Private Full Day Soweto and Johannesburg Tour from Johannesburg or Pretoria
Description
The private full day Johannesburg tour visits iconic heritage sites in Johannesburg CBD and Soweto, highlighting South Africa’s turbulent history and promising future. It is an opportunity to learn more about events that shaped the country’s past while also discovering the dynamic cultural diversity of two of the country’s most prominent cities. Constitutional Hill, and the vibrant Newtown Junction are among the highlights of the Johannesburg tour. Travel through Soweto, passing by notable landmarks and historic sites, stopping at an informal settlement and the Hector Pieterson Museum before arriving at the vibrant Vilakazi Street, in which was Nelson Mandela’s home.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Perhaps no other South African prison housed as many world-famous men and women as those held within the walls of Constitution Hill’s Old Fort, Women’s Jail, and Number Four – Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Fatima Meer as well as tens of thousands of ordinary people over its 100-year history.
We cross over the striking Mandela Bridge on our way into Newtown. Named in honour of Nelson Mandela, the 284-metre long bridge is the largest cable-stayed bridge in South Africa and links two significant business districts. The Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg in South Africa is a public space named after Mary "Pickhandle" Fitzgerald, who is considered to have been the first female trade unionist in the country.
Gandhi Square is a plaza located in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is named after the political activist and pacifist, Mahatma Gandhi.
Visit a large museum in Orlando West. Built in memory of Hector Pietersen who was shot and killed on 16 June 1976.
Visit the Mandela House Museum, in the house on Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962
Chief Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg, more simply known as Luthuli House, is the headquarters of the African National Congress and other subsidiary organizations. The name "Luthuli House" is frequently used as a metonym for the national leadership of the ANC
Visit Regina Mundi Church, the largest Roman Catholic church in South Africa located in Rockville, Soweto
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
You will be collected in a private closed vehicle by a private driver and guide from any accommodation address in Johannesburg. Collecting time for a private full day tour will be between 08:00 and 09:30 and drop off between 16:30 and 18:00. The duration of the private full day tour is 7.5 to 8 hours.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
Reviews(77)
This trip is very good, a day can be carded out, all the rest of you have to protect yourself worth visiting content, perfect for day-trippers in this transit, the guide is very passionate to give us rumblings, but the museum content is basically politically correct, this like it or not depends on personal hobby, especially the slum trip shock us a lot, or very well worth coming, Tinyko guide explained very well
Hi Getawa... 非常感谢您的好评！很高兴您喜欢这次索韦托之旅，并认为一天的行程安排充实且高效。我们希望这次体验能让您更深入地了解当地的历史、文化与社区。期待未来再次欢迎您，与我们一起探索更多南非的精彩！ The MoAfrika Tours Team
The local tour company, MoAfrika, did a great job. Booking with Viator was a mess, when I booked thru Viator I put in the hotel where I was staying as the pick-up address; the Radisson near the Johannesburg airport. The Viator site said this was not an option as a pick-up site. The Viator site suggested 3 or 4 other locations for puck-up. I chose the first location from the drop down list. I checked the Viator app before I left the U.S. and it showed the pick up address as the one I had selected from the drop down list. Long story short the local tour company did not have this info. I paid $40 for a cab to take me to the pick up location, waited & waited, called the tour operator and found out their guide was in his way to the Radisson hotel. Eventually we got picked up (at the drop down location). Local company = A+. I am giving Viator = D- I had a similar experience with a Viator booking in the summer of 2025. The pick up location for a tour in Edinburgh was wrong & we were able to locate the local guide through shear luck. I would like to be refunded for the $40 I had to spend, unnecessarily, the local guide said his company picks up at the Radisson hotel all the time! Perhaps Trip Advisor will be a better option for future trips.
Hi Babbar... Thank you for your detailed feedback and for your kind words about MoAfrika. We're delighted you enjoyed your Soweto tour and that our team was able to ensure you joined the tour despite the pickup confusion. We're very sorry for the inconvenience caused by the incorrect pickup information on Viator and understand how frustrating the extra taxi expense must have been. As your booking was made through Viator, we recommend contacting their customer support regarding your refund request, as they manage the booking details and payment. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope to welcome you back for a seamless experience in the future. The MoAfrika Tours Team
We had the best day with Lebo - he was so kind and knowledgeable while also being super professional. We loved our day with him and highly recommend a tour with MoAfrika
Hi madele... Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a great day with Lebo. His knowledge, professionalism, and warm personality truly make every tour special. We’re thrilled that you enjoyed exploring Soweto with him and appreciate your recommendation of MoAfrika. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience soon! The MoAfrika Tours Team
This was an amazing experience and opportunity to see and learn about the history of South Africa, Johannesburg and Soweto. Our guide had a wealth of knowledge and helped us to see first hand the impact of historical events in the area, from the establishment of Johannesburg as a mining city to the Soweto Uprisings, end of Apartheid and current development and struggles. It was like getting a semester's worth of South African history in 7 hours.
Kris_N Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful review! We’re delighted to hear that you found the tour both insightful and meaningful. South Africa’s history is powerful and complex, and we’re glad your guide’s knowledge helped bring Johannesburg and Soweto’s stories to life. Your description of “a semester’s worth of history in 7 hours” truly means a lot to us. We appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again soon! MoAfrika Team
We had such an amazing Johannesburg & Soweto tour with Carson. He is SO knowledgeable and shared with us so many interesting things. We 100% recommend booking a tour with him. We really appreciated his hospitality and kindness! He made our day so memorable, thank you Carson!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such an amazing Johannesburg & Soweto tour with Carson. It’s fantastic to know that his knowledge, kindness, and hospitality made your experience so memorable and engaging. We truly appreciate your strong recommendation and will be sure to share your kind words with him. Thank you for choosing to travel with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience soon!
It is well worth both the time and money. Our driver was knowledgeable, personable and flexible. Pi ked a great lunch spot as well.
We spent a day with Lebo exploring Johannesburg and Soweto. Lebo was fantastic, adapting what we saw according to our whims. We visited Mandela’s presidential homes on our way to Constitution Hill, stopped at Maponeng (twice - with no complaints from Lebo), visited Soweto towers, had lunch in Soweto and more. You could not ask for a more knowledgeable guide. By the end Lebo felt like a friend. I would 100% recommend MoAfrika and Lebo. I hope I get a chance to revisit Jo’burg; Lebo & MoAfrika will be the first people I contact.
Hi Experience629671, We are thrilled to hear you had such a memorable safari with us, and grateful for your kind words. Your appreciation for Soweto will absolutely be passed along — thank you for the special mention. It would be an absolute pleasure to host you again on your next safari with us. Warm regards, The MoAfrica Team
Today was an amazing day with Tinyiko! He was the perfect storyteller, historian, and comedian all at once! His knowledge of South Africa, especially Johannesburg and Soweto, was tremendous. We felt so lucky to be in his hands for the day.
I would to thank MOAFRICA for giving a great experience for Pretoria and Johannesburg. All the comments of my friends were wrong about Johannesburg. It’s a beautiful, clean and interesting place. Kudos to LEBO MACHABA were being kind and very knowledgeable of the place. I will definitely recommend MOAFRIKA to my friends.
Lebo was simply the best. Knowledgeable, friendly, compassionate & always making sure we saw the sights while remaining safe.
