Pilanesberg Safari: Two Open Vehicle Game Drives

Lunch overlooking a waterhole where wildlife gathers in Pilanesberg Park

A full-day safari tour from Johannesburg to Pilanesberg Nature Park includes hotel pickup, two open vehicle game drives with a qualified ranger, lunch at the park's center, and return transport: roughly 10 hours total. The morning drive lasts about 3 hours. The afternoon drive about 2 hours. Children from age 4 are welcome, and vegetarian meals are available on request.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg

• Hotel pickup in Johannesburg early morning
• Drive to Pilanesberg Nature Park
• Morning open vehicle safari drive
• Lunch at Pilanesberg Center overlooking waterhole
• Afternoon open vehicle safari drive
• Depart Pilanesberg Park late afternoon
• Return to Johannesburg by early evening

The experience

Hotel pickup happens between 06:00 and 06:30 in Johannesburg, then a 45-minute drive takes you to Pilanesberg Nature Park. You'll arrive around 9am and board an open 4x4 vehicle for the first safari drive. A professional guide leads the search for wildlife across the park, offering in-depth information about the animals you spot and working to locate members of the Big 5. This morning drive runs roughly 3 hours.

At midday you stop at the Pilanesberg Center, located in the heart of the park overlooking a waterhole. Lunch is served here (a light meal with a vegetarian option available if you've requested it at booking), and the waterhole itself often brings wildlife close while you eat. After an hour's break, you board the open vehicle again for the afternoon drive, another roughly 2 hours of game viewing before heading back toward Johannesburg. The vehicle departs the park between 15:30 and 16:00, arriving back at your hotel between 17:30 and 18:00.

The open vehicle setup means unobstructed views in all directions and easier photography than a closed safari van. Your guide navigates the park roads in search of game and shares knowledge about behavior, habitat and ecology as you move through the landscape. The full day runs about 10 hours door to door, including the drive from Johannesburg, both safari drives, lunch and the return journey.

What’s included

• Door-to-door hotel pickup and drop-off in Johannesburg.
• morning open vehicle safari drive lasting roughly 3 hours.
• afternoon open vehicle safari drive lasting roughly 2 hours.
• professional guide fluent in English.
• light lunch at Pilanesberg Center overlooking a waterhole.
• air-conditioned transport to and from the park.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 31

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by MoAfrika Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want two separate game drives in one day rather than a single longer outing. The morning and afternoon drives cover different parts of the park and often turn up different wildlife. The open vehicle gives you unobstructed views and better photography angles than a closed van, and the guide's focus on finding the Big 5 shapes where you travel and what you're most likely to encounter.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What animals might I see on the Pilanesberg safari drives?

The park is home to the Big 5 (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo) along with many other species including giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and antelope. Your guide will search actively for wildlife and explain what you encounter, though sightings are never guaranteed on any given day.

How long is the drive from Johannesburg to Pilanesberg?

Pilanesberg Nature Park is roughly 45 minutes' drive from Johannesburg. You'll be picked up from your hotel between 06:00 and 06:30, arriving at the park around 9am to begin the first safari drive.

What's included in the lunch at Pilanesberg Center?

A light lunch is served at the Pilanesberg Center, which sits in the middle of the park overlooking a waterhole. The meal is included in the tour price. Vegetarian options are available if you request them when booking.

What time do we return to Johannesburg?

The vehicle departs Pilanesberg between 15:30 and 16:00 after the afternoon safari drive, arriving back at your Johannesburg hotel between 17:30 and 18:00.

Is the minivan air-conditioned for the drive to and from the park?

Yes, transport to and from Pilanesberg is by air-conditioned minivan. The safari drives themselves are in open 4x4 vehicles so you have full visibility of the landscape and wildlife.