Johannesburg

Johannesburg has some spectacular guided walks. Image via Pixabay

The City of Gold: Top guided tours to take in Johannesburg

Johannesburg is one of the country’s busiest cities and may not always conjure images of being a place with too much to do except business, but the city has a wealth of interesting attractions, art galleries, museums, and so much more.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg has some spectacular guided walks. Image via Pixabay

The best way to explore and experience Johannesburg is on a guided tour, so here are ten of the top guided tours in and around the city that showcase the city at its best.

The best way to see Johannesburg

Take an Open-Top Red Bus Sightseeing City Tour

The Red Bus Sightseeing Tours Company can be found in many cities around the world and Johannesburg is one of them.

These hop-on, hop-off bus tours offer an easy, hassle-free way to see the city in your own time. The Johannesburg City Sightseeing bus stops at historical landmarks and museums throughout the city where you can hop off and explore at your leisure.

You can choose between a one- or two-day ticket or combine tours if you’d like to explore further afield and see Soweto. Audio commentary on the guided tour is available in 15 languages.

Price: From R160

Website: www.citysightseeing.co.za/en

Head off the beaten track with The Roving Bantu

The Roving Bantu offers guided tours of the city that are tailor-made according to what you would like to see.

Owned and operated by Master Guide Sifiso Ntuli, the company offers a wide range of tour options from inner-city tours and Marching to Pretoria to the popular Brixton Fietas Heritage Trek.

Ntuli is a fantastic host and shares real-life stories and local facts about the city along the way. Tours last for about four hours and can accommodate special events and functions for groups over six people.  

Price: From R1,000

Website: rovingbantu.co.za/

Experience Traditional African Villages in Johannesburg with Mo Afrika

Experience the beating cultural heart of Africa with a visit to a traditional African village.

Mo Afrika is a locally-owned and operated company that offers guided tours to five traditional African villages, including Ndebele and Xhosa to Ndebele. You’ll enjoy a full scope of activities from listening to local music, seeing and shopping for handmade arts and crafts, and sampling local cuisine and South African specialties like grilled crocodile.

Price: From R1,300 per person and includes entrance to the village, lunch or dinner buffet, a traditional dance show, and all transfers

Website: www.moafrikatours.com/

Visit the Notorious Former Prison at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg

The former prison complex and fort of Constitution Hill stands as a symbol of South Africa’s turbulent past and the social, cultural, and political injustices that occurred throughout the country. It is also a story of victory and shows how South Africa won back its freedom.

Today, the complex is the seat of South Africa’s Constitutional Court and a museum and offers a wide range of guided tours that include a one-hour highlights tour, full tours, night tours, and the popular Walk with Madiba Tour. You’ll see the Old Fort, Number Four, the Women’s Jail, and the Constitutional Court.

Price: From R76 per adult

Website: www.constitutionhill.org.za/

Discover Johannesburg’s Cultural Melting Pot with Dlala Nje

This top-rated tour with Dlala Nje ventures into Hillbrow and Berea to discover more one of the city’s most notorious and misunderstood neighbourhoods.

This guided walking tour winds through Ponte City in Hillbrow and the surrounding areas, allowing you to explore the inner-city of Johannesburg as never seen before. Sample local cuisine like shisa inyama (“burning” meat cooked on an open fire) and morogo (African spinach) and try a Zamalek (local beer quart) at a shebeen.

Price: R460 per adult and includes a main meal and drink

Website: www.dlalanje.org/

Go Back to Your Roots with Ekala Eco Tours

This fantastic and fascinating guided tour with Ekala Eco Tours visits the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

The Cradle of Humankind is a 47,000-hectare paleoanthropological site and UNESCO World Heritage site that features a complex of limestone caves and archaeological sites with a wealth of hominid fossils.

The tour explores the fascinating Sterkfontein Caves and visits the Maropeng Visitor Centre to learn more about the early stages of human development.

Price: Contact Ekala Eco Tours for more info

Website: ekalatours.com/

Discover the Hustle and Bustle of Soweto

Hop on a bike with Soweto Backpackers and take to the streets of Soweto to explore and experience one of the biggest, busiest, and most famous townships in the country. Local guides lead tours through the township on half- or full-day tours, which includes learning more about some of the many historic sites in the area, meeting locals and residents, and enjoy a cold beer at a local shebeen.

Price: From R435 per person for a two-hour tour

Website: www.sowetobackpackers.com/activities/bicycle-tours/

Walk and Talk with Past Experiences

Immerse yourself into the culture of Johannesburg on a guided walking tour with Past Experiences who offer a range of different experiences.

Historic tours explore some of the oldest buildings in the city, while neighbourhood-specific tours like “I Love Braamies” and “I Love Newtown” tours highlight the best of the areas. Art-lovers can learn more about the Johannesburg street art scene on public art tours and graffiti tours.  

Price: Varies according to tours

Website: www.pastexperiences.co.za/tours