
At the table, the kiddies entertainment can be continued with one of their fantastic kiddies pairing options. For R200 per child, the little ones will be treated to a yummy margarita pizza, a cookie decorating kit, a juice pairing as well as a colouring book with crayons to keep them busy.
They do offer a normal kiddies menu as well and you can take a sneak-peek at the full menu here: LA GRAPPERIA PIZZA & BISTRO MENU
When you want to bring along your furry friends, they will be welcome too! They even have a dedicated (and fenced) doggie area with fresh water and tiny tables for your furry babies.
Check out the opening times for the restaurant (which are different to the Destination times) here: OPENING TIMES
You can phone them on +27 (0) 21 863 4367 or send an email to grapperia@wilderer.co.za
From Clay to Display: Create Your Own Art at Môigoeters Shop-Paint-Create
Spice Route Destination is home to the beautiful Môigoeters Shop-Paint-Create Room. It’s a beautiful creative space where you can either buy pretty little things to take home or sit down and unwind in some creative work yourself.
The concept is simple: you pick your favourite clay item that you’d like to decorate, pick a table and then start the creative process of ceramic painting. All the tools, colours, and brushes are being provided and you can take your time and relax in this beautiful art studio.
We love that there are no hidden costs involved and you don’t need to pay a studio fee or extra for the equipment. All items come with a set price and that’s what you pay at the end. So it’s pretty straight forward and you know from the start what your overall costs will be.
They also have a cute little coffee shop in the studio where you can grab a coffee or cool drink while you paint and enjoy your time there even more.
Once you’re done, your pieces still need to go into the kiln. So just keep in mind that you will have to come back to collect your items once they come out of the firing process. This can take up to 4 weeks depending on how busy it is.
It’s also a perfect spot for a kiddies birthday party, hen party, kitchen tea or corporate event as you can combine this creative activity with the other amazing options at Spice Route Destination.
Opening Times: Tue – Sun 09:00 – 17:00
Phone: +27 (0) 76 599 6502 / info@moigoeters.com
Brenda’s Gift Shop: A Haven of Natural Ingredients and Irresistible Deli Delights
When you’re looking for unique gifts and cute deli items, then you will love the set-up and interior of Brendas Handcrafted Produce. All the deli products and preserves are additive-free and made from fresh, natural ingredients, expertly sourced from local producers. You will find exotic spices, decor items, hand-made jams, teas, sweet treats and sauces, and so much more that it’s unlikely that you go home with empty bags.
For the kids, they also have a popcorn machine inside as well as yummy ice cream tubes to keep the little ones happy while you shop around. You can take a seat in the little nursery garden outside and enjoy the fabulous views all around.
Opening Times: Mon – Sun 09:00 – 17:00
Contact: +27 (0) 21 863 3393 / info@brendas.co.za
Bring Your Bike and Explore: Family Fun Awaits on the Paarl Bike Trail
If you and the kids love an adventurous bike ride, then bring your bikes along to Spice Route Destination and enjoy their fun bike trail at the top of the farm. Simply bring along your own bike or rent one out. Bike rentals are available, made a day or two in advance – reservations can be made online: Paarl Adventure Trails – Spice Route Destination. This is surely a fun add-on during your trip to Spice Route Destination and can also be part of a kiddies birthday party experience.
Raise Your Glasses: Discover the Art of Beer with CBC’s Tasting Experience
This is strictly an experience for 18+ year olds but none the less a lot of fun and a great opportunity to taste some beer while you are at Spice Route Destination. The Cape Brewing Company (CBC) offers a selection of different tasting options that you can choose from and which take approximately 30 minutes to conclude. You have the following options:
- Standard Tasting for R60 per person: A tasting of 4 pre – selected CBC premium beers
- Master Tasting for R85 per person: A tasting of 7 CBC premium beers
- Rekordelig Perry Cider Tasting for R65 per person: A tasting of 4 Perry Ciders
- Spice Route Passport Tasting: A tasting of 4 pre – selected CBC premium beers
Spice Route’s Wine Journey: Savor Each Sip as Kids Explore the Playful Outdoors
Wine Tastings are available 7 days a week and set in the most beautiful tasting area. While you can choose your preferred wine selection, the children can play at a fabulous playground in eye sight to stay entertained and busy while you indulge in your wine tasting experience.
- Winemaker’s Journey for R75 per person: A selection of 6 wines
- Wine & Charcuterie Journey for R120 per person: A selection of 6 wines paired with 6 Jewell’s cured meats.
- Wine & Vegetarian Journey for R120 per person: A selection of 6 wines paired with 6 vegetarian tastes
- Wine and Dessert Journey* for R150 per person: A selection of 4 wines and a sherry paired with 5 dessert treats (only available from Wednesday to Sunday)
The playground is equipped with a fun play tractor, a hide-and-seek tunnel, swings, jungle gym and balancing beams. A great space to play around and burn off energy.
Jewell’s Restaurant: A delicious farm-to-table dining experience
Renowned chef and master of charcuterie, Neil Jewell, along with his wife Tina Jewell, lead the culinary experience at the farm-to-table restaurant nestled within the Spice Route Destination. Jewell’s Restaurant features an open kitchen, offering a blend of cozy yet refined country-style indoor dining and alfresco seating, providing breathtaking views of both the Simonsberg Mountains and Table Mountain. Every dish is crafted using only the finest ingredients, including premium organic Red Angus beef sourced from Charles Back’s esteemed herd. The menu evolves with the seasons, showcasing a dynamic array of flavors complemented by a curated selection of Spice Route wines.
Additionally, guests have the opportunity to savor Neil’s expertly crafted charcuterie while indulging in a wine tasting at the Spice Route Tasting Room. They also have a small kiddies menu for children under the age of 13 and a lovely playground just in front of the outdoor seating area. So the kids can entertain themselves while the parents enjoy this extraordinary dining experience.
Opening Times: Wed – Sun 11:30 – 16:00
Contact: +27 (0) 21 204 4875 / jewells@spiceroute.co.za
Wilderer Distillery: Taste some of the world’s finest spirits
Embark on a journey to Wilderer Distillery, where you can witness the meticulous craft behind some of the globe’s most exquisite spirits. Discover firsthand how only the highest quality raw materials, combined with state-of-the-art German distilling equipment, converge to produce the renowned products that have elevated Wilderer as the preferred brand among connoisseurs worldwide. Infused with the essence of the Cape, Wilderer’s Grappa, Eaux de Vie, and Gin capture the spirit of the region in every sip.
In their tasting room, you will have the choice between the following tasting options:
- Neat Tastings for R60 per person: Choose from any 3 Wilderer spirits
- Long Drink Tastings for R120 per person: Choose from any 3 Wilderer Long Drinks
- Blend your own gin for R365 per person (booking is essential): You can sample and mix different variants and create your own recipe. You will be able to fill your own 500ml bottle and personalise your gin with a unique name to take home.
Tastings take approximately 30 minutes and conclude at 17:30 every day.
Our Experience
We had the most amazing time at Spice Route Destination and easily spent 5 hours on the farm without many breaks between the action. We started our day with the Scavenger hunt which the kids absolutely loved. I cannot disclose too many details, but the riddles were fun to solve and even younger children (who cannot read yet) will enjoy the experience as the kids need to look for the boxes, find the right tools to solve the riddle and are so excited when it works out.
Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch at La Grapperia Pizza & Bistro where the kids loved the kiddies tasting option with the cookie painting and juice tasting. Very cute and a fun activity to keep them busy while you wait for the food. We had Kasseler and a very delicious pizza. So if you like German inspired food, you’ll surely find something great on their menu. Dogs are welcome, too and even have a dedicated doggies area with fresh water. But of course, you can also keep them with you at the table. They are more than welcome.
The playgrounds on the farm are amazing and so much fun for the kids. The play areas are suitable for all ages and always nearby a seating area. So no matter where you are, you can keep an eye on the kids while they are playing.
We also did the pottery painting which the kids absolutely loved. We had some coffee while they were painting their items and enjoyed the quite time for us.
We also shopped around for plants at Brenda’s Gift Shop, had ice cream for the kids and ended the day with a chocolate tasting. Needless to say that we also brought home more chocolate after that as it was absolutely delicious.
Spice Route is surely one of the most family-friendly destinations in the Winelands and a Must-Visit for parents with children of all ages. Fun is 100% guaranteed.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Checklist
- Opening Times: Mon – Sun 09:00 – 17:00
- Age Group: 0 – 99
- Baby Changing Facilities: Yes
- Kids Menu: Yes
- Fun Factor: 5/5
- Free WIFI: Yes
Website
https://www.spiceroute.co.za/
Phone: +27 (0) 21 863 5200 / info@spiceroute.co.za
