Heading North: An extraordinary journey through old Pretoria

We are broadening our horizons and heading north to Pretoria, for an exclusive walking tour around the historic city centre! 

Starting at Kruger House (we won't be going inside but it's worth a visit if you want to stay after the tour), our journey takes us down to Church Square and back, via the Staatsmodel School and Burgers Park. 

We have also gained exclusive access to the old Raadsaal building that dates from 1889, one of the first buildings to be upgraded after the discovery of gold. Here, the offices of the last president of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek and his secretary remain undisturbed, just waiting to be explored.

Along the way, we’ll find out many things about our neighbour in the north: the story of legendary Chief Tshwane; how a few ox wagons in the Fountains Valley expanded into a capital city; why the British insisted on referring to the ZAR as the ‘Transvaal’; why the 4th president of the ZAR was labelled a ‘heretic’; what happened to the Kruger Millions; the true story of Winston Churchill’s ‘Great Escape’; who controlled the system of concessions and kickbacks that controlled the Republic’s economy; what happened to the Dopper Church’s golden clock hands; and much more besides.

Don’t miss this fascinating excursion with expert Pretoria guide, Janet Coetzee. 

Please wear comfortable walking shoes (the route is about 3kms in total) and bring along a hat and plenty of drinking water. 

The meeting place is Kruger House in Pretoria Central. Please organise your own transport OR there is the option to catch the Gautrain from Sandton to Pretoria. Please note: the Gautrain departs Sandton at 09.08 and tickets are for your own account. From Pretoria Station, there will be an additional walk of about 1km to Kruger House making the tour about 5km in total. A JHF guide will be at Sandton station from 08.45 to help facilitate the Gautrain journey.