Where to stay in Pretoria — pick the right hotel, book in 3 clicks

Local dishes to try in Pretoria

1. 1🥩

   Braai & Boerewors

   Braai is South Africa's national barbecue ritual, and boerewors is the spiced beef sausage at its heart, served hot off the grill in a roll with fried onions and sauce. Try a meat-focused spot like Bosvelder for the full spread.

   📍 Grilled meat & farmer's sausage
2. 2🍛

   Bunny Chow

   A hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with rich curry, chicken, lamb or vegetable, with the bread soaking up every drop. A hearty South African classic you'll find at spots like Baobab in Menlyn.

   📍 Curry in a bread loaf
3. 3🍩

   Vetkoek

   Literally "fat cake" in Afrikaans: deep-fried dough that's crisp outside and soft within, stuffed with savoury mince, cheese or sweet apricot jam. A beloved street-food snack that doubles as a quick meal.

   📍 Stuffed fried dough
4. 4🥓

   Biltong

   South Africa's air-dried, spiced cured meat, tender and aromatic rather than tough. A national snacking obsession and an easy gift to take home, sold at shops in malls across the city.

   📍 Spiced cured meat
5. 5🍲

   Bobotie & Potjiekos

   Bobotie is a baked spiced mince topped with savoury custard, while potjiekos is a slow-cooked stew simmered in a three-legged cast-iron pot over coals until the meat falls apart. Comforting, home-style Afrikaner cooking.

   📍 Heritage one-pot dishes
6. 6🥧

   Melktert

   A silky milk tart dusted with cinnamon, the classic Afrikaner sweet found in nearly every cafe and bakery. The perfect soft, creamy way to end a Pretoria meal.

   📍 Milk tart dessert

1. 1🏛️

   Union Buildings

   The 1913 sandstone seat of government where Mandela was inaugurated president in 1994. The building isn't open to the public, but the terraced gardens out front are free to wander and home to a 9-metre statue of Mandela with arms outstretched. A favourite spot for city views.

   📍 Seat of government + Mandela statue
2. 2🗿

   Voortrekker Monument

   Built in the 1930s to honour the Great Trek, the 19th-century Boer migration inland. Inside, the Hall of Heroes holds the world's largest marble frieze across 27 panels, and you can climb to the top for panoramic views over the surrounding nature reserve.

   📍 40 m granite monument
3. 3🕊️

   Freedom Park

   A memorial and museum complex telling the story of South Africa's struggle for freedom. A wall nearly 700 metres long is inscribed with more than 75,000 names of those who died in the country's conflicts, alongside the //hapo museum charting history from the earliest eras.

   📍 Liberation memorial + museum
4. 4🦁

   National Zoological Gardens

   Spread over 85-plus hectares with a huge range of wildlife, including rare and endangered species. A cable car carries you over the hilltop for sweeping views of the enclosures, and there are riverside spots for a picnic, making it an easy full-day outing with kids.

   📍 South Africa's largest zoo
5. 5⛪

   Church Square

   The historic heart of Pretoria, dominated by a statue of Paul Kruger and ringed by handsome heritage buildings such as the Groote Kerk and the old Palace of Justice. A pleasant place to take in the city's colonial-era architecture on foot.

   📍 Central square + Kruger statue
6. 6🌿

   Pretoria National Botanical Garden

   Founded in 1946, this 76-hectare garden weaves together wetland, cycad, succulent and medicinal plant collections. Bring a picnic to spread under the trees, or settle in at the on-site coffee shop and restaurant for a relaxed afternoon.

   📍 76-hectare botanical garden
7. 7🦏

   Rietvlei Nature Reserve

   A roughly 4,000-hectare reserve south of the city where you can self-drive past white rhino, buffalo, eland and cheetah. With hiking trails, picnic spots and braai facilities, it's a great-value way to glimpse big game right on the city's doorstep.

   📍 Self-drive game reserve
8. 8💎

   Cullinan Diamond Mine

   About 45 km northeast in the town of Cullinan, this mine has operated since 1903 and produced the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. Guided surface tours make it a rewarding half- or full-day trip from the city.

   📍 Historic mine (day trip)