Johannesburg and Soweto apartheid tour: Mandela House and museums
Nelson Mandela's house, the Freedom Charter site, and the story of apartheid in one day
A full-day guided tour of Johannesburg and Soweto visits Mandela House, where Nelson Mandela lived with his first and second wife, the Kliptown site where the Freedom Charter was signed in 1955, a Soweto church that sheltered students during the 1976 uprising, and the Apartheid Museum. A trained site guide leads the experience at each location, with hotel pickup included and entry fees covered.
Step-by-step itinerary
Johannesburg and Soweto apartheid tour
- Visit Mandela House Museum
- See Freedom Charter signing site
- Visit Soweto Catholic church
- Tour Apartheid Museum exhibitions
- Mandela House Entry included
- Apartheid Museum Entry included 2h
What’s included
- Entrance fees to Mandela House, the Apartheid Museum and Constitutional Hill.
- a trained site guide at each location.
- hotel pickup and transportation between sites.
Times
- Every day No fixed time
Before you book
Operated by Ubuhle Tours And Travel
Prices and times updated 13 days ago
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The experience
The tour starts at Mandela House in Soweto, where a qualified guide walks you through the rooms where Nelson Mandela lived with Evelyn Mase and later Winnie Mandela. The guide covers his early life, education, entry into the anti-apartheid movement, his imprisonment, and his release from prison: the narrative of his life told inside the actual space where it unfolded. From there you move to Kliptown, the site where the Freedom Charter was signed in 1955 by political parties and civil organizations gathered under the Congress of the People banner.
A stop at a Catholic church in Soweto follows. The church offered sanctuary to students during the 1976 Soweto uprising, hosted funerals for students and political figures throughout the 1970s, and later held sessions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1996. The guide explains what happened inside these walls and why the space mattered to the community. The day closes at the Apartheid Museum, where exhibitions and facts about the apartheid government and apartheid-era South Africa are presented by a site guide who contextualizes what you are seeing.
Hotel pickup is included, and the tour runs from early morning into the afternoon. Children from age 7 are welcome. The sites are wheelchair accessible, and strollers and specialized infant seats are available if needed.
Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want site guides at each location (the Mandela house, Hector Peterson Museum, Apartheid Museum, and Constitutional Hill) rather than exploring independently or with a general city guide.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 24 years); Child (7 to 12 years). Children under 7 can't be included in the booking.
What exactly will I see inside Mandela House?
Mandela House is the actual residence where Nelson Mandela lived with his wives Evelyn Mase and Winnie Mandela. The guide takes you through the rooms and explains his childhood, education, his decision to join the anti-apartheid movement, his years in prison, and his release: using the house itself as the setting for his story.
What happened at the Kliptown site we visit?
Kliptown in Soweto is where the Freedom Charter was signed on June 25, 1955, at a gathering called the Congress of the People. Political parties and civil organizations came together there to draft a charter of rights that became a founding document of the anti-apartheid struggle.
Why is the Soweto church included on this tour?
The Catholic church in Soweto provided shelter and safety for students during the 1976 Soweto uprising, when police opened fire on student protesters. It also hosted funerals for those killed and for political figures throughout the 1970s, and later became a venue for Truth and Reconciliation Commission sessions in 1996.
How long does this tour take?
The tour runs most of the day, covering Mandela House, the Kliptown Freedom Charter site, the Soweto church, and the Apartheid Museum with a trained guide at each location. Hotel pickup is included at the start.
Do I need to arrange my own transport?
No. Hotel pickup is included in the tour, and transportation between the sites is arranged as part of the experience. You travel with the guide from one location to the next.
Johannesburg and Soweto apartheid tour: Mandela House and museums
30m–5h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 149 per person
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