City Guides
Johannesburg
Sightseeing
Sightseeing
Johannesburg
Most Popular Hotels in Johannesburg:
1, Ambleside Lakefield, 1501
1 Melrose Square, Melrose Arch,, 2196
Cnr Rudd Road & Corlett Dr, Northlands,, 2116
Airport Grounds, Jones Road, 1627
Sightseeing Overview
Unlike other South African cities (such as Cape Town, with its world-famous Table Mountain, and Durban, with its dramatic beachfront parade of towering hotels) Johannesburg has no obvious scenic feature to distinguish it from many other drab and sprawling inland cities.
The 30-minute drive from the airport serves as a good introduction to this city. From here, a six-lane highway (the R24 and N12) carves a path first through a high-tech industrial and commercial district, then through leafy, upper-income suburbia, passing between Eastgate Mall and Bruma Lake Market World, before entering Hillbrow, a gangster and vagrant-riddled high-rise ghetto, home to 42 different nationalities from Africa alone.
This introduction might initially suggest that Johannesburg is an intimidating and risky place, which it is in places. However, it belies the fact that there are a wealth of diverse areas and sites of interest to visitors, and more are increasingly opening their doors. These include vibrant Soweto, Gold Reef City Theme Park and Casino, the Johannesburg Zoo and Military History Museum, the culturally alive Newtown district, and the excellent thought-provoking Apartheid Museum, among many others. They reveal a side to the city's multi-faceted character that is tourist-friendly, fascinating and safe.
Tourist Information
Gauteng Tourism Authority
1 Central Place, corner of Henry Nxumalo and Jeppe Streets, Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown
Tel: 011 832 2780.
Website: www.gauteng.net
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.
The tourism authority also runs information kiosks at OR Tambo International Airport (tel: 011 390 3602), which is open 0600-2200; at the African Craft Market in the Mall of Rosebank (tel: 011 390 3614), daily 0900-1800; and in Sandton City Mall (tel: 011 784 9597), daily 0900-1800.
Johannesburg Tourism Company
Grosvenor Corner, 195 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North
Tel: 011 214 0700.
Website: www.joburgtourism.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700; Sat 0900-1300.
The City of Johannesburg's website, www.joburg.org.za, is also an excellent resource for tourist information.
Passes
There are no tourist passes currently available in Johannesburg.
Tours of Johannesburg
3-Day Classic Kruger Breakaway Tour from Johannesburg - Starting from £475.48 per person
3-Day Zimbabwe Victoria Falls Fly-In Tour - Starting from £499.12 per person
Pilanesberg Nature Reserve Safari and Sun City Day Trip - Starting from £100.52 per person
Rise to Freedom Tour: Soweto and Apartheid Museum - Starting from £60.51 per person
4-Day Classic Impala Tour - Kruger National Park, Mpumlanga and Sabie - Starting from £687.14 per person
Most Popular Hotels in Johannesburg:
1, Ambleside Lakefield, 1501
1 Melrose Square, Melrose Arch,, 2196
Cnr Rudd Road & Corlett Dr, Northlands,, 2116
Airport Grounds, Jones Road, 1627
Sightseeing Overview
Unlike other South African cities (such as Cape Town, with its world-famous Table Mountain, and Durban, with its dramatic beachfront parade of towering hotels) Johannesburg has no obvious scenic feature to distinguish it from many other drab and sprawling inland cities.
The 30-minute drive from the airport serves as a good introduction to this city. From here, a six-lane highway (the R24 and N12) carves a path first through a high-tech industrial and commercial district, then through leafy, upper-income suburbia, passing between Eastgate Mall and Bruma Lake Market World, before entering Hillbrow, a gangster and vagrant-riddled high-rise ghetto, home to 42 different nationalities from Africa alone.
This introduction might initially suggest that Johannesburg is an intimidating and risky place, which it is in places. However, it belies the fact that there are a wealth of diverse areas and sites of interest to visitors, and more are increasingly opening their doors. These include vibrant Soweto, Gold Reef City Theme Park and Casino, the Johannesburg Zoo and Military History Museum, the culturally alive Newtown district, and the excellent thought-provoking Apartheid Museum, among many others. They reveal a side to the city's multi-faceted character that is tourist-friendly, fascinating and safe.
The 30-minute drive from the airport serves as a good introduction to this city. From here, a six-lane highway (the R24 and N12) carves a path first through a high-tech industrial and commercial district, then through leafy, upper-income suburbia, passing between Eastgate Mall and Bruma Lake Market World, before entering Hillbrow, a gangster and vagrant-riddled high-rise ghetto, home to 42 different nationalities from Africa alone.
This introduction might initially suggest that Johannesburg is an intimidating and risky place, which it is in places. However, it belies the fact that there are a wealth of diverse areas and sites of interest to visitors, and more are increasingly opening their doors. These include vibrant Soweto, Gold Reef City Theme Park and Casino, the Johannesburg Zoo and Military History Museum, the culturally alive Newtown district, and the excellent thought-provoking Apartheid Museum, among many others. They reveal a side to the city's multi-faceted character that is tourist-friendly, fascinating and safe.
Tourist Information
Gauteng Tourism Authority
1 Central Place, corner of Henry Nxumalo and Jeppe Streets, Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown
Tel: 011 832 2780.
Website: www.gauteng.net
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.
The tourism authority also runs information kiosks at OR Tambo International Airport (tel: 011 390 3602), which is open 0600-2200; at the African Craft Market in the Mall of Rosebank (tel: 011 390 3614), daily 0900-1800; and in Sandton City Mall (tel: 011 784 9597), daily 0900-1800.
Johannesburg Tourism Company
Grosvenor Corner, 195 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North
Tel: 011 214 0700.
Website: www.joburgtourism.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700; Sat 0900-1300.
The City of Johannesburg's website, www.joburg.org.za, is also an excellent resource for tourist information.
1 Central Place, corner of Henry Nxumalo and Jeppe Streets, Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown
Tel: 011 832 2780.
Website: www.gauteng.net
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.
The tourism authority also runs information kiosks at OR Tambo International Airport (tel: 011 390 3602), which is open 0600-2200; at the African Craft Market in the Mall of Rosebank (tel: 011 390 3614), daily 0900-1800; and in Sandton City Mall (tel: 011 784 9597), daily 0900-1800.
Johannesburg Tourism Company
Grosvenor Corner, 195 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North
Tel: 011 214 0700.
Website: www.joburgtourism.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1700; Sat 0900-1300.
The City of Johannesburg's website, www.joburg.org.za, is also an excellent resource for tourist information.
Passes
There are no tourist passes currently available in Johannesburg.
Tours of Johannesburg
Travel Partners
Travel Centre
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