South Africa Suggested Itinerary - Johannesburg is a cosmopolitan city of cuisine, culture, sport & much more. Find out more of what Joburg has to offer by taking one of our day tours.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Johannesburg (including its surrounding suburbs) is the economic engine that drives much of the industry in Southern Africa, as well as being the major hub for travel into this part of the continent.
The following are scheduled day tours departing from Johannesburg but we can customise your own tour to match your requirements (please note that we only book day tours when accommodation is booked with us too).
Johannesburg City Tour (Half Day Tour)
South Africa’s largest city remains its financial and commercial heart. It’s in this fast-paced metropolis that the country’s radical political and social transformation is most evident – this is the ‘Rainbow Nation’ at work.
It’s a heady experience, with contrasts of every kind round every single corner. Our tour sets off for Constitution Hill, home of South Africa’s architectural marvel, the Constitutional Court and site of Johannesburg’s Old Fort Prison (closed Sundays). We meander through the newly renovated, quaint and quirky suburb of Melville with its vibey shops and trendy restaurants, and stop at Newtown, home of the Johannesburg Market Theatre.
Museum Africa is Johannesburg’s premier cultural history museum; reminiscent of a 1950’s shebeen or pub, and its here you’ll really sense the soul of the inner city.
We return to your hotel via the flipside of the coin, the lush, up market suburb of lower Houghton. A city of contrasts, that’s for certain.
South Africa’s largest city remains its financial and commercial heart. It’s in this fast-paced metropolis that the country’s radical political and social transformation is most evident – this is the ‘Rainbow Nation’ at work.It’s a heady experience, with contrasts of every kind round every single corner. Our tour sets off for Constitution Hill, home of South Africa’s architectural marvel, the Constitutional Court and site of Johannesburg’s Old Fort Prison (closed Sundays). We meander through the newly renovated, quaint and quirky suburb of Melville with its vibey shops and trendy restaurants, and stop at Newtown, home of the Johannesburg Market Theatre.
Museum Africa is Johannesburg’s premier cultural history museum; reminiscent of a 1950’s shebeen or pub, and its here you’ll really sense the soul of the inner city.
We return to your hotel via the flipside of the coin, the lush, up market suburb of lower Houghton. A city of contrasts, that’s for certain.
Soweto Tour (Half Day Tour)
Soweto, acronym for South Western Township, is home to over 2 million people who, despite living in crowded and chaotic conditions, have a tangible sense of community.
Visit the Hector Peterson Museum - discovering the cause of the riots, pass the Mandela House, (with the option to visit this small museum - own account).
Visit Regina Mondi Church, site of many underground meetings for the then banned political parties.
Sun City & the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve (Full Day Tour)
The day begins early with a professionally guided, closed vehicle game drive into Big Five country: the Pilanesberg National Park. Who knows which of the Big or Little Five you’ll see?
Close neighbor to this superb natural reserve, is Sun City, one of South Africa’s most popular theme resorts, and you’ll have full access to the casino for a little flutter or two.
For the really curious, you may want to visit the Valley of the Waves & Swimming Pools! (own account). It’s a fabulously relaxing day…and might even prove very profitable for some!
AM - 06:30 - ±18:00
History of Humankind & Wildlife / Lesedi Cultural Village Tour (Full Day Tour)
We’re going right back to our beginnings, to the exceptional World Heritage Site of The Cradle of Humankind. The superb Maropeng Visitor Centre is truly an exciting, world class exhibition, focusing on the development of humans and our ancestors over the past few million years.
From past to present, we’ll be exploring five cultures at the Lesedi Cultural Village, heart and home to families of a range of African tribes, all living harmoniously in traditional homesteads.
You’ll be right there experiencing the warmth and hospitality of people from the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Sotho and Pedi cultures, and you’ll find it fascinating!
Our multilingual, multi-visual orientation depicts the history of South Africa, and will deepen your understanding of the complexity of our multicultural community.
We will enjoy a traditional African meal, a fine way to round off a day of new experiences and fresh insights.
Daily - AM (Mon, Wed, Fri)
07:00 - ±17:00
Journey to Freedom (Full Day Tour)
Many South Africans gave much; some gave all, to achieve a truly democratic South Africa.
Come with us on this full day tour which shares some of the journey, pain and struggle of those heroes; witness the places, experience the diverse museums where these momentous, tumultuous years have been so well documented.
Our day begins at the Hector Pieterson Museum, where we start to unravel the cause of the devastating riots, before travelling past Mandela House, where you have the option of visiting this small museum (own account).
Our next significant stop is the fascinating Regina Mundi Church, site of so many of the underground meetings of the then banned political parties. Standing there, you can feel the tension; picture the intensity, the strain on the faces of those unthinkably brave souls, committed at any cost to changing the way of life of a nation.
We’ve chosen to lunch in Soweto at a local restaurant (own account), before visiting the legendary Apartheid Museum. This is an interactive voyage of discovery, one which takes you from the dark days of ‘whites only’ privilege, through to Nelson Mandela’s historic release.
The Apartheid Museum is a multimedia experience, with documentary film snippets, texts, sound clips and live accounts, recapturing life in the dark days of South Africa.
It’s a fascinating tour, filled with tales of bravery and sadness, but ultimately it’s a story with the right ending.
Cullinan Diamond Tour (Tuesday, Thursday & Saturdays):
The Cullinan Diamond Mine is the site of the World’s oldest and South Africa’s third richest diamond mine. Premier mine opened in 1902 and together with it founded the pretty Victorian village of Cullinan.
The Cullinan Mine produced the world’s largest gem quality diamond – a massive 3106 carats, uncut! This diamond was chiseled into 98 individual diamonds including the Great and Lesser Stars of Africa, the 2nd and 3rd largest polished diamonds in the World which are now set in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
The tour starts with a 15 minute video before we are led into the high security premises of the mine where we are shown the workings and machinery of the mine.
We then visit the enormous open cast mine, excavated from Kimberlite rock which is now four times larger than the famous “Big Hole” in Kimberley.
Our tour concludes at Cullinan Diamonds where we view diamond cutting & polishing before we are invited to browse the loose diamonds and exquisite jewelry and perhaps make that special purchase!
Tour starts approximately 8am and finishes at approximately 2pm.
Liliesleaf - A place of liberation (Tuesday, Thursday & Saturdays):
Situated in residential Rivonia, the insightful and interactive museum experience at Liliesleaf honors South Africa’s remarkable heritage and the impressive trajectory of South Africa’s socio-political past.
Once the headquarters of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the ANC and the Congress Alliance, Liliesleaf holds a position of esteem among struggle landmarks in South Africa.
Visitors to Liliesleaf will experience a first-hand account of the events and circumstances leading up to the infamous raid of the Rivonia farm, as well as insights into some of the revolutionary personalities who helped to shape South Africa’s democracy.
Liliesleaf is one of Joburg’s best museums, not only because the new structures have been integrated so eloquently into the existing historical site, but because it challenges visitors to consider their responses to thorny moral and political dilemmas that were inseparable from life under apartheid and frighteningly pertinent today.
Daily - PM (Tue, Thu & Sat)
13:30 - ±17:15
Visit the Hector Peterson Museum - discovering the cause of the riots, pass the Mandela House, (with the option to visit this small museum - own account).
Visit Regina Mondi Church, site of many underground meetings for the then banned political parties.
Sun City & the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve (Full Day Tour)
The day begins early with a professionally guided, closed vehicle game drive into Big Five country: the Pilanesberg National Park. Who knows which of the Big or Little Five you’ll see?Close neighbor to this superb natural reserve, is Sun City, one of South Africa’s most popular theme resorts, and you’ll have full access to the casino for a little flutter or two.
For the really curious, you may want to visit the Valley of the Waves & Swimming Pools! (own account). It’s a fabulously relaxing day…and might even prove very profitable for some!
AM - 06:30 - ±18:00
History of Humankind & Wildlife / Lesedi Cultural Village Tour (Full Day Tour)
We’re going right back to our beginnings, to the exceptional World Heritage Site of The Cradle of Humankind. The superb Maropeng Visitor Centre is truly an exciting, world class exhibition, focusing on the development of humans and our ancestors over the past few million years.From past to present, we’ll be exploring five cultures at the Lesedi Cultural Village, heart and home to families of a range of African tribes, all living harmoniously in traditional homesteads.
You’ll be right there experiencing the warmth and hospitality of people from the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Sotho and Pedi cultures, and you’ll find it fascinating!
Our multilingual, multi-visual orientation depicts the history of South Africa, and will deepen your understanding of the complexity of our multicultural community.
We will enjoy a traditional African meal, a fine way to round off a day of new experiences and fresh insights.
Daily - AM (Mon, Wed, Fri)
07:00 - ±17:00
Journey to Freedom (Full Day Tour)
Many South Africans gave much; some gave all, to achieve a truly democratic South Africa.Come with us on this full day tour which shares some of the journey, pain and struggle of those heroes; witness the places, experience the diverse museums where these momentous, tumultuous years have been so well documented.
Our day begins at the Hector Pieterson Museum, where we start to unravel the cause of the devastating riots, before travelling past Mandela House, where you have the option of visiting this small museum (own account).
Our next significant stop is the fascinating Regina Mundi Church, site of so many of the underground meetings of the then banned political parties. Standing there, you can feel the tension; picture the intensity, the strain on the faces of those unthinkably brave souls, committed at any cost to changing the way of life of a nation.
We’ve chosen to lunch in Soweto at a local restaurant (own account), before visiting the legendary Apartheid Museum. This is an interactive voyage of discovery, one which takes you from the dark days of ‘whites only’ privilege, through to Nelson Mandela’s historic release.
The Apartheid Museum is a multimedia experience, with documentary film snippets, texts, sound clips and live accounts, recapturing life in the dark days of South Africa.
It’s a fascinating tour, filled with tales of bravery and sadness, but ultimately it’s a story with the right ending.
Cullinan Diamond Tour (Tuesday, Thursday & Saturdays):
The Cullinan Diamond Mine is the site of the World’s oldest and South Africa’s third richest diamond mine. Premier mine opened in 1902 and together with it founded the pretty Victorian village of Cullinan.The Cullinan Mine produced the world’s largest gem quality diamond – a massive 3106 carats, uncut! This diamond was chiseled into 98 individual diamonds including the Great and Lesser Stars of Africa, the 2nd and 3rd largest polished diamonds in the World which are now set in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
The tour starts with a 15 minute video before we are led into the high security premises of the mine where we are shown the workings and machinery of the mine.
We then visit the enormous open cast mine, excavated from Kimberlite rock which is now four times larger than the famous “Big Hole” in Kimberley.
Our tour concludes at Cullinan Diamonds where we view diamond cutting & polishing before we are invited to browse the loose diamonds and exquisite jewelry and perhaps make that special purchase!
Tour starts approximately 8am and finishes at approximately 2pm.
Liliesleaf - A place of liberation (Tuesday, Thursday & Saturdays):
Situated in residential Rivonia, the insightful and interactive museum experience at Liliesleaf honors South Africa’s remarkable heritage and the impressive trajectory of South Africa’s socio-political past.Once the headquarters of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the ANC and the Congress Alliance, Liliesleaf holds a position of esteem among struggle landmarks in South Africa.
Visitors to Liliesleaf will experience a first-hand account of the events and circumstances leading up to the infamous raid of the Rivonia farm, as well as insights into some of the revolutionary personalities who helped to shape South Africa’s democracy.
Liliesleaf is one of Joburg’s best museums, not only because the new structures have been integrated so eloquently into the existing historical site, but because it challenges visitors to consider their responses to thorny moral and political dilemmas that were inseparable from life under apartheid and frighteningly pertinent today.
Daily - PM (Tue, Thu & Sat)
13:30 - ±17:15