One To Two Hours Drive

If you hire a car in Johannesburg, you can reach the following attractions within one to two hours.

Sun City and the Pilanesburg National Park

North West Province, South Africa

Sun City is one of the most famous places in South Africa, and you can reach it in just under two hours in your Johannesburg hire car.

The Sun City resort was designed by Sol Kerzner, and was envisaged as the country's answer to Las Vegas. Capitalising on some obscure loopholes in South Africa's anti-gambling laws, Sun City became a haven for wealthy people seeking entertainment. In the mid-1980s, it became the focus of anti-apartheid campaigners, partly because it was built in an area that was designed for Africans but few, if any, would be able to afford to visit it, and partly because it continued to try and attract major music acts during a cultural boycott of South Africa.

Since 1994, when South Africa became a democracy and the last apartheid laws were abolished, Sun City expanded and gained a reputation as a luxurious holiday resort which provides great entertainment.

There are four hotels to choose from at the resort, and the Cabanas Hotel is specifically aimed at families. During the day, you can cool off at the Valley of the Waves water park where you can enjoy a wave pool, flumes and many more thrilling water adventures in dramatic settings. There are also plenty of sports activities to try. You can play a round on the golf course, go horse riding, play tennis, or try water skiing, parasailing, quad biking, archery or clay pigeon shooting. You can even take an elephant riding trip!

In the evening, you can enjoy a meal and then visit the casino, enjoy a show or just relax at one of the resort's bars.

If you're staying at Sun City for a day or two, you can also use your Johannesburg hire car to explore the neighbouring Pilanesberg National Park. This game reserve is located on the site of an ancient volcanic crater and is home to many species of animals and birds, including "the big five": lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants and rhino. You can drive through the park in your hire car, relax on a guided tour, or even take a balloon safari over the park.

Opening times: Please check with each attraction.

Directions: To get to Sun City and the Pilanesburg National Park by car, Leave Johannesburg on the N4, and drive through Mooninooi, Kroondal and Rustenburg. Come off the N4 and take the R565, past Phokeng and Boshoek, to Sun City.