Pretoria City Tour: Union Buildings & Voortrekker Monument

Walk the Union Buildings' highest point and stand inside the house where South Africa's presidents lived.

A guided city tour of Pretoria covers the Union Buildings (seat of the South African Government), the Kruger Museum (the first presidential residence, built with milk-mixed cement), the Voortrekker Monument (marking the 1836–37 Great Trek), and Fountains Valley nature reserve, with a live English-speaking guide, private transportation and air-conditioned vehicle. You choose between a morning or afternoon departure; lunch can be added to the full-day option.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Pretoria's historical landmarks

• Guided tour of Voortrekker Monument
• Visit Kruger Museum exterior
• Explore historic city square
• Pass by University of South Africa
• Pass by Fountains Valley nature reserve
• Visit Union Buildings
• Tour Freedom Park heritage site

The Experience

The tour moves through Pretoria's three roles as the country's administrative capital, with stops at the Union Buildings—built from light sandstone in English monumental style, 285 metres long and positioned at the highest point of the city—and the Kruger Museum, the first house in Pretoria to have electricity, where original furnishings and period pieces fill rooms constructed with milk instead of water in the cement. The guide walks you through the history of the Great Trek and the city's founding, connecting the sites to the pioneers who settled the interior from the Cape in 1836–37.

You also visit the Voortrekker Monument, which commemorates that pioneer history, and Fountains Valley, a 60-hectare nature reserve proclaimed by President Paul Kruger in 1895—the oldest on the African continent—where the Apies River runs through grounds with recreational facilities. The tour includes a stop at the historic centre of Pretoria, where the city's founder determined the square would serve as both marketplace and churchyard.

Private transportation picks you up and returns you in an air-conditioned vehicle, with bottled water provided throughout. The morning and afternoon options run four to five hours; if you book the full-day tour, you can add lunch and a drink at checkout. All surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and the vehicle accommodates strollers, service animals and infants on an adult's lap.

What’s included

• Private transportation with pickup.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water.
• live guide in English.
• entry to the Union Buildings, Kruger Museum, Voortrekker Monument and Fountains Valley nature reserve.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Lets Go Travel and Leisure

Is this one for you?Pick the morning departure to tour before midday, or the afternoon slot if you want to photograph the monuments in golden-hour light; add lunch to the full-day option if you're spending the whole day on government sites and need meals included rather than breaking away to eat.

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Top questions

What is the Kruger Museum and why does it matter on this tour?

The Kruger Museum is Pretoria's first presidential residence and the first house in the city to have electricity. It contains original furnishings and items from the same historical period, and its construction used milk instead of water in the cement—a detail that speaks to the resourcefulness of early settlement.

Can I add food to this tour, or does it come with meals?

Lunch and a single drink can be added to the full-day tour option at checkout; they are not included in the morning or afternoon departures on their own.

What does the Voortrekker Monument commemorate?

The Voortrekker Monument marks the history of the Great Trek, the 1836–37 migration of pioneers from the Cape into the interior of South Africa, and is a key stop on the guided tour.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, the vehicle is wheelchair accessible, and transportation options are available for those who need them. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller.

What time does the tour depart?

You choose between a morning departure (Good Morning Pretoria) or an afternoon departure (Afternoon City Tour); both run four to five hours and include private pickup.

Why is Pretoria called the Jacaranda City?

Pretoria earned the nickname because in spring the jacaranda trees flower across the city, transforming it from urban grey to purple throughout the streets and landmarks you visit on the tour.