Soweto Tour: Mandela House, Vilakazi Street & Apartheid Museum

Walk Vilakazi Street, stand at Mandela House, and learn the 1976 Soweto Uprising at the Hector Pieterson Museum

This half-day guided tour of Johannesburg and Soweto takes you through the sites of South Africa's anti-apartheid resistance, starting at FNB Stadium and moving through the township to Vilakazi Street, Mandela House, and two major museums. Entry to the Apartheid Museum and Hector Pieterson Museum is included, along with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned vehicle, and hotel pickup. Mandela House entry is an optional add-on at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Mandela House30m
2. Apartheid Museum2h · entry included

Explore Soweto and Apartheid Museum

• Visit FNB Stadium
• Drive past Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
• Walk through Motsoaledi informal settlement
• View Orlando Towers
• Walk down Vilakazi Street
• Visit Mandela House museum
• Visit Hector Pieterson Museum
• Break at Sakhumzi Restaurant
• Visit Apartheid Museum

The experience

The tour begins at FNB Stadium, the massive venue that hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony and final, then moves through Soweto's streets past the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. Your guide drives you into the Motsoaledi informal settlement, where you walk through the sandy streets and meet residents going about their day, seeing a local day care center and hearing directly about life in the township. This is not a distant viewing. You're on the ground, talking to people.

The route takes in Orlando Towers, the former power station structures now covered in colorful murals and known for extreme sports, then moves to Vilakazi Street: the only street in the world that housed two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. You walk the same street where both men lived. Mandela House, his former home on Vilakazi Street, holds photographs, artifacts and personal items charting his life from childhood through his global role. Entry here is optional and costs extra. The Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial sits nearby, dedicated to the 1976 Soweto Uprising when students protested the Bantu Education policy. The museum's exhibits focus on the youth who resisted and the cost they paid. Entry is included.

A break at Sakhumzi Restaurant on Vilakazi Street gives you a chance to eat a traditional South African buffet if you choose (not included in the tour price). The final stop is the Apartheid Museum, where photographs, artifacts and interactive displays walk you through the rise and fall of apartheid itself. The whole day runs five hours from pickup to drop-off, with an English-speaking guide and bottled water provided throughout.

What’s included

• Entry to the Apartheid Museum and Hector Pieterson Museum.
• air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi.
• English-speaking guide.
• bottled water.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 13

Live guideEnglish

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

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Heritage Explorer Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English throughout, so you follow the commentary and the stories at each stop without translation. This works for anyone comfortable with a half-day pace through township streets and museum exhibits. The walking is moderate and the schedule is five hours total.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

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 exactly is Vilakazi Street and why does the tour spend time there?

Vilakazi Street in Soweto is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Peace Prize laureates: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. You walk the street itself and visit Mandela House, his former home, which is now a museum holding photographs, artifacts and personal items from his life.

Does the tour include entry to Mandela House?

Mandela House entry is optional and costs extra at checkout. Entry to the Apartheid Museum and Hector Pieterson Museum is included in the tour price.

What happens at the Hector Pieterson Museum?

The Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial is dedicated to the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when students protested apartheid's Bantu Education policy. The museum's exhibits chronicle the youth resistance and the impact of their actions on South Africa's history, with the story of Hector Pieterson, one of the first casualties, at its center. Entry is included.

Will I meet people from Soweto during this tour?

Yes. The tour includes a walk through the Motsoaledi informal settlement, where you meet residents, greet them, and hear about their daily lives and the challenges they face in the township.

What is included in the tour price?

The tour includes entry to the Apartheid Museum and Hector Pieterson Museum, air-conditioned transport, an English-speaking guide, bottled water, and WiFi on board. Hotel pickup is included. Mandela House entry, meals at Sakhumzi Restaurant, and alcoholic beverages are not included.