Soweto & Apartheid Museum Full Day Tour from Pretoria

A township tour built around lunch with locals, not a drive-by of landmarks.

This full-day tour of Soweto and the Apartheid Museum departs from Pretoria with a guide, taking you through one of South Africa's largest townships on foot and by vehicle. You visit the Apartheid Museum to learn the history of apartheid, drive past the FNB Stadium, see Soweto Towers and the Hector Pieterson Memorial, walk Vilakazi Street, and eat lunch at a local restaurant with Sowetan food. The tour runs six hours and includes bottled water and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Apartheid Museum2h · entry included
2. Mandela House15m

Explore Soweto and Apartheid Museum

• Visit Apartheid Museum
• Drive through FNB Stadium
• Drive to Soweto Towers
• Visit Vilakazi Street for shopping
• Visit Hector Pieterson Memorial
• View Mandela House exterior
• Lunch at Sakhumzi Restaurant

The experience

You start at the Apartheid Museum, where the guide walks you through the events of apartheid in South Africa before heading into Soweto itself. The route takes you past the FNB Stadium, which hosted the 2010 World Cup Final, then to Soweto Towers, now the township's landmark. This is not a rushed sequence of photo stops: the guide frames what you are seeing and why it matters to the people who live there.

Vilakazi Street is where the day slows down. You walk one of the world's most prestigious streets, with time to browse for souvenirs and see the Mandela House from outside. Entrance to the museum is at your own cost, but the guide gives you an overview of his life and the street's role in the township. You also visit the Hector Pieterson Memorial, which marks the 1976 Soweto Student Uprising. Then you eat lunch at Sakhumzi Restaurant with local food, sitting among residents rather than tourists passing through.

The tour runs six hours total and can be customized to fit what you want to see. Bottled water comes with you throughout the day, and the vehicle is air-conditioned. An English-speaking guide leads the whole experience, and pickup from your Pretoria accommodation is included.

What’s included

• Bottled water throughout the day.
• lunch with local food at Sakhumzi Restaurant.
• air-conditioned vehicle transport.
• English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup from Pretoria.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except TuesdayDepartures at 08:00, 09:00 and 10:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 13

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Tsalanang Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a full day free and want to spend it in Soweto itself rather than rushing between photo stops. The six-hour pace and the lunch at a local restaurant mean you move slowly enough to talk with your guide and understand what you are seeing, rather than collecting landmarks in an afternoon.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Apartheid Museum and what will I learn there?

The Apartheid Museum documents the history and events of apartheid in South Africa. You visit it at the start of the tour with your guide, who walks you through the exhibits and explains the context of what you are seeing before you head into Soweto.

Can I go inside Mandela House, or do I only see it from outside?

Mandela House entrance is not included in the tour price, but you can enter at your own cost if you choose. Your guide will give you an overview of Nelson Mandela's life and show you the house from the street on Vilakazi Street.

What is Vilakazi Street and why is it significant?

Vilakazi Street is one of the world's most prestigious streets and runs through Soweto. You walk it during the tour, with time to shop for souvenirs and see the Mandela House. The street is central to the township's history and culture.

What kind of food will I eat for lunch, and where?

Lunch is at Sakhumzi Restaurant with local Sowetan food. You eat with the guide and other tour members, experiencing a meal the way residents do rather than in a tourist restaurant.

How long is the tour and what is included in the price?

The tour runs six hours and includes bottled water, lunch at the restaurant, and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Pickup from your Pretoria hotel is included. Gratuities are not.