Day trips from Johannesburg and Pretoria: what to book
Guided day trips you can book from Johannesburg and Pretoria, from the Cradle of Humankind to Soweto and Sun City.
Written by Night Sky Bookings
Published on Sep 11, 2026 · 3 min read
The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City, with domed towers above green bushveld and hills
You don't need a long drive to get out of the city. From Johannesburg and Pretoria, you can visit a World Heritage Site, a game reserve or Hartbeespoort Dam and be home the same evening.
MU Africa Tours & Accommodations, a Sandton-based tour company running since 2010, lists seven guided day trips on Night Sky Bookings. Here's what each one covers and what it costs.
Day trips at a glance
- Cradle of Humankind: 4 hours, from R1,300 per person
- Soweto: 3 hours, from R1,200 per person
- Lesedi Cultural Village: from R1,700 per person
- Lion & Safari Park: 3 hours, from R1,600 per person
- Plumari Game Reserve: 4 hours, from R2,000 per person
- Hartbeespoort Harbour boat cruise: from R1,000 per person
- Sun City Resort: from R5,000 per person
History and heritage
Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind is part of the Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 1999. It includes the fossil sites at Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai. MU Africa's tour takes about four hours.
Book the Cradle of Humankind tour
Soweto
Soweto was at the centre of the struggle against apartheid. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, both Nobel Peace Prize winners, once lived on Vilakazi Street. The Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum honours the young victims of the June 1976 uprising.
MU Africa's Soweto tour takes about three hours. Ask which stops it includes when you book.
Lesedi Cultural Village
Lesedi is near Hartbeespoort Dam in North West. It has traditional homesteads of the Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Basotho and Ndebele people, with guided tours of the villages and traditional song and dance.
Book the Lesedi Cultural Village trip
Wildlife close to the city
Lion & Safari Park
Lion & Safari Park is on the R512 Pelindaba Road in Hartbeespoort. It's home to lions, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards and wild dogs. MU Africa's three-hour trip includes a guided safari drive.
Book the Lion & Safari Park trip
Plumari Game Reserve
Plumari is a private game reserve at Doornhoek in the Magaliesberg. Animals you may see include leopard, white rhino, buffalo and elephant. The trip takes about four hours.
Book the Plumari Game Reserve trip
A day at Hartbeespoort Dam
The Hartbeespoort Harbour boat cruise takes you out on the dam. Lesedi and Lion & Safari Park are in the same area, so it's worth asking MU Africa about pairing the cruise with one of them.
Book the Hartbeespoort boat cruise
A longer day at Sun City
Sun City is the furthest trip on the list. It sits next to the Pilanesberg, which is about 170 km, or two hours, from Johannesburg. MU Africa pitches it as a mix of safari and resort entertainment.
Where to stay
MU Africa has rooms in Sandton, from luxury rooms for two to an apartment for four to six guests. It also offers free accommodation with selected tour packages, so ask about this when you book.
For a night in the bush instead, Thorn Tree Bush Camp is in the Dinokeng Big Five Game Reserve, about an hour from Pretoria.
Book a day trip from Johannesburg
Guided tours to the Cradle of Humankind, Soweto, Hartbeespoort and Sun City, all bookable on Night Sky Bookings.
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