Soweto Tour from Johannesburg: Mandela House & Museums

Walk Soweto's streets where two Nobel Laureates lived, then sit down with the people who shaped them

A guided tour of Soweto from Johannesburg that moves between four historical landmarks (FNB Stadium, Walter Sisulu square, Hector Pieterson museum and Mandela House), and stops at local homes, taverns and a kindergarten where you meet residents and share tea or conversation. The guide shapes each tour to your interests, so no two days are the same.

Step-by-step itinerary

Soweto historical and cultural tour

• Pickup from hotel at 10h00
• Visit FNB Stadium
• Explore Walter Sisulu Square
• Tour Hector Pieterson Museum
• Visit Mandela House museum
• Walk Vilakazi Street and optional lunch

Stops and time spent at each 2 stops

1. Soweto Entry included 1h
2. Mandela House Entry included 45m

What’s included

• Bottled water.
• all fees and taxes.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup.

Times

• Every day No fixed time

Before you book

Group Private 10 group tours ›

Live guide English Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included.

Ages Adult (13 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

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

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Aahaah Shuttle & Tours

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

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Traveler reviews

5.00 ★★★★★ Exceptional 11 verified traveler reviews

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The experience

The tour starts at FNB Stadium, the 87,436-seat venue built for the 2010 World Cup and designed in the shape of a calabash, the traditional African pot. Nelson Mandela gave his first speech here in 1990, days after his release from 27 years in prison. From there you move to Walter Sisulu square, where the Freedom Charter was drafted in 1955 as a vision of a non-racial South Africa: now a national heritage site. An optional walk into the nearby informal settlement of Kliptown lets you visit homes or a kindergarten and meet the community that lives there.

The Hector Pieterson museum comes next, built around the 12-year-old boy killed on June 16, 1976, when students marched against Afrikaans-language instruction in schools. The museum holds television footage, photographs, oral histories and documents from that uprising, which changed the country. Then you enter Mandela House on Vilakazi Street, where he lived for more than 14 years with his first and second wives. The house is the place he described in his autobiography as the centre point of his world: the one he returned to in 1990 and knew he had truly left prison.

Vilakazi Street itself is the only street in the world with two Nobel Laureates as former residents: Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Performers sing and dance along it. Shops sell African fashion and homeware. Restaurants serve traditional Soweto-style buffets (samp and beans, tripe, steamed bread and beef), or lighter Western food with a South African flavour. Lunch is optional and runs about R350 per person. The guide speaks English and shapes the day to what interests you, so the route and pace shift from one group to the next.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What is the Hector Pieterson museum about?

The Hector Pieterson museum documents the Soweto uprising of June 16, 1976, when students protested against Afrikaans-language instruction in schools. Hector Pieterson, a 12-year-old boy, was the first to be killed that day. The museum holds television footage, photographs, oral testimonies and historical documents from the uprising, which became a turning point in South Africa's anti-apartheid movement.

What did Nelson Mandela say about Mandela House when he returned?

Mandela House, where he lived for more than 14 years, is the place Mandela described in his autobiography as "the centre point of my world." He returned there in 1990 after his release from 27 years in prison and wrote that only then did he know in his heart he had truly left prison.

What can I eat on Vilakazi Street?

Vilakazi Street has restaurants serving traditional Soweto-style buffets with samp and beans, tripe, steamed bread and beef, or lighter Western food with a South African flavour. Meals run about R350 per person and are optional.

Why is Vilakazi Street unique?

Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world that has had two Nobel Laureates as residents: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. The street is also known for its entrepreneurial energy, with performers, shops selling African fashion and homeware, and a mix of restaurants.