How To Spend 24 Hours In Pretoria

The capital city of South Africa is a fantastic place to discover local culture, food, art and entertainment and you could easily spend a week or more delving into all it has to offer. But if time is short, then here are our suggestions on how best to spend 24 hours in Pretoria.

Morning

After a delicious breakfast at your boutique hotel or at any one of the best breakfast spots in town, head over to the Voortrekker Monument to learn about the history of the Afrikaner people. Climb the 169 steps from the Hall of Heroes to gaze down upon the Cenotaph from the top of the dome.

Afterwards, explore the grounds on foot or jump onto a bicycle or into your car for a jaunt through the nature reserve to spot some non-predatory animals, including Burchell’s zebra, springbucks, black wildebeest, red hartbeest and black-backed jackals.

If there is time left, pay a visit to Freedom Park to learn more about those who sacrificed their lives for freedom during the Struggle and the Apartheid years.

Afternoon

Unpack your picnic lunch in the beautiful gardens on the grounds of the Union Buildings, all the while ooh-ing and ah-ing at the spectacular view across the city. Pay your respects at the statue of Madiba and gape in wonder at the impressive architecture of the buildings that house the seat of the South African government.

Then, if it’s October, take a leisurely drive through the suburban streets of Groenkloof and surrounds to see the world-famous purple jacaranda trees in bloom.

If not, consider taking a stroll through the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens, or head further out to take a tour of the delightful Sammy Marks museum where your guide, dressed in period clothes, will show you around the Victorian mansion where you might even encounter a ghost!

Evening

If it’s the season and you’re a sports fan, then there’s no better way to immerse yourself in the culture of Pretoria than by attending a rugby game at Loftus Versfeld stadium. Watch the Blue Bulls in action and learn why the city is so obsessed with this game.

Otherwise, you may want to indulge in some retail therapy by perusing the shops in Menlyn shopping center, Africa’s largest mall. Here there’s everything from brand-name clothing to movies and kids’ entertainment to world-class restaurants, and cafes are at your fingertips.

If you and the night are both still young, join the hip and trendy just across the road at Menlyn Maine, where you can sip cocktails and rub shoulders with the in-crowd until the early hours of the morning.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.