How much is the Intercape bus from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg?

Bus ticket prices have ranged from R330 to R1,250 this year. Currently, the cheapest available one-way ticket is R380.

How long is the bus ride from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg?

The average journey by bus takes approximately 7 hours and 51 minutes.

Do pensioners get a discount on Intercape buses?

Yes, senior citizens (60 years and older) qualify for a 15% discount on Intercape Flexi and Full Flexi tickets. Note that Saver tickets do not qualify for this discount.

Intercape Bus Tickets from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg

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Intercape offers bus tickets from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg, with 1-way prices having ranged from R330 to R1,250 during 2026:

The current cheapest one-way Intercape bus ticket from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg is R380 in Saver class on a Mainliner coach; taking Express Pretoria to Durban via Swinburne scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 23:00 on Sat 16 May 2026 and scheduled to arrive in Pietermaritzburg at 05:30 on Sat 16 May 2026 (duration of 6 hours 30 minutes).
- For pensioners (60 and older), the current cheapest one-way ticket is R374 in Flexi class (with a 15% discount applied); taking Express Pretoria to Durban via Swinburne departing Johannesburg at 23:00 on Sat 16 May 2026 and arriving in Pietermaritzburg at 05:30 on Sat 16 May 2026 (duration of 6 hours 30 minutes).
Average one-way ticket prices are Saver: R607, Flexi: R663, Full Flexi: R736. Lower Flexi and Full Flexi fares may be achieved if any discounts are applicable.
- For pensioners the average 1-way prices are: Saver: R607, Flexi: R564, Full Flexi: R626.

The journey takes on average 7 hours and 51 minutes.

7-Day Fare Heatmap: Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg

Select a date block below to view the full schedule for that day. Green indicates the lowest fare.

Mon 20 Jul R380 Tue 21 Jul R380 Wed 22 Jul R330

Thu 23 Jul N/A

Fri 24 Jul N/A

Sat 25 Jul N/A

Sun 26 Jul N/A

Intercape Ticket Classes Explained: Saver vs Flexi vs Full Flexi

Understand the exact differences in allowances, amendment fees, and cancellation policies before making your booking.

Feature	Saver	Flexi	Full Flexi
Price Level	Cheapest	Standard	Premium
Luggage Allowance	15 kg (2 pieces max)	20 kg (2 pieces max)	25 kg (2 pieces max)
Seat Reservations	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Qualifies for Discounts? (e.g. Pensioner, Student)	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ticket Amendment Fee (Changes up to 15 min before departure)	25% Fee	15% Fee	10% Fee
Cancellation Policy	75% refund (Must cancel 48h before)	85% refund (Must cancel 24h before)	90% refund (Must cancel 12h before)

Intercape Prices & Schedule from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg

Prices last checked and verified on: 2026-05-16 20:06:50

All prices in South African Rand (ZAR).

Route	Coach Type	Depart (Johannesburg)	Arrive (Pietermaritzburg)	Full Flexi (ZAR)	Flexi (ZAR)	Saver (ZAR)
Express Pretoria to Durban	Mainliner	07:30am	1:55pm	840	740	680
Pretoria to Margate via Durban	Mainliner	08:00am	4:00pm	840	740	680
Pretoria to Richards Bay via Durban	Mainliner	08:00am	4:00pm	840	740	680
Pretoria to Durban via Ladysmith and Vereeniging	Mainliner	08:30am	4:45pm	840	740	680
Pretoria to Durban via Kimberley	Mainliner	09:00am	05:05am	1,140	1,060	1,000
Express Pretoria to Durban	Mainliner	09:30am	4:00pm	890	810	750
Pretoria to Durban via Harrismith	Mainliner	11:00am	5:30pm	730	694	657
Pretoria to East London via Mthatha	Mainliner	6:00pm	12:40am	1,040	988	936
Pretoria to Mthatha via Pietermaritzburg	Mainliner	6:30pm	01:05am	1,120	1,064	1,008
Pretoria to Mthatha via Kokstad	Budgetliner	7:00pm	01:35am	1,020	969	918
Pretoria to Durban via Vereeniging	Mainliner	8:00pm	04:25am	910	830	770
Express Pretoria to Durban	Mainliner	8:30pm	03:00am	620	540	480
Night Pretoria to Margate via Durban	Mainliner	8:30pm	03:30am	900	830	760
Express Pretoria to Durban via Swinburne	Mainliner	9:00pm	03:30am	1,060	980	920
Pretoria to Durban via Harrismith	Mainliner	10:00pm	04:30am	840	780	720
Express Pretoria to Durban via Swinburne	Mainliner	11:00pm	05:30am	540	440	380
Pretoria to Richards Bay via Durban	Mainliner	11:00pm	05:30am	920	860	790

Price Statistics per Intercape pay class (Year 2026)

Ticket Type	Lowest Price	Highest Price	Average Price
Saver	330	1,130	607
Flexi	380	1,190	663
Full Flexi	400	1,250	736

Intercape Routes from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg

Express Mainliner PTA-DBN
Mainliner PTA-DBN-MARG
Mainliner PTA-DBN-RICH
Big Sky Intercity BIG SKY PTA-KIM-DBN
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-MTH-EL
Mainliner PTA-PMB-MTH
Mainliner PTA-VRG-DBN
Mainliner NPTA-DBN-MARG
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-HRS-DBN
Mainliner NPTA-DBN-RICH
Mainliner PTA-DBN
Mainliner PTA-MTH-EL
Mainliner PTA-KOK-MAT
Budgetliner PTA-KOK-MTH
Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg on route Mainliner PTA-DBN-MARG low on available seats
Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg on route Mainliner PTA-VRG-DBN low on available seats
Express Pretoria to Durban
Pretoria to Margate via Durban
Pretoria to Richards Bay via Durban
Pretoria to Durban via Ladysmith and Vereeniging
Pretoria to Durban via Kimberley
Pretoria to Durban via Harrismith
Pretoria to East London via Mthatha
Pretoria to Mthatha via Pietermaritzburg
Pretoria to Mthatha via Kokstad
Pretoria to Durban via Vereeniging
Night Pretoria to Margate via Durban
Express Pretoria to Durban via Swinburne

Travel Time Scheduled (Year 2026)

The quickest bus takes 6h 20m, slowest 20h 5m, average 7h 51m.

Departures vary from 7:30am to 11:00pm. Arrivals from 12:40am to 11:20pm.

Travelling for a major life event?

If you are relocating to the Cape or travelling to manage family affairs, ensure your legal requirements are in order.

Passenger Reviews: Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg

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Bus Route Map

Intercape Bus Route Locations & Safety Ratings

From: Johannesburg

Address: Intercape Office at Johannesburg Park Station - Park City Transit Centre - on the corner of Wolmarans and Rissik St in the Johannesburg CBD

Province: Gauteng

Safety Rating: 2/10

Extremely busy transport hub. Very high risk of pickpocketing and scams outside the terminal. Do not walk outside alone, use e-hailing from inside the designated areas.

Contact: Phone Intercape at 021-3804400 or phone Big Sky Intercity at 087-8218218

Latitude: -26.19704997

Longitude: 28.04221218

Uber Availability: Available.

Need a safe ride from the station?

Get a ZAR 50 Discount Off Your First 5 Trips

Location: View Johannesburg on Google Maps

To: Pietermaritzburg

Address: Intercape Office in Burger St (opposite the McDonalds and next to the Big Sky Intercity offices)

Province: KwaZulu-Natal

Safety Rating: 4/10

Generally safe with 24/7 staff, good lighting, and often CCTV. Standard travel precautions apply.

Contact: Phone Intercape at 021-3804400 or phone Big Sky Intercity at 087-8218218

Latitude: -29.6045515

Longitude: 30.3817751

Uber Availability: Available.

Need a safe ride from the station?

Get a ZAR 50 Discount Off Your First 5 Trips

Location: View Pietermaritzburg on Google Maps

General Safety considerations

Please check the specific safety ratings for your departure and arrival stations above. Many bus stops have safety issues; it is better to arrive at bus stops while the sun is still shining (nighttime is always riskier), with weekdays generally being safer than weekends. Do not display valuables, keep them safe and out of sight. Plan in advance how you will get from your final Intercape bus stop to your destination so as to minimise time at the bus stop.

Why so slow?

You may be wondering why the journeys take so long. Part of the reason is that Intercape have a self-imposed speed limit of 95km/h on national roads and 40km/h on mountain passes - this is for safety reasons. Speed kills.

Intercape Bus Tickets from Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg

What about the return journey? View prices and departure times for Intercape buses travelling from Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg.