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Combine a Big Five game drive in Pilanesberg National Park with time at the famous Sun City resort, or take a dedicated safari departing straight from Sun City. Options range from 3-hour afternoon drives to full-day combo tours from Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Free Cancellation 4-hour open-vehicle night safari from Sun City pickup, entering Pilanesberg through Bakubung Gate after dark.
Free Cancellation Full-day combo: Big Five game drive in Pilanesberg plus afternoon at Sun City, with hotel pickup.
Free Cancellation 6-hour shared open-4x4 Big 5 game drive in Pilanesberg, with round-trip transfer from Sun City and lunch included.
Free Cancellation 7-hour open-vehicle safari from Sun City hotels with a guide, game drives, and lunch at Pilanesberg Centre.
Free Cancellation 4-hour open-vehicle night safari from Sun City, max 10 travelers, English guide, entry via Bakubung Gate.
Free Cancellation 3-hour shared open-vehicle game drive from Sun City's entrance gate, max 10 guests, English-speaking guide.
Free Cancellation 10-hour closed-vehicle game drive in Pilanesberg plus Sun City, with hotel pickup in Johannesburg or Pretoria.
Free Cancellation Johannesburg day trip: about 4 hours of game driving in Pilanesberg, then 2 hours at Sun City.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Pilanesberg National Park — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Most tours here pair an open-vehicle game drive through a 55,000-hectare Big Five reserve with time at Sun City, the casino resort next door. The park sits in the crater of a volcano that erupted 1.3 billion years ago, 217 km from Johannesburg, and holds over 7,000 animals. That density, plus the resort 23 minutes away, is why the combo day trip works so well.
Lion, leopard, elephant, black and white rhino and buffalo all live here, alongside cheetah, wild dog and giraffe. Rangers on guided drives work a radio network that tracks predators across the crater, which self-drivers rarely tap into. Leopards are the hardest of the five — book a night safari if they're your target.
The park's central lake pulls game all day. The hide puts you at water level with hippos, buffalo and drinking elephant herds — park yourself for 30–45 minutes with the engine off and you'll usually be paid for the wait. Waterbirds are constant.
Nearly 200 km of roads loop inside one of the world's most perfect alkaline ring complexes — only two comparable ones exist, in Russia and Greenland, and neither is as clearly defined. Three concentric hill rings frame every view, broken by syenite koppies, forested ravines and grassland. Thabayadiotso, the Proud Mountain, anchors the middle of the park.
Four-hour evening tours from Sun City enter through Bakubung Gate after sunset, when leopards and other nocturnal animals are on the move. Guides are English-speaking and pickups cover Sun City and nearby lodges. Sightings aren't guaranteed — that's the deal with leopards.
Combo tours budget two to four hours at the resort after the drive: the Palace of the Lost City, the Bridge of Time and the Valley of Waves water park. A Sky Train connects the main sights. The resort was built by Sol Kerzner, and the opulence is the point.
Balloons lift off before dawn and drift over herds moving across the crater floor, then land to sparkling wine and a full breakfast. Flights run from R7,025 per person. Book well ahead for the May–September dry season, when slots go first.
Tour prices on this page often exclude the park's conservation fee, which you pay at pickup. Know that before you budget, and know the few other things that catch people out.
Open 4x4 game drives are the standard here, running 3 to 7 hours from Sun City; shared departures cap at 10 guests on several tours. The 10-hour combo from Johannesburg uses a closed, air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi — less atmospheric, better in rain. Guides speak English on everything; one Joburg combo adds German and French.
Dry-season weekends (May–September) and the December holidays fill first, and balloon flights are the scarcest of all. Tours technically accept bookings up to 24 hours before departure, but the cheaper options go early. December 2025 saw a sharp tariff rise, so some operators repriced mid-season — confirm current rates when you book.
Most Sun City tours quote a price without the park fee, payable at pickup. Foreign adults pay R748 per person per day plus R168 per vehicle, after the 1 December 2025 increase. Two Johannesburg combos include all fees and taxes in the listed price — check the inclusions before assuming.
Every tour on this page refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Miss that window and you lose the fare, no exceptions. Since afternoon weather in summer can turn, that 24-hour line matters more than you'd think.
Combo tours give you two to four hours at the resort — enough for the Palace of the Lost City and the Bridge of Time, tight if you want the Valley of Waves too (optional on some tours). Staying at Sun City itself puts you 23 minutes from the park gates, which makes early entries easy.
Pilanesberg is a drive-through park, so game viewing needs no walking. The 10-hour Johannesburg combo is fully wheelchair accessible, with infant seats available and strollers permitted. Ivory Tree Game Lodge runs wheelchair-friendly drives and accommodation if you're staying overnight — call the park office on +27 14 555 1600 to arrange.
Children join some guided drives at the ranger's discretion, under guardian supervision, and the park is malaria-free so no pills are needed. Sun City pickups happen outside the resort's main entrance gate, not at your hotel door. One Johannesburg operator won't collect from the OR Tambo Airport district or Kempton Park.
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| Night Safari from Sun City | 3-Hour Afternoon Safari from Sun City | 6-Hour Safari from Sun City | Full-Day Safari from Sun City | Pilanesberg + Sun City Combo from Johannesburg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 4 hours | 3 hours | 6 hours | 7 hours door to door | 10–12 hours |
| Price from | ~$100 | ~$100 | ~$141 | ~$119 | ~$243–366 |
| Best for | Leopard seekers and anyone whose days are booked | Families with kids and short-stay visitors | Splitting the day between morning and afternoon drives | Maximum game time in one outing | Visitors with only one day free from Joburg or Pretoria |
| Includes | Open vehicle after dark, hotel pickup, English guide; conservation fee paid at pickup | Open vehicle, max 10 guests, collection at Sun City entrance gate; conservation fee at pickup | Round-trip transfers, light lunch inside the park, ranger-led drives in an open 4x4 | Lunch, open-vehicle drives, hotel pickup and drop-off, qualified guide | Hotel pickup, transport, guide, lunch on most; some include all fees and taxes |
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The park opens 365 days a year. Gate times shift with the seasons: 05:30–19:00 from November to February, 06:00–18:30 in March, April, September and October, and 06:30–18:00 from May to September. September appears in both the 06:00 and 06:30 brackets on different official pages, so confirm locally.
Gate closing is strictly enforced. Latecomers risk being locked inside the reserve after dark among free-roaming lion, leopard and elephant — always budget time to reach your exit gate before sunset.
Guided drives run in the early morning and late afternoon, the two best wildlife windows. Night safaris depart Sun City after sunset and run about four hours. Midday is quiet; most animals are shaded up and so should you be, ideally at a restaurant.
From Johannesburg, it's 217 km via the N4 west and the R556 north towards Sun City — about 2 hours 45 minutes, or up to 3 hours in traffic. Roads are tarred and signposted. From Sun City Resort, the park is next door: roughly 23 minutes by shuttle (about US$59).
Lanseria International Airport is the closest commercial airport at 149–168 km, about 2–2.5 hours' drive, and it avoids most Johannesburg highway traffic. OR Tambo is roughly 220 km away. Pilanesberg International Airport sits inside the park for fly-in guests.
No car? MoAfrika Tours runs daily shuttles from Johannesburg hotels and the airport at ZAR 1,500 sharing or single, departing early to maximise gate hours. Full-day guided tours from Johannesburg or Pretoria start at R1,800 per person including the park levy.
Most internal roads suit a normal 2WD sedan, but some gravel sections are rough — high clearance helps. Motorcycles cannot enter the park at all, though riders can reach the Manyane and Bakgatla campsites.
May to September is the prime window: vegetation thins, animals gather at permanent water, and mornings are mild and clear. The park's own guide narrows it further to mid-July to mid-October.
Avoid January and February if game viewing is the point. They're the hottest, wettest months, with short but heavy afternoon showers, and thick vegetation hides everything. Birdwatching is the compensation — over 360 species are recorded here — along with newborn animals.
Whenever you go, the first two hours after gate opening and the last before closing deliver most predator sightings. Book balloon flights and weekend drives well ahead for the dry season; slots go early.
Because Pilanesberg is a vehicle-based park, game viewing is inherently accessible — you see the Big Five from your seat. The 10-hour Johannesburg combo tour is fully wheelchair accessible, including its transport, and offers specialised infant seats.
Ivory Tree Game Lodge is explicitly wheelchair-friendly, with accessible accommodation and game drives; Shepherd's Tree Game Lodge is also noted as accessible. Away from roads and lodges the terrain is rugged and hide access varies, so call ahead — the park office is on +27 14 555 1600.
Seniors manage this park easily: restaurants at Manyane, Bakgatla and the Pilanesberg Centre, hides, and pre-booked accessible game-drive vehicles. One caution — winter early mornings on open vehicles are genuinely cold. Bring layers.
Three restaurants cover meals: at Manyane Resort, Bakgatla Resort and the Pilanesberg Centre mid-park. Bring your own water and snacks for the game loops — you can't exit the vehicle except at designated sites.
At Manyane, a walk-in aviary holds more than 80 indigenous bird species, and a self-guided walking trail runs through the walking area — a rare out-of-car option in a Big Five park. The day-visitor picnic area has a pool, which matters if you're visiting with kids in summer.
Hides at Mankwe Dam and other waterholes are the park's best viewing furniture: covered, safe, and often the difference between a distant elephant and a close one. Overnight options run from the Manyane and Bakgatla resorts (campsite bookings via Golden Leopard Resorts, +27 14 555 1000) to lodges including Ivory Tree and Shepherd's Tree.
Stay in your vehicle. Lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo roam free here; you may only exit at designated hides and picnic sites. Keep windows closed, limbs inside, and give animals right of way — especially elephants with calves, where you reverse away calmly and never block their path.
Drive on the left. The speed limit is 40 km/h, and it exists because animals cross constantly at dawn and dusk.
No pets, no motorcycles in the park itself, and no drones without prior written permission from the North West Parks and Tourism Board. No Wild Card of any type is accepted — everyone pays the gate tariffs. South Africans must show ID for resident rates (R168 adult versus R748 for foreign nationals, plus R168 per vehicle).
Photograph from inside the vehicle and don't lean out. Rule-breakers risk fines or ejection, and gate staff don't negotiate closing times.
Probably most of them. Over 7,000 animals live in the compact 55,000-hectare park, including lion, leopard, elephant, both rhino species and buffalo, plus cheetah and wild dog. Leopards are the least reliable — guided drives with radio-networked rangers find them far more often than self-drivers, and the 4-hour night safari from Sun City is your best shot.
Usually not. Most Sun City tours quote a price without the conservation fee, which is payable at pickup — foreign adults pay R748 per person plus R168 per vehicle per day since the 1 December 2025 increase. A couple of the Johannesburg combos include all fees and taxes, so check the inclusions list before booking.
Yes. Combo tours run 10–12 hours from Johannesburg or Pretoria hotels, pairing roughly four hours of game drive with two to four hours at the resort. Expect an early start — often around 6:30 pickup — so the safari lands in the morning game-viewing window. Prices run from about $243 to $366 per person.
No. The park is marketed as malaria-free and is one of South Africa's best no-prophylaxis safari choices. The park's own FAQ still suggests routine precautions like repellent, but no tablets are needed — which is a big part of its appeal for families.
Neutral colours — khaki, olive, tan — with lightweight long sleeves, closed shoes and a hat. The critical item is warm layers for winter mornings (May to September), when open vehicles start out genuinely cold. Skip camouflage clothing; it's best avoided anywhere in Africa.
Yes, on some drives, at the ranger's discretion and under guardian supervision. Kids must stay inside the vehicle with limbs in. Off-drive, Manyane has a walk-in aviary with 80+ bird species, a self-guided trail and a picnic area with a pool, and several tours allow strollers and infant seats.
Every tour on this page gives a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Inside that window you forfeit the fare. Since summer afternoons can bring heavy storms, keep the 24-hour line in mind when booking balloon flights especially.
Outside the main entrance gate of Sun City Resort — not at your hotel lobby. Collection covers Sun City and nearby hotels and lodges, and you wait at the gate itself. If you're staying deeper in the resort, allow time to walk or shuttle out.
Yes, if leopards or nocturnal animals interest you. The 4-hour evening tour enters through Bakubung Gate after sunset and targets animals that daytime visitors never see moving. It costs around $100, runs with English-speaking guides, and sightings aren't guaranteed — treat a leopard as a bonus, not a booking condition.
Yes, self-driving is standard here and most roads suit a 2WD sedan, though some gravel sections are rough and high clearance is recommended. You pay at any of the five public gates — R748 per foreign adult plus R168 per vehicle per day. No motorbikes, no pets, and no Wild Card is accepted.
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This 4-hour tour runs after sunset, entering Pilanesberg through Bakubung Gate and driving the park's roads in an open vehicle while nocturnal animals are on the move. Leopards are the headline species, though sightings are never guaranteed. Guides speak English. Pickup is included from Sun City and nearby hotels or lodges, with the guide meeting you there before the drive to the gate. Conservation fees are not in the price — pay them at pickup, so bring cash or card accordingly. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This tour pairs a morning game drive in Pilanesberg (about 4 hours) with roughly 4 hours at Sun City, the resort complex built by Sol Kerzner. It runs as a full day from Johannesburg or Pretoria, with an early start so the safari lands in the best game-viewing hours. In the reserve, guides position vehicles for clear views of the animals — the aim is Big Five sightings before the day heats up. The Sun City stretch is yours to fill: the Valley of the Waves waterpark, two golf courses, the casino, or the restaurants. Pickup and drop-off from any hotel in Johannesburg or Pretoria is included, along with bottled water, lunch, snacks, and air-conditioned transport. Breakfast, dinner, coffee/tea, and alcohol are not. Guides speak English, and you'll get confirmation of your pickup details before the tour date. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This tour runs entirely as a day trip out of Sun City: a climate-controlled minibus transfer to Pilanesberg's gate, then roughly six hours on game drives in an open 4x4 split between morning and afternoon sessions. An English-speaking ranger guides both drives, and bottled water is provided throughout the day. A light lunch is served inside the park, at one of the rest camps, and is included in the price. The vehicle is shared — it's an open 4x4 used exclusively by this group, not a hop-on format. Gratuities are not included. Pickup is outside the main gate of the Sun City resort, so stay somewhere with access to that entrance or arrange your own way there. Two costs to know in advance: the conservation fee is payable at pickup, not bundled into the ticket. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
Seven hours door to door, starting with pickup from your hotel at Sun City or nearby accommodation. From there you're driven to the park gate in an air-conditioned vehicle, then switch to an open 4x4 for the game drives — the open sides are what you're paying for, since animals stay visible from every seat. A qualified guide drives and tracks throughout, in English, and the route targets the Big 5: lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, buffalo. Midday, you stop for a light lunch at the Pilanesberg Centre before the afternoon drive and the ride back to your hotel. Lunch, the open-vehicle drives, the guide, and hotel pickup and drop-off are all included. Conservation fees are not — pay them in cash at pickup. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A 4-hour evening run from Sun City, this tour takes you into Pilanesberg after dark in an open safari vehicle, with a maximum of 10 travelers per departure. Pickup is from Sun City or nearby hotels and lodges — wait outside the main entrance gate at Sun City — followed by a drive to Bakubung Gate, where you enter the park. Guides speak English. The conservation fee is payable up front at pickup, so bring cash or card for that. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This is a 3-hour shared game drive in an open safari vehicle, capped at 10 guests and led by a certified English-speaking wildlife guide. You'll be collected from and dropped back at the main entrance gate to Sun City Resort — note that pickup is outside the gate, at the Sun City side rather than inside the park itself. The full 180 minutes are spent driving Pilanesberg's roads in search of wildlife, with the guide tracking and explaining sightings along the way. Four of the Big Five live in the park. Bottled water is provided on board. One cost to plan for: the park's conservation fee isn't in the price — it's payable up front, in cash, at pickup. Gratuities aren't included either. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This is a 10-hour combination: a morning game drive through Pilanesberg in an air-conditioned closed vehicle with a qualified English-speaking guide, followed by time at Sun City. Pickup is at 6:30, and collection covers any hotel, guest house, lodge, Airbnb, or private address in Johannesburg or Pretoria — be in the lobby 15 minutes before departure. Guides wear uniforms and the vehicles carry company branding, so they're easy to spot. Included are park entrance fees, taxes, bottled water, on-board WiFi, and the guided drive. The itinerary notes mention lunch, but the inclusions list marks lunch as not included — confirm with the operator before you go and budget for a meal either way. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the 6:30 departure; after that, no refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This tour pairs a roughly four-hour game drive through Pilanesberg with a two-hour stop at Sun City, departing from Johannesburg. Pickup is from your accommodation — you'll need to send the address when booking — though collection isn't available from hotels in the OR Tambo Airport district or Kempton Park. The game drive runs through a malaria-free reserve that holds over 7,000 animals of the larger species, including the Big Five and several antelope species. Sightings depend on the day; the park's transition-zone terrain between the Kalahari and the Lowveld covers a mix of habitats, so the route varies. At Sun City you get an hour at the resort itself — hotels, casinos and the Palace of the Lost City among the stops — and another hour at the Valley of the Waves, a water park with a wave-machine beach. Entrance fees, transport and a registered guide are included, with guides available in English, German or French. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
German, English, French