Things to do in Pilanesberg National Park
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Pilanesberg National Park
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry winter and early spring, best game viewing with animals at dams, cold dawns in June and July.
Hot with first rains, new grass and migrant birds, plus Nedbank Golf Challenge pressure in November or December.
Wet summer, lush bush and best birding, hardest predator viewing, with peak crowds from mid December to mid January.
Autumn shoulder, rain easing and bush thinning, a very good first visit window after Easter.
What's on
- Nedbank Golf Challenge Usually November or early December, check the year
European Tour golf at the Gary Player course that fills Sun City and park lodges at premium prices.
Best things to do in Pilanesberg National Park
Mankwe Hide
The hide on Mankwe Dam in the centre of the park, the most productive water body for game and birds.
Rathlogo Hide
A fenced photographic hide in the north west, best in morning light for elephant and rhino at close range.
Makorwane Dam Hide
A hide over Makorwane Dam on the eastern side, good in low light and usually quieter than Mankwe.
Valley of Waves
The Sun City water park built around the Roaring Lagoon wave pool, the non-safari reset day of the trip.
Gary Player Country Club
The Gary Player championship course at Sun City, home of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Chimp & Zee Rope Adventure Course
A rope and zipline course at Sun City, the active hour for teenagers and groups between drives.
Sun City Casino
The main casino at the Soho Hotel, with slots, tables and bars and late hours by local standards.
Where to stay in Pilanesberg National Park
Manyane and Bakgatla gates
budget self-drive with chalets, tents and camping
Golden Leopard resorts just outside the eastern and northern gates, where you self-cater and self-drive.
Southern gates inside the park
family bush hotels with pools and own drives
Large Legacy lodges just inside Bakubung and Kwa Maritane gates, minutes from Sun City.
Inside the park luxury concessions
included drives and small lodge quiet
Luxury lodges in the northern, western and central park, from a bush hotel scale to five suite camps.
Black Rhino Game Reserve
quiet private reserve safari with no day visitors
Lodges behind their own R565 gate on the west, traversing the reserve and the main park.
Sun City and the near edge
resort pools, golf, casino and operator drives
Sun City hotels from the Palace to the Cabanas, plus self-catering at The Kingdom Resort nearby.
Think twice about
- R556 and R510 rural stretches after dark
Potholes, unlit settlements, pedestrians and stray livestock, with slow traffic risk. Plan every arrival for daylight.
- Park gravel loops in a low sedan after heavy rain
Corrugations and potholes worsen after rain. Take a higher clearance vehicle if you can and drive slowly.
Best restaurants in Pilanesberg National Park
Pilanesberg Centre
The only refreshment stop inside the park, a restaurant and shop over a waterhole in the centre.
Manyane Resort Restaurant
The simple resort restaurant at Manyane Gate, a practical cheap dinner for the eastern side.
Crystal Court
The grand buffet restaurant of the Palace, famous for breakfast and high tea over the gardens.
Plume
The fine dining room of the Palace, French leaning cooking with South African ingredients.
Legends Restaurant
The large lively restaurant at the Soho Hotel, the group dinner default at Sun City.
The Raj
The Indian restaurant at Sun City, the most useful change of pace from lodge buffets and braais.
Outdoor things to do in Pilanesberg National Park
Pilanesberg National Park
Self-drive on tar and gravel loops around Mankwe Dam, with hides and a full day beating two half days.
Mankwe GAMETRACKERS
Scheduled open vehicle game drives from Sun City, the default guided drive for guests without a car.
Mankwe GAMETRACKERS Bush Walk
Guided bush walks in the park with armed guides, reading tracks and birds at ground level on foot.
Mankwe GAMETRACKERS Hot Air Balloon Safari
A dawn balloon flight over the crater hills and Mankwe Dam, with a bush breakfast after landing.
Mankwe GAMETRACKERS Quad Biking
Guided quad trails in Letsatsing Game Park at Sun City, an adventure activity with plains game around it.
Best hotels in Pilanesberg National Park
Manyane Resort
The budget Golden Leopard resort at Manyane Gate, with chalets, tents and camping for self-drivers.
Bakgatla Resort
The quiet Golden Leopard resort at Bakgatla Gate, the better base for the northern drives.
Bakubung Bush Lodge
A large Legacy bush lodge inside Bakubung Gate near Sun City, the family workhorse of the park.
Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge
A large Legacy lodge with a tunnel hide and live waterhole camera, at a mid range price.
Ivory Tree Game Lodge
A five star lodge in the northern park with suites, a spa and included guided game drives.
Shepherd's Tree Game Lodge
A luxury lodge on a western concession, more boutique resort in the bush than traditional camp.
Tshukudu Bush Lodge
A small hillside Legacy lodge for about 20 guests, the romantic opposite of the big bush hotels.
Tambuti Lodge
A five suite luxury lodge in a tamboti forest on the north western side, intimate and quiet.
Is Pilanesberg National Park expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ZAR 1,600 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ZAR 4,200 a person |
| Splurge | ZAR 11,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Valley of Waves: a few days ahead
- Gary Player Country Club: weeks ahead
- Chimp & Zee Rope Adventure Course: a few days ahead
- Mankwe GAMETRACKERS: a few days ahead
- Mankwe GAMETRACKERS Bush Walk: a few days ahead
- Mankwe GAMETRACKERS Hot Air Balloon Safari: weeks ahead
- Mankwe GAMETRACKERS Quad Biking: a few days ahead
- Manyane Resort: weeks ahead
- Book gate resorts, Legacy lodges and Black Rhino lodges for school holidays in the weeks to months range.
- Book balloon safaris early in your stay with a backup morning, and Gary Player tee times ahead around the tournament.
Is Pilanesberg National Park safe?
- Violent crime and vehicle attacks are a risk on the approach roads outside the park; the park itself and Sun City are secured areas.
- Avoid driving the R510 and R556 after dark, lock doors in slow traffic and keep valuables out of sight.
- Never exit your vehicle outside signed hides, picnic sites and viewpoints, and never geotag a rhino sighting.
- Emergency numbers are 10111 for police and 112 from a mobile phone.
Pilanesberg National Park travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not assume the Wild Card covers Pilanesberg, as the park is run by the North West Parks Board, not SANParks.
- Do not book a Black Rhino lodge expecting day visitor self-drive access through its private gate.
Getting around Pilanesberg National Park: public transport and more
- You need a car, a lodge rate with drives, or Mankwe drives from Sun City, as there is no public transport to the gates.
- Use the N4 and R510 for the eastern gates or the R556 for Sun City and the southern gates, at about 2 to 2.5 hours from Johannesburg.
- Enter with a full tank, as there is no fuel inside the park.
Who Pilanesberg National Park suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Pilanesberg National Park your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store