Soweto Tour from Johannesburg: Mandela House & Apartheid Museum

Walk the streets where Mandela lived and learn Soweto's untold history

A half-day guided tour of Soweto from Johannesburg takes you through the township's key historical sites with a live guide in English or French. You visit Mandela House on Vilakazi Street where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962, the Apartheid Museum documenting South Africa's 20th-century history, and the Hector Pietersen Museum near the site of the 1976 uprising. The tour includes air-conditioned transport and snacks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Apartheid Museum2h
2. Mandela House1h

Explore Soweto's history and culture

• Visit Apartheid Museum
• See Soccer City Stadium
• Explore Orlando Power Station
• Tour Hector Pieterson Museum
• Visit Nelson Mandela National Museum
• Walk around Walter Sisulu Square
• Visit Soweto Brewing Company

The experience

You're picked up from your Johannesburg hotel and driven into Soweto, the sprawling township created in the 1930s when the apartheid government relocated Black residents from inner-city neighbourhoods. The guide walks you through the township's layered history, from Orlando, the first neighbourhood established, through the forced removals of the 1950s, to the unplanned but phenomenal growth that followed. This is not a drive-by. You stop and stand in the places where that history happened.

Mandela House sits on Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, the modest home where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962. The street itself is notable: it's one of the few places on earth where two Nobel Peace Prize winners (Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu) lived on the same block. From there you move to the Apartheid Museum, part of the Gold Reef City complex and opened in 2001, which traces the country's 20th-century history through the lens of apartheid's rise and fall. You also visit the Hector Pietersen Museum, located two blocks from where the 16-year-old Pietersen was shot and killed on June 16, 1976, a date that became a turning point in the anti-apartheid movement.

The tour includes stops at Soccer City Stadium, the venue that hosted FIFA World Cup matches in 2010, and depending on which option you choose, you may visit the Soweto Brewing Company in Orlando West: a craft brewery founded in 2012 using German brewing technology, or the Orlando Power Station, a decommissioned coal-fired plant from the Second World War that now hosts adventure activities. Air-conditioned transport and snacks are provided throughout the six hours.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle.
• snacks throughout the tour.
• live guide in English or French.
• hotel pickup from Johannesburg.

Options for this experience

2 options

Soweto guided tour led by NkuliGuide in English or French · 09:00, 10:00 and 10:30Pickup is included

Johannesburg Soweto tour in French09:00, 10:00 and 10:30Lasts 6 hours; lunch is provided. Pickup by van is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00, 10:00 and 10:30

AgesAdult (30 to 59 years) · Senior (60 to 75 years) · Youth (17 to 29 years) · Child (3 to 16 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Nkuli Tours Soweto Guide

Is this one for you?Choose the English-language option if that's your working language, or the French option if you prefer to follow the guide in French. Entry to the museums is paid separately at each site, so budget accordingly if you want to visit all three.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (17 to 29 years); Child (3 to 16 years); Infant (under 3).

What is Mandela House and why does it matter?

Mandela House is the home on Vilakazi Street in Orlando West where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962. It's now a museum and sits on a street that also housed Archbishop Desmond Tutu, making it one of the few places where two Nobel Peace Prize winners lived in the same neighbourhood.

What does the Apartheid Museum cover?

The Apartheid Museum, which opened in 2001 as part of the Gold Reef City complex, documents South Africa's 20th-century history through the lens of apartheid: its origins, implementation, resistance to it, and eventual dismantling.

Why is the Hector Pietersen Museum included on this tour?

The Hector Pietersen Museum is located two blocks from where 16-year-old Hector Pietersen was shot and killed on June 16, 1976, a watershed moment in the anti-apartheid struggle. The museum honours his memory and the youth uprising of that day.

How long is the tour and what's included?

The tour runs for six hours and includes air-conditioned transport, a live guide speaking English or French, and snacks. Entry fees to the museums are separate and vary by site and age.

Can I visit the Soweto Brewing Company or Orlando Power Station on this tour?

Depending on which tour option you book, you may visit the Soweto Brewing Company, a craft brewery founded in 2012 in Orlando West, or the Orlando Power Station, a decommissioned coal plant that now offers adventure activities. Check your chosen option at checkout.