Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Soweto Tour: Small Group Guide

Two ways to see the city: ride the bus alone, then walk Soweto with someone who lives there.

A combined tour of Johannesburg and Soweto pairing a hop-on hop-off double-decker bus with a 2-hour small group tour of the township led by a Soweto resident guide. The bus covers five to six hours total, with stops at Constitution Hill (a former prison now home to the Constitutional Court), the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela's house at 8115 Vilakazi Street, Archbishop Desmond Tutu's home, the Johannesburg Zoo, and landmarks like the FNB Stadium and the "Welcome to Soweto" sign. You control the pace on the bus, getting on and off as you choose. The Soweto portion is guided and fixed. Audio commentary on the bus covers Johannesburg's history and the struggle against apartheid. A live English-speaking guide leads the township tour.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Constitution Hill1h
2. Apartheid Museum1h
3. Gold Reef City10m · entry included
4. Newtown2m
5. Johannesburg Zoo2m

Johannesburg and Soweto sightseeing tour

• Visit Melrose Arch area
• Hop off at Madiba’s post-presidential office
• Explore Constitution Hill museum
• Visit Apartheid Museum
• Hop off for Soweto small group tour
• See Nelson Mandela’s house and Desmond Tutu’s house
• Tour Soweto township landmarks
• Stop at Welcome to Soweto sign
• Admire FNB stadium
• Hop on/off at Newtown precinct
• Visit Playground market (Saturday only)
• Visit Johannesburg Zoo
• Visit Military Museum

The experience

The day splits into two parts: first, you ride the double-decker bus through Johannesburg's historic neighbourhoods at your own pace, hopping off to spend time at any stop that holds you. The bus passes through Melrose Arch, Newtown (home to Sci Bono and Museum Africa), and the leafy northern suburbs where the Johannesburg Zoo sits on 55 hectares and houses over 320 species. Audio commentary on board explains the city's history and the sites tied to the struggle against apartheid. You decide how long to linger at each stop and when to rejoin the bus.

At Gold Reef City, you leave the bus to join a small group tour of Soweto led by a resident guide. The 2-hour tour takes you to Nelson Mandela's house, where he lived and where the struggle against apartheid took shape, and to Archbishop Desmond Tutu's home nearby on Vilakazi Street. You'll see the Hector Pieterson Memorial, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the Soweto Towers, and the Orlando Stadium. The guide stops at the famous "Welcome to Soweto" sign for photographs. After the township tour ends, you rejoin the hop-on hop-off bus to complete the route back through Johannesburg.

The bus runs daily and is wheelchair accessible. Infants can ride in a pram or stroller, though they must sit on an adult's lap during the tour. The Apartheid Museum and Nelson Mandela's house charge separate entrance fees not included in the tour price. Newtown's Playground Market operates on Saturdays only. The Military Museum is also a stop if you want to visit.

What’s included

• Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus with audio commentary on Johannesburg's history.
• 2-hour small group tour of Soweto with a resident guide.
• stops at Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela's house, Archbishop Desmond Tutu's home, the Johannesburg Zoo, Newtown, the FNB Stadium, and the "Welcome to Soweto" sign.
• access to the Hector Pieterson Memorial, Chris Hani Baragwanath, the Soweto Towers, and the Orlando Stadium during the township tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (4 to 17 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by City Sightseeing South Africa

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to control your time in Johannesburg's main neighbourhoods but prefer a guide for Soweto. The small group format and resident guide make the township portion personal without the pace of a larger group, while the bus lets you skip stops that don't interest you.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 17 years); Infant (under 4).

Can I skip the Soweto tour and just ride the hop-on hop-off bus?

The listing combines both: you ride the bus, then join the small group tour of Soweto at Gold Reef City. If you want only the bus without the guided township portion, check whether the operator offers a bus-only option separately.

What is there to see at Nelson Mandela's house in Soweto?

Nelson Mandela's house at 8115 Vilakazi Street is where he lived during his fight against apartheid. The tour stops there so you can see the home and learn its significance. A separate entrance fee applies if you want to go inside.

How long does the Soweto part of the tour take?

The small group tour of Soweto lasts 2 hours and includes stops at Mandela's house, Archbishop Tutu's home, the Hector Pieterson Memorial, the Soweto Towers, and the Orlando Stadium, plus the "Welcome to Soweto" sign.

Does the bus tour include entry to the Apartheid Museum or Constitution Hill?

The bus stops at both the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill, but entrance fees are not included in the tour price. You can hop off to visit either one on your own if you choose.

What happens if I want to spend a long time at one stop on the bus?

You can stay as long as you like at any bus stop and catch the next bus when you're ready. The hop-on hop-off format lets you set your own pace through Johannesburg's neighbourhoods and attractions.