Soweto Tour - Help!

Hi Lidia!
Firstly I'd like to say how much I really appreciate all your help. It's rather strange no one else has replied, there must be so many people who go to Soweto?
Anyway I think I am realising most of the tour companies are quite expensive and Felleng actually advised me to go with Citysightseeing Tours on their Red City/Soweto Tour. Do you recommend this please? It seems I would have to get myself to the Gold Reef Casino to catch the tour from there. Not sure about that yet!
Thanks again!

Yes, I recommend the City Sightseeing tour with the Soweto extension - it's affordable and convenient and stops at the major attractions, I'm sure you'll have a great time! Gold Reef City is one of the stops on the City Sightseeing route (Stop 4) and also the same place where the Soweto tour leaves from, so you would just need to get to Park Station which is the first stop on the City Sightseeing route and then take this bus to Stop 4.

As I suggested in previous posts, you can take the Gautrain from Rosebank to Park Station. From your hotel to the Rosebank Gautrain station is one of the areas in Johannesburg that is nice for walking and I have walked and driven along these streets numerous times, it should be very enjoyable. I would be happy to show you the best route to walk on a map. This would be the cheapest transport option: walking + R15 once-off for the Gautrain Gold Card + R24 x 2 from Rosebank to Park Station and back in peak time = R63.

If you're not up for walking then I think the best would be to organize a private taxi to either the Rosebank or Park Gautrain stations or Gold Reef City (one private taxi company I've looked at charges R400 one way). You can also look at Uber, they are cheaper (about R70-R100 one way). There have been some incidents involving Uber here, so if you do use them please just make sure that it is the correct car etc.

Hi Lidia
Thanks once again for a brilliant detailed reply! I guess City sightseeing/Soweto seems the best option for me due to price! I am afraid I have a couple more questions -
1. Do I need to book the tour in advance, or just turn up at the booking office at Park Station? (just nor sure how long it would take me to get to Park St. so would prefer not to be tied to a certain ticket time).
2.Does the tour ticket start from Park Station or from Gold Reef City? Do I have to get on at Park St. then change buses for the Soweto extension at Gold Reef City?
3. When I arrive at Or Tambo airport I would purchase the Gold card then to get me to Rosebank, and put enough Rand on the ticket for - Or Tambo to Rosebank ( arriving on the Tuesday), then on Wed for Rosebank
to Park St return? ( About 300Zar altogether?). Hopefully there will be a ticket office person to advice?
4.I also want to go to the Apartheid Museum. Would I be right in thinking it is near the Gold Reef City? So I would need to get off the bus there on the way back from Soweto, then find my own way back to Park St afterwards?
Thanks for offering walking route map but hopefully I will have time to check out the route the day before or ask at my hostel.
Sorry for so many questions, but as I'm sure you can tell I am a bit nervous traveling alone on my first visit to Africa and of course Johannesburgs reputation.
Thanks again!

1. As far as I'm aware, the City Sightseeing ticket is not time-based but rather date-based only so you can join any time on that day. You save money if you buy your ticket online before the time, but you can also buy it at:
   • Tour Office inside Gold Reef City (Stop 4)
   • Tour Office at the Gautrain Park Station (Stop 1)
   • On the bus (with credit and debit card)

2. Here is some helpful info about how it works. If you take the "Johannesburg Red City Tour and Soweto Combo" ticket then you have access to two tours. The first stop on the "Red City Tour" is Park Station, so you can get on the "Red City Tour" bus there. Then you can get off at Gold Reef City, Stop 4, and you can get on the red City Sightseeing minibus that goes to Soweto. When that red minibus comes back to Gold Reef City, you can continue your "Red City Tour". Just note the times that the Soweto tour leaves - there are 5 tours per day, so maybe just plan around that so that you have time for other things that you might want to see on the normal "Red City Tour". Also, if you're walking back to your hotel at the end of the day just keep in mind that in summer it gets dark much earlier and quicker than in countries that are farther north and south of the equator.

3. Yes, for the Gautrain you firstly need a Gold Card and then you load money onto the card. From OR Tambo Airport to Rosebank will be R162 and you will need to change trains at either Marlboro or Sandton station and then take the train that goes toward Park Station and get off at Rosebank. Here is a map. Yes, there will be people around to help. You can buy the card and load money from the person behind the ticket desk or you can use the user-friendly vending machines and pay with your credit/debit card. You can load all the money at once or reload later at any Gautrain station. You can also get a refund if you haven't used all the money, but I'm not sure exactly how that works. The Gautrain is really great, much fancier and easier to figure out than most subway systems around the world hehe :-)

4. The Apartheid Museum is Stop 5 on the "Red City Tour". So after getting back from the Soweto tour you will be at Gold Reef City. Then you simply wait for the next "Red City Tour" bus to come and take it to Stop 5. When you're finished at the Apartheid Museum, just wait for the next "Red City Tour" bus and take it to Stop 1 (Park Station) again where you can get on the Gautrain.

You can minimize your risk of anything bad happening by being vigilant and aware of your surroundings and not venturing into dodgy places. The City Sightseeing bus tour covers the CBD, but it will be fine if you just visit the specific attraction and not walk around in other places in the CBD on your own. You will be fine and I'm sure your trip will be really amazing! It would be really nice to hear how your experience was afterwards and if it was different from what you expected :-)

Thanks once again for taking the time to write a very helpful detailed reply! I now feel more confident in coping with Johannesburg! I will make an early start for Soweto so I don't end up getting back in the dark.
You mentioned a map of your walking route from Rosebank station to Birches Backpackers? If you have time I guess it would be useful if you can send it?
One more question! When I return to catch my flight home I have 5 hours to wait at Jo'burg airport. ( 3 hours needed for check in then an extra 2 hours). I arrive, (from Cape Town) at Joburg at 16.05 then my UK flight is 20.55. Have you any ideas how to pass that time? Ideally I would like to just walk to a park from the airport but I imagine there isn't much like that around there?
Many thanks once again!

Hi,

The walking route that I was thinking of goes through Greenside where there are shops, restaurants and cafés next to the road and tree-lined streets. You can see the Greenside route here. It is a little more interesting than just walking the straight road (along Victory Road), but slightly longer. You can see the straight road here. The straight road would be fine too, but I think going through Greenside is a bit more pedestrian-friendly. There are large parks next to the straight road and these are not always the safest of places to wander around in (the Botanical Garden close to your accommodation is fine though since it is fenced off and there are security guards). There isn't really anything to see along the straight road either besides the parks.

Both of these routes follow 6th and 7th Avenue through Parkhurst where there are also cafés, shops and restaurants next to the road. If you continue along 4th Avenue when coming from Greenside (instead of turning right on 6th Avenue) you will also find lots of cafés and shops to explore. This is quite a nice area. Not sure when your tour is, but if you're here around October you will hopefully see the beautiful Jacaranda trees on Tyrwhitt Avenue.

The route on Google Maps is slightly misleading close to the Gautrain Station and the Google Street View is also old: when walking towards the Gautrain station just keep walking straight on Tywhitt Avenue and you will enter the outside Rosebank Zone area with shops and restaurants, just keep going straight until you see the Gautrain entrance (you don't have to cross Oxford street like it shows on the map).

You can also look at taking a tuk tuk part of the way, e.g. from 4th Avenue in Parkhurst: http://sheshatuks.co.za/. Also when walking just be careful of motorists, they are not always so lenient towards pedestrians as they
should be and occassionally they might skip a red traffic light etc.

OR Tambo airport is next to a highway in an industrial area, so unfortunately no parks around and the area is not suitable for walking around. The airport itself is quite nice though with regards to restaurants and shops. I would say you have a few choices:

1. Stay at the airport and
   a) do some last-minute souvenir shopping. I like Made in SA on international landside, they have some really nice things. There are also lots of
   other shops including clothing, book and music shops etc. International airside has a lot of really nice shops as well, more than landside, here is a list.
   b) spend some time at a nice restaurant. I like Mugg & Bean on international airside, they have large windows where you have a view of the planes and they have some yummy things on their menu :-) I think domestic landside has a
   larger selection of different restaurants though.
   c) or book space in a lounge and spend time there

OR

1. Check in for your flight home before you leave Cape Town and print your boarding pass at your hotel or do a self-service checkin at the airport if this is possible with your airline. If you have a lot of luggage, put it in luggage storage at OR Tambo airport and then
   a) visit Emperor's Palace - it is a casino complex close to the airport and they have a free shuttle service to and from the airport. There is also a cinema, shops, restaurants etc.
   b) get on the Gautrain and visit Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square. This will be a little more expensive though since you will be paying the higher Gautrain fee to and from the airport. If you only have carry-on luggage and you don't have to bother with luggage storage or checking in luggage I think you would have enough time for this, otherwise I think it would be too rushed.

Hi!
Thanks once again for a brilliant reply! I may do some of the walking route the day I arrive or may go to the Botanical Gardens. Great to know there are options.
Yes, for the long wait at the airport I was thinking about catching the Gautrain to either Sandton or Rosebank, but didn't know about Emperors Palace. So thanks again, will see how I feel at the time.
Will let you know how the whole trip goes - but I still have time for more questions to come up with yet!

Thanks again!

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