Johannesburg

South Africa's economic hub and gateway to safaris, with the Apartheid Museum, Soweto and the Cradle of Humankind telling the country's history, and Pretoria and Pilanesberg to the north.

Johannesburg sits on the highveld of Gauteng province in northeastern South Africa, at about 1,750 m. It rose in the late 19th century after the discovery of the world's largest gold deposits, and is now South Africa's economic center and Africa's largest aviation hub, as well as the gateway to safaris in Kruger and elsewhere. The climate is mild: winter (June–August) is clear and dry with big day-to-night temperature swings; summer (November–March) brings frequent afternoon thunderstorms; and September–November is when Pretoria's jacarandas are in beautiful bloom. Sightseeing is divided into several areas: the city center and Braamfontein have Constitution Hill, the art gallery and the Maboneng arts district; in the southern suburbs, the Apartheid Museum and Gold Reef City are neighbors; Soweto to the southwest has Mandela's house and the Hector Pieterson Memorial; Sandton in the northern suburbs is the safest area for accommodation and shopping; about 50 km to the northwest are the World Heritage Cradle of Humankind and Hartbeespoort; about 60 km to the north is the capital, Pretoria; and Pilanesberg and Sun City, about 170 km away, suit an overnight stay or a long day trip. Getting there: O. R. Tambo International Airport has direct flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and elsewhere, and the Gautrain connects the airport, Sandton and Pretoria; there is no convenient public transport in the city, so getting around is mainly by Uber/Bolt, or you can take the red sightseeing bus. We suggest staying 3–4 days. Safety is the main concern: avoid walking at night, do not leave valuables visible in the car, and join a tour for Soweto and the city center.

Top sights

• Apartheid Museum – An immersive museum that opens with entrances split into 'White' and 'Non-White' gates. It tells the rise and fall of South Africa's aparth…
• Constitution Hill – The seat of South Africa's Constitutional Court, converted from an old fort prison where both Mandela and Gandhi were once held.
• Vilakazi Street & Mandela House – The only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize laureates have lived. Mandela's red-brick house from 1946 to 1962 is now a museum.
• Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum – A museum commemorating the 1976 Soweto Uprising, where the photo of a young boy being carried as he runs brought the world's attention to a…
• Cradle of Humankind – Sterkfontein Caves – The core caves of the World Heritage Cradle of Humankind, where famous early human fossils such as 'Mrs. Ples' and 'Little Foot' were unear…
• Orlando Towers – The painted cooling towers of a disused power station in Soweto. You can bungee jump and swing between the two towers, making it Johannesbu…
• Regina Mundi Church – Soweto's largest Catholic church. During apartheid it was a gathering place for the resistance movement, and bullet holes are still visible…
• Walter Sisulu Square, Kliptown – A historic square where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955. Its monument and museum tell the story of the beginnings of democracy in S…
• Maboneng Precinct – A regenerated urban district built from old warehouses, known for murals, galleries, independent design shops and weekend markets.
• Carlton Centre – Top of Africa – One of Africa's tallest office buildings, its 50th-floor observation deck offers 360-degree views over central Johannesburg and the gold mi…
• Nelson Mandela Bridge – A cable-stayed bridge spanning the rail hub and linking Braamfontein with Newtown, its night-time lights making it a city landmark.
• Braamfontein & Neighbourgoods Market – A lively neighbourhood beside Wits University, home to a Saturday rooftop food market, cafés and street art.
• Origins Centre – A museum of human origins on the Wits campus, showcasing early human evolution in Africa and the rock art of Southern Africa.
• Johannesburg Art Gallery – One of South Africa’s largest art galleries, with European masterpieces and South African modern and contemporary art. Free admission.
• Gold Reef City – A theme park built on a former gold mine, recreating 19th-century gold-rush Johannesburg, where you can descend into a real mine more than…
• Johannesburg Zoo – A long-established zoo opened in 1904, set among shady trees, where you can see African and global wildlife beyond the usual lions, elephan…
• Nelson Mandela Square – A shopping square in affluent Sandton, home to a 6-metre bronze statue of Mandela, and surrounded by what is often called Africa’s richest…
• Liliesleaf Farm – The secret base of the ANC’s underground armed wing, whose 1963 raid led to the Rivonia Trial, in which Mandela and others were sentenced t…
• Montecasino – An indoor entertainment complex styled on a Tuscan town, combining a casino, theatres, restaurants and a bird garden in one place.
• Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden – A national botanical garden on Johannesburg’s western outskirts, home to the roughly 70-metre Witpoortjie Falls, where a pair of African bl…
• Maropeng Visitor Centre – The official visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, housed in a mound-shaped building where a boat ride through an…
• Lion & Safari Park – A lion conservation park near Johannesburg where you can see lions, white lions, cheetahs and giraffes by car or on a tour vehicle, making…
• Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve – A private reserve within the Cradle of Humankind, where you can drive through to see white rhinos, lions, cheetahs and antelope, plus a cub…
• Hartbeespoort Dam & Aerial Cableway – A man-made lake resort at the foot of the Magaliesberg, where a cable car takes you up the ridge for views over the water, with markets and…
• Cullinan Diamond Mine – The town where the Cullinan, the largest gem-quality diamond ever found, was mined. Visitors can take surface or underground tours and wand…
• Ponte City Apartments – A 54-storey hollow cylindrical apartment tower on the Johannesburg skyline. Community tours take you into the central atrium and up to high…
• Satyagraha House – The thatched-roof house where Gandhi lived with his friend Kallenbach during his years in South Africa, now a small museum and boutique gue…

Where to eat

• Sakhumzi Restaurant – An iconic restaurant on Soweto's Vilakazi Street, famous for its R270 traditional buffet and Mogodu (tripe).
• Marble – A rooftop restaurant in Rosebank by Chef David Higgs, elevating the South African Braai into fine dining, with ribeye a…
• Chaf-Pozi – A massive Shisa Nyama venue at the foot of the Orlando Towers, offering a select-your-own-meat braai experience for up…
• Pata Pata – An African restaurant and bar in the Maboneng Arts District, featuring a retro Sophiatown vibe, live jazz, a diverse me…
• Little Addis Cafe – A cozy Ethiopian eatery in Milpark, highly rated for its shared injera platters, clay-pot brewed coffee, and excellent…
• Bismillah Restaurant (Fordsburg) – A long-standing South Asian halal eatery on Mint Road in Fordsburg, widely praised for its biryanis and Bunny Chows.

Itineraries

• Lesotho Highlands East-West Traverse & Sani Pass – Traverse the highlands east from Maseru to ride ponies, see waterfalls and dams, and descend Sani Pass to Durban.
• Kruger, Mozambique Coast & Eswatini Loop – An epic Southern African road trip from Johannesburg, linking canyons, safaris, coastal highways, and kingdom valleys.
• Johannesburg History & Pilanesberg Safari – Explore Soweto, Constitution Hill, and Pretoria, then go on a malaria-free safari in Pilanesberg.
• Cape Town, Garden Route & Kruger Panorama – The ultimate first-time South Africa itinerary: Cape Town, Winelands, the Garden Route, and a flight to the northeast f…