Soweto and Johannesburg tour: Apartheid Museum, Mandela House

The people and the streets behind Soweto's resistance

A guided tour of Soweto and central Johannesburg covering the Apartheid Museum, Mandela House on Vilakazi Street, the Hector Pieterson Museum, Constitution Hill and Hillbrow, with a live English or French-speaking guide and hotel pickup included. The tour moves beyond the 1976 uprising to show how people lived and still live in the township: the informal settlements alongside the upmarket suburbs, the taxi culture, the muti shops and the ordinary streets where extraordinary resistance took root.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Apartheid Museum2h · entry included
2. Mandela House30m
3. Soweto30m · entry included
4. Constitution Hillpassing by
5. Hillbrow Towerpassing by

Explore Soweto and Johannesburg highlights

• Drive through Johannesburg suburbs and Hillbrow
• Pass Constitution Hill and city downtown
• Visit Muti shop for traditional medicine
• Drive through Soweto's upmarket suburbs and informal settlements
• See Baragwanath hospital and taxi rank
• Drive past Winnie Mandela's and Desmond Tutu's houses
• Visit Mandela House on Vilakazi Street
• Visit Hector Peterson Museum and Memorial
• Visit Apartheid Museum

The experience

You start in central Johannesburg, driving through Hillbrow and past Constitution Hill, a former prison complex now home to the Constitutional Court. The route takes you through the downtown and into the suburbs (both the poverty of informal settlements and the upper-class neighborhoods of Diepkloof), so you see the full geography of the city before arriving in Soweto itself.

In Soweto, the guide takes you to Vilakazi Street, where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962 and where Archbishop Desmond Tutu also lived: the only street in the world to claim two Nobel Laureates as residents. You visit Mandela House Museum and the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial, which preserves the memory of the 1976 student uprisings. Along the way you pass the houses of Winnie Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu, the sites of the 1976 uprisings, and the Baragwanath hospital and taxi rank: landmarks of daily life in the township. A stop at a traditional muti shop shows the African herbal medicine trade that still operates in the neighborhood.

The tour ends at the Apartheid Museum, where the full arc of South African history is laid out. Water is included throughout the day. Parking fees are covered. The whole experience runs six to eight hours and is wheelchair accessible, with transportation options available for people with mobility needs.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• a live guide in English or French.
• entry to Mandela House Museum, Hector Pieterson Museum and the Apartheid Museum.
• parking fees.
• water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (65 to 90 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Jeff Tours and Transfers - Day Tours

Is this one for you?The tour runs six to eight hours with most time spent in the vehicle between neighborhoods, so it suits a full morning or afternoon rather than a quick stop. You'll walk at each museum and memorial, but the pace is set by the guide and there are no long stretches on foot.

Traveler reviews

4.73★★★★★★★★★★

55 verified traveler reviews

5 ★47

4 ★4

3 ★2

2 ★1

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 5 years).

What exactly is Vilakazi Street and why does it matter?

Vilakazi Street in Soweto is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Prize winners: Nelson Mandela, who lived there from 1946 to 1962, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The tour visits Mandela House Museum on this street and shows you both residences as part of the day.

What does the Hector Pieterson Museum cover?

The Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial is dedicated to the 1976 Soweto uprisings and preserves the memory of the students who died in the protests against apartheid. The tour includes a visit to both the museum and the memorial site.

Does the tour include lunch?

Lunch is not included in the tour. Water is provided throughout the day, and the guide can suggest places to eat during the stops.

How much walking is involved?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels and is fully wheelchair accessible. Most of the day is spent in the vehicle moving between sites, with walking at each stop (Mandela House, the Hector Pieterson Museum, Constitution Hill and the Apartheid Museum), but no long distances are required.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, hotel pickup is included in the tour. The guide will arrange a meeting time and location with you before the tour begins.