Region
Tshwane
Stay in Pretoria (central Tshwane); visit Tswaing Meteorite Crater and the South African Airforce Museum as day trips (≈30 km (19 mi) each).Stay in Pretoria (central Tshwane); visit Tswaing Meteorite Crater and the South African Airforce Museum as day trips (≈19 mi (30 km) each).
More: share, save offline, report a correction
More
Key facts · South Africa
- Currency
- South African rand
- Language
- 12 official languages
- Plugs
- M · C · N · 230 V
- Time zone
- South Africa Standard Time
Rules in force · 10Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive befor…
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- Southern Africa ↗A rental car may leave its home country only with the rental company's cross-border letter, the registration papers and paid road taxes at each post; driving into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Angola without them ends at the border.
- Southern Africa ↗Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive before sunset: livestock, wildlife, pedestrians and unlit trucks make night driving the main cause of serious visitor accidents.
- South Africa ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport with the Department of Home Affairs or a South African mission before booking; exemptions depend on nationality, and the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is optional for most visa-exempt visitors in 2026.
- South Africa ↗Travelling with children: accompanied foreign children no longer need a birth certificate, but unaccompanied minors, South African children and some passports that omit parents' names still do; check with Home Affairs and your airline before you fly.
- South Africa ↗Driving is on the left. If your licence is not in English or has no photo, get an International Driving Permit before you travel; rental companies also check it.
- South Africa ↗National park gates open and close at fixed times; you must be inside your camp before the gate closes, and speed limits in parks are enforced.
- Gauteng ↗Rent a car for anything off the Gautrain line; public transport is limited outside the rail corridor and scheduled buses.
- Gauteng ↗Visit townships only with an operator; keep valuables out of sight in the car and ask your hotel which blocks to avoid on foot.
Tshwane is the metro area centred on Pretoria, the administrative capital. Base yourself in central Pretoria and use it as a hub for day trips to nearby attractions such as Tswaing Meteorite Crater and the South African Airforce Museum, both about 30 km away.
Where to sleep
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Pretoria 2 nights, day‑trip Tswaing Crater and Airforce Museum
- 4 nights
- Pretoria 3 nights, add Hartebeesthoek Observatory and skydiving as optional trips
- Traffic on N14/Ben Schoeman can be heavy during rush hour; allow extra travel time.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tswaing Meteorite Crater | Pretoria | 45 min | check | 30 km (19 mi) north, good for a short hike; drive or shuttle.19 mi (30 km) north, good for a short hike; drive or shuttle. |
| South African Airforce Museum | Pretoria | 40 min | check | Located at AFB Swartkop near Centurion; free entry. |
Bags between cities
Luggage forwarding between hotels in Pretoria and outlying sites is generally not needed for short day trips.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pretoria | × | × | ok | go | go | × | × | ok | go | go | ok | × |
| Gauteng (country-wide) | – | – | – | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | ok | – | – | – |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Tshwane: what we know, and what is coming
1 of 1 places open
On this page
- 1 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
- How to split 2 or 4 nights
- 2 day trips with door-to-door time
- Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
- What to do with the big bag between beds
Coming as the guide grows
- Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
- Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
- Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
- Regional food: what, where and when it works
Meanwhile
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids1 partIn numbers
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 1 base
- Day trips
- 2, 40 min to 45 min
- Nights suggested
- 2–4 nights
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source
Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources
Sources
Ask about Tshwane
Loading…
Was this useful?