JOHANNESBURG CITY, SOWETO & PRETORIA TOURS

TOUR THE CITY AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

Johannesburg is a vibrant city that has a lot to offer visitors, from historic sights of political importance, traditional ties or cultural connections, to museums, art galleries and craft markets. Whether you want to discover South Africa’s traditional roots, diverse cultures or explore the lively spirit of the city and surroundings, the Saxon Concierge is on hand to assist you with planning.

Johannesburg City Tour

The extensive city tour includes a panoramic view of the city, a drive through the central business district, a visit to traditional healing markets and the bustling Hillbrow. You will cross the Nelson Mandela Bridge into Newtown, the cultural district of Johannesburg, where you will visit Museum Africa and step into a typical shebeen of the 1950s. The extended tour includes additional experiences such as a visit to the historic Constitution Hill, as well as the SAB World of Beer, where you can learn about the history of beer and take a walk through the sample brewery before stopping in the Tap Room to enjoy a glass or two.

Johannesburg & Soweto Tour

The ultimate combination of inner city Johannesburg and vibrant Soweto, the Johannesburg and Soweto Tour explores the rich heritage and diverse cultures of South Africa. This tour includes scenic views of the city and Newtown, as well as visits to traditional African healing markets and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum.

Soweto Tour

A sprawling, self-sufficient home to millions, the spirit of Soweto resonates in a plethora of shebeens. The Soweto Tour explores the cultural melting pot of South Africa and follows the road that led to the end of Apartheid and the dawn of democracy. The tour includes a visit to the Nelson Mandela Museum, the original Soweto home of Nelson Mandela in Vilakazi Street. Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, namely the late former President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Also on the itinerary is the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, where the state-of-the-art multi-media centre depicts scenes leading up to the student uprising of 16 June 1976. In addition, the tour offers a local craft experience at the Handiworx project or the Soweto Green, as well as a visit to an informal settlement, a day care centre and Baragwanath Hospital. There is also an optional cycle tour from Phomolong.

Nelson Mandela Museum & Desmond Tutu House

The tour takes visitors to the Nelson Mandela Museum, the original Soweto home of Nelson Mandela, as well as the former home of Desmond Tutu in Vilakazi Street, Orlando West.

Footsteps of Mandela

This iconic tour takes you on an inspirational journey as you explore the history of the late former President Nelson Mandela and the places and people that he touched in his efforts to end Apartheid. Starting at his home in Houghton, the tour includes visits to Chinatown and crosses the Nelson Mandela Bridge into Newtown and Museum Africa. The tour also includes a visit to the Nelson Mandela Museum, the original Soweto home of Nelson Mandela in Vilakazi Street.

Gold Reef City

Situated near the central business district of Johannesburg, Gold Reef City has been built around a former gold mine as a reconstruction of the early days of Johannesburg during the gold rush era. Attractions include historic miners’ houses and a Victorian fun fair, as well as the South African Mint Museum. You can watch molten gold being poured and also experience a trip down the old mine shaft. Traditional tribal dancing adds a touch of indigenous cultural entertainment.

Apartheid Museum

The Apartheid Museum tells the story of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. The museum is a superb example of design, space and landscape, offering the international community an insight into South Africa’s past. The exhibits have been assembled and organised by a multi-disciplinary team of curators, film-makers, historians and designers. They include film footage, photographs, text panels and artefacts illustrating the events and human stories from the Apartheid era.

Pretoria City Tours

The nearby city of Pretoria is known as the Jacaranda City because of the abundance of jacaranda trees which are a feast of lilac blue flowers in October. Pretoria, with its rich history, generates a multicultural energy from a harmonious blend of traditions, culture and architecture. The tour includes a choice of either the Voortrekker Monument, a well-known landmark in honour of the early Voortrekker pioneers, or the Paul Kruger House, Church Square, Freedom Square, the Mirramen Hindu Temple which was built in 1905, and the Union Buildings designed by Sir Herbert Baker, offering visitors a magnificent view of the city from the top of Meintjieskop. If you are interested in indigenous flora, you will enjoy visiting the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens with its 50 hectares of indigenous flowering plant species and trees. Another famous national landmark is the Wonderboom, a unique 1,000 year old Wild Fig Tree at the Wonderboom Nature Reserve.

Union Buildings and Pretoria Botanical Gardens

The imposing Union Buildings were designed by Sir Herbert Baker. Visitors to this historic site at the top of Meintjieskop can take in the magnificent views of the city. The tour also includes a visit to the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens with its 50 hectares of indigenous flowering plant species and trees.

Wonderboom Nature Reserve

Wonderboom Nature Reserve is a small reserve in the Magaliesberg mountains in the north of Pretoria. The best known attraction within the reserve is the Wonderboom, which means ‘miracle tree’, an immense Wild Fig tree that is estimated to be 1 000 years old and stands 25 metres tall, 55 metres wide and has 13 individual trunks. Visitors can take a short hike up the mountain to view a cave and man-made waterfall that cascades down the western side of the mountain into the Apies River. The hiking trail offers spectacular views of the surrounding areas. The reserve is also the site of the historic Fort Wonderboom.