Places / Africa / South Africa
Johannesburg
Visited
At a glance
- Country
- South Africa
- Region
- Gauteng
- Population
- 4.8 million
- Best time to go
- March to May, September to November
- Main airport
- Johannesburg O. R. Tambo (JNB)
- Coordinates
- 26.20°S, 28.05°E
Country visited City visited Still to go Click a pin or country to read more. Zoom with + and −, a double-click or a pinch.
Overview
Johannesburg was built on the gold rush of the 1880s and remains South Africa's economic engine. It is a sprawling city of leafy suburbs, glass towers and townships, and its recent history is told more powerfully here than anywhere else in the country.
It can feel daunting at first, but Joburg rewards curiosity. Spend time on its museums and Soweto, then enjoy the galleries, markets and restaurants of its creative neighbourhoods.
Things to see
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Photo: NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 3.0 Apartheid Museum
An essential, moving museum that walks you through the rise and fall of apartheid. Allow at least half a day.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: ConstHill, CC BY-SA 3.0 Constitution Hill
A former prison where Mandela and Gandhi were held, now home to the Constitutional Court.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Moongateclimber assumed, CC BY-SA 3.0 Vilakazi Street, Soweto
Nelson Mandela's former home is now a museum on the only street to have housed two Nobel Peace Prize winners.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 Hector Pieterson Memorial
Remembers the students killed during the 1976 Soweto uprising, a few blocks from Vilakazi Street.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Mudalahothe, CC BY-SA 4.0 Maboneng
A regenerated inner-city district of street art, galleries and cafés, best visited by day.
Things to do
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Photo: Michael Denne from Hobart, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0 Soweto bike tour
Local guides lead cycle tours through Soweto's neighbourhoods, a friendly way to understand the township.
Find tours -
Neighbourgoods Market
Saturday food market in Braamfontein, with craft beer and street food from across the continent.
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Photo: Francesco Bandarin, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo Day trip to the Cradle of Humankind
Fossil caves where some of the oldest human ancestors were found, under an hour north-west.
Find tours
Where to stay
Rosebank
Safe, walkable by Joburg standards, with a Gautrain station, galleries and a Sunday rooftop market.
Hotels in RosebankSandton
The financial district, with big business hotels and the airport train on the doorstep.
Hotels in SandtonMelville
Bohemian and relaxed, with guesthouses, bookshops and late-night bars.
Hotels in MelvilleParkhurst
A leafy suburb with a strip of good restaurants and a village feel.
Hotels in Parkhurst
Getting around
Use ride-hailing apps rather than walking at night, and take the Gautrain between the airport, Sandton, Rosebank and Pretoria.
The Gautrain runs from O. R. Tambo airport to Sandton in about 15 minutes.
When to go
Autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) are warm and sunny. Summer brings dramatic afternoon thunderstorms, and winter days are bright and dry but nights can be close to freezing.
Plan your trip to Johannesburg
- HotelsBooking.com
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide
- FlightsKiwi.com
- Attraction ticketsTiqets
- Airport parking, lounges and transfersHoliday Extras
- Flight and hotel dealslastminute.com
- Car hireAuto Europe
- Adventure travel insuranceWorld Nomads
- Mobile data (eSIM)AiraloCode DAN9406 for money off
- GuidebooksAmazon
Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about this.
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.
Over to you
Been here? Share a tip, or ask me anything about it, in the comments.