# Things to see in Pietermaritzburg (South Africa): 9 places and when to go > Pietermaritzburg is a city in South Africa with around 751,000 inhabitants, and this site lists 9 places in and around it, mainly Nature (5), Mountains (3), Museums and art (3). The best known are Midmar Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden and Mount Gilboa. The best time to come is October to April; also possible: May to September. In December there are 13 h 53 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 07. Here is what there is, when to go, how to get there and what else is nearby. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/pietermaritzburg/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **Where:** South Africa · -29.61, 30.39 - **Population:** About 751,000 - **Places:** 9 places on this site, in the town and around it. - **What people come for:** [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/naturaleza/) (5) · [Mountains](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/montana/) (3) · [Museums and art](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/museos/) (3) · [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/fauna/) (2) · [With kids](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/familia/) (1) - **Best time:** October to April. - **Also possible:** May to September. - **Nearest airport:** DUR Durban, 71 km as the crow flies - **Highest point:** Nhlosane, at 1,977 m. ## What to see in Pietermaritzburg The places in and around Pietermaritzburg, best known first, each with its own page: what it is, when to go and what is next to it. Distances are from the centre, as the crow flies. - [Midmar Nature Reserve](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/midmar-nature-reserve/): Nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa · 23 km - [KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/kwa-zulu-natal-national-botanical-gardens/): Botanical garden in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa · 4.2 km - [Mount Gilboa](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/mount-gilboa/): Mountain in South Africa · 37 km - [Nhlosane](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/nhlosane/): Mountain in South Africa · 43 km - [Swartkop](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/swartkop/): Mountain in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa · 13 km - [Comrades Marathon House](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/comrades-marathon-house/): Museum · 696 m - [Natal Lion Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/natal-lion-park/): Animal park near Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa · 14 km - [Nelson Mandela Capture Site – Visitor Center and Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/nelson-mandela-capture-site-visitor-center-and-museum/): Museum · 27 km - [Tatham Art Gallery](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/tatham-art-gallery/): Gallery · 1.3 km ## When to go to Pietermaritzburg The best time to visit Pietermaritzburg is **October to April**; also possible: May to September. This comes from its own places: a month counts as the town's best time when it is the best time for half of what there is to see. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Best time | 13 h 42 | | February | Best time | 13 h 02 | | March | Best time | 12 h 13 | | April | Best time | 11 h 17 | | May | Possible | 10 h 31 | | June | Possible | 10 h 07 | | July | Possible | 10 h 16 | | August | Possible | 10 h 56 | | September | Possible | 11 h 50 | | October | Best time | 12 h 44 | | November | Best time | 13 h 31 | | December | Best time | 13 h 53 | In December there are 13 h 53 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 07. In January, 9 of the 9 places are at their best. When to go to South Africa in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/#cuando-ir). ## Getting to Pietermaritzburg The nearest main airport is King Shaka International Airport (DUR, Durban), 71 km as the crow flies. How to get around South Africa (train, car, bus) is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/#moverse), and what to sort out before you leave is in [its checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/#antes-de-salir). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-29.61%2C30.39) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-29.61%2C30.39) ## Other towns nearby - [Durban](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/durban/): 20 places · 63 km - [Port Shepstone](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/port-shepstone/): 8 places · 124 km - [Swinburne](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/swinburne/): 5 places · 174 km - [Port St. Johns](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/port-st-johns/): 7 places · 239 km - [Volksrust](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/volksrust/): 5 places · 255 km - [Bloemfontein](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/bloemfontein/): 8 places · 407 km And all of South Africa, in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is there to see in Pietermaritzburg? The best known: [Midmar Nature Reserve](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/midmar-nature-reserve/), [KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/kwa-zulu-natal-national-botanical-gardens/), [Mount Gilboa](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/mount-gilboa/), [Nhlosane](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/nhlosane/), [Swartkop](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/sudafrica/swartkop/). In all, 9 places in the town and around it, all on your trip map from day one. ### When is the best time to visit Pietermaritzburg? October to April; also possible: May to September. In December there are 13 h 53 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 07. ### How do you get to Pietermaritzburg? The nearest main airport is King Shaka International Airport (DUR), 71 km away. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-29.61%2C30.39) opens the route on the map. ### How do I add it to my trip? Create a trip with Pietermaritzburg as the destination and these 9 places are on your map, each with its category. The ones you like go into a day's plan with one tap, and Kokai reminds you when you pass nearby. Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), licensed under the ODbL, from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0, cities from [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) and airports from [OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/data/). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).