Holiday for less: The best winter specials!

Set on a working wine estate in the Stellenbosch Kloof, Jordan Estate offers the kind of winter escape where you can check in and almost forget to leave. It’s a destination overflowing with vineyard views, quiet spaces, country air and some of the Cape’s best wines, just a short stroll away when you visit The Cellar Door for wine tasting. The Jordan Winter Warmer Special runs until 30 September 2026, with suites from R3,625.25. The package includes a one-night stay, estate wine tasting for two, a bottle of Jordan Estate wine in-room, a dinner basket for two and breakfast the following morning. The Winter Romance package, from R6005,25, adds an hour-long massage to the mix and upgrades the wine to Cap Classique. Just remember the catch with this great deal: it’s only bookable 24 hours in advance and subject to availability. 

Perched high on the Franschhoek Pass, La Petite Ferme blends vineyard views, polished country-house rooms and one of the valley’s most established restaurants, all set in an unforgettable location high above the village. It’s an easy choice if your idea of a cold-weather break leans towards long lunches, fireside red wine and no need to drive after dinner. The Winter Wonder offer is for South African residents only, valid until 31 August 2026, and includes discounted winter rates, breakfast daily, a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival, well-stocked minibar, wine tasting, afternoon cake in the lounge and a complimentary dinner at La Petite Ferme Restaurant every evening of your stay. With an acclaimed chef recently taking charge of the kitchen, you’ll definitely want to dine in! There’s also a stay-three-pay-two offer. 

Tucked into a valley beneath Bainskloof Pass, Doolhof Country House offers a Winelands break without the crowds. Wellington offers spectacular mountain scenery and low-key wine estates to explore, with Doolhof as a comfortable boutique country base. The Winter Whispers packages are valid until 31 August 2026 for weekday and weekend bookings. The one-night escape costs R6000 per room for two guests and includes a full-body massage, a two-course dinner and complimentary wine tasting. A two-night retreat is available from R9800 per room and adds lunch to the experience.

If you’re looking for a dose of small-town charm, Montagu is a very good reason to head out on Route 62. The town offers hot springs, heritage architecture, mountain walks, muscadel, country hospitality and a slower pace that is oh-so-suited to the season. The two-night Full Montagu Sensory Experience Package is valid until 31 August 2026. Priced from R2235 per person sharing for a two-night stay, it includes a welcome glass of Montagu Muskadel, a full English and a cold buffet breakfast each morning, a R250 Charlestons dinner voucher, a R250 Montagu Garden Spa voucher, a complimentary Esse Hand Treatment and a wine tasting at Montagu Winery’s newly upgraded tasting room.

Camissa Farm is tailor-made for a cold-weather Winelands escape, with a choice of stylish self-catering cabins, mountain views, indoor fireplaces, wood-fired hot tubs, and enough farm trails to make you feel you’ve earned that steak on the braai. That said, with its location in the Banhoek Valley, it’s close to Stellenbosch restaurants and wine estates if you want to indulge and let someone else do the washing up. The winter special is a pay-for-two, stay-for-three offer, with a complimentary bottle of limited-edition The Menagerie Syrah and wood for your first hot-tub session. Accommodation ranges from one-bedroom cabins to larger cottages sleeping up to six, all with decks, braai areas or firepits, and hot tubs. 

Love a hot tub? Camissa is also on our list of unbeatable wood-fired tubs!

For an easy, self-catering escape in nature, AfriCamps remains one of South Africa’s most reliable glamping options. With 19 locations across the country – and nine in the Western Cape – the brand’s fully furnished two-bedroom tents suit families, couples and groups of friends alike, with proper beds, kitchen facilities, braai spots and, in some units, wood-fired hot tubs. Their Three-Night Glamping Special runs until 22 September 2026 and saves guests R500 on a three-night stay at any AfriCamps location. The offer excludes long weekends, public holidays, school holidays and peak season. Book online and select the three-night special option.