Experience the thrill of a Big 5 African safari on this fantastic Pilanesberg Safari Day Tour, starting and ending in Johannesburg or Pretoria. Highlights of this full-day Pilanesberg National Park Safari include:
An affordable safari day tour in one of South Africa's most popular Big 5 game reserves near Johannesburg.
__large.jpg "Pilanesberg Game Drive Vehicle")
This full-day Pilanesberg Safari starts in Johannesburg or central Pretoria when our driver collects you from your accommodation in the morning (between 05h30 and 07h00).
The drive to Pilanesberg takes between 2 and 3 hours, depending on where you’re collected from and the traffic conditions. Along the scenic drive to the North West Province of South Africa, we stop for refreshments and a quick breakfast (at your own cost).
The game-viewing adventure kicks off as soon as we arrive at Pilanesberg National Park. Entering the game reserve, we set off on a 2 to 3-hour morning game drive in an open-sided 4x4 safari vehicle. Our knowledgeable guide takes us in search of the Big 5 of Africa (lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo, and leopard) and the array of other animals and birds found in Pilanesberg. As we explore, our guide shares in-depth information about the wildlife we encounter and is happy to answer questions.
During the heat of the day, we pause for a lunch break at the Pilanesberg Centre near Mankwe Dam. Enjoy a hearty lunch at the restaurant and soak up the beautiful views of the open plains and hills. Wildebeest, zebra, and other animals are often seen grazing right next to the expansive game viewing deck so keep an eye out. After lunch and a chance to stretch our legs, we head back into the bush in our open-sided 4x4 vehicle. We spend about two and a half more hours exploring this Big 5 game reserve on an exhilarating afternoon game drive. At about 16h00, we make our way back to the park gate where we board our air-conditioned transfer vehicle for the journey back to the city.
From Pilanesberg, the driver takes you back to your accommodation in Johannesburg or central Pretoria, with our arrival time estimated at between 18h00 and 18h30. This brings our Big 5 Pilanesberg day safari to a close.
At about 55 000 hectares (135908 acres), Pilanesberg is the fourth-largest game park in South Africa. It is one of the best Big 5 game reserves near Johannesburg and one of the most easily accessible safari parks in the country.
Pilanesberg National Park is located in a transitional vegetation zone in the Bojanala Region of the North West Province. This is where the arid Kalahari Desert and the wetter Lowveld biomes meet. As a result, this locale supports a wide diversity of animal, plant, and bird species, many of which are seldom found in the same areas. Almost all of Southern Africa's wildlife species are represented in Pilanesberg, including endangered and rare species such as African wild dogs, and roan, sable, and tsessebe antelopes, amongst others. Pilanesberg hosts all of the Big 5 animals (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, and elusive leopard). The game reserve is also home to cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, jackals, wild cats, and a variety of antelope. Over 360 bird species have been recorded in the Pilanesberg game reserve.
The Pilanesberg National Park is in fact not one of South Africa's national parks (SANParks), but a provincial park managed by the North West Parks Board. The game reserve lies in a crater formed by a volcano eruption millions of years ago. The extinct volcano is an interesting geological site with beautiful landscapes.
On this day safari, your game drives in Pilanesberg Game Reserve are conducted in open-sided 4x4 safari vehicles.
Transfers on this day safari are conducted in an air-conditioned minibus (Quantum). This means you are collected and dropped off at your accommodation in these enclosed tour vehicles at the start and end of the day tour.
For travelers with onward flights departing on the evening of this Pilanesberg Day Safari, please book flights that allow extra time for delays. We recommend booking domestic flights out of OR Tambo International Airport that depart no earlier than 19h30 and international flights departing no earlier than 21h00.
Please note that we offer convenient pre and post tour lodge accommodation for before and after this Pilanesberg Safari, which can be added to your tour booking upon request. The 4-star lodge accommodation is located 10-15 minutes from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Follow the link for information on rates.
This tour does take children.
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