Day trips

The 10 Best Day Trips from Pretoria

Drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan for every place worth the trip.

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There are 10 good day trips from Pretoria, South Africa, led by Johannesburg, Soweto, Soshanguve. The closest is Diepsloot, about 40 min by car, and 5 of them fit into half a day. Below: drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan.

Day trips from Pretoria at a glance

DestinationDistanceDrive timeBest as
Johannesburg53 km S1 hrHalf-day trip
Soweto67 km SW1 hr 15 minFull-day trip
Soshanguve32 km N35 minHalf-day trip
Evaton94 km S1 hr 30 minFull-day trip
Thembisa28 km S40 minHalf-day trip
Vereeniging106 km S1 hr 40 minFull-day trip
Rustenburg95 km W1 hr 30 minFull-day trip
Emalahleni106 km E1 hr 40 minFull-day trip
Diepsloot27 km SW40 minHalf-day trip
Randburg43 km SW50 minHalf-day trip

Drive times are estimates from the distance. Check live traffic before you leave.

The best day trips from Pretoria

  1. 1

    Johannesburg, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 1 hr by car53 km south of Pretoria2 hr round trip

    Known for Johannesburg Zoo.

    Also nearby: Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan.

  2. 2

    Soweto, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 15 min by car67 km south-west of Pretoria2 hr 30 min round trip

    Known for Ghandi Tolstoy Farm.

    Also nearby: Krugersdorp, Roodepoort.

  3. 3

    Soshanguve, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 35 min by car32 km north of Pretoria1 hr 10 min round trip

    Known for Crater Viewpoint.

  4. 4

    Evaton, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 30 min by car94 km south of Pretoria3 hr round trip
  5. 5

    Thembisa, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 40 min by car28 km south of Pretoria1 hr 20 min round trip
  6. 6

    Vereeniging, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 40 min by car106 km south of Pretoria3 hr 20 min round trip
  7. 7

    Rustenburg, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 30 min by car95 km west of Pretoria3 hr round trip
  8. 8

    Emalahleni, South Africa

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 40 min by car106 km east of Pretoria3 hr 20 min round trip
  9. 9

    Diepsloot, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 40 min by car27 km south-west of Pretoria1 hr 20 min round trip
  10. 10

    Randburg, South Africa

    Half-day trip
    About 50 min by car43 km south-west of Pretoria1 hr 40 min round trip

A sample day trip: Pretoria to Johannesburg

A realistic pace for Johannesburg, 53 km from Pretoria. Packy AI builds this for any place on the list, with a route, opening hours and timings you can edit.

  1. 08:30Leave Pretoria
  2. 09:30Arrive in Johannesburg (1 hr drive)
  3. 09:45Johannesburg Zoo
  4. 11:45Lunch
  5. 13:00Explore the old town, markets and cafes of Johannesburg
  6. 15:30Head back to Pretoria
  7. 16:30Home in Pretoria

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What are the best day trips from Pretoria?
The best day trips from Pretoria are Johannesburg, Soweto, Soshanguve, Evaton, Thembisa. The closest is Diepsloot, about 40 min away by car.
What is the closest day trip from Pretoria?
Diepsloot is the closest, 27 km south-west of Pretoria, roughly 40 min by car. Best as a half-day trip.
Where can I go within an hour of Pretoria?
5 places are within about an hour's drive of Pretoria: Diepsloot (40 min), Thembisa (40 min), Soshanguve (35 min), Randburg (50 min), Johannesburg (1 hr).
What is the biggest city near Pretoria for a day out?
Johannesburg is the largest city in day-trip range, 53 km south of Pretoria and about 1 hr by car. With that much to see, start early or stay the night.
How far is too far for a day trip from Pretoria?
Up to about two hours each way keeps the day relaxed. The farthest place on this list is Emalahleni at 106 km, around 1 hr 40 min by car.

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