Things to do in Johannesburg
The unmissables
Most booked
Pilanesberg Safari: Two Open Vehicle Game Drives★ 4.85 (1,689) · 10h
Top rated
Soweto & Johannesburg Tour: Museum Visits & History Experience★ 4.79 (1,121) · 8h–9h
Best value
Soweto Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg & Mandela House★ 4.79 (927) · 5h
Recommended (7)
Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off Tour: 16 stops, your pace★ 4.57 (887) · 3hUS$ 18.61View ›
Soweto & Apartheid Museum tour from Johannesburg: Mandela House★ 4.84 (792) · 4h–5hUS$ 88View ›
Soweto & Apartheid Museum Tour with Lunch & Pickup★ 4.84 (513) · 9hUS$ 170View ›
Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg: Big 5 in Open Vehicle★ 4.77 (469) · 11hUS$ 180View ›
Johannesburg & Soweto: Apartheid Museum & Mandela House Tour★ 4.88 (457) · 9hUS$ 129View ›
Johannesburg Soweto Tour: Mandela House Constitutional Court★ 4.87 (439) · 5hUS$ 85View ›
Johannesburg: Hot Air Balloon Safari & Sparkling Wine Breakfast★ 4.89 (432) · 3h–4hUS$ 276View ›Top rated (10)
Hillbrow walking tour Johannesburg: Ponte Tower and Berea streetsThis is a 3-hour guided walking tour of Hillbrow and Berea in Johannesburg, led by a live English-speaking guide through one of the city's most misunderstood districts. You walk roughly 2km past Ponte Tower, hijacked buildings, Alec Gorschel Park, Telkom Tower and the Summit Club along Pretoria Street, then sit down to pap and chicken with a drink. The tour moves at a steady pace and suits anyone with basic fitness; the guide handles the navigation and the history.Is it for me?Choose this if you want a guide to lead you through Hillbrow and Berea's streets and history; book a self-guided option if you prefer to explore independently.
Soweto Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: Mandela House & Township HistoryYou get picked up from your Johannesburg or Pretoria hotel and spend four hours walking through Soweto's most significant sites: Mandela House on Vilakazi Street, the Hector Pieterson Museum, Regina Mendi church, and Orlando Towers, with a qualified local guide explaining the township's role in South Africa's history and present day. The vehicle is air-conditioned, water is included, and you're back by early afternoon.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want to understand Soweto's history and present through the places that shaped South Africa, with a guide who knows the township and a fixed schedule that gets you back by early afternoon—no arranging separate transport or timing yourself between sites.
Soweto & Johannesburg: Full Day Tour with Mandela SitesYou visit Nelson Mandela's house on Vilakazi Street, walk through Constitution Hill's former prison-turned-courthouse, see the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial, and move through Johannesburg's CBD, Newtown, and Soweto's landmarks with hotel pickup included. The full-day format means you're not skipping the harder history to fit in the scenic bits.Is it for me?This tour works if you want to understand Johannesburg's full story — from the gold rush that built it to the apartheid resistance that defined it — without arranging transport, timing multiple sites, or navigating between the city center and Soweto on your own. The full-day structure is what makes it possible to move through both places without feeling rushed.
Johannesburg Tour: Soweto, Apartheid Museum & HeritageA full-day guided tour of Johannesburg covers the city's landmarks, Soweto township, and the Apartheid Museum with an English-speaking guide and air-conditioned transport. The itinerary includes Nelson Mandela's last home, Constitutional Hill, Vilakazi Street, the Hector Pieterson Memorial, Freedom Square and the museum's account of racial segregation and the liberation struggle. Pickup is included; children from age 3 are welcome. WiFi and bottled water come with the vehicle.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want the major sites—Mandela's homes, Constitutional Hill, Soweto's streets and the Apartheid Museum—in a single day without arranging transport or navigating between neighborhoods yourself. The fixed schedule and included pickup mean you show up and the day unfolds; the guide handles the route and the history.
Johannesburg: Ponte Tower Tour & 51st Floor City ViewsYou’ll stand high above Johannesburg on Ponte Tower’s 51st floor with city views stretching for miles, then step inside its hollow core for an unexpected new perspective. A local guide shares stories and history as you move through this iconic building—there’s something quietly powerful about seeing both its heights and depths.
Cradle of Humankind Balloon Flight & Champagne BreakfastYou’ll float quietly over the Cradle of Humankind or Magaliesberg as dawn breaks, with a local pilot guiding you from treetop heights to wide-open skies. Sip champagne midair and share laughs with fellow travelers before sitting down to a full lodge breakfast—all in one morning that leaves you feeling lighter than when you started.
Soweto Walking Tour with Lunch: Mandela House & UprisingThis four-hour walking tour of Soweto starts at the Hector Peterson Memorial and traces the route of the 1976 Soweto Uprising through Moema and Vilakazi Streets, stopping at Nelson Mandela's house and Desmond Tutu's home. You'll walk the streets where the uprising unfolded, ride a minibus taxi to Orlando East and the Soweto Towers, visit an informal settlement at Nomzamo Park, and finish with lunch at a local shop. A live English-speaking guide leads the group through the township's history and daily life.Is it for me?Book this for a first morning in Johannesburg if you want the township's history and present woven together—the uprising, the houses, the streets where it happened, and the informal settlement where residents live now, all in one route with someone who knows it.
Pilanesberg Safari from Johannesburg: Full Day Big Five Game DriveYou're picked up from your Johannesburg hotel and driven past the Hartbeespoort Dam to Pilanesberg Nature Reserve, where you spend five hours in an open safari vehicle spotting lions, elephants, and leopards. Lunch at the lodge is included, and the conservation fee is already paid. You're back at your hotel by early evening with the day completely handled.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Johannesburg who want to see big game without arranging their own transport or worrying about park fees. The full day out means you're not rushing between stops — the pace is set by the animals and the lodge lunch, which is what makes a real safari feel unhurried.
Johannesburg Maboneng: Street Art Walking Tour & Local ArtistsYou’ll walk through Johannesburg’s Maboneng district with a local guide, see bold street art up close, hear stories behind the murals, and maybe even meet an artist or two at work. Expect plenty of color, unexpected conversations, and small moments that stick with you long after the tour ends.
Pretoria City Tour from Johannesburg: Union Buildings & Voortrekker MonumentYou get picked up from your hotel, driven through Pretoria's key monuments and government buildings with a guide who knows the history behind each one, and returned by early afternoon. The Voortrekker Monument and Union Buildings are the anchors—both visually striking and historically loaded. Hotel transport and an air-conditioned vehicle are included, so you're not navigating or driving yourself.Is it for me?A good fit if you're based in Johannesburg or Pretoria and want to understand the city's history and architecture without arranging your own transport. The half-day format fits a morning or afternoon, and the guide handles the pacing so you absorb each site instead of rushing.
Lowest price (10)
Half-Day Walking Tour in Soweto: Mandela House & Freedom SquareA half-day walking tour of Soweto led by a local guide covers Freedom Square, Orlando Towers, the original matchbox houses of Orlando East, Vilakazi Street and Mandela House. The tour includes snacks and stops at a local brewery and a community project in Kliptown, with guides speaking English and French. All areas are wheelchair accessible.Is it for me?The tour is a walk of about five hours on flat ground through the township, so it suits anyone who can manage a morning or afternoon on their feet. If you want to understand Soweto's role in South Africa's history—the Freedom Charter, the 1976 uprising, the people who lived through it—rather than just see the landmarks, a guide who lives here makes that difference.
O R Tambo Airport to Sandton & Rosebank: Sedan Transfer with Meet & GreetYou arrive at the airport and your driver is already waiting with your name on a board. The sedan fits four passengers and full luggage; WiFi, water, and all tolls are included. The driver waits up to an hour after your flight lands, and you choose whether the route to Sandton, Rosebank, or Melrose is direct or scenic. Book ahead and skip the taxi queue entirely.Is it for me?Book this if you land at O R Tambo or Lanseria and want to skip the taxi queue and fare negotiation — the driver waits at arrivals with your name, the price is fixed, and you arrive at Sandton, Rosebank, or Melrose without arranging anything else.
Johannesburg Airport Transfer: Flight Tracking & Meet-GreetYou provide your flight number at booking and the driver tracks it in real time, meeting you at arrivals with a name board or collecting you from your hotel five minutes early for departure. The vehicle is air-conditioned, professionally maintained, and wheelchair accessible. Infant seats and accessibility features are available on request. No surprises, no negotiation at the curb — just reliable transport between the airport and your Johannesburg accommodation.Is it for me?Book this if you land tired and want to skip the airport taxi queue and price negotiation — the driver tracks your flight, meets you by name, and the fare is fixed before you arrive, which is what turns a long transfer into a straightforward ride.
Johannesburg Airport Transfer: Meet & Greet with Local DriverYou land at OR Tambo, your driver meets you in arrivals with a sign bearing your name, and you're in a comfortable vehicle heading to your hotel without arranging anything else. Flight tracking and traffic monitoring mean he's already planned the route. Parking fees are included, and the driver can point you toward restaurants, galleries, and neighborhoods worth exploring once you've checked in.Is it for me?Book this if you land without a plan for getting into the city and want to skip the taxi queue, the negotiation, or the uncertainty of timing—the driver handles all three, and you step straight into a vehicle that's already waiting.
OR Tambo Airport Transfer Johannesburg: Meet & Greet ServiceYou're met at OR Tambo Arrivals with a name board, assisted with luggage, and driven directly to your Johannesburg, Sandton or Pretoria destination in a private vehicle. Choose from sedan, executive, or minivan depending on group size. WhatsApp contact and bottled water included; first hour of waiting time is free. Book one-way or round-trip, 24/7 service, fixed price confirmed before departure.Is it for me?Book this if you're arriving at OR Tambo with luggage and want the airport handled without arranging a ride on the spot — the fixed price and meet-and-greet service mean you walk out, find your name, and go straight to your hotel instead of negotiating at the curb.
Johannesburg: City Centre Walking Tour with History & Mandela SitesYou’ll walk through Johannesburg’s vibrant city centre with a local guide, tracing gold rush history from Gandhi Square to Ferreirasdorp and Chancellor House where Mandela worked. You’ll pause at the Workers’ Museum for real stories before crossing Nelson Mandela Bridge into Braamfontein’s creative buzz—expect laughter, honest conversation and moments that linger long after.
Soweto: Guided Bicycle Tour, Mandela House & Kota LunchYou’ll cycle through Soweto’s lively streets with a local guide, stopping at historic sites like Mandela House and Hector Pieterson Museum. Taste real kota sandwiches for lunch and hear stories you won’t find in any textbook. Expect laughter, honest conversations—and maybe a little grease on your hands.
Johannesburg city tour and skateboarding lesson in MabonengThis three-hour skateboarding class and walking tour in Johannesburg starts with a beginner lesson in Maboneng, then combines skating and walking through four neighbourhoods—Maboneng, Gandhi Square, Marshalltown and Newtown—while a local guide shares the city's complex history from 1886 onward. No prior skateboarding experience is needed; all protective gear and skateboards are provided, and transport back to the meeting point is included.Is it for me?Book this if you want to learn skateboarding basics while moving through the city with a small group and a local guide—the combination of hands-on instruction and walking history means you're not just sightseeing, you're actually riding the streets and hearing them explained as you go.
Johannesburg Airport: Private Luxury Car Transfer with PickupYou’ll step off your flight in Johannesburg and spot your name on a sign — even if it’s spelled funny — then ride in an air-conditioned luxury car with a local driver who tracks your arrival time. Expect easy pickup at the airport or your hotel, friendly conversation (or silence if you need it), and zero stress about delays or directions.
African Food Tasting in Johannesburg: Taste Multiple ContinentsTaste of Africa is a food tasting activity in Johannesburg where you sample dishes from six African countries—South African, Ghanaian, Nigerian, Cameroonian, Zimbabwean and Congolese—across Yeoville and Maboneng, two neighborhoods known for their Afro-cosmopolitan food scenes. The experience runs three hours and includes all meals, a local guide speaking English or French, and pickup from your hotel. You can add African beer tasting at checkout.Is it for me?Move through Yeoville or Maboneng sampling multiple African cuisines while your guide navigates the neighborhoods and handles introductions—you just eat and explore.
