Pilanesberg Big Five Safari from Johannesburg

Trade the Johannesburg skyline for the African bush on this full-day Big Five safari to Pilanesberg National Park. Set within the crater of a 1.2 billion-year-old extinct volcano, Pilanesberg offers a dramatic landscape unlike any other game reserve — and it's completely malaria-free.

Board an open-top safari vehicle at dawn and spend the day tracking lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo through varied terrain of rocky outcrops, wooded valleys, and open grasslands. Your expert ranger reads the bush like a book, following fresh tracks, listening for alarm calls, and positioning you for the best wildlife sightings and photographs.

Pilanesberg is home to over 7,000 animals including cheetah, wild dog, hippo, crocodile, and 360+ bird species. At midday, stop at a rest camp for a hearty bush lunch overlooking a waterhole — some of the best wildlife viewing happens right here as animals come to drink.