Things to do in North West

Enjoy a luxurious, 2-hour boat cruise on the placid waters of the Hartbeepoort Dam. With 3 tours departing daily, at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:00 PM, pick the time that fits your schedule and hit the water. Located within the Kommando Nek Nature Preserve, gaze at the protected nature that surrounds you, showcasing the abundance of South Africa’s flora and fauna. Upon boarding the boat, you’ll be treated to a welcome drink as you depart to survey the stunning dam’s waters. With all daily cruises, enjoy a luxurious spread of traditional South African hot and cold finger foods. After your cruise is over and you return to the dock, your entrance pass to the nature preserve will still be valid, so get out there and explore the beauty of the South African countryside.

Ride the only aerial cable car in all of South Africa and enjoy amazing views along the way. This Swiss-designed and installed gondola seats a maximum of 6 guests. Ascend to the top of the mountain in 6 minutes. As you travel upwards, you’ll pass above a nature reserve. Spot giraffe, zebra, and small antelope from your bird’s eye view. Once you reach the top, you’ll be able to choose from a number of restaurants. Have a drink at the Lookout Bar and sip as a cocktail as you marvel at the spectacular view of the eastern side of the region. Walk “The Dassie Walk,” a 1,200-meter walkway which circles the circumference of the mountain top. Stop at the informative waypoint along the way and learn about the surrounding area. Take the cable car back and return to the starting point.

Discover the exquisite Pilanesberg National Park, located in an extinct volcanic crater. Departing from Sun City, enjoy a 3-hour game drive to experience the pristine flora and wildlife, offering some of the best game viewing in South Africa.   Come face to face with the unspoilt beauty of the bush. From a 25-seater open vehicle you could encounter Africa’s big five animals and many other natural inhabitants at close range. Bring your binoculars and a camera, to capture the incredible sightings.

Visit Pilanesberg Game Reserve on a full-day safari from Johannesburg, where over 7000 animals roam freely. Have the chance to see big 5 game animals (elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffalos, and lions). Enjoy 2 extensive game drives in a jeep with a guide and a delicious lunch. Be picked up from your hotel in Johannesburg in the early morning and relax on the 2.5-hour drive to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Follow your guide on a drive to encounter animals like zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, jackals, antelopes, and over 300 species of birds. A total of 4.5 to 5 hours are spent on Game Drives. During the heat of the day, sit down for an hour-long delectable lunch at one of the many rest camps in the Game Reserve. After lunch, depart on an afternoon safari drive in an open vehicle. Ask your guide any questions you might have about the animals and the natural environment. Leave Pilanesberg in the late afternoon to get back to your hotel in Johannesburg before sunset.

Discover the top 20 attractions in Johannesburg with a 1 or 2 day ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. Described as the New York of Africa, take your time exploring the exciting city. On board, you will learn about the history of Johannesburg from the prerecorded audio commentary in 15 languages. Ride the double-decker bus through the city's historic neighborhoods and fascinating attractions, many related to the struggle against apartheid. See the world's biggest man-made forest and learn about why Johannesburg should never have been built where it was. Get on and off as much as you like. Two of the 20th century’s most famous liberation heroes started their legal careers and then their political careers in Johannesburg; Mahatma Gandhi with the Passive Resistance (Satyagraha) movement, and Nelson Mandela with the Defiance Campaign. Trace some of their footsteps between Chancellor House and Gandhi Square in the city center. Join the tour at Rosebank and travel through the city's leafy suburbs to Constitution Hill. Change here to the downtown route for a first-hand visit to authentic inner-city Johannesburg. All of the tour stops are safely located and staffed as necessary to ensure you will have a great time in the city.  Hop-on hop-off stops: Green Tour:  1. Rosebank  2. Melrose Arch 3. Mandela Foundation 4. View from Munroe Drive 5. Constitution Hill 3. Johannesburg Zoo 4. Military Museum  1. Rosebank return Red City Tour: 1. Constitution Hill 2. Mining District 3.  Gold Reef City Casino Hotel (join the Soweto extension tour here) 4. Apartheid Museum  5. Newtown 6. Neighborhoods Market (Saturdays only) 1. Constitution Hill return Free Hotel Shuttle bus from Sandton as follows: The Holiday Inn: 09:00 AM The Maslow: 09:08 AM The Hilton: 09:12 AM The Radison Blue Gautrain: 09:19 AM Da Vinci Hotel: 9:25 AM

After collecting you from your hotel or residence in Johannesburg, your guide will give you a quick pre departure tour briefing before departing to Soweto (South Western Township). On your way to Soweto you pass by the National Football Stadium City, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Cup 2010. You enter the Diepkloof area, where you will take a walk past vendors selling just about anything. In Orlando West you visit Vilakazi Street - drive past the former home of Nelson Mandela and past the home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. You will have an opportunity to read about the Soweto uprising on 16 June 1976. On that tragic day an innocent little boy called Hector Pieterson gave up his life and kick-started the liberation of South Africa. During this tour you will pass by the Mandela House. A visit into the museum is optional. You continue your tour driving into one of the shanty towns where you get to interact with some of the locals. By now you will have seen the good, the bad and the ugly facets of Soweto. You drive past the Soweto Campus of the Johannesburg University and end your tour with a stop at the largest hospital in the world: Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. After Lunch on your own account, you will arrive at the world famous Apartheid Museum. Here you will learn about the history and struggle of South Africa during apartheid. Once you are done with the Apartheid Museum, you head into Johannesburg City and start with the view of the impressive 269 metre Telkom Tower, as seen on many postcards of Johannesburg. You then enter the inspiring Constitution Hill – and Court (when not in session) Political activists like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi were once held here. During a tour inside you will learn about some of the legal history of Johannesburg. On your way to Newtown you pass by the longest southern African bridge, named Nelson Mandela bridge. At Mary Fitzgerald Square you can walk on the Jazz Walk of Fame. In short, this tour offers you a unique Johannesburg experience at an affordable rate.

Depart from your hotel, heading to the southwest township of Johannesburg. Take a route through Johannesburg's southern suburbs and see the sleek cars and spacious freeways. Next, discover Johannesburg city with its tall buildings, most of them built during the apartheid era, while you make your way to Soweto. Watch the beautiful scenery disappear as you enter Soweto. Pass by 2 iconic landmarks that used to generate power in the township of Soweto and are now normally used for bungee jumping. Drive through Soweto heading to the famous Hector Pieterson Museum with its dark history about the youth uprising in 1976. From here, drive through the township for sightseeing, and finally, head to Mandela House Museum on Vilakazi Street. In the museum, you will learn about the father of the nation, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who became a world icon. Finally, hop back into the tour vehicle returning to your hotel. On route, you will pass by FNB stadium also known as Soccer City or The Calabash, which hosted the opening and closing matches of the 2010 World Cup finals.

This national park covers an area of 55,000 hectares. More than 7,000 animals live here in a free and unhindered environment, and Pilanesberg is home to all of the "Big 5" (elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffalo, and lions). Other animals that you may encounter are zebra, giraffe, cheetahs, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, jackals, wild cats, various antelope, and over 300 bird species. Pilanesberg offers over 200 kilometers of roads for guided or self-drive game viewing. Day 1: After being picked up in Johannesburg, you will depart to Pilanesberg. You will enter the park for a morning game drive in a closed, air-conditioned vehicle, before arriving to the lodge at around midday. You will then eat lunch, before enjoying an open 4x4 vehicle safari drive in the afternoon. You will then return for dinner. Day 2: Wake up early for hot beverages and then depart for a sunrise game drive in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Return for a hearty breakfast, then pack up before being collected for a game drive in the reserve in a minivan. Depart mid-afternoon for the return journey to Johannesburg.

On this half day tour, you will learn about the fascinating history of South Africa during a Pretoria city experience. Pretoria is the capital of South Africa and full of historic sites like the Union Buildings, headquarters of the government. The buildings are beautifully situated in terraced gardens, through which you can enjoy an idyllic walk. Enjoy a visit to the Voortrekker Monument, a monument of great significance to many Afrikaans-speaking South Africans because it stands for Afrikaner Nationalism. The interior walls depict the story of the Great Trek, a mass movement of Afrikaner Boers who resented British rule. Next, you can visit the Paul Kruger House Museum where you can learn more about this fascinating man and his life. The house displays furniture and personal items of the Kruger family. Pretoria has character in its buildings and during this city architecture tour, you will be given ample opportunity to ask your guide about the history behind the buildings and culture. Visit Church Square, the Ou Raadsaal, Palace of Justice and Capital Theatre.

Take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of South Africa's most famous predators up close. Watch lions, wild dogs, and cheetahs roam around within this amazing park. Look carefully and you might glimpse other wondrous wildlife such as giraffes, zebras, springboks, and impalas. Learn about these incredible animals from a qualified guide during an unforgettable 1-hour tour. Experience the sight of lion-feeding by visiting the park at weekends or public holidays, and come away with memories to treasure.