Things to do in Johannesburg
Blending first and third worlds, Johannesburg, Jo'burg or Jozi is a city of contrasts. Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton offers art performances, Soweto a taste of township life and Top of Africa in the CBD (Central Business District), great city views. Travel back in time to the gold-rush era at Gold Reef City or jump to the beginning of evolution at the Origins Centre. Lions roar in nearby game reserves and at Johannesburg Zoo.
Museums and Galleries
Expand all1. Museum Africa - Walk-through history lesson
Show more Founded in Newtown in 1994, Museum Africa is Johannesburg's major historical museum. Evocative multimedia displays and walk-through reconstructions of various historic periods take visitors on a journey from the city's golden era to the present day.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 9am-5pm
Address
121, Bree Street (Old Market Building), Newtown, Johannesburg 2113
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 833 5624
Transport
Taxi
2. Johannesburg Art Gallery - European and African art
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Johannesburg Art Gallery in Joubert Park is one of the finest of its kind in South Africa. It houses an exquisite selection of modern artwork, ranging from Picasso and Henry Moore to South Africans Sekoto, Batisse and Pierneef.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Address
Klein Street, Joubert Park, Johannesburg 2001
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 725 3130
Transport
Taxi
3. Apartheid Museum - From segregation to freedom
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Located in Ormonde, Johannesburg's Apartheid Museum illustrates the rise and fall of South Africa's controversial racial policy through a collection of photographs, videos and artefacts. The emotional journey begins with an entry pass labelling visitors as either 'white' or 'nonwhite'.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R40; concessions R25
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Address
Northern Parkway & Gold Reef Road, Ormonde, Johannesburg 2091
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 309 4700
4. Constitution Hill - Transition to democracy
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Overlooking Johannesburg from Braamfontein, Constitution Hill is the former prison for political dissidents, notably Gandhi and Mandela. Today the site, which houses both a museum and South Africa's Constitutional Court, offers exhibitions and tours documenting the country's journey to democracy.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R22; concessions R15; under-12s R10
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat 10am-2pm
Address
1, Kotze Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2017
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 381 3100
5. Hector Pieterson Museum - Children of the revolution
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The Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto is named after the first casualty of the 1976 uprising against the sole use of the Afrikaans language in schools. Video footage and many moving photographs document the protest, which saw 566 schoolchildren killed.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R15; concessions R5
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-5pm (until 4.30pm Sun)
Address
82-87, Khumalo Street, Orlando West, Soweto, Johannesburg 1804
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 536 0611
Transport
Taxi
6. Origins Centre - The world's ancestors
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Origins Centre in Braamfontein houses a fascinating collection of San rock art, including paintings, engravings and artefacts. A visit sheds light on the birth of humankind, scientific facts and insights into the bushmen's spiritual beliefs plus lectures and workshops.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R60; under-12s R35
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-5pm
Address
1, Yale Road, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2050
Telephone
+27 (11) 717 4700
Attractions
Expand all7. Newtown Precinct - All-round entertainment
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Newtown Precinct, burnt down in 1904 to combat plague there, is reborn as a buzzing cultural ground offering music and theatre, art galleries, craft markets and nightlife. Attractions include Museum Africa, Nelson Mandela Bridge, Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and Market Theatre.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free (individual attraction charges may apply)
Opening Hours
Daily (individual attraction opening times vary)
Address
Scibono Discovery Centre, Miriam Makeba Street, corner of President Street, Johannesburg
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 833 6323
8. Johannesburg Zoo - Animal kingdom
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Johannesburg Zoo in Parkview accommodates around 360 species in 54 hectares. This cosmopolitan community ranges from rare and fascinating creatures from around the world to the local "big five" - lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalo.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R41; seniors & children R23Parking R10 per car; R20 per bus
Opening Hours
Daily 8.30am-5.30pm
Address
Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkview, Johannesburg 2122
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 646 2000
9. Lion Park - Lions night and day
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Home to more than 80 lions, including the rare white lion, Lion Park in Lanseria, near Johannesburg, introduces visitors to the king of beasts. Cheetahs, black leopards, hyenas and other carnivorous animals can also be observed at close quarters.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R100; 4-12s R80; under-4s freeGuided game drives R150; 4-12s R10010 people minimum - must be booked in advance
Opening Hours
Daily 8.30am-5pm (until 6pm Sat & Sun)
Address
R114 on the corner with Malibongwe Drive, Johannesburg 1739
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 691 9905
10. Maropeng - Journey through the ages
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Maropeng is the new visitor centre at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in Magaliesberg, around 45 minutes from Johannesburg. A complex of limestone caves, including the Sterkfontein Caves, and interactive sensory displays present the history of humanity.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R95; seniors R65; 4-14s R55; including Sterkfontein Caves: R150; 4-14s R90
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-5pm (last admission 4pm)
Address
Cradle of Humankind, R400, Magaliesberg, Johannesburg 1426
Telephone
+27 (0) 14 577 9100
11. Lesedi Cultural Village - Tribal life
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South African tribes give a warm welcome at Lesedi Cultural Village. Set in the bushveld and rocky hills of Lanseria, near Johannesburg, the village features reconstructed homesteads, offering a glimpse into Zulu, Ndebele, Basotho, Pedi and Xhosa life.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R220; R360 including lunch or dinner
Opening Hours
Tours commence daily at 11.30am and 4.30pm
Address
Portion 198, 493 Kalkheuwel, R512, Lanseria, Johannesburg
Telephone
+27 (0)12 205 1394
12. Gold Reef City - Gold-rush era revisited
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A hybrid between theme park and living museum, Gold Reef City brings museums, education, rides and entertainment to a former gold shaft in Ormonde. It aims to replicate Johannesburg's mining conditions during the gold-rush era.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R90-R120; seniors R80Heritage tour R180; seniors R140
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 9.30am-5pm
Address
Northern Parkway, Ormonde, Johannesburg 2159
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 248 6800
Special things to do
Expand all13. Johannesburg Planetarium - Space vision
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The second to open in the southern hemisphere, 400-seat Johannesburg Planetarium in Braamfontein introduces stars and galaxies through high-tech satellite images and telescopic views. Its shows change regularly, and it also holds astronomy courses. The website lists the current programme.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R26.50; concessions R17
Opening Hours
Fri 8pm; Sat 3pm; kids' show Sat 10.30am
Address
Yale Road Entrance 10, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2050
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 717 1390
14. Top of Africa - Africa's top view
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Located on the 50th floor of the Carlton Centre, Africa's tallest building towering over Johannesburg's Central Business District, Top of Africa is an observation deck which provides uninterrupted views across this ever-expanding city.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
R8; under-12s R4
Opening Hours
Daily 7.30am-7pm
Address
150, Commissioner Street, Johannesburg 2001
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 308 1331
Transport
Taxi
15. Nelson Mandela Square - Piazza entertainment
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Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton is a cultural public space that stages art performances and shows around a symbolic bronze statue of Mandela, which commemorates the birth of the Rainbow Nation. Trendy cafés, restaurants and shops frame the piazza.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-6pm (theatres and restaurants trade until later)
Address
Corner of Maude and Fifth Streets, Sandton, Johannesburg 2010
Telephone
+27 (0) 11 217 6000
