Sun City Tours
3-Hour Private Game Drive of Pilanesberg National Park
4.5

3-Hour Private Game Drive of Pilanesberg National Park

By Mankwe GAMETRACKERS
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About
No Sun City visit would be complete without discovering its neighbor, Pilanesberg National Park. Look for the Big Five—lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo—prowling amongst antelopes, zebra, giraffes, and more. Besides private transfers, enjoy an open-top safari vehicle just for your group, with informative commentary from your personal field guide. Whether you pick a morning or afternoon tour, you have half the day free to explore Sun City.
from
R 6 592,95
per group (up to 10)
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Take a private game drive through Pilanesberg National Park
  • Open-top vehicle means everyone can see and take pictures with ease
  • Private guide can answer everyone’s questions, as well as spotting game
  • Half-day experience leaves you plenty of time to explore Sun City

  • 3 hour Private Game Drive in a 10-seater open safari vehicle
  • National Park fees
  • Bottled water
  • Entry/Admission - Pilanesberg National Park
What's not included
  • Day visitor entrance fee into Sun City Resort


Start:Multiple meeting point options.
  • Option 1
    Manyane Resort, Pilanesberg National Park, Mogwase, 0300, South Africa
  • Option 2
    Bakgatla Resort, Pilanesberg National Park, Pilanesberg Nort West Province, North West Province, 0300, South Africa
    Mankwe GAMETRACKERS activity desk at the Bakgatla Resort Reception
  • Option 3
    The Kingdom Resort, R556, South Village, Pilanesberg National Park, 0316, South Africa
    Activity Desk at The Kingdom Resort - Pilanesberg
  • Option 4
    Bakubung Bush Lodge, Pilanesberg National Park, Kubu Street, South Village, Sun City, 0300, South Africa
    For day visits to Pilanesberg National Park we can meet you at Bakubung Gate - entrance to Pilanesberg National Park
  • Option 5
    Sun City Resort, R556, Sun City, 0316, South Africa
    Depart from all the hotel reception areas at Sun City Resort, namely Palace Hotel, Cascades Hotel, Soho Hotel, Cabanas Hotel and Cabanas Bush Bungalows. Also collect from the Sun Vacation Club Reception at Sun City Resort
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 40914P2

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • No weather restrictions. (Activity will always take place, even if it rains.)
    • No age restriction however children must be accompanied by an adult
    • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 40914P2

    Reserve your spot

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Mankwe GAMETRACKERS
      260
      Sun City, South Africa
      Joined in August 2013
    • emilijabo
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Must try, exciting and incredibly positive!
      It was very exciting experience great to see park and the animals from above!The people that took care for it were very professional and positive, great crew guys, thanks a lot! ❤
      Written 7 March 2024
    • sepisom2024
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Exceptional
      Great views and scenery and wildlife best experience and the customer service was great and the quad bikes were really responsive
      Written 21 February 2024
    • Van_Luks
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Quard bike rides at Mankwe
      The views were amazing & so natural. Took lots of selfies & videos…all thanks to Mary, our guide…she made it more exciting
      Written 1 February 2024
    • Boondoggler
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Enjoyable safari
      We enjoyed a 3 hour game drive while staying at Sun City from 5-8 so left in full sun and came back in the dark. One family turned up 25 minutes late which caused a late start and late finish. They were also pretty rude during the tour which was the one downside of taking a public tour. Lolo was our guide and she was fabulous. She has tremendous knowledge and was great at communicating. We saw rhino, hippos , lions, a leopard, giraffes and many more. It was quite cold on the way back so take extra layers. Lolo made up for the late finish by dropping us off at various hotels and restaurants. Overall it was a good experience and worth doing if you’re at Sun City resort.
      Written 24 January 2024
    • Kerissa F
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      A terrible experience
      We went on a night game drive. At the start I saw a baby and a younger child and we were surprised that they were allowed as other game drives have age restrictions. The baby was crying and the little boy, who looked sick, was also crying in stages and moaning asking how long until they returned. I do not blame the kids at all but rather the parents , who should not have brought them on the game drive. In the end it comes down to having age restrictions for a reason and this was one of the reasons. We paid almost R 2000.00 for my husband and I and our 7 year old child to enjoy a relaxing game drive and there are so many videos that we have , with the background, of a child or children crying. After the stop at the rest stop, we travelled back so fast as well as maybe the noise was also too much for the driver. Is this fair to the rest of us ?
      Written 4 January 2024
    • Lilian002
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Bad
      We booked a quad ride and waited for over an hour to be picked up to go to the quad ride site. Despite several interactions with the office, no luck, no one ever showed up. We gave up after 1.5 hrs, got our money back and returned home. Lousy use of our time.
      Written 24 November 2023
    • caroline r
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent hours excursion
      Easy to get to from The Palace. Simple instructions from the guides and off we went!! They gave us lots of opportunities to stop and take photos and also took for “action” photos and videos on route. A highly enjoyable and speedy adventure where we saw nature at its best (giraffe, impala, zebra and more.
      Written 22 November 2023
    • renaudb660
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fantastic service at a great price!
      We returned from a fabulous week in South Africa where we stayed at the Sun City complex. Mankwe Gametrackers had a booth there and we used them for safaris in Pilanesberg Park 5 times during our stay. Each time, the service we received, the information we got and the overall experience was top notch. For the price we paid, I felt that it was extremely good value for money. Even if the “truck” can accommodate up to 25 people, it by no mean doesn’t impact the experience. If anything, I felt that because the truck was bigger than the normal 4x4 you get on a “regular” safari, we were seated higher and thus had better visibility. I’d definitely recommend Mankwe’s services to anyone who’s looking for friendly and professional service.
      Written 10 September 2023
    • Damien G
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Unacceptable
      We were supposed to do it the Tuesday 01/08/23 but they cancelled it the day before around 7 pm... telling us that the weather was not good (and I can ensure that the weather was very sunny and there was no wind on the 01/08/23). We had to insist and call them to try to get another slot (because they just send text messages telling that it is cancelled). Finally, it was good for the 02/08, they send an email to do the check-in for the activites. But, again, they cancelled it at 6 pm. With no explanation. We had to call them the day after to have details about the refund (and finally we had to do an email to Viator to get it because it was not done automatically). We are very disappointed. It is not acceptable when you pay 580€ for an activity.
      Written 31 August 2023
    • Companion42979987762
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Naeem
      It was amazing , all members were friendly as well as the pilot and the temperature, sun rises was charming
      Written 24 July 2023
    • mtlakes2023
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wonderful experience. Would love to do it again!
      Our favorite part was seeing the springbuck, giraffes, and zebras everywhere. The wonderful views and our awesome instructor Mary who went all out to make sure we were comfortable and enjoyed the whole journey. It was a funventure. What we disliked was how Mashudu, who drove us there on a shuttle, ditched us while we were on the adventure which gave Mary a bad evening. He practically handed us off and bailed without so much as a goodbye. So hopefully next interactions are better
      Written 6 July 2023
    • theaisherwood1990
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The most AMAZING experiences!
      We can not thank Mankwe Game trackers enough for making our trip the holiday of a lifetime!! We've made memories that will last a lifetime! It's so hard to put in to words just how amazing our experiences were. Prior to our trip we had booked 3 tours but after our first game drive we booked additional experiences! We ended up doing over 5 tours in 6 days! This included game drives, the family walking tour and the quad biking. Every single tour we did was just out of this world! All the guides we had were so friendly, fun, knowledgeable and got us the absolute best out of each tour! We had Greg as our guide for one of our game drives and also the family walking tour, he was so knowledgeable, fun and enthusiastic and we learnt so much from him! He happily answered my many many questions haha and was a joy to be around! All the guides were so professional and passionate about the animals and the surroundings it was so lovely to see. I would highly recommend doing a game drive at each of the different available times if possible we did one at 7am, 10am and 3pm over 3 days and it was amazing to see how you see different animals active at each time. The family Bush walk is also an amazing opposite to be in your family group, get closer to animals such as giraffe and zebra and to be able to ask more questions and learn from your guide. My only negative is that Mankwe made it so much harder for us to leave and go home haha! We honestly can't thank them enough! They made it a trip of a lifetime and you will not be disappointed! We can not wait to go back and visit and book as many tours as we can fit in haha.
      Written 3 July 2023
    • Trail32461116803
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent experience
      The staff were lovely. It was a beautiful balloon ride followed by a fabulous breakfast and bubbly 🥰 Thank you
      Written 29 May 2023
    • Traveler10220712137
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Archery , Game Drive and Quad Biking experience! Amazing 👏
      We had 3 activities booked and we enjoyed each of them Our guide for the Archery and Quad Bike was Bafana and he went over and above and made the experience so fun and amazing! We really enjoyed our activities with him 😀 Our guide for the Game drive - Shoki was very informative and knowledgeable on the game park ! We were lucky to spot some leopards as well.
      Written 15 May 2023
    • josea0509
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Canceled due to weather
      Unfortunately I can't leave a good review do to the fact that my hot air balloon got canceled due to weather. There's no reason to leave a good or bad review.
      Written 10 May 2023
    See all 260 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    4.5
    4.5 of 5 bubbles51 reviews
    Excellent
    37
    Very good
    6
    Average
    2
    Poor
    1
    Terrible
    5

    Gary B
    95 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    We decided on a late afternoon private game drive, and were fortunately given Bongani as a guide. Not only was he knowledgeable about the Park and the animals, he was in tune with the history of the region and was an amazing guide. He engaged throughout the entire time on the drive, and shared whatever he could about the animals we saw. My children enjoyed hearing about the big 5, little 5 and ugly 5. Trusting that Bongani succeeds in obtaining his rifle license so we can accompany him on a bush walk next year.
    Written 6 January 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Good day, Gary. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your game drive experience with us and hope to see you back again soon for your next adventure. Kind regards the Mankwe GAMETRACKERS team.
    Written 10 January 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Yara
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia1 contribution
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    May 2023 • Friends
    We booked hot air balloon safari for 3 pax in May 2023. We received notification the night before that the safari is cancelled due to a bad weather condition. However, to date we have not received the refund for the full payment we have paid despite several follow ups. Will really appreciate if someone from your end attends to this matter. Thank you.
    Written 27 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Dantheman5900
    United Kingdom3 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2023 • Couples
    Me and my Wife visited here on our honeymoon; we were left shaken by the experience and want to share our experience.

    The driver that we had, had no respect for the animals, they firstly got too close to an elephant that then growled and trumpeted, yet she kept getting closer for a "better picture"! After this we saw 2 lions which our driver then literally followed them down the road along with other vehicles and was filming it herself whilst still driving. We again felt we were too close with regard to the stress it might cause the animals just for a better picture or video.

    We also got too close to a Rhino and her Calf which scared them, luckily they didn't charge at us.

    When going back we encountered another elephant that was in the road and because our driver was on a time limit, kept getting too close (again) to get him off of the road which annoyed the elephant and he very nearly charged at us. Finally, because the driver was speeding well over the speed limit to get back on time, she had to slam her brakes on very suddenly to stop from crashing into a baby elephant that she didn't see until the just minute which meant that all of the passengers were thrown forward!

    Overall it was a terrifying experience and would not recommend!
    Written 28 March 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    James L
    Orlando, FL25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2024 • Family
    The safari company picked us up at our hotel in Johannesberg and drove us to Pilansberg National Park, a little over 2 hours away. The car was very nice and the driver was extremely well versed in all aspects of South Africa. The 2 hours flew by because of the interesting conversation.

    At the park, we got into an open-air vehicle to go out and view the animals. Our guide was expert at finding all kinds of game. We saw Rhinos, Hippos, Elephants, Zebras, Giraffes and many more animals. We were lucky enough to observe 2 male elephants fight each other and we were even chased by a huge male elephant for a short distance. The guide was prepared for it and kept us well out of harm's way.

    The safari included an excellent lunch, as well as alcoholic beverages, then we were back into the bush for an afternoon of more incredible animals. Our safari lasted about 7 hours then we were driven back to our hotel, with another 2 hours of lively conversation.

    We spent 9 days in South Africa and this safari was the highlight of the visit.
    Written 31 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Lesley Cox
    Cape Town, South Africa14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2023 • Solo
    I was attending a sympoisum close by and took the opportunity to arrive a day early and book two games drives at 6.30am and 4pm. As I was staying at a lodge in the area I met the safari vehicle at Bakabung gate. All arrangements were efficient. Both games drives were excellent, many animals and the rangers shared their knowledge. Thank you
    Written 19 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Tattling-Tourist
    Crossville, TN206 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lolo was the best guide! I booked a last minute tour for the early morning tour to start at 630. We left a few minutes early thanks to everyone being there and came back just a few minutes late. Lolo was very interesting/informative about the animals we saw. I saw 5 of the mighty 5 within the first hour!!! Plus, I saw giraffe and other animals. I would have loved to go again with her and highly recommend her as a guide. She had blankets and even though I had a jacket on, I was thankful for it as it was still chilly!
    Written 15 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Kanchani S
    Johannesburg, South Africa35 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2022 • Couples
    Bongani was very good, he explained a lot about the different animals. He was strict that we follow the rules but fair and kind too. He drove well and stopped whenever necessary, well organised. We even saw a lion this time.
    The booking process was also good.
    Written 14 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Chris S
    Canberra, Australia14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2024 • Family
    Tour guide (Peter) was awesome! We saw Rhinos, Hippos, giraffes, wilder beast, elephants, lions and lots of impala. Vehicle was clean and comfortable and doing this as a private tour was the best option seeing other guided tours absolutely packed with people. We did the 5:30am start and would really recommend it as the best time. The guide was organised, communicated with us well and was on time. Would absolutely recommend.
    Written 11 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Steve B
    Auckland Central, New Zealand12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We did the Sunset game drive. BY our driver and host was extremely friendly and helpful. But most of all he new what success in his job is … find the animals and get us there within the time available. He did this brilliantly.

    Was it luck or his skill? We saw four of the big five (buffalo the one exclusion). And hippopotamus, giraffe, Kudu, and more.

    The highlight … I’m not sure … lion right next to the truck? Leopard up a tree by the road or elephant with baby within 10m of us. Amazing.

    Thank you BY. Thank you Mankwe.
    Written 23 January 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Debbie K
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2023 • Family
    We had an outstanding experience and were fortunate to see a wide variety of game, including 6 white rhinos. The highlight happened after dark, when a pride of 9 lions emerged out of the bush into the road right next to our vehicle. Our ranger had positioned us well and encouraged us to wait patiently… and it definitely was worth the wait!!
    Written 13 February 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    3-Hour Private Game Drive of Pilanesberg National Park provided by Mankwe GAMETRACKERS

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