Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg: Big 5 in Open Vehicle

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration11h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Guides trained in-house search for the Big 5 across two separate safari drives in the same day.

A full-day safari tour from Johannesburg to Pilanesberg Nature Reserve includes hotel pickup, two game drives (one in an open vehicle, one in a closed one), lunch at a rest camp, and an English-speaking guide trained to locate lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo and leopards. The tour runs roughly 11 hours, with the safari portion split between morning and afternoon to cover different animal activity patterns. Hotel drop-off is included, and the vehicle holds a maximum of 10 passengers.

11h

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day Pilanesberg safari experience

Collect from Johannesburg hotel 06:00-06:30
Travel to Pilanesberg Nature Reserve
Morning open 4x4 safari drive
Lunch at Pilanesberg rest camp
Afternoon closed vehicle safari drive
Depart Pilanesberg 15:30-16:00
Return to Johannesburg 17:30-18:00

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your Johannesburg or Pretoria hotel between 6:00 and 6:30 am, followed by a drive to Pilanesberg. A short stop halfway allows for refreshments before you arrive at the reserve around 9 am. The morning safari begins in an open 4×4 vehicle—the kind that lets you see in all directions and gives guides a better vantage for spotting animals. Your guide will search for the Big 5 and explain the behavior and habitat of whatever you encounter. This open-vehicle portion runs roughly three hours.

Around midday, when heat drives most animals to shade and water, you'll break for lunch at one of the rest camps inside the park. The camp overlooks a small watering hole, so animals often come to drink during the meal. After lunch, you head back out in a closed vehicle for the afternoon safari (roughly two hours), which covers different terrain and takes advantage of the cooler late-day activity. You'll exit the park between 3:30 and 4:00 pm and arrive back in Johannesburg around 5:30 to 6:00 pm.

The vehicles are small 10-seater open-tops for the morning drive, which means no obstruction between you and the landscape. Guides receive in-house training beyond their standard qualifications, and the operator emphasizes finding animals as a core mission rather than a bonus. WiFi is available onboard, and if you're heading to the airport afterward, the driver can drop you there—just bring your luggage with you on the tour.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Johannesburg or Pretoria.
English-speaking guide with in-house training.
morning open-vehicle safari drive (roughly 3 hours).
afternoon closed-vehicle safari drive (roughly 2 hours).
lunch at a rest camp overlooking a watering hole.
onboard WiFi.
small group (maximum 10 passengers per vehicle).

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by MoAfrika Tours

Is this one for you?The 11-hour commitment and early 6:00 am pickup suit travelers with a full day free and the stamina for two separate game drives with a midday break. If you're arriving in or leaving Johannesburg the same day, the operator can drop you at the airport, though you'll need to carry luggage with you on the tour.