Pilanesberg National Park Safari in Open Vehicle from Johannesburg
Overview
Available languages
12 hours
Mobile ticket
Embark on a wild adventure with a tour to Pilanesberg National Park. You'll start your day with a pick-up from your hotel at 05:30am, where you'll be greeted by a friendly guide and embark on a journey to the park in a minibus type vehicle.
As you approach the park, you'll feel your excitement growing as you anticipate the wildlife sightings that lie ahead. Once you arrive, you'll embark on a 3-hour open vehicle safari, allowing you to get up close and personal with the animals. Your experienced guide will be on hand to share their knowledge of the park's ecosystem and help you spot some of the park's famous residents, including elephants, lions, leopards, and more.
After the safari, you'll be taken to a lodge where you'll have the opportunity to relax and enjoy lunch (for own account) The lodge is surrounded by stunning views of the park.
Your tour will conclude with a return journey to your hotel in Johannesburg.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Pilanesberg National Park
Johannesburg to Pilanesberg National Park 05:30 - Meet at your hotel in Johannesburg and board a comfortable minibus type vehicle for the journey to Pilanesberg National Park. 08:30 - Arrive at Pilanesberg National Park and embark on a 3-hour open vehicle safari starting at 09:00. Explore the park and its diverse ecosystem, and keep your eyes peeled for elephants, lions, leopards, and other wildlife. 12:30 - Enjoy a break and take in the stunning views of the park. 13:00 - Enjoy a delicious lunch at the lodge (For own account), surrounded by the beauty of the African wilderness. 14:00 - After lunch, enjoy some leisure time at the lodge. Conclude your tour and board the vehicle for your return journey to Johannesburg. 17:30 - Arrive back at your hotel in Johannesburg, bringing an end to an unforgettable safari experience.
What‘s Included
Transport
Bottled water
Driver/guide
3 Hour Open Vehicle Safari
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Gratuities
Lunch at Kwa Maritane or Bakubung for own account.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Pilanesberg National Park Safari in Open Vehicle from Johannesburg
Pickup included
Reviews
10 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The best experience!!
brittl571,Feb 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I can't express my gratitude to Jason enough! He picked us up from our hotel near the airport in Johannesburg very early in the morning and dropped us off at another hotel location in Pretoria. He told us insightful facts along the drive, was very pleasant and courteous to our needs for coffee, snacks, breaks, etc. He was waiting for us when the safari was completed and was super understanding to our fatigue on the drive back as we slept a majority of the way back!! The safari experience was amazing with sightings of the very endangered Black Rhino and solitary Brown Hyena. Elephants and Giraffes were active and visible with some fun sightings of Zebra, Buffalo, Birds, Wildebeests and so much more with a very exciting tour guide as well. Great time, and I can't recommend this more!!!
Nice tour
andr n0ri0h,Jan 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jason was very friendly and drove very safely. We enjoyed a lot the tour. We were lucky and able to see a cheetah, as well as several other animals.
Great Experience – Everything Went Perfectly
mariafernandac667,Sep 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a great experience with this tour! Everything went smoothly and according to plan. Jason and the safari guide, Peter, were both super professional and friendly. Timing was perfect and we didn’t have to worry about a thing. Definitely recommend it! Had an amazing time on this safari! We saw so much and didn’t have to worry about a thing. Totally recommend it!
Great tour
IlkeH5,Sep 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were super well served by Mr. Jason who picked us up at the hotel on schedule, very friendly and helpful. At the reservation we picked up our transport with the guide Peter, who also answered questions about the animals and explained everything. We were not lucky to see the "big five" but the top of the safari was the fight of giraffes and elephants walking on the street and stopping traffic. Lunch was in a place where giraffes and elephants also pass.
Beautiful wildlife up-close. Transport from and to Joburg comfortable, on-time and Jason - our tour guide - very kind and infor
Andrzej J,Mar 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00There really is no better option than open vehicle for experiencing wildlife. This is not a zoo. The more time you spend the higher the chance to see some incredible animals. The open vehicle drivers stay in contact and help eachother out to see as many interesting species. We even got to see a beautiful leopard from very close. The grasses are high - in an open vehicle you will be above them and see more. The trip from and to Joburg with Jason - comfortable and with a great conversation. Learned so much about South Africa. Jason is a very good driver, felt safe at all time. Thank you for the great trip!
Fascinating tour!
Sightsee790462,Nov 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jason from Deeprift Ventour picked us up on time at 5.30 am from our hotel. He made us feel very comfortable. He is very friendly and knowledgeable. He was able to give us a lot of information on site during the drive to and from Pilanesberg National park. A great companion for the day. The excursion was everything we hoped for and a lot more. My wife and I had an amazing time from start to finish. We managed to see 3 of the big five. Our guide Thabo was super experience, funny and friendly, with a lot of knowledge about the animals and the savannah. Would 100% use again and definitely recommend!
Outstanding safari experience
himachalm2018,Feb 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Outstanding tour and Jason is great . We saw every Animal in a wonderland atmosphere. Lions and Elephants were just in front of us . Jason is also knowledgeable and solid knowing the area, driving
Great day trip with Jason
mattwP1585DG,Nov 27, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed a great day with Jason and were lucky to see all Big 5 during our day trip to Pilanesburg. It was late in the day when we booked for the next day and Jason was quick to confirm our activity for early the next morning. We started on time and on the drive to the reserve Jason shared his knowledge of local communities and their history. He pointed out various landmarks we saw along the way and was eager to answer any questions we had. Jason is a conscientious driver and we felt lucky to have booked with him. A great day trip from Johannesburg with Jason!
Great experience
patysdelimon,Oct 29, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were able to see all animals except for the cheetah. The guide knew where to look, he did a great job, I recommend the full day safari.
Incredible day - recommended for anyone
SamD9411,Dec 2, 2018
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an absolutely fantastic day on our one day pilanesburg safari from joburg. We were picked up by Jason from our hotel bang on time. We had to change hotels last minute due to an unforeseen issue, but this was no problem. Jason is friendly, professional, and incredibly knowledgable. He discussed points of interest on the 2.5 hour drive to Pilanesburg national park. He chatted as much or as little as we wanted and was interesting and engaging without being ‘in your face’. His knowledge of the areas surrounding joburg is great, and he answered all the questions we had, and made the journey interesting for us. We arrived at the park early, so Jason took us on a short drive into the park, enabling us to see an elephant close up, before our tour had even officially started! He then dropped us at the park reception and introduced us to our park ranger for the day. (See other review for actual safari). Afterwards, Jason met us and took us for our included lunch. Thinking this would be the usual fairly average excursion lunch, we were very pleasantly surprised when Jason took us to one of the nicest lodges in the whole national park, and told us to choose what we wanted from the a la carte menu! We didn’t have the heart to choose fillet steak, but we had a lovely lunch, beer, and soft drinks and left very full - all included in the very reasonable price of around £190 per person for the whole day. He then offered to take us back into the park in his own vehicle, but as we had already had an incredibly good sighting of all the animals wanted to see, we headed for home. On the way back he continued to add interest with a little bit of commentary (Jason uses a microphone even though his vehicle is small, which stops you having to strain forwards to hear him on the noisy roads - a great little touch). We arrived back at our hotel almost exactly 12 hours after we left, having had a brilliant day. Would recommend Jason (who is a one man band, running his own company, and deserves your support) to anyone. Brilliant brilliant brilliant.
From ZAR 5,150.00
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Operated by Deeprift Ventours