Skip to main content

3-Day Leisurely Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria

Leisurely Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria
Oxpeckers on Zebra in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Price From : ZAR 13665.00 (Per Person Sharing) Currency Converter

More Relaxation More Wildlife Variety!

Any two days are never the same in Pilanesberg National Park only 2-3 hours’ drive from the Johannesburg-Pretoria area. Wake up every morning of your three-day safari, in Big 5 game country, to the unique bushveld dawn with exciting new promise of wildlife sightings. This pristine safari location is so close to Johannesburg that it is possible to combine business with a safari.

Otherwise, if a leisure visitor to South Africa pace yourself as you unwind in the stunning locations for this safari, Bakubung or Kwa Maritane lodges, amidst the rolling hills of Pilanesberg’s ancient volcanic caldera. Their dining areas and sun terraces overlook watering holes, so you may not even have to stir yourself much to take in the sights and sounds of the wild, it’s all immediate and around you!

Extended deeper drives into the Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Your game drives (safaris) are of two types private and shared. On your private 5-hour drive part of the package, our seasoned guides venture a little further into the game reserve, and stop at more of the protected viewing spots, than the lodge’s shared vehicle drives, using our own 4×4 that is perfectly suited for the terrain. So, you get to connect more deeply with the game reserve and its sounds, sights, and smells, an incalculably valuable experience you will long remember! On your 3-hour open safari vehicle game drives part of the package you will get to share the experience with other guests both South African and/or from all around the world. This, along with the lodge’s well-appointed 4-star accommodation, delicious cuisine to suit all dietary requirements and our award-winning services make for an unparalleled safari experience.

Walking Safari

Both lodges also offer a unique walking safari experience with an armed game ranger, tracking rhinos or other large creatures and but also seeing the smaller creatures and plants. This gives a quite different set of perspectives to being in a vehicle and we can book this for you, at a small extra charge. It takes place early in the morning when it is cool for walking.

Safaris in Pilanesberg are the best option for a safari from Cape Town!

Cape Town and the surrounding areas do not support sufficient wildlife for safaris although there are some that do offer an attempt at the experience. Flights to Lanseria Airport are more frequent and cheaply available than flights to Kruger. Lanseria is closer to Pilanesberg than Johannesburg too. We can meet and greet you there and drop you back if returning to Cape Town.

The Route there and back.

The route to Pilanesberg is studded with landscapes and locations of historic and scenic interest you will find this most informative and enjoyable with our elite tour guides who will inform and regale you with their own stories Stops can be made at some of the many attractions such as the Cable car to the top of the Magaliesberg mountains, for wondrous views of our region and nature walk on top, the Cheetah Centre that plays an invaluable role in preserving the threatened Cheetah and Wild Dog populations,  the Elephant Sanctuary; get up close and personal these big creatures. Sun City our own mini Las Vegas is right next to the Pilanesberg (entrance fees and an extra time charge may apply) Then it is also free of charge to visit the Chameleon Village African Market on the way. This is reputedly Africa’s biggest craft market where you can purchase carvings, ceramics, beadwork, animal skins, and other souvenirs. The entrance is free. There is also a craft brewery and several other restaurants, a reptile park and small lion park at this venue popular with the locals too.

Visit Sun City

Bakubung and Kwa Maritane are also close to Sun City so there is somewhere to go for some nightlife or day time fun for the kids! There’s a shuttle every hour on the hour at a minimal charge, this includes entrance to Sun City.

Family Friendly Lodges

Kids Stay Free, Junior Ranger club activities for children. Kiddies programs. Garden games and swimming pool. Underground tunnel into the reserve (at Kwa Maritane). Bush barbeque (Braai) with ethnic African entertainment on selected nights.

 

Prices:

Low Season: 1 May 2023 – 31 August 2023

2023: ZAR13 665.00 per person sharing, ZAR24 340.00 for a solo traveler

High Season:  1 January – 30 April 2023, & 1 September – 31 December 2023

2023: ZAR14 835.00 per person sharing, ZAR26 670.00 for a solo traveler

Children:

Children aged 12 years and younger (maximum two children per room) will be accommodated if sharing a room with one or two adults – ZAR600.00 for 2022, and ZAR680.00 for 2023

Children aged 13-17 years will be accommodated if sharing with a room with one or two adults – ZAR3 085.00 for 2022, and ZAR3,625.00 for 2023.

If a child occupies their own room the child will be charged at the additional adult rate.

2024

Low Season: 1 May 2024 – 31 August 2024

2024: ZAR13 665.00 per person sharing, ZAR26 775.00 for a solo traveler

High Season:  1 January 2024 – 30 April 2024, & 1 September 2024 – 31 December 2024

2024: ZAR15 035.00 per person sharing, ZAR29 337.00 for a solo traveler

Children:

Children aged 12 years and younger (maximum two children per room) will be accommodated if sharing a room with one or two adults – ZAR782.00 for 2024

Children aged 13-17 years will be accommodated if sharing with a room with one or two adults – ZAR3,990.00 for 2024.

If a child occupies their own room the child will be charged at the additional adult rate.

 

Leisurely Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria Leisurely Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria Leisurely Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg or Pretoria

 

Itinerary for This Tour

Day 1
Pick up from your hotel or airport anywhere in Johannesburg or Pretoria. Journey through the interesting landscapes between Johannesburg/Pretoria and the Pilanesberg, via the scenic Hartbeespoort dam, through the awe-inspiring three-billion-year-old Magaliesberg Mountains, the second oldest mountains in the world, and the world’s richest platinum mines.
Enjoy a light lunch on arrival at Bakubung Bush Lodge on their dining terrace with stunning views of the reserve followed by check in to your room at the lodge and assist with scheduling your game drives. We can then take you for the Mmilo Tours extended game drive as described above this afternoon or you can opt to have this on Day 3. Otherwise, relax or swim and then go for evening game drive with lodge guests, followed by dinner on the Bakubung Terrace. (On Wednesdays and Saturday evenings there is a “Bush Braai ” option instead of Dinner) a “Bush Braai” is a South African barbeque held at a location deep in the bush of the reserve. This is reached on a short night drive with a game ranger there and back.
Accommodation at Lodge inside the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, Lunch, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast (Bakubung Bush Lodge or Kwa Maritane  Bush Lodge)
Day 2
Game drive (if scheduled for this morning) starts at 5-6:00am in summer, spring, autumn followed by breakfast and at 8:00am in our winter months of June, July, August preceded by breakfast. Times may vary so please enquire exact time at the reception and be there at least 15 minutes beforehand to have coffee and beskuit (beskuit is a type of sweet rusk enjoyed by South Africans with coffee, tea or juice)
Our guide will discuss scheduling of your game drives private and from the lodge (morning or evening) with you on the first day as they do need to be booked in advance. You can book extra game drives too if you wish at a small extra fee. Activities such as the safari bush walk mentioned above must also be arranged in advance and so let us know preferably before arrival and we will book them. Other optional activities include hot air balloon rides, quad biking, archery and transfers to Sun City. Choose between a morning or evening game drive. Extra game drives can also be booked at the lodge.

Accommodation at Lodge inside the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast – (Bakubung Bush Lodge or Kwa Maritane  Bush Lodge)

Day 3
After breakfast, our guide will meet with you at reception to check out. If you did not elect for the extended game drive on Day 1 this is when our guide will take you on the extended Mmilo tours game drive. After the game drive/breakfast return to hotel/airport in Johannesburg/Pretoria (or Lanseria Airport if returning to Cape Town) perhaps taking a different route and stopping at one of the attractions mentioned above (If time allows this and entrance fees and extra time charge may apply)
End of Tour

 

Tour Notes
Included in the price:
  • Accommodation Dinner Bed and Breakfast at the Bakubung/Kwa Maritane.
  • 2 x three-hour game drive in open Safari vehicle with other guests and game ranger supplied by lodge.
  • A light lunch on arrival at the lodge
  • 1x extended, deep into the reserve private game drive (5 hours+) with our experienced wildlife guide in our 4X4
  • Door to door transfer from your hotel (or meet and greet at the airport) to reserve with our guide and back.
  • Early pick up on departure day (8:00am or after) to give you maximum time to enjoy the trip to the reserve and the lodge surroundings.

The safari price excludes:

  • Meals not specified
  • Drinks, gratuities, telephone calls & other items of a personal nature
  • International & domestic flights
Not Included in the price:
Return flight to Lanseria. If coming for a safari from Cape Town, we can arrange and add this to the package for you. Price varies between ZAR1,500.00 and ZAR4,000.00 depending on class, airline, and flight.
.
Other Mmilo Tours trips:
Stops can be made at some of the many attractions such as the Cable car to the top of the Magaliesberg mountains, the Cheetah Centre, the Elephant Sanctuary (Hartbeespoort), (entrance fees and an extra time charge may apply). Stopovers at extra attractions mentioned can be made if time allows.
Accommodation Note: All the hotels and lodges are as reflected in this itinerary, but if for reasons beyond the control of Mmilo Tours this is not possible, they will be replaced with establishments of the same star grading.

Important: Please read the itinerary carefully, noting any optional activities you or some members in your group may want to take part in. You do not have to take part in any of the optional activities if you do not wish to. It helps us in our planning to know if you are interested and the number of participants.

These additional optional activities are not costed into this scheduled tour, and if you choose them, you pay the extra amount involved either directly to Mmilo Tours in advance, or on arrival at the venue. You will be informed accordingly by Mmilo Tours, and they are extra to the basic cost of the tour.

All our tours and packages are subject to availability at the time of booking and payment and accommodation is in a standard double room at Bakubung Bush Lodge or Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge.

 

Accommodation for this Tour

Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge

Beautifully located on the slopes of an ancient volcano, Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge, meaning “Place of the Rock”, is a hub of luxury in the heart of an untamed wilderness, the malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park. Here the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo – have found a sanctuary where they are free to roam in one of the largest game reserves in South Africa. Kwa Maritane is a special place for you to reconnect with nature and your inner self.

View Full Detail
Close Menu