Johannesburg Tour: Immersive Historical & Cultural Experience

Explore Johannesburg’s Central Business District on an insightful walking tour. Discover the city’s rich history, vibrant culture, and diverse architecture while supporting local guides.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Braamfontein - Located just north of Johannesburg’s CBD, Braamfontein experienced a significant departure of businesses and institutions as the city’s center shifted to Sandton and the northern suburbs. However, unlike some parts of the inner city, it did not fall into decay. Instead, Braamfontein has become a hub for a more informal economy.

Braamfontein has been part of Johannesburg since 1886, starting its journey as a farm. Over the years, it evolved into a lively business district within Johannesburg’s Central Business District. Today, the area has been revitalized.

  • Constitution Hill Human Rights Precinct - Situated at 11 Kotze Street in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, near the western edge of Hillbrow, Constitution Hill houses the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
  • Witwatersrand (Wits) University - A museum featuring thousands of African artworks, ranging from historical to contemporary pieces.
  • Nelson Mandela Bridge - The fourth of five bridges crossing the railway lines and sidings just west of Johannesburg Park Station, with the first being the Johan Rissik Bridge next to the station. Completed in 2003, the bridge cost R38 million to construct.
  • Newtown - Located in Johannesburg’s inner city, Newtown is central to the city’s regeneration and reinvention efforts. It is a sizable area bordered by railway lines to the north, the M2 highway to the south, and West Street and Quinn Street to the east and west, respectively.

The Nelson Mandela Bridge, which connects Braamfontein to Newtown, makes Newtown highly accessible. The bridge can handle around 3000 cars per hour and serves as a new gateway into the city from the north. Newtown is now a mixed-use area with a vibrant and unique character, especially considering its cultural facilities. It is home to the famous Market Theatre, which played a crucial role in South African theatre during the apartheid era, dedicated to non-racial theatre since 1974. The theatre transformed a dilapidated Edwardian market hall into a cultural venue that showcased some of the country’s finest actors and playwrights.

  • Gandhi Square - A plaza in Johannesburg’s Central Business District, named after the political activist and pacifist Mahatma Gandhi.
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Guide
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic Beverages
Additional Information

If you’re looking for a traditional tour company that will give a highlighted touristic tour, then WE’RE NOT THE COMPANY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR…

We offer Immersive Historical & Cultural experiences that take our clients a step closer to understanding South Africa’s complex history.

On these excursion, we cover the past, present and future of Johannesburg; we answer the million-dollar question (WHAT HAPPENED TO JOHANNESBURG)

Everyone tells how dangerous Johannesburg is but no one tells you what caused it to be so dangerous, Your Safety will be our number one priority as we show around the city and challenge this preconceived idea that Johannesburg is dangerous.

With 8 years of experience, you’re in good hands with us :)

We looking forward to hosting you.

Location
Braamfontein
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(15 Ratings)
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324macarenag
Oct 25, 2023
Great way to learn about Joburg! - Great experience!! there is history in every meter of the city. the guide answered all my questions and we had a lot of fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
_h7831rc
Oct 24, 2023
Hystory of Newtown/History of Newtown - It was a great excursion. The guide Romeo tells a very interesting story. He revealed to me the amazing history of Newtown. I was a little worried about safety, but Romeo showed Newtown from a different side. Newtown is a very beautiful and unique place. Romeo told not only the history of Newtown, but the whole country, he also talked about many unique historical buildings! Thank you very much for the tour. It was a great excursion. The guide Romeo tells a very interesting story. He revealed to me the amazing history of Newtown. I was a little worried about safety, but Romeo showed Newtown from a different side. Newtown is a very beautiful and unique place. Romeo told not only the history of Newtown, but the whole country, he also talked about many unique historical buildings! Thank you very much for the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nat_liag392
Sep 11, 2023
Interesting tour in the Johannesburg city centre - We had a chance to get to know two amazing local guides - Sean and Angela. Sean told us about history of the city, importance of art for the locals and showed us many hidden gems. Thank you guys!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jullionc
Aug 21, 2023
Awesome Walking Tour in Downtown Joburg - After multiple stories of how dangerous and inaccessible Johannesburg is for tourists and staying in Sandton where I felt safe (and in a great guesthouse) but the vibe felt very much MEH, Thai (spelling?) was a terrific tour guide who made the city come alive through his fact telling, personality, and sense of humor. I learned a tremendous amount of history and social context that really helped me understand the city I was visiting better. I appreciated learning the cultural and historical nuances of life in Newtown before and after the World Cup and the story behind the train graveyard located under the Nelson Mandela Bridge. The market he dropped us off at the end of the tour was also super cool and his recommendations for Maboneng were spot on. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer62881163743
Aug 18, 2023
See Newtown with Sean - Sean my guide was amazing. I am so grateful that he proceeded with the walking tour even though there was just me today. He is very friendly, informative (also answers all my silly questions), and always kept me feeling safe. Would recommend this tour, especially if you have Sean as your guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Contactelisarossetto
Aug 6, 2023
Worth experience in JHB - We earned many aspects of the city and it's multicultural history. We would recommend as a First introduction to the city. The guide Sean was very Knoledgeable and Friendly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ivanchpalacios
Aug 6, 2023
Great experience and great guide (Sean) - Great experience in Joburg CBD. I took the tour with Sean and I really enjoyed it. He knows a lot about history. He showed us the Africa Museum as well. Overall, very recommendable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kassiewang
Aug 3, 2023
10/10 recommended - Sean was a super knowledgeable guide who knew so much about South Africa’s history, diverse cultures and people! It was a superb walking tour where we got to see the underbelly of Joburg’s CBD, learn about its unique history and admire the intricate street art all around. 10/10 recommend 👍🏻
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sergiopancorbo
Jul 27, 2023
Super experience walking in Johannesburg! - We had a great experience walking with Sean in downtown Johannesburg, lots of learning about history, about the city, and fun… totally recommend Honest Travel!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabethmaryab
Jul 28, 2024
A Missed Opportunity - I wanted to go on this tour, but it was challenging and kept falling through. The tour indicated that the price included pick-up and drop-off service. I registered for the tour on a Tuesday evening (around 6:00 p.m., as I remember it). TripAdvisor confirmed my registration. Unfortunately, the next morning, the tour operator emailed me and said that the tour was already "full" and they couldn't accommodate me. They offered to add me to Thursday's tour. Unfortunately, I already had plans for Thursday. We agreed to transfer my registration to Friday. It all seemed good. I asked to confirm that they would pick me up at my hotel (I had already supplied the hotel's name when making the reservation for Wednesday's tour). I did not hear back from the tour company. When Friday morning arrived, I received another email saying that, unfortunately, their vehicle had broken down in the early hours of the morning and that they were unable to provide transportation (as specified in the tour and price details). They asked if I could Uber to their location. I felt uncomfortable with this because I didn't know where I was going and because transportation was included in the price. All in all, I felt that two negatives were happening with the tour company (i.e., their inability to fulfill the confirmed Wednesday tour and then asking me to provide my own transportation for Friday.). Accordingly, I asked to cancel and to have a refund issued. TripAdvisor notified me quickly that the request for a refund was being processed. I am sorry that I missed this potential experience, and it might have just been a series of bad luck circumstances, but it didn't inspire me with confidence, nor with a sense that the tour operator was "on top of things." That said, all of the email correspondence was polite and clear, except for the non-response to my asking them to confirm transportation earlier than the day of the tour. Because they didn't respond, I didn't have a chance to set up a different experience for Friday on my own. That was very disappointing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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