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Carlton Centre

Carlton Centre: Our most recommended tours and activities

Johannesburg: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour

1. Johannesburg: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Optional Soweto Tour

Enjoy the most fantastic views, safely and with flexibility to experience the atmosphere of Johannesburg aboard an open-top double-decker sightseeing bus. Choose between a bus ticket or choose to include a small group tour to Soweto, to visit the former home of Nelson Mandela in Vilakazi street and lots more by choosing the Bus/Soweto Combo option. This open top bus tour stops at all the iconic Johannesburg attractions like Melrose Arch, the Mandela's Foundation, Mandela's Homes, Constitution Hill, downtown Johannesburg, the Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City Theme Park, The Zoo, and Military Museum. The Main bus stop and Branded Tour office with Departure point is in Rosebank. Look for the City Sightseeing Tour office in the main pedestrian part of the "The Zone Mall", Oxford Road, Rosebank. It’s easy to find, between the “Holiday Inn Rosebank” and “Hamleys”. The Tour office is easily and safely accessible by free branded City Sightseeing shuttle bus, rented car, Gautrain or Uber (Detailed instructions for each of these options are on your tour voucher). You can also check Google maps for the “City Sightseeing Johannesburg Visitor Center”. The Hop-On Hop-Off Tour visits and stops at Melrose Arch, the Mandela Foundation, passes Mandela's Homes in Houghton, we make a scenic Photo Stop at Munroe Drive, Constitution Hill, the Mining District in central Johannesburg, the Apartheid Museum and Gold Reef City Casino Hotel. We have a tour office here to ensure that you can join the optional Soweto extension tour. (See details of this extension tour below) From there, the hop on hop off tour also stops at Newtown to visit the Sci Bono or Museum Africa, Braamfontein to visit the Neighbourhoods Market (open on Saturdays only), before we stop at the Johannesburg Zoo and the Military Museum from where the tour returns to Rosebank. The 2 hour, small group tour of Soweto is accessed whilst on the hop on, hop off tour at the “Gold Reef City” Bus stop. There are staff on duty to make sure this is safe and easy for you. Described as the “New York of Africa", this small group tour is live guided by a Soweto resident guide. Reconnect with Nelson Mandela's past, and get an understanding of where he started his fight against apartheid at his family home in Soweto. Now a museum, Mandela House follows the story of the legendary leader in the single-story matchbox house is located at number 8115 Vilakazi street. A short distance up the road is Tutu House, the home of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. This tour includes visits and Stops at the Fnb Stadium, a photo stop at the famous "Welcome to Soweto" sign, Chris Hani Baragwanath, the Orlando Stadium and Hector Pieterson before we arrive at Mandela's Vilikazi street House. Return to Gold Reef City and re-join the open top bus tour back to Rosebank.

Johannesburg : City Centre Walking Tour

2. Johannesburg : City Centre Walking Tour

Walkthrough Johannesburg and feel the hustle and bustle of the people, lifestyle and culture of the city and Visit Nelson Mandela's Law firm. Start at Museum Africa, in Newtown, then move on to the Workers Museum, the last surviving municipal compound for African men in Johannesburg. Continue to Chancellor House, where Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo set up South Africa’s first black-owned law firm. Go to Main Street, which has some of the best old buildings in the city. Main Street will lead you to Gandhi Square, a busy urban hub of commercial and retail activity to Maboneng, an arts neighborhood, for a Braii lunch (vegan, vegetarian friendly).

Johannesburg, Soweto and Apartheid Museum Day Tour

3. Johannesburg, Soweto and Apartheid Museum Day Tour

Johannesburg, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum are the perfect destinations for learning about the City of Gold. Start the day by visiting key landmarks in Johannesburg city, starting with Constitutional Hill where you will learn about apartheid prisoners. Then, head deep into the city, driving through the tall buildings, most of them built during the gold rush period. The next stop will be Top of Africa where you can see the city from above and take photos. The Apartheid Museum tour is the next stop as you dig deeper into the dark apartheid history of South Africa. This will be a 3-hour tour of the museum before heading into Soweto township. On arrival, you visit Mandela House Museum and get a 30-minute guided tour into his former house before he was sent to prison. The Hector Pieterson Museum will give you some inspiration on the language resistance uprising of 1976. Next, will be a quick drive to the Regina Mundi Church to discover the importance during the apartheid era. Finally, drive by Orlando Towers and the World Cup Stadium to finish the tour.

Johannesburg: Walking Tour

4. Johannesburg: Walking Tour

Meet your local guide at the Curiocity office in the Maboneng Precinct, sip a cup of fresh-brewed cappuccino before you begin your journey. Discover the Maboneng Precinct, also known as 'Place of Light,' a district that has fast become a center of the creative energy for Johannesburg's urban artists, designers, and entrepreneurs. Make your way to Kwa Mai-Mai Traditional Market, one of the oldest markets in Johannesburg. Walk past colorful stalls selling traditional medicines, ethnic attires, beaded jewelry, walking sticks, and handicrafts. Now is the best time to buy souvenirs to take back home. Continue to the Collectors Treasury, the largest second-hand bookstore in the Southern hemisphere, before you hop on a shuttle to the Carlton Centre building — a 50-story skyscraper offering panoramic views of the city. Visit the Gandhi Square, named after Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian leader and freedom fighter who spent 21 years in South Africa, and learn about his time in Johannesburg. End your tour with a stroll down the downtown Main Street, where you will walk past the Chancellor's House and the Shadow Boxing statue — a monumental sculpture portraying the late South African president, Nelson Mandela, as a young boxer.

Johannesburg City Excursion

5. Johannesburg City Excursion

Johannesburg has played a significant role in the history, culture, and demographics of modern South Africa. It has been one of the reasons for many conflicts in South African history, but it is also one of the reason for a diverse country we have today. Explore the City of Gold with a local guide and learn about the history and the current condition of Joburg. The tour will star at the Wing Republic, where you will get an overview of the tour and the history of the city. Walk from Braamfontein to Newtown and get a chance to see the famous Nelson Mandela bridge. Visit the Market theatre and Mary Fitzgerald square in Newtown and learn about the history of South African music and art. Walk to the Workers Compound and learn about the Labourers Immigration Laws of South Africa. And see our Science Discovery centre. Walk to Ferreira Market and visit the Chancellor’s House and learn about the life of Nelson Mandela and OR Tambo as attorneys. Get a chance to see the magistrate court. Walk on Main Street to Gandhi Square named after the famous Mahatma Gandhi, and learn about South Africa’s biggest industry. Visit the fifth tallest building in Africa, the Carlton Centre and visit the ABSA gallery, where they exhibit different art works done by artists from all over Africa. Walk to the last location, Maboneng, Johannesburg’s art world and see the local artists and their work. Have a local lunch End our tour at Home of the bean, a coffee shop where it is easy to get an Uber back.

Available activities

Other Sightseeing Options in Carlton Centre

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What people are saying about Carlton Centre

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 263 reviews

This walking tour really allows you to get a grasp of the city, I can only recommend it. We were given lots of interesting information and historical insight about Newtown, Ferreirastown, Jeweltown and Maboneng. The tour through these areas wasn't rushed, we really took the time to look at things and discuss them. Our guide Tebogo was a well of information, very attentive, helpful, eager to answer all our questions, and concerned about our safety; he was there early at the meeting point to make sure we were alright, and at some point he even ordered an Uber to get us to Jeweltown safely. The Brai at the end of the tour was a real treat.

It was a long busy day since we packed a lot into one day in this tour but we still managed to spend enough time and appreciate the deep and complex history of Johannesburg. Would have liked more time at the Apartheid Museum but considering how much we were trying to do in one day, it’s understandable we could not. The tour guide patiently explained and answered a lot of questions. The driver was very safety conscious.

Our guide: Exactly on time the whole trip. Friendly, professional, very knowledgable on multiple levels. Honest and helpful. Calm and positive. Knows his history, his country, his cities and loves his work. We learned and enjoyed.

Friendly, knowledgeable and street-smart guide. The highlighting of street art and city culture was great!

It was a very excellent experience. Buses very clean and travel as scheduled.