A huge (55k hectares) game park with loads of animals to spot. Spent 2 days here and we spotted a large herd of elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, rhinos, wildebeest, impalas, kudus, etc. There are also bird watching stations and convenience marts to stop for toilet breaks and to get a snack. A great place to go if one does not have a week to spend in larger parks like Kruger

The park is quite large and has a lot of roads to try. There are more than enough animals to see. I saw most of the big 5. The conservation fee is minimal to get into the park.

Fabulous park with wonderful scenery and knowledgeable guides. We saw so many animals we lost count around 50 species. The highlights were the elephants, lions and zebra.

This poor park is in a dire situation, the roads all need to be redone. A fire took out half of the accommodation. There is no signal to pay anything by card at the restaurants etc. They had a drain leak, no electricity for long periods and the campsite ablutions are in a bad state. The wildlife is still there and some good sightings can be achieved.

What an amazing Park, so many wild animals on the 12th of September 2023 we saw a lioness with her 2 cubs, 14 rhinos, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, Springbokke and so may bird species Absolutely a stunning place and a must visit for anyone who loves animals

Good park with good game viewing although a little sparse. I recommend getting out the car at all the viewing sites. Great bird life and unique landscapes.

The most fantastic hotel I have ever stayed at. Great and considerate staff. Wonderful food. And the zebra, monkey's and giraffe wandering wild around the grounds was a sight to see. Would definitely recommend this hotel

My partner and I had such a good time (self-drive) at the park although it took us hours to see anything but at the end patience worked in our favour. I am definitely going back for a game drive. I just wish some of the roads can be fixed and the toilets inside the park be cleaned regularly.

Very, very nice park.... we went in there 3 times in 2 days and every time a different track and a lot and great variety of animals....

Wonderful park to see the big 5. Bird life is fantastic. Great facilities too. Highly recommended.

Great day out. Well worth the money - actually cheap. Only thing is the public ablutions need attention. But still one of my favourite parks.

The scenery is breathtaking and patience rewards the game viewer. There is however an air of neglect regarding maintenance and standards at the facilities. How different the reserve would be if some thought was applied to making the experience more tourist friendly. More effective management would make the place more desirable and more people would visit and more money would be spent.

An incredible national park for the safari lover. We were blessed to see some of the amazing animals throughout the park during the entire trip. This was bucket list stuff!

Beautiful park with endless animal sightings. Had a very close encounter with elephants which was amazing! It's rich in bird life and we were lucky enough to spot so many animals only the leopard remained elusive. Lunch was nice, had a tasty ostrich burger while still enjoying wildlife from the resturant! This park is definitely worth visiting its truly a gem

The best honeymoon experience imaginable. Shepherd Tree Lodge has been the most incredible vacation destination in the park. They have the best safari trips, vehicles, and guides (especially Kelvin). The lodge is extremely nice, and the staff are knowledgeable, courteous, and very skilled. Your stay revolves around the safari trips (twice per day) but the luxury and quality of the food, villas/suites/rooms and the lodge makes you forget you're in a national park.

Lovely day out. You can have a picnic too. Best to take a high vehicle to get the best experience. Saw a couple of animals and glad to see elephants.

Amazing experience, the National Park is huge and hold a variety of amazing animals including the big 5. The tour guide was amazing, interactive and very informative. Light lunch was provided including tea or coffee.

Had an amazing day once again in the Pilanesberg This park never disappoints with cat sightings Had an amazing sighting of a female leopard Iying in a tree for 40 minutes

If you have not visited Pilanesberg, you have missed one of South Africa's most beautiful places. The reserve is close to Johannesburg and Pretoria - within 2 hours 30 minutes drive and is accessible by most vehicles except maybe those with extraordinary low ground clearance. You are highly likely to see at least elephants, rhino, lion and cheetah. Leopards and buffalo are also relatively common sightings. Do visit - soon. You will not regret this step into this unique piece of nature.

After driving the whole day we managed to see one rhino, one warthog, one baboon, few giraffes, couple of zebras, wildebeests, impalas and some other antelopes. Couldn't spot any single elephant (their guide say it should be around 360 of them), no lions, cheetahs, hippos etc. on nice cloudy day. It was amazing how you can drive for many km and no be able to see even a single gazelle. Not sure if we were unlucky or there are just very few animals in Pilanesberg Park. It was also a bit disappointing to realize that the only food available in Pilanesberg center restaurant was horrible boerewors roll. So make sure you bring your own food.

Huge reserves where we can spot Giraffes, Elephants, Deer, Wilder beast, Zebras, Big cats…reasonable price and you also get restaurants at entry point to grab snacks and drinks

The main 'tar' road is atrocious!! You are seriously better off driving on the dirt roads. The attitudes of the staff who issue the park permits are also not welcoming or warm. Besides that, the park is a lovely place to see the Big 5 and is close enough for a weekend away from Gauteng.

Pilanesberg is, as always, a lovely outing, but be warned some of the dirt roads are not ideal for low sitting vehicles. We were in a Ford Raptor so we didn't struggle but other family members were in smaller cars so it was tough going off the main roads. Awesome day out!

Brilliant national park! Pilanesberg has clean restrooms at all the bird hides, all the roads are in a fine condition after all the rain (they are currently fixing potholes), the animals are beautiful and healthy. It is well priced for day visitors.

My first, but definitely not my last, safari experience. Our guided tour in the park was simply flawless. We saw all sorts of animals; rhinos, giraffes, impala, wildebeest, elephants, hippos and many many more. The facilities at the park, while not many, were sufficient and well-maintained. Highly recommended for those looking for a day trip out of Johannesburg!

Early 5:00 a.m. morning Safari It's chilly but definitely beautiful. I was able to capture some sunrises and sun settings. The animals were exceptionally a lifetime experience and I am so grateful I was able to experience it. The tour guides were exceptionally knowledgeable and I thank them all.

I absolutely love this place. If you love safari, I would recommend this place over Kruger National Park any day. Instead of being faced by ridiculous prices and long drives just to see nothing. You'll find this place booming with wildlife! You'll have a great chance of seeing the Big 5, and it's close to Sun City if you have an itch to go to the casino! Reasonable prices, great facilities, and a park that caters to wildlife enthusiasts! What more do you want? The only thing to be careful with is the overpriced "African" art produced by factories elsewhere being constantly pushed on you at the gates. It's a huge scam for your money so be careful! Rather, support the park by buying inside!

❤️ We have a great time 2 days 1 night at Pilanesberg National Park. Awesome...we will return soon!

We saw mostly elephants and kudu. Also brown hyena and impala. Roads are still very bad in most places. We really enjoy being in the bush. Thanks

The ideal day outing for those looking for a nice bosveld experience. The park is a good size for a short trip, with a lot of game and nice picnic spots. The gravel roads are a bit bumpy for low cars and the main roads have some potholes.

Love to come to the bushveld with the big 5. Road are not in a good condition. Potholes. Picnic spots are not maintained very well but still lovely to be in the bush. Picnic spot at Fish Eagle were over crowded during lunch time.

Amazing selection of animals and birds. Will always go back here to see wildlife.

Best Safari experience, we found 4 of 5 Africa’s big five

Game viewing was a bit disappointing but is still a good day outside in the wild. Fantastic landscape

Very nice place. Very nice family outing to do. There are a lot of animals and if you take the time and look for the animals as some of them are a distance away for the roads. I would definitely recommend taking binoculars with as it makes it so much nicer finding the animals.

Pilanesberg National Park is home to prolific wildlife and a dazzling diversity of birds about 2.5 hours away from Johannesburg and Pretoria. Easily accessible from these major cities, it makes a great day trip or multi-day stay. It's much smaller than massive Kruger National Park but as a consequence, it has a higher concentration of game. Pilanesberg lies in a transition zone, between the parched Kalahari Desert and the rain-soaked lowveld, which means you can see a rich variety of animals here. Besides most of the Big 5 (elephant, rhino, leopard, lion, and buffalo), you have the chance to spot African wild dogs, herds of zebra, the magnificent sable and roan antelope, giraffes, and more than 350 species of birds.

Roads in the park are in bad shape. Tarred road has many potholes. Gravel roads not so easy with a normal car. Scenery still beautiful

Great park with lots of animals ,such a huge place. had a wonderful experience, couple of restaurants also there to have lunch. the only problem is the map, map and sign boards are not clear for the EXIT. management should look into this to provide the seamless journey to the tourists.

Great guide allowed us to really enjoy the drive. With so many different animals it's a great place to see animals for the first time. Would really recommend for a visit.

A very good big game reserve for spotting the wild animals in their natural habitat. Had a lot of fun!

Thank you very much to my colleagues for arranging this trip before I return to my home country. Pilanesberg is a very worthwhile park to visit, where you can see animals such as elephants, giraffes, and zebras. You can enter the park in an off-road vehicle, and many animals pass by. You can observe up close, which is really an exciting experience.

We had a rough time in the bush of Botswana and we were sent here on our way to Johannesburg. It saved our trip. Wonderful park with lots to see. We stayed on the north side at a campground, only to be utterly shocked by the fact there's a GIANT resort like Disney World on the south.

Loved the nature, saw lots of animals and had lovley rain....

Nice safari trips to see wild animals in their natural habitat.... would have loved to see more African elephants....on three safari rides we could spot only one elephant....it's great that they offer early morning safari 👍👍 well maintained and safe national park 👍👍

Great elephant and rhino sightings. Very reasonable entry fees

Near Sun City, the Pilanesberg Game Reserve deserve a visit. If you go to Sun City, reserve a full day to do this park, because is not huge and allow you to, with more probability, to see the big five. Restaurant inside for the lunch stop. You can do it with your own car, or book a safari with people from the park.

Love the place. Always going to get good viewings

A yearly weekend of piece with the excitement of spotting wild animals. Alittle piece of heaven

Lovely! We managed to see 3 of the big 5. Buffalo and Leopard missing... Many more species could be seen including a family of cheetah. Nice place to go.

This place is amazing. Small enough to be intimate. We have had 4 days with a private tour guide and have seen beautiful scenery. So many animals and birds. Zebra. Elephant. Giraffe. Lions. Cheetah. Hyhena. Jackal. Rhino. Baboon. Monkey. Hippo. To name a few. You can self tour but I think having a trained guide you will see so much more. Soo worth the visit

Love the wild life... Saw a few cheetahs hunting it was amazing. Saw lots of elephants it was wonderful🤩

We loved our vacation there. The park has lots of hides with restrooms all over which was a necessity with small kids. We saw a wide variety of animals, and enjoyed our stay at Bakubung resort.

A wonderful reserve for a day outing, it is close enough to Johannesburg to drive there. Or perfect to stay over.

The place is good however expensive for us the local people, as much as we want to support you , your rating price is too high.Good environment to be in and refreshing mind to be

Beautiful Big five game reserve. The roads are not maintained.

Excellentgame drive, saw a lot of rarely seen animals

Saw lots of animals breakfast was lovely

Really lovely experience! Great sightings! I think the park could cater a little more towards tourists with regard to meal establishments but the ablution facilities are all over and best of all clean! Well done! The park is very well maintained and park officials are seen all over.

Roads are in a shocking state

Absolutely beautiful

Lovely place

Had great game drive. Saw most of the big5

Tranquil relaxing and full of wildlife

Well prepared your guides, patient n will try by all means to give you an experience you wont forget. Just the animals with disappoint u by not showing up😂😂

This really is a gem. It was our first visit, and we'll certainly be back. The topography is fascinating, all the more if you know that you're driving among the remnants of the magma chambers of an extinct, eroded volcano. One can see different minerals, rock formations and soil colorations. And then, of course, the abundance of wildlife is something to behold. On the day we visited, 23 Sep. 2020, we saw neither lion, rhino nor cheetah, but we didn't feel as though we'd missed out on anything. The elephants' behaviour at Ruighoek was something to behold. We do hope that the visitor's centre will soon re-open!

AMAZING!!

Loads of wildlife and self-drive allows you the spend as much time as you want, viewing animals.

There are plenty animals to see in this game reserve you will not miss one of the big 5

Fantastic

(Translated by Google) True wilderness experience .... (Original) Ware wildernis ervaring....

Beautiful reserve

Pilannesburg centre was dirty and the sightings map was taken down. The roads are falling apart

Nothing new to talk about

Stunning landscape that is bursting with wildlife!

(Translated by Google) Sun (Original) Sun

Peacfull, tranquil a great way to recharge mind body and soul

Roads need attention

Park is affected by veld fires at the moment with lots of the area being burnt black. Also all the stelletjies/gift shops are closed at the moment due to covid.

Life time animal watching, must visit for 3 to 5 days

Amazing. Will definitely come again

Welcome back after lockdown

What an awesome experience

Best ever

One of the most beautiful Parks with the most amazing landscapes, sunsets and you have the big five🦁🐯🐆🐘🦏

Saw a lot of elephants today.

Very busy on a Saturday (45 minutes to get in), quiet on a Sunday (5 minutes). Saw 4 of the big 4 (no lion). Much easier to spot animals from the dirt roads. Can cover most of the park in 2 days. Even if you see no animals, the views are breathtaking.

I have visited this national park quite frequently over the past couple of years and it is definitely one of my favorite places to visit. If it's staying for a few days or only visiting for a day I would recommend it. Pack a picnic basket with breakfast and lunch and enjoy your food at one of the many beautiful look outs with friends and family. I promise you won't regret it. Also know that you should take your time, drive slowly and enjoy the scenery.

What a wonderful experience. We were even greeted by the counter poaching unit, who tirelessly try to stop poaching. Men who, without getting a single dime, give up there weekends to patrol the park. Thank you to the cpu. I will surely go again.

Was excellent self drive, park is in great condition. Saw lots of animals. Wish I had more time. Price was reasonable

The best place to witness wildlife at its best if you're in Johannesburg. It's closer to you and you can catch all the wildlife and enjoy your own safari.

Absolutely amazing... We were able to see the big five

Roads are in a shocking condition. We gave up and left after 2 hours.

🔥🔥🔥🔥💆💆

The Villa at Bakubung and the service did not disappoint. Absolutely tranquil

It was ok. Could work a bit on the road and places to stop and eat or drink. And use the toilets

Really lovely park but the roads are absolutely disgusting... As the driver of the vehicle it was very difficult to view the game as you need to navigate your way around all the Potholes. Sanparks should take control of this park!

Always an amazing experience. Roads are in a bit of a state after all the rain.

Beautiful and just 2 hours from pretoria 👍

Realy really enjoyed it. Unfortunately it does seem be a little bit run down which is a bit sad. But I would seriously recommend still going

Greatest place ever

(Translated by Google) it's a miracle lime coming out but the dirt roads are impassable for normal vehicles (Original) dit is n wonnerlime uitkom maar die grond paaie is onrybaar vir normale voertuie

It was so special and it was my first time seeing all big five in one day.....

Nature at your door step

I have always loved the Pilansberg. Been on holiday from Cape Town numerous times and were never disappointed in the beauty and peace that surrounds the area. Never been here this time of the year, end January, and it is so beautifully green. I would have given it 5 stars but many of the roads are in very bad condition, both surfaced and gravel roads. The roads are also getting narrower because of the degradation. Many poholes that can be fixed. Still highly recommend this beautiful place anytime.

Always great. Heaps of elephants this time.

I guess most of the animals were on quarantine that day...except Springboks and few Zebras

Always something interesting to see.

Great experience nice place to see all wild animals

Lovely Park the only problem is the potholes on the road

Clean well maintained in the heart of the Pilanesberg. A must visit.

Lovely place, but road repairs need to be done

Roads are terrible. Staff friendly.

What a wonderful reserve. So nice in so many ways.

Very good outing for a family.

Beautiful scenery and a great variety of wildlife but awful roads - potholes everywhere, especially on the tarred roads.

Roads in terrible condition. Restaurant is just as bad.

Visited on 27/12. Covid protocols are flouted at the the entrance. No temperature being done inspite of provision being made on the information form. Also visitors at the pilanesberg centre are not wearing masks or sanitizing on entry. No game rangers were seen and people were even flouting park rules - kids sticking their heads through sun roofs and micro busses driving around with sliding doors open. Really disappointing in light of increasing number of positive case.

Roads are terrible! Please fix the roads! Restaurant area - mmm .. Nothing to say, bad! OH, and some game Ranger who had a really bad attitude! Please teach them some manners

Beautiful park and great sightings in this trip

We called the park a day earlier and asked how the restaurant works. They said yes, it works. There was no restaurant. The kitchen was demolished. R33 chips R30 shortbrad in the store.

Excellent game viewing. Roads can use a little TLC.

Lovely

There are no lions

Roads are dreadful and need a lot of attention to get it back to an acceptable standard. The Pilanesberg center is such a disappointment and yes we know covid has had an impact on it but they are open and serving the public so they could make an effort to tidy it up. Otherwise the animals and lush veld was good to see

An amazing game Reserve and the closest to Johannesburg. Roads need a bit of attention but this can be overlooked with the great game you can see on a self drive

Superb game viewing! Highly recommend visiting the Pilanesberg for stunning views and well maintained facilities.

As usual we had amaizig sightings. This place will never stop to amaize and entertain me.

What an awesome experience, truly have no words

A beautiful place, I can't wait to go back. Didn't see much but I really enjoyed myself.....

Lovely lovely experience At Pilanesburg.Weather was nice and cool and saw a variety of animals. The tour guide was very informative and the ride was worth it

I loved it. I could see 4 of the big-5 because guides are really great. The park has a manageable size and lots of animals. Very advisable if you are in Johannesburg. It's only 2 hours drive.

Park beautiful. Game plenty. Had to wait 20 minutes for lady to arrive to do her job and let us pay and enter park at 05:30 as gate times state. .not ok. !!!! tourists are entitled to enter park at given gate times.(Manylane gate )

Very nice experience. The price for the self drive is affordable. You can drive at your own pace and the park is well looked after. We had the best experience to be very close to a bull elephant that was walking on the mountain pass. We were also lucky to se a pregnant zebra that was right in front of my vehicle. I will definitely recommend it for a fun full day outing. Please remember to not rush and take a cool box with cool drinks and snacks as it is very hot out side and put your trash in the trash bins to keep the park clean.

Great park, basically a mini Kruger with mountains. Easy trip from JHB if you sleep over.

Simply amazing! Saw the big 5 in just 3 days.

I found it dissapointing. Drove around for about 3 hours and saw virtually no animals. Mostly saw giraffes. Roads were also in bad condition. I took family from Cape Town to the Park, so was very dissapointed of the lack of game viewing! Visiting the Lion and Rhino park in Muldersdrift would of been a lot better and definitely a much better experience and far more value for money!

It was a self drive for just a day tour... Was around 8.45 am at the gate... Saw 2 lions in just 20 min after entering and 5 min after tem spotted 2 elephants playing in the water... And it was that's it 😅😅😅 few zebras and deers here and there... Looked for another 4-5 hrs. To spot animals... Not even a soul we found... All the managements and other things are good... But you'll regret if you're expecting big 5s..

Great park, so close to Sun City with convenient pick-up within the Sun City complex. A wild variety of wildlife and a large area as well. Very impressive, especially after good rains.

Great touring experience. Very cost effective compared to other reserves. Tons of big animals.

Have visited this park many times over the past 6 years, and loved it every time! Always great sightings and such friendly people around. Many great resorts surrounding this park including Bakubung Lodge and Manyane Resort. Definitely worth visiting this park at least once, but you'll still love it just as much the tenth time

This is a huge park, they have the big 5. We always managed to see these beautiful animals up close. Amazing experience.

Had an amazing three days, saw everything you could possibly think of. Lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino and elephant. Accommodation at Bakubung Bush Lodge fantastic. Food and people amazing.

I love nature and seeing wildlife in its natural state such as seen in Pilanesberg and it has some breathtaking views, but we were let down by a few things. The roads are in a horrible state, both tarmac and dirt, and some facilities/picnic spots are either rundown or without water so the toilets are badly clogged and the smells are unpleasant. It would seem that every time we visit things are worse, but this time I had to say something. Management, can you please look after this gem and restore my confidence in this place, it has so much potential, but we are let down by those in charge, volunteers and people who help can only do so much. I regret not always having my phone with me for better pictures, but I can at least show the beauty of some animals.

We visited the park through a morning excursion in connection to our hotel. Although it was a fairly overcast day we saw four out of five of the Big Five. The only one we did not see was a Cape Buffalo. Since we were on a tour we had limited time and mobility. If we were on a self- guided tour we possibly would have seen even more wildlife.

What a treat from hospitality, accommodation, food and experience......just must visit. Amazing. Thanks Bakubung Bush Lodge - owner and staff

One of my favorite Reserves so sad to see the roads are in such a bad condition and "ready mix tat" just lying wasted on the road side. Still a nice vist but would not recommend going in a small car.

We did the self-drive and it was worth it. Saw 3 of the big 5 and various other animals. Will be back