Kruger Safari & Victoria falls

What to see and do - Johannesburg/Pretoria and surrounds

The following list contains some of the places to visit in and around Johannesburg and Pretoria. You can do some googling to read up on each and decide which you would like to visit.

PILANESBERG ( 2 hours drive from Johannesburg)
Pilanesberg National Park
Sun City

NORTHERN TSHWANE
Tswaing Meteorite Crater

PRETORIA CITY
Voortrekker Monument and Fort Schanskop
Union Buildings
Kruger House Museum
Melrose House
Church Square and Kruger Statue
State Theatre
Pretoria City Hall
Transvaal Natural History Museum
Smuts House
Sammy Marks House

HARTBEESPOORT
Bill Harrop's "Original" Balloon Safaris
Van Gaalens Cheese Factory
Welwitschia Country Market and Chameleon Village
Cableway (Check whether the cableway is operating.)
De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre
Lesedi Cultural Village
Elephant Sanctuary

MIDRAND
S A Mint - Coin World
African Reptiles and Venom
Lipizzaners

CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
The Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve and the Wonder Cave
Sterkfontein Caves and the Maropeng Interpretation Centre
Old Kromdraai Gold Mine
Heia Safari Ranch (Tribal Dancing)
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens (scroll down the page)
Krugersdorp Game Reserve

JOHANNESBURG (NORTH)
Lion Park
Ngwenya Glass Village
Sandton City
Montecasino

JOHANNESBURG CITY
Constitution Hill (including Johannesburg Fort)
Top of Africa
Museum Africa
Diagonal Street and the Muti Shop
Oriental Plaza
Mai Mai Market
Santarama Miniland
SAB World of Beer
Planetarium
War Museum
Johannesburg Zoo

JOHANNESBURG (SOUTH-WEST)
Apartheid Museum
Gold Reef City

SOWETO
Regina Mundi Church
Hector Peterson Memorial
Mandela House Museum
Wandi’s Tavern
Freedom Square
Credo Mutwa Village and the Oppenheimer Tower

EASTERN GAUTENG
Premier Diamond Mine (Cullinan)
Nan-Hua Buddhist Temple (Bronkhostspruit)
Kghodwana Ndebele Village
Loopspruit Wine Cellars
Site of Battle of Bronkhorstspruit

SOUTHERN GAUTENG
Rondebult Bird Sanctuary
Marievale Bird Sanctuary
Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve
Heidelberg Motor Museum

As for Kruger - read my response #2 above.

Travelmaven:
Sounds like you have your act to-gether! Enjoy your trip.

Rudik:

You have such a wealth of knowledge! thanks for all your good tips and advice, at the risk of soun ding clueless ( which I admit) if we follow the self drive route you suggested and exit @ Phabeni Gate, where and how far is the Mpumalanga Int. Airport from there? & Can our car be left there ?
For our flight to Livinstone.( Vic Falls).

YoungWorldtraveler: Thanks for tip to fly to Vic Falls

I would have to guesstimate the time from Phabeni to the Mpumalanga airport at Nelspruit, but I would think and hour to an hour-and-a-half should be ample. If you were to fly from Nelspruit to Vic Falls, you could hand back your car in Nelspruit and instead of returning to Nelspruit fly from Vic Falls back to Johannesburg. It might be easier to drive from Kruger back to Johannesburg and do a simple return flight from here, or even take up one of the many packages to Vic Falls which include accommodation there for two or three nights. (For example - and I must emphasise that this is not a plug or a recommendation as I have not used this company - see this page and scroll down to the Vic Falls offer: http://www.getawaytravel.co.za/). If you go to Vic Falls first and then go to Kruger you might find it easier and not have to worry about the connections.

We drove and used a lot more time getting there than most forums estimates.

To which part of Kruger did you drive, Cath? And how long did it take you from Johannesburg?

Hi all,
I will be in Jo'burg on the 14th Dec and will be there till the 19th and then plan to fly to Vic Falls, Zimbabwe side. I am looking for a 2-4 night Safari. Basic accommodations are good enough.

I was wonder if anyone could suggest a tour group from Johannesburg to Kruger national park or the game reserves near there. I am short on time, so flying closer to Kruger will be the best option. So here are my questions:

1. Which website or airlines should I look in to for a cheap flight from Jo'burg to Kruger and back? I prefer not to drive on my own.
2. Which travel groups do you reccomend to tour the park?
3. during my research I am seeing many tours, can you please reccomend a tour or two that you thought was great for a first timer in Africa on a safari?

Any information is appreciated.
Thanks

Hi All, I just signed up to this site and have been reading your insights on Kruger/Vic Falls. I will also be going to Cape town for a week and leaving out of Joberg. I'd like to see both Kruger and Vic Falls before heading back home. I'll be on this last leg of the trip alone so thought a tour /safari of Kruger would be best for me. Any suggestions on a particular company.. There are so many on line! I'll probably fly into Vic falls afterwards for a couple of days and would love suggestions on where to stay as well. It looks like a couple of you are just returning.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions,
Cisabelle

I stayed at Jollyboys in Livingstone. It is located right in the heart of town. You will have lots of opportunity to meet other travellers while there. They provide airport pickup and free transportation to the Zambian side of the falls.

Good morning,

I need help!!! :)

I'm planning a trip for a friend who wants to take his Mom to Victoria Falls as this is one of her dreams! I'm so stucked!! I've search the Net for days with no joy!

They are staying in Pretoria and want to do the trip by car via Botswana. After visiting the Falls they want to go in the Kruger National Park direction and spend a few days in the area before returning to Pretoria.

They wanted to go to Okavango Delta or see as much as possible on the trip, but it seems like(according to other reviews I've read) that it wont be possible to do this by car.

Can you please make some suggestions on what will be the best? Which roads to take from Pretoria, border posts and route to where you can cross the border to visit the Falls? They would like to go back to Botswana after the Falls experience and then travel to Kruger National Park.
Any help will be appreciated!!!