This years’ Garden Town Stellenbosch is the perfect excuse to step through gates that are usually closed. More than a dozen public gardens stay open throughout the festival, while over 14 private home gardens — rarely seen by the public — welcome visitors on selected days. Profits from many of the private garden entries go to the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch, so every ticket does a little good.
Here are some of the standouts worth prioritising.
Babylonstoren
The farm’s famous garden needs little introduction. Formal vegetable beds, fruit trees, rose walks and the iconic greenhouse sit against the Simonsberg backdrop. It is open for the duration of the festival and remains one of the most complete horticultural experiences in the region — part productive farm, part living museum of plants.
Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
Sculpture and landscape fuse seamlessly here. Dylan Lewis’s powerful bronze and steel forms rise from fynbos and mountain slopes, creating a contemplative walk that feels both wild and carefully composed. Limited opening days make it one to book early.
Tokara Farm Garden
The private farm garden at Tokara opens specially for Garden Town. Expect thoughtful planting, mountain views and the quiet elegance that characterises the estate. It is one of the most atmospheric of the temporary openings and pairs beautifully with a stop at the restaurant or deli afterwards.
Old Nectar Gardens
In the Jonkershoek Valley, this historic garden created by Una van der Spuy over seven decades is a Stellenbosch treasure. Oak-lined driveways, rose gardens, a long pergola built by Italian POWs, and a rich collection of trees set against sandstone cliffs. It is open daily during the festival and rewards a slow wander.
Spier Food Garden
Spier’s productive garden offers a different flavour of beauty — rows of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers that supply the estate’s restaurants. Guided walks and self-harvesting sessions often form part of the programme, connecting visitors to the practical side of growing food with care.
Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
Right in town, this historic botanical garden is ideal for a gentler pace. Guided tours are scheduled on several days, making it easy to learn about the plant collections while enjoying the shaded paths and peaceful atmosphere.
Aspidistra at Bonne Esperance
A Victorian garden in front of a 1901 villa with a broekie-lace veranda and corner turret: an English garden tended for more than a century. Clipped topiary gives it structure, while roses, salvia and soft perennial borders spill over the paths.
Other private highlights
Look out for the Gouws Sculpture Garden, Slee’s Meadow Garden, and a cluster of well-planted private gardens in Mostertsdrift and Die Boord (including several on Morgenster Road, Rowan Street and elsewhere). These intimate spaces often reveal the personal passion of their owners and offer a more residential scale of design.
Practical tips
Check the official Garden Town app or website (garden-town.co.za) for exact opening times, ticket requirements and maps — some gardens are open only on specific days. Printed maps are available at the Stellenbosch Visitor Centre on Dorp Street. Combine garden visits with the free Town Hall Garden Show & Market (daily until 31 October), the Grand Flower Parade on 27 October, or an evening Street Soirée on 28 October.
Garden Town turns Stellenbosch into a living invitation: slow down, look closely, and discover the green heart of the town. Whether you spend a morning at one iconic estate or hop between several private gardens, you’ll leave with a deeper sense of why this valley is so loved.