SPA7J: Johannesburg + Pilanesberg Safari + Sun City

Day 1

Arrive Johannesburg Airport and meet your South African holiday host, who will transfer you to your Sandton hotel conveniently situated opposite Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, with its numerous lively outdoor restaurants and entertainment facilities.

Check in to your hotel, settle in and relax in your cosmopolitan surroundings.

Day 2

Discover the thriving city of Johannesburg today, with its complex history of gold mining and conflict.

Start with a guided visit to the sprawling township of Soweto, including a visit to the original home of Nelson Mandela. Visit significant memorials to the freedom struggle and the fascinating Apartheid Museum.

In the afternoon either visit Gold Reef City, a reconstructed gold mining village where you can see gold being poured and go down a gold mine, or the thriving centre of Newtown near the Nelson Mandela Bridge (Note: Golf Reef City is closed on Mondays).

Day 3

Today your host will share with you some of South Africa’s greatest archaeological treasures as you visit the ancient Sterkfontein Wonder Caves that date back 3.5 billion years. Dr Broom found one of the first ape-men in these caves, which have since yielded many more treasures. Recognised as a World Heritage site, this is one of Africa’s greatest archaeology and palaeontology sites.

Continue to your Observatory hotel, check in and relax under clear blue skies. Weather permitting, tonight view the stars of the southern sky, including the spectacular Southern Cross and Milky Way through two large telescopes: a 16-inch Meade and 25-inch Newtonian, the largest privately-owned telescopes in South Africa.

Day 4

This morning enjoy a tour of Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa and renowned for its jacaranda trees that flower from September to November. Visit the impressive Voortrekker Monument and view the beautiful Union Buildings, the official residence of the State President designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

In the afternoon bid farewell to your host, after he transfers you to the beautiful malaria-free Pilanesberg Game Reserve, a 2-hour drive through the rural North West Province.

After checking into your luxury game lodge, enjoy your first game drive in an open-top game viewing vehicle in this superb Big Five game reserve, which is uniquely situated inside an extinct volcano. Hopefully see elephants, lions, antelope and a wide variety of other game, before enjoying dinner in your warm African surroundings.

Day 5

Up early this morning, when viewing conditions are at their best, for another open-top game drive in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve with a lodge ranger. See more of the Big Five today: lion, buffalo, rhino, elephant and leopard – as well as giraffe, wildebeest, crocodiles, hippos, antelope and many other interesting species, before returning to the lodge for breakfast.

The rest of the morning is at leisure, relaxing beside the lodge swimming pool or visiting the viewing hide. In the afternoon return to Pilanesberg Game Reserve for another open-top game drive, before dining at the lodge in the atmosphere that only the African bushveld can provide!

Day 6

Enjoy another early morning open-top game drive in the Pilanesberg National Park before breakfast and your transfer to the neighbouring international resort of Sun City.

Check in to your luxury Sun City hotel and enjoy the many pleasures of this sophisticated resort, which offers the best of Vegas-style gaming combined with world-class sporting and family facilities. Settle in to your lush subtropical surrounding, under warm blue African skies.

Day 7

Relax and enjoy the many holiday facilities of Sun City. Although famous for its gaming activities, Sun City offers a wide variety of outdoor, family and sporting activities - making it one of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations.

Its world-class Entertainment Centre includes slot machines and bingo, whilst the sophisticated Casino offers Black Jack, Roulette and much more.

Outside there are waterfalls and abundant tropical bird life. The Valley of the Waves water theme park offers both gentle rides and thrilling steep slides, as well as a man-made tropical beach with real waves!

There is an excellent gym and spa and a full range of sporting activities, including water sports on the dam, tennis courts and two world-class championship golf courses at the Gary Player Country Club and Lost City, where crocodiles are found in some water hazards!

Kamp Kwena children’s club offers a supervised programme of activities for children up to12 years - including painting, play dough, mini golf, bumper boats, trampolines, mini cars, animal world and indoor and outdoor games.

On one afternoon, enjoy an included open-top safari drive into the beautiful malaria-free Pilanesberg Game Reserve, which is home to all the Big 5 – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino leopard and much more.

Later simply relax at one of the many swimming pools and absorb the atmosphere of this very special resort.

Day 8

Return transfer to Johannesburg Airport.