Sun City South Africa

Sun City South Africa

Travel Tips

Best Time to Visit Sun City

Sun City’s temperate, malaria-free climate makes it a great year-round destination. Peak season at Sun City coincides with South Africa’s summer and Easter national school vacations, which run from December to January and around April, respectively. Expect hot weather, greater guest numbers and less room availability over these periods. The late autumn and winter months – from about May to September - are cooler and quieter but check before you book when the Valley of Waves is scheduled to close down for a month for annual maintenance.

Getting to Sun City

BY AIR There are no direct flights to Sun City. Ideally, visitors would fly to Johannesburg first and then either hop onto a Sun City private transfer or rent a vehicle. There is an airstrip at Pilanesberg National Park for private charters, which must be arranged prior to travel. BY ROAD Sun City lies 200km or 125 miles from Johannesburg and many guests rent a car to drive themselves after flying into OR Tambo International Airport. The journey takes approximately 2.5 hours but it is important to note that this could take longer as the roads are narrow with heavy traffic. Alternatively, you can book a private shuttle that will transfer you directly from Johannesburg to Sun City.

Getting Around Sun City

As the Cabanas, Soho Hotel and Cascades are located in close proximity to one another, you can generally walk wherever you wish to go. The Palace of the Lost City is further away and guests can make use of the complimentary inter-hotel shuttle service. Guests who have driven to Sun City can drop their hire cars at their hotel’s entrance, where the valet parking service will park them. Day visitors park at the main parking lot, which is located just outside Sun City, and take the complimentary monorail service to the Welcome Centre.

What to Pack for a Sun City Holiday

Sun City is largely a casual but upscale destination and typical resort clothes – sneakers or trainers, sandals, jeans, sun dresses, shorts and T-shirts - are suitable for most areas. Because summer days are hot, please ensure you have ample sun protection, including caps or hats and a high SPF lotion. For winter, add warm jackets and long trousers, as well as gloves, closed shoes, socks, scarves and beanies if you intend on doing early morning or late evening game drives or hot-air balloon rides. Restaurants at The Palace of the Lost City tend to be either smart-casual or semi-formal – men should wear long trousers, closed shoes (not trainers) and collared shirts (not T-shirts) with sports jackets but ties are not necessary. Silhouette Nightclub also has a smart-casual dress code (no peak caps, trainers or printed T-shirts permitted). Golfers are expected to wear standard golf wear (appropriate shoes and collared golf shirts). Should you find you have forgotten to pack a specific item, Sun City has a number of boutique stores as well as two surf shops selling swimwear.