Depart from Johannesburg for an excursion of Pretoria, SA's administrative capital, visiting all the historical sites and places of interest. The highlights are the Voortrekker Monument, Kruger House, Church Square, the City Hall, State Theatre/Opera House and the Union Buildings. After lunch an excursion is made to the working Diamond mine at Cullinan, original source of the famous diamond in the British Crown Jewels.

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The settlement of Johannesburg began in 1886, when gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand by an Australian prospector named George Harrison. The discovery spurred a feverish gold rush as fortune hunters from all over the world descended on the area. Blacks from all parts of southern Africa came to work the gold fields either permanently or temporarily as contract laborers. The government of the Transvaal, then a Boer republic, established a city at the site, and in the space of three years it became the largest settlement in South Africa. By the 1890s, several large mining companies had taken control of the area's gold mines, creating huge fortunes for their owners. Tensions between the mine barons, the English-speaking newcomers to the area, and the Transvaal's Boer government—fed by British colonial aspirations in the region—led to the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1901. By its end, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State were under British control.

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.

Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. The elder Pretorius had become a national hero of the Voortrekkers after his victory over the Zulus in the Battle of Blood River. Andries Pretorius also negotiated the Sand River Convention (1852), in which Britain acknowledged the independence of the Transvaal. It became the capital of the South African Republic  (ZAR) on 1 May 1860. The founding of Pretoria as the capital of the South African Republic can be seen as marking the end of the Boers' settlement movements of the Great Trek.

The majestic Voortrekker Monument is situated in the northern part of South Africa in the Pretoria (Tshwane) region in a nature reserve. It is a unique Monument which commemorates the Pioneer history of Southern Africa and the history of the Afrikaner and is situated in a beautiful setting. This massive granite structure, built to honour the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854, was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk  who had the ideal to design a "monument that would stand a thousand years to describe the history and the meaning of the Great Trek to its descendants". It can be seen from almost any location in the city, as it is seated on a hilltop.

Today it is the most visited heritage site of its kind in Gauteng and one of the top ten cultural historical visitor attractions in the country.

Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904), better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul (Dutch: "Oom Paul") was State President of the South African Republic (Transvaal). He gained international renown as the face of Boer resistance against the British during the South African or Second Boer War (1899–1902).

The house was built in 1884, the architect being Tom Claridge from the Orange Free State and the builder Charles Clark, from Pretoria. Milk instead of water was used for mixing the cement, because at that time the cement was of poor quality. It was one of the first homes in Pretoria to be lit by electricity. The unusual brass switches, of German make and marked Dunkel-Licht, are said to be those installed originally. They were manufactured by Siemens & Schuckert and probably installed by them.

The ceiling in the President's reception room has been redecorated in its original white and gold colours. The carpet in the President's reception room is similar to that which covered the floor in Kruger's day. The present carpet was woven in 1974 (previous one 1933) by the same London company that supplied the original.

Church Square is the historic centre of Pretoria. It was founded in 1855 on the orders of Marthinus  Pretorius to be a place for market and church purposes. During its early days the square was also served as a sports field. It's most prominent feature is the statue of the Boer leader and president of the South African Republic Paul Kruger at its centre. Statues of four anonymous Boer citizen-soldiers surround that of Kruger's on a lower level of the plinth

Several historically and architecturally significant buildings surround the square: the Palace of Justice, the Old Capitol Theatre, the Tudor Chambers, the Ou Raadsaal (Old Council Chamber) and the General Post Office, which was designed by John Cleland. Paul Kruger Street in Pretoria forms an axis between the  Pretoria Station and Church Square.

The turreted Palace of Justice was the scene of arguably the most famous political trial in South Africa's history, the Rivonia Trial. During this trial, Nelson Mandela and a number of other prominent liberation struggle figures were charged with treason and subsequently incarcerated.

The Pretoria City hall was built to celebrate the achievement of Pretoria's city status in 1931. The building was inaugurated 4 years later, in 1935. Pretorius Square, in front of the Pretoria City Hall, is one of many beautiful parks scattered across the city. The park is home to a beautiful garden, elaborately designed fountains and three statues of people who were significant in Pretoria's history:

Martinus Pretorius – First president of the South African Republic (ZAR) and founder of Pretoria
Andries Pretorius – A Voortrekker leader after whom Pretoria was named
Chief Tshwane – Believed to be one of the earliest settlers in the area, the city of Tshwane (formerly Pretoria) was named after him. This statue is the newest of the three and was unveiled in 2006, standing closest to the City Hall.

The State Theatre in Pretoria, is a grand building, designed and built in the 1970s, and it has a wonderful lush, rich feel to it. Situated in the centre of Pretoria it has beautiful open terraced balconies which give a view over the inner city. Some of South Africa's most beautiful art works can be seen on its walls, including the brightly decorated basement parking area which is painted in Ndebele style. Surrounded by high-rises and the capital’s hustle and bustle, South Africa’s State Theatre in Pretoria  is not just devoted to the promotion of the performing arts, but is itself a major drawcard for tourists, thanks to its architectural splendour.

Occupying an entire block in the city centre, the State, as it’s commonly known, consists of 5 theatres, a large public square embracing pedestrian patronage, restaurants and a coffee shop. More importantly, since staging its first show in 1981, the State Theatre in Pretoria has featured a wide range of productions including opera, ballet, musicals, drama, cabaret and children’s theatre.

The Union Buildings form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. The imposing buildings are located in Pretoria, atop Meintjieskop at the Northern end of Arcadia, close to historic Church Square and the Voortrekker Monument. Though not in the center of Pretoria the Union Buildings occupy the highest point of Pretoria, and constitute a South African National monument.

The Buildings are one of the centres of political life in South Africa; "The Buildings" and "Arcadia" have become metonyms for the South African Government. It has become an iconic landmark of Pretoria and South Africa in general, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and an emblem of democracy.

The Buildings are the location of Presidential Inaugurations.

The Premier Mine is an underground diamond mine owned by Petra Diamonds. It is situated in the town of Cullinan, 40 kilometres east of Pretoria, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Established in 1902, it was renamed the Cullinan Diamond Mine in November 2003 in celebration of its centenary. The mine rose to prominence in 1905, when the Cullinan Diamond  — at the time the largest gem diamond ever — was discovered here. It is also the only significant source of blue diamonds in the world.

The Cullinan Diamond  is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g). It was found by Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa, on January 25, 1905. The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.

In May 2008, a sparkling shield-shaped 101.27 carats (20.25 g) diamond (about the size of a pingpong ball) mined from the Premier Mine sold for more than $6.2 million at Christie's in Hong Kong. Cut from a 460 carats (92 g) rough, the shield-shaped gem boasts 92 brilliant facets. While internally flawless, the stone has a slight imperfection on the surface that is imperceptible to the human eye, the auction house said. It is the largest colourless diamond to appear on the auction market in the last 18 years, Christie's said. Only three colourless diamonds of more than 100 carats (20 g) have appeared at auction. All were sold in Geneva. Naming rights were granted to the new owner.

In September 2009, a 507 carat diamond was found, and is ranked as one of the 20 biggest high quality diamonds ever discovered. Petra Diamonds sold the 507-carat diamond for $35.3 million on February 26, 2010, breaking a record as the highest price ever paid for a rough diamond.

Diamonds were formed at least 990 million years ago, although some are estimated to be as much as 4.25 billion years old. Diamonds are a unique and fascinating product. They cannot be compared to a ton of copper or an ounce of gold. They are mysterious and rare and mined under extreme conditions - from the icy Tundra of the north to the hot African deserts of the south. Created before life began on our planet, diamonds have always been associated with mystery, myth and magic.

As diamonds require specific geological conditions in order to form, they are only found in certain remote locations around the world.

Southern Africa produces the majority of the world’s diamonds, but there is also diamond production in Russia, Canada, Australia, India, China and South America.
Based on 2006 Kimberley Process production statistics, Botswana is the world’s biggest producer of diamonds by value, followed by Russia, Canada, South Africa and Angola.

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