One of the most charming Victorian-style towns with a village feel best describes Cullinan, an old mining town located east of Pretoria in the Gauteng Province. The town is best known for the largest diamond ever discovered and diamonds are still being extracted here.

Cullinan is named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, a prospector who started a mining operation at the start of the 20th Century and was later knighted for his contribution to industry.

The town is roughly an hour away from Pretoria and Johannesburg and a short distance from the malaria-free Big 5 game parks in the Dinokeng area.  

Cullinan offers something for everyone; a welcome weekend escape for city dwellers seeking family fun, sporting activities, outdoor adventure or just a place to unwind and relax.  

Top 6 reasons to visit Cullinan

1. Take a walk along Oak Avenue to follow the arts and crafts route, admire the building architecture, enjoy a meal at one of the many fine restaurants, view the Italian prisoner-of-war murals in the Cullinan Recreation Club and visit the quirky McHardy Museum.

2. Join an organised surface tour of the Cullinan Diamond Mine. The tour covers the mine operation through to the winding room, the diamond cutting process and ends off at the final sale product. In 2014, the mine extracted a 24-carat Fancy Intense Blue diamond, one of the largest ever discovered.

3. If you don’t mind heights, try the Gorge Glide offered by Adventure Zone. The glide travels over the spectacular Muningi Gorge along 4 zip lines. The area is scenically spectacular and the zip line gives an interesting bird’s eye view of the gorge, that is, if you can keep your eyes open!

4. Stop in at Zau Spa for a hot stone body treatment to get the blood flowing. The spa offers various packages that include a light meal, snacks and a range of options.

5. Regular golfers at the Cullinan Golf Club will tell you that their 9-hole course is one of the finest and the beautiful setting and well-designed course layout makes it difficult to disagree.

6. Stop in at the popular Cockpit Brewhouse to sample their craft beer while listening to live music. There is a restaurant on the premises and the venue regularly hosts events on weekends.

Transport

The nearest airport to Cullinan is OR Tambo International Airport, 73km away. An alternate airport for chartered flights is the Wonderboom Airport outside Pretoria and 50km from Cullinan. There are several car rental agencies in Pretoria, Johannesburg and at OR Tambo airport to hire a vehicle, or you could order a rental online. Numerous metered taxi and shuttle service companies operate throughout the area for transfers to and from Cullinan.

Did you know?

The world’s largest diamond was discovered in Cullinan in 1905. In an uncut state it weighed 3106-carats and was presented to King Edward VII as a gift. It was shipped to Amsterdam for cutting into 9 stones, 2 of which grace Queen Elizabeth II crown jewels. The remaining 7 are in the possession of English royalty.

The owners of the nearby Muningi Gorge allowed the area to rehabilitate for 10 years before opening it up to the public. Thankfully the area is now pristine and wildlife has returned to this magnificent gorge.