About This Property
Babylonstoren is a working Cape Dutch farm hotel in the Drakenstein Valley, on the Klapmuts–Simondium Road between Franschhoek and Paarl. The farm covers 200 hectares. At its centre is a 5-hectare fruit-and-vegetable garden that supplies the kitchens.
The restored Manor House dates to 1777; the farm itself is one of the older Cape Dutch werfs still in use. We send people here when they want the Winelands without rushing from tasting room to tasting room.
Hotel guests may walk the garden at any hour, join a guided garden tour and farm walk, take a cellar tour and tasting, borrow bicycles, row on the farm dam and — on stays of two nights or more — join a mountain drive. Breakfast is built from what is in season: juices, fruit, bakery bread, thick farm yoghurt and the farm’s own honey.
Rooms are split across the Farmhouse (adult-only suites and the Red Studio), Garden Cottages beside the garden, Fynbos Cottages among the vineyards and orchards, and two exclusive-use houses — the 1777 Manor House and the five-bedroom Fynbos Family House. Interiors mix whitewashed Cape Dutch walls and fireplaces with glass-fronted kitchens and contemporary furniture. Farm boots in your size are left in the room.
The main swimming pool is a restored farm reservoir. There is a second swim at the dam, with canoes. The Garden Spa sits between garden and vines, with a hammam, plunge pool, steam room, sauna and — in the hot spa — an indoor heated vitality pool, rain showers and salt room. A gym overlooks the garden.
Dining is farm-to-fork and charged separately from the room, apart from breakfast. Babel, in a refurbished kraal, is the flagship (lunch Wednesday to Sunday; dinner nightly). The Greenhouse does light lunches and infusions daily.
The Old Bakery serves Italian-inspired set dinners some nights and a carnivore menu on others. Go2Africa lists the stay as bed and breakfast, from USD 475 per person sharing.
Families are welcome in the cottages and houses; the Farmhouse is not set up for children. It is a farm, not a safari. The draw is the garden, the food, the fireplaces and the Simonsberg light. Cape Town and Table Mountain National Park are a standard Winelands day trip from the werf.
Why We Love It
We love Babylonstoren because it is still a farm. The 5-hectare garden is not a backdrop; it is the point — breakfast comes off it, Babel cooks from it, and hotel guests are allowed into it at first light, before the day visitors arrive.
We also love the restraint of the rooms: whitewashed Cape Dutch walls, a fireplace they will light for you, farm boots in your size, and a glass kitchen if you are in a cottage. It feels considered rather than decorated.
The Farmhouse is moody and adults-only; the Fynbos Cottages sit out by the dam with their own pool room; the Manor House (1777) and Fynbos Family House are for when you want the keys to a whole house.
It is bed and breakfast, not an all-inclusive safari. That suits us here. Eat at Babel, the Greenhouse or the Old Bakery when you want to; make a salad from the garden; sit on the dam with a canoe. The Winelands are on the doorstep if you need them, but many of our travellers barely leave the werf.
Come in summer for the reservoir pool and long garden evenings. Come in winter for the hearths. Either way, give it two nights so the mountain drive is included — and so you are not packing up just as the place slows you down.
Rooms & Details
Farmhouse Suite
One-bedroom suites in the Farmhouse, each for two guests, with a four-poster king-size bed, en-suite marble bathroom, walk-in cupboard, cast-iron stove and extra-length sofa. Africa A-Z’s 2026 sheet lists nine Farmhouse suites. The Farmhouse is not child-friendly; guests here use a communal outdoor pool and the hot spa (sauna, vitality pool, salt room) at the Farmhouse.
Red Studio
A studio apartment for two, with a fireplace, kitchenette, en-suite bathroom, private entrance facing the pétanque courtyard, and an outdoor shower in a secluded garden.
Garden Cottages — One-Bedroom Suite
Six open-plan one-bedroom suites beside the 5-hectare garden, each for two guests, with an en-suite bathroom, lounge, fireplace and bookshelves. Whitewashed walls and Cape Dutch gables; contemporary furniture inside.
Garden Cottages — One-Bedroom Cottage
Three slightly larger one-bedroom cottages for two guests, with lounge, fireplace and a glass-cube kitchen. En-suite bathroom.
Garden Cottages — Two-Bedroom Cottage
Four two-bedroom cottages, each with two en-suite bathrooms, lounge, fireplace and a glass-cube dining/kitchen. Sleeps four (or three at the three-guest rate). Built in the Cape Dutch style on the garden side of the farm.
Koornhuis
A two-bedroom cottage next to the 1777 Manor House, sleeping four. Each bedroom has a fireplace and a spacious en-suite bathroom. Lounge with bookshelves and a glass-cube kitchen/dining area.
Fowl House
A one-bedroom farm cottage for two, with a kitchen, dining table, fireplace seating, bedroom and en-suite bathroom.
Fynbos Cottages
Set further from the main werf among orchards and vineyards, overlooking the farm dam. Go2Africa lists four two-bedroom cottages and two one-bedroom units, with en-suite bathrooms, lounge, fireplace and a glass-cube kitchen. Fynbos guests have an exclusive leisure area known as The Pool Room (lounge, bar and plunge pool).
Manor House
The Cape Dutch Manor House dates to 1777 and is booked as exclusive use only. Five bedrooms and five bathrooms sleep ten (king-size beds; two rooms can be twinned), with a traditional farm kitchen, fireplace, bookshelves and a private lawn. Breakfast and a personalised larder are included; enquire for availability and price.
Fynbos Family House
Exclusive-use Cape Dutch-style house at the foot of the Simonsberg and Franschhoek mountains. Five en-suite bedrooms sleeping ten, each with a fireplace and a freestanding bath. Fully equipped kitchen in a glass cube off the lounge, a central courtyard and a crystal pool fed by a shallow channel. Opened in 2021.
Reservoir Pool
The main swimming pool is a restored farm reservoir. A second swim is at the farm dam, with canoes. Fynbos guests also have The Pool Room plunge pool.
Garden Spa
The Garden Spa sits between garden and vines, with a hammam, plunge pool, steam room, sauna and — in the hot spa — an indoor heated vitality pool, rain showers and salt room. A gym overlooks the garden. Treatments are extra; spa access is included for hotel guests.
Amenities & Features
Photo Gallery
Rates
Prices start from $475 per night. Final pricing depends on season, room type, and availability. Check current rates on our booking partner's site for the most accurate pricing.
What's Included
- Breakfast (seasonal farm breakfast; included in the room rate)
- A selection of personalised beverages in the room; drinks at the hotel bar area as supplied
- Babylonstoren breakfast (seasonal juices, fruit, bakery bread, farm yoghurt and honey)
- Full access to the garden at all times, plus a guided garden tour and farm walk
- Bicycles to explore the 200-hectare farm
- Rowing on the farm dam and guided fishing
- Cellar tour and wine tasting
- Morning harvest with the gardeners and bread baking with the bakers
- Mountain drive (included on stays of two nights or longer)
- Access to the Garden Spa (treatments extra) and a selection of personalised beverages in the room
Bed and breakfast. Hotel rate includes breakfast, garden access, guided garden tour and farm walk, guided fishing, bicycles, dam rowing, mountain drive (two nights or longer), morning harvest, bread baking, cellar tour and wine tasting, in-room beverages, Garden Spa access and VAT. Lunch, dinner, most drinks, spa treatments, workshops, the 1% tourism levy and transfers are extra. Babel, the Greenhouse and the Old Bakery are on the farm; meals there are charged separately unless arranged as part of a package.
Location
How to Get There
From Cape Town International Airport
Take the N2 East (Somerset West). After about 3.5 km take exit 22 / R300 towards Kuilsrivier. Stay on the R300 for about 14 km, then merge onto the N1 towards Paarl. Stay on the N1 for about 20 km. Take Exit 47 (Klapmuts, Stellenbosch R44). At the stop street turn right under the N1 towards Stellenbosch. You will see Butterfly World on your left; continue over the traffic lights and the bridge. At the next traffic lights turn left onto the Klapmuts/Simondium Road towards the R45. About 6 km down that road, Babylonstoren is on your right.
From Cape Town (city)
Take the N1 towards Paarl for about 45 km. Take Exit 47 (Klapmuts, Stellenbosch R44). Same approach as above: right under the N1, over the bridge, left onto the Klapmuts/Simondium Road; Babylonstoren is about 6 km on the right.
From Stellenbosch
Take the R44 towards Wellington. About 16 km outside Stellenbosch, pass The Potbelly Pantry farm stall on your left, then turn right at the traffic lights onto the Klapmuts/Simondium Road towards the R45. About 6 km on, Babylonstoren is on your right. The Helshoogte Pass (R310) towards Franschhoek is the scenic alternative: after about 13 km turn left on the R45 towards Paarl; after 4 km, at Vrede en Lust, take the Klapmuts/Simondium Road turn-off to the left; about 3 km on, Babylonstoren is on your left.
From Franschhoek
Take the R45 towards Paarl. At Vrede en Lust take the Klapmuts/Simondium Road turn-off to the left. About 3 km down the road, Babylonstoren is on your left.
From Paarl
Head south on Main Road towards the N1/R101. Pass under the N1 and continue on the R101 (do not join the N1). Turn left onto the R45 towards Franschhoek. At Vrede en Lust take the Klapmuts/Simondium Road turn-off to the right. About 3 km down the road, Babylonstoren is on your left.
Nearby Attractions
Babylonstoren garden, cellar and Farm Shop; Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek wine farms; Simonsberg; Soetmelksvlei (day visit on the farm); Babel, Greenhouse and Old Bakery restaurants; Boschenmeer Golf Course (about 10 km); Cape Town
Things to Do
At the property
Walk or join the guided tour of the 5-hectare fruit-and-vegetable garden; pick herbs for tea. Borrow a bicycle and ride the 200-hectare farm. Row or swim at the dam; swim in the restored reservoir pool.
Cellar tour and wine tasting; morning harvest with the gardeners; bread baking with the bakers; guided fishing. Mountain drive on stays of two nights or longer. Garden Spa (hammam, sauna, steam, vitality pool, salt room; treatments extra) and a gym overlooking the garden.
Farm Shop and Scented Room. Workshops are offered at extra cost (fragrance and herb sessions are mentioned in guest notes).
In the area
The farm sits between the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek wine routes, so neighbouring cellars are an easy outing if you want to taste beyond Babylonstoren. Walk or jog the Babylonstoren koppie for fynbos and valley views. Birding on the farm is worthwhile — Go2Africa notes up to 78 species.
Day trips
Soetmelksvlei and Byzantium are day-visit experiences on the wider farm (booked separately). Franschhoek and Stellenbosch villages, and Cape Town itself, are standard Winelands day trips. Transfers are not included in the hotel rate.
City Bowl rooms if you add a night in town include Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel. Further along the Cape, AfriCamps Klein Karoo is a tented stay in the same province.
Good to Know
Check-in / check-out: 14:00 / 11:00. Guests who arrive early may use the Stables (Perdehuis) to freshen up if the room is not ready.
Children: Families are welcome. Children under 2 stay free in a cot when sharing with parents. A two-bedroom cottage takes a maximum of four guests (any age) at the four-guest rate, or three at the three-guest rate. The Farmhouse is not child-friendly and does not take families.
What is included: Breakfast; garden access at all times; guided garden tour and farm walk; guided fishing; bicycles; rowing on the dam; mountain drive on stays of two nights or longer; morning harvest; bread baking; cellar tour and wine tasting; personalised in-room beverages; Garden Spa access (treatments extra); 15% VAT.
What is extra: Meals other than breakfast; drinks beyond the in-room selection and the hotel bar area; spa treatments; workshops; 1% tourism levy per room per night; all transfers.
Dining: Babel is the flagship restaurant (lunch Wednesday–Sunday; dinner nightly 18:00–20:30). The Greenhouse is open daily for tea, infusions and light lunches. The Old Bakery serves Italian-inspired set dinners on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and a five-course Carnivore Experience on Wednesday and Sunday (not for vegetarians).
Spa: Garden Spa for hotel guests, with sauna, steam room, indoor heated vitality pool, tropical rain showers and salt room. Gym overlooks the garden. Treatments extra.
Malaria: The Western Cape is malaria-free.
Farm: A working 200-hectare farm (not a game reserve). The cultivated fruit-and-vegetable garden covers 5 hectares.
Who It's For
Couples and honeymooners (the Farmhouse loft and Red Studio especially), and families or friends who want a two-bedroom cottage or an exclusive-use house sleeping up to ten. Anyone who cares more about a kitchen garden, fireplaces and farm food than about Big Five game. Not a safari lodge. Farmhouse stays are adults-only.
Best Time to Visit
Year-round. The Western Cape’s warm, dry months are typically November–March, when the restored reservoir pool and dam come into their own. Winter (May–August) is the hotel’s low season: fireplaces and open hearths are lit, and the garden is greener after the rains. Peak rates on the official tariff run 16 December–16 January.
