Check out the wildlife
If you have a tight schedule, you don’t have to go to the Kruger National Park to see some of the country’s famed wildlife. A 90-minute drive from Pretoria is Warmbaths, a provincial town known for its hot water springs. Visit the springs for a rejuvenating soak, but spend most of your time at one of the many private game reserves in the area. Mabula Lodge is one of the most famous, but there are plenty of parks and reserves on all sides of town. There are also farms here that offer wild game hunting, if that is your thing.
Tswaing Meteorite Crater Museum
One of only four meteorite crater museums in the world, the Tswaing Crater and its museum lie roughly 40 kilometres north of Pretoria. Not only is this one of the best preserved meteorite craters in the world, but it definitely is the most accessible - you can walk right down into the crater. It lies surrounded by a ring of hills - the walls of the impact left by an asteroid that hit here 200,000 years ago, leaving a crater 100 metres high and a kilometre in diameter. The impact was the equivalent of around 100 atomic bombs similar to that dropped on Hiroshima - all life forms would have vaporised. Alongside the crater lies the museum.
Go sailing on the Hartebeespoort Dam
The Hartebeespoort Dam is Pretoria’s most popular weekend playground. Located only a few minutes drive from the city, it offers excellent water sports and lovely lakeside resorts. Sunday is the most popular day for visitors and there is plenty to do in and around the dam, ranging from flea markets and animal parks to horse-riding and country festivals. Of course, sailing and waterskiing are the most popular pastimes. Most facilities are open all week, so it is better to opt for a mid-week break, when it will be quiet and relaxing.
Watch the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld Stadium
The sporting heart of the city is the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, which hosts the city’s most important rugby and football games. It was revamped as one of the stadiums for the 2010 Football World Cup, but also hosted games during the Rugby World Cup in 1985. The provincial rugby team, the Blue Bulls, is one of the best in the country and supporters are reknowned for wearing hats adorned with bull horns. Don’t get in their way when their team is rampaging to another victory!
Take a tour of Johannesburg
Pretoria residents like to speak disparagingly about their big, brash neighbour, but there is plenty to see in Johannesburg, the country’s business capital. For one, it boasts truly excellent shopping at the upmarket malls in Sandton. But you should also check out the Gold Reef City theme park, the Apartheid Museum and the township of Soweto. Take a guided tour – only the brave would take on the traffic in the city while trying to make sense of the directions on a map!
Spend a day at Sun City
A very popular day trip from Pretoria takes you to Sun City, a massive casino and leisure resort near Rustenburg. The drive takes about an hour and there is a bus service from Pretoria to the resort. Sun City offers a day in a luxury country setting, the highlight being a huge water theme park with wave pool, man-made beach and thrilling rides. You can also try out a selection of water sports on the lake or make use of one of the many sports facilities. The complex, which has three luxury hotels and a timeshare resort, has a number of good restaurants and a casino offering slot and table games.
Go hot air ballooning
A number of operators offer hot air ballooning, usually in the early hours of the morning. You can watch the sun rise as you gently float over the Magaliesberg Mountains or the Cradle of Humankind, located a short drive from the city.
