Paarl

By car

The easiest way to get there from Cape Town is by car is to follow the N1 North. Travel time is from 45 minutes up to an hour depending on traffic.

By train

Metrorail runs trains from Cape Town, including the high-end Boland Business Express. Services are aimed mainly at commuters, with more trains in the morning and afternoon. Long distance Shosholoza Meyl trains between Cape Town and Johannesburg also calls here.
There are several railway stations in Paarl, but the main ones for tourists are:

• Huguenot railway station

  address: Distillery St
  Main station in Paarl, where all express and intercity trains calls.

• Paarl railway stationConfusingly, this is a much smaller station located in the southern suburbs. It's near to the Paarl monument but not much else. Also, note that not all trains calls here.

By bus

Long distance coach operator Intercape has connections to Paarl from several major cities in South Africa as well as one international service from Harare, in Zimbabwe. While intercity buses are relatively cheap, journey times can be grueling.

As with most of South Africa it is best to use a rented car.

• Afrikaans Language Monument

  phone: +27 21 872 3441
  Unveiled in October 1975. The main 57-m column symbolises the Afrikaans language while the other columns, domes and walls represents the contribution of the European, indigenous African and Malay languages that have contributed to the development of Afrikaans. There is a restaurant at the monument and the elevated location of the monument provides good views over the Paarl Valley.

• Afrikaans Language Museum

  phone: +27 21 872-3441
  address: 11 Pastorie Ave
  Explores the origins of the Afrikaans language. Discover how Afrikaans' development was influenced by Dutch, Malay-Portuguese, French, German, English, Arabic and the indigenous Khoi and African languages. Focus is on experience with interactive exhibitions give the visitor a hands-on experience of Afrikaans, its history, its dialects and its people, including interesting place names and nicknames. This small museum is regarded as one of the leading institutions in South Africa for intangible heritage. In Oom Gideon se Winkel visitors can buy books, CDs, T-shirts with Afrikaans poems, and craft and delicacies from years gone by.

• Paarl Museum

  phone: +27 21 872 2651
  address: 12 Pastorie Ave

• Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve

  phone: +27 21 872-3658
  address: Jan Phillips Mountain Drive
  Fynbos landscape and wild olives dominated by massive rounded granite rock formations.

• The Paarl RockOne of the world's largest granite outcrops.

• Die Vonds Snake Park

  phone: +27 21 869-8309
  address: 104 Main Street Wellington
  Snakes, monitors, tortoises and other animals and birds.

• F.S. Smit & Co.

  phone: +27 21 863-1032
  address: 10 Lyon Street
  Traditional wine cast manufacture with showroom.

• Strooidak Church

  phone: +27 21 872-4396
  address: 163 Main St
  One of the oldest and most historic churches in South Africa.

• The 12km long Paarl Main RoadThe longest main road in South Africa. It boasts a mix of Cape Dutch, Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco architecture.

• Paarl Bird Sanctuary

  phone: +27 21 868-2074
  address: Drommedaris Street
  Home to Hartlaub's Gull, Greyheaded Gull, Cape Shoveller, African Black Duck, Cape Reed Warbler, African Rail, Little Bittern and other species.

Wine related

Visit one of many wine estates

• Boland Kelder

  phone: +27 21 862-6190
  Cheese and wine tasting Under the Tree

• KWV Wine Emporium

  phone: +27 21 807-3007
  address: Kohler street
  Home of some of the best wines and brandies produced in South Africa

• Laborie Estate

  phone: +27 21 807-3390
  address: Taillefret street

• Nederburg

  phone: +27 21 862-3104
  address: Sonstraal Road, Daljosafat

• Rhebokskloof

  phone: +27 21 869-8386

• Ruitersvlei

  phone: +27 21 863-1517
  address: Suid-Agter Paarl Road

• Simonsvlei

  phone: +27 21 863-3040
  Offers cellar tours, wine tasting and olive tasting

• Mooi Bly

  phone: +27 21 868-2808
  Offers 'vine to wine' tours, takes 1½ hours.

Adventure

• Wineland Ballooning

  phone: +27 21 863-3192
  Go on a hot-air balloon over the Berg River Valley

Hiking

There are hiking trails in the area, ranging from short walk to multi-day trails.

• Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve

  phone: +27 21 872-3658
  Trails run through the reserve, ranging from 2.4 km to 10 km.

• Laborie Wine Hiking Trail

  phone: +27 21 708-3390
  See the cape flora and birdlife on the Laborie Estate.

• Limietberg Trail

  phone: +27 21 871-1536
  A two-day trail of 36 km. Start at the foot of the Du Toitskloof, then to Bainskloof village and on to Tweede Tol.

Other

• Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm

  phone: +27 21 863-1142
  address: Babilonstoren Road
  A crocodile farm. Try a crocodile pie or buy crocodile leather articles

• Valley Gun Club

  phone: +27 83 325-4764
  address: On the R312 towards Durbanville, just outside Paarl
  The largest clay target shooting club in South Africa and host to the 2010 DTL Trap World Championships. Trap, skeet, trench and sporting.

• Play championship golf at Paarl Golf Club

  phone: +27 21 863-1140
  Paarl Golf Club has a magnificent championship standard 27-hole golf course situated on Boschenmeer Golf Estate. It is a friendly club that welcomes visitors, including on competition days, and provides an outstanding golfing challenge on a well manicured course with good undulating greens. The Berg river flows alongside the course, and the backdrop of mountains is stunningly beautiful.

• Paarl Directory

  phone: +27828974301
  address: KWV Building
  Accommodation, restaurants, attractions and local business guide to everything Paarl.

• Red Hot Glass Studio

  phone: +27 21 863-0330
  address: Seidelberg Wine Estate Suid-After Paarl Road Suider Paarl

• WineFrom any of the wine estates. Do a number wine tasting trips first and find out what you really enjoy. Most estates will ship to your home address so you don't have to cart the bottles around while you travel.

• Fairview Cheese

  phone: +27 21 863-2450
  Fairview specializes in goat's milk cheeses

• Ikhaya

  phone: +27 21 872-5831
  address: 185 Main Road
  Arts, crafts and gifts.

There are restaurants are situated along the Main Road and most of the wine estates also have their own restaurants on site.

Budget

• At Ease Cafe

  phone: +27 21 872-2781
  address: 191 Mainroad
  Ovenbaked pizza and pasta, homemade pies.

• Kostinrichting Coffee Shop

  phone: +27 21 871-1353
  address: 19 Pastorielaan
  Light meals.

Mid-range

• Taal Monument Restaurant

  phone: +27 21 863-2800
  A la carte and Sunday buffet.

• Rhebokskloof

  phone: +27 21 869-8386
  Excellent food, excellent setting.

• Terra Mare Restaurant

  phone: +27 21 863-4805
  address: 90a Main Street
  Up market decor, art on walls for sale. Continental, gourmet food, choice of delicious starters, varied menu. Superb wine list. Olivier Jaeggi is a Swiss chef, who worked at the Bosmans of the Grand Roche.

Splurge

• Bosman's at the Grande Roche

  phone: +27 21 863-2727
  address: Plantasie street
  One of the top 10 restaurants in South Africa according to Wine Magazine. Superb winelist.

• Laborie Restaurant

  phone: +27 21 807-3095
  address: Taillefer Street
  Cape Provincial Cuisine and traditional foods.

Wine and brandy. Visit any of the wine estates that offer wine tasting. Also see the Do section

Budget

• Klein Vredenburg Guest House

  phone: +27 21 872-9898
  address: 155 Main Road

• Klein Waterkloof

  phone: +27 21 869-8950
  A smallholding among the vineyards with Cape Dutch cottage rooms.

Mid-range

• Belmonte Guesthouse

  phone: +27 21 872-9055
  address: Upper Mill Street
  On 8 hectares of ground, 4-star guesthouse, 7 well-appointed bedrooms, with stunning views from private balconies. TV, airconditioners, swimming pool. Inclusive of breakfast. Lunches and dinners can be arranged at our excellent family restaurant. Personal attention to make stay most memorable.

• Berg River Resort

  phone: +27 21 863-1652
  Self-catering chalets and caravan park on the Berg River.

• Best Western Goedemoed Manor House

  phone: +27 21 863-1102
  address: Cecilia Street

• Mooi Bly wine & accommodation

  phone: +27 21 868-2808
  address: Bo Dal road, Dal Josafat
  Five thatched cottages surrounded by vineyards, fully equipped, swimming pool, 10 minutes out of town.

• Mountain Rest

  phone: +21 21 872-0451
  At the foot of the Du Toitskloof mountain, bordering Hawequa Nature Reserve.

Splurge

• Alba House

  phone: +27 21 863-0292
  address: 16 Lille Street, Contrai
  Privately run B&B in upmarket residential area. Book with Ivana.

• Cascade Country Manor

  phone: +27 21 868-0227
  address: Waterval Road
  Luxury family accommodation with Spa in the Olive Valley of the Cape Winelands. Fifteen rooms with views of the waterfall and surrounding olive groves. Dinners showcase fresh local produce. price=from R990 per Person Member of Cape Country Routes and Fair Trade Tourism Certified

• Grande Roche Hotel

  phone: +27 21 863 5100
  address: 1 Plantasie St
  Small luxury hotel.

• Pontac Manor

  phone: +27 21 872-0445
  address: 16 Zion Street
  Situated at the slopes of 'Paarl Rock'. This Victorian style hotel dates back from 1723 and has been beautifully restored. TV, air conditioning are available.

Hospitals

• Paarl Hospital

  phone: +27 21 872-1711

• Paarl Medi-Clinic

  phone: +27 21 807-8000

Paarl is in the center of the Cape Winelands, within proximity of the major town of Stellenbosch. It is also near Cape Town. You can reach all main attractions within 30 to 45 minutes (except the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point).