Johannesburg
is an urban renaissance
Welcome to Johannesburg
Commonly known as Jo’burg or Jozi, this rapidly changing city is the vibrant heart of South Africa. After almost 20 years of decline and decay, Johannesburg is now looking optimistically towards the future. Its centre is smartening up and new loft apartments and office developments are being constructed at a rapid pace. The hipster-friendly neighbourhood of Maboneng is considered one of the most successful urban-renewal projects in the world. However, the wealth divide remains stark, and crime and poverty haven't been eliminated.
Top experiences in Johannesburg
Amazing hotels and hostels
We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
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Johannesburg activities
Soweto Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
After pickup from your hotel in Johannesburg's Sandton or Rosebank district, drive 12 miles (20 km) southwest of the city center to Soweto. The name of this urban settlement is derived from the acronym 'South Western Townships,' a cluster of townships created by the South African government in the 1930s during the apartheid movement. Get an overview of Soweto's complex apartheid history as you drive around and see some of its most famous sights. Sprawling across a vast area bordering Johannesburg's mining belt, Soweto served as a workforce for the South African capital, until civil unrest broke out against the apartheid regime. Gain insight into these pivotal moments at the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, honoring the victims who died during the Soweto Uprising of 1976. See the former houses of two Nobel Prize winners — the Mandela House and Tutu House — and learn about the leadership that Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu took against the racial segregation of South Africa. You'll also see the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the world, occupying 173 acres (70 hectares) and containing nearly 3,200 beds. At the end of your tour, you'll be dropped off back at your hotel.
Johannesburg Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
Start your day with a pickup from your Sandton or Rosebank hotel, then relax on the journey into Johannesburg's city center. Gaze out at the historical buildings of downtown Johannesburg that dominate this bustling city. Your guide will point out the must-see Hillbrow Tower that juts out over the city's skyscrapers, as well as the iconic Post Office Tower. Stop outside Africa’s tallest skyscraper, the Carlton Centre, and walk up to the 50th floor observation deck with your guide to see sweeping panoramas of the entire city. After walking around the viewing platform at your leisure, return to your vehicle to continue seeing the sights. Continue on to Constitution Hill next, passing by the Supreme Court and the famous Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown, said to symbolize Mandela’s role in bridging the Apartheid divide. As you drive around Constitution Hill, listen to your guide explain some of the fascinating history that this National Heritage site has witnessed throughout the years. Learn about South Africa’s turbulent past and its slow yet steady transition to democracy. Pass the new constitutional court and the historic site of Johannesburg’s Old Fort Prison Complex, where Nelson Mandela was famously the only Black prisoner to be held here. Your tour winds back through the affluent neighborhood of Houghton, passing lavish homes and leafy streets. Your tour then ends with a drop-off back at your Rosebank or Sandton hotel.
Full-Day Soweto City Tour with Apartheid Museum
Start your day with a pickup from your accommodation by your guide then begin the journey to Soweto. On the way, you will pass by the famous National Football Stadium City, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Soccer World Cup 2010. From there, enter the Diepkloof area, where the vendors are located, selling just about anything you can imagine. In Orlando West, you will visit Vilakazi Street and drive past the Mandela House where a visit into the museum is optional as well as past the home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.Next, read about the Soweto uprising on June 16, 1970 in South Africa. For you to truly experience the full history and heritage of this famous township, the guide will take you into the depths of the shanty towns where you get to interact with some of the locals and see how they live. Drive past the Soweto Campus of the Johannesburg University before lunch and make a stop at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. After your buffet lunch, visit the world famous Apartheid museum where you will learn about the history of South Africa and the struggle of its people during the apartheid era for approximately 2-hours before returning you back to hotel
Private Johannesburg Airport Arrival Transfer
When making a booking for this private transfer service, you will need to advise your flight details and your Johannesburg City, Pretoria, Sandton or Sun City hotel details. 24-48 hours prior to your transfer, you will be required to call the supplier directly (the contact number will be provided on your travel voucher) to reconfirm exact pick up times and places. It's that easy! Pricing is per vehicle per transfer with prices depending on number of guests.Don't forget to book your Johannesburg Airport Departure Transfer. At time of booking, YOU MUST include the following flight and hotel details: Airline Flight Number Departing City / Arrival City Arrival Time Hotel Name Hotel Address
Pilanesberg Nature Reserve Safari and Sun City Day Trip
In the morning you'll go game viewing in the immense Pilanesberg Game Reserve. With over 7,000 animals in the park, your search for Africa's "Big Five" - elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and African buffalo - is sure to be eventful. Pilanesberg Game Reserve has over 124 miles (200 kilometers) of good-quality roads, making it one of the best game reserves in South Africa to navigate. Anything is possible on an African safari, so keep your eyes and ears open! In the afternoon you'll travel to the world's most unique resort, Sun City, deep in the rugged bushveld in the heart of an ancient volcanic crater. Spend the afternoon at Sun City, "the Kingdom of Pleasure", with a guided tour of the famous resort. Sun City is not only a luxury international entertainment, golf and casino resort but is also a flagship structure associated with times during the Apartheid South Africa. It's a glamorous oasis with its world-class bars and restaurants and there will be time for you to explore and enjoy the many attractions this resort has to offer. Other attractions include Butterfly World, Cultural Village, and the wave and swimming pools (for own account).
Pretoria Sightseeing Day Trip from Johannesburg
Start your experience with a pickup from your hotel in the Sandton or Rosebank area of Johannesburg. Board your air-conditioned vehicle and hear interesting facts about Pretoria as you drive to South Africa's administrative capital. After roughly 45 minutes, arrive in Pretoria and tour its historical highlights. Stroll the wide avenues and hear how the purple jacaranda that blooms here annually gave the city its nickname of ‘Jacaranda City’. Learn how Pretoria started life as a Boer farming community before becoming capital of the South African Republic or Transvaal in 1860. Walk to Church Square and admire its stately public buildings. See the Palace of Justice, where Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964, and view the statue of Paul Kruger, or ‘Old Lion,’ the Boer leader and first president of the Republic. Admire the City Hall and then stop outside the Union Buildings as your guide recounts how these sandstone-built government offices were the site of Mandela's inauguration as South Africa's president in 1994. Visit Kruger House, the 19th-century home of Kruger. Explore its rooms, many restored to their former glory, and discover how the forceful Kruger led the Republic against the British during the Boer Wars. Drive out of the city and see the vast Voortrekker Monument that honors the Afrikaner Voortrekkers (pioneers) who trekked into South Africa’s interior to settle in the 19th century. See the wagon-carved encircling wall and interior stone frieze that depicts scenes from the Voortrekkers' arduous journey. Afterward, return to Johannesburg where your tour ends with a drop-off at your hotel. Please note: the order of activities as described above may be subject to change on the day of your tour.