Johannesburg Layover Guide (JNB)

Johannesburg Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Ticket and Soweto Tour

One of the best ways to explore Johannesburg is aboard the city’s Red Bus. The Hop-on, Hop-off open buss tour takes you closer to several iconic monuments and important attractions around the city like the Carlton Centre (highest building in Africa)The Apartheid Museum, The SAB World of Beer which also offers a beer tour and the Constitution Hill which features some of the most notorious historic prisons of Johannesburg. There are over 16 stops featured on the tour where you see the beauty of the City Of Gold. » book this tour

Pilanesberg: Open-Vehicle Safari

Join a full-day safari in Pilanesberg National Park. This is a chance to see the home of the famous Big 5, namely, elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard. Embark on a full-day experience in an open jeep. Enjoy the opportunity to not only see, but also to capture close-up shots of some of the most famous inhabitants of the African savanna. Enjoy a game drive inside an extinct mega volcano and explore a birder’s paradise with more than 370 species. » book this tour

Cradle of Humankind: Sterkfontein Caves & Maropeng Centre

For those wanting to experience the birthplace of humankind firsthand, the official visitor center for the Cradle of Humankind and the Sterkfontein Caves is the perfect entry point to this incredible history. Learn about the anthropological digs and explore skeletons than are over three million years old. It one of eight World Heritage Sites in South Africa known as where the first hominid, Australopithecus, was found in 1924 by Professor Raymond Dart. » book this tour

Lesedi Cultural Village

Here you will visit five traditional villages including Xhosa, Zulu, Pedi, Basotho and Ndebele. You will have the opportunity to listen to traditional music being played, and the fascinating stories told by the people of Lesedi. Enjoy a traditional South African tribal get-together, whilst experiencing some traditional dancing.

Time required: 2 hours.

Airport to here: 50 minutes via taxi and 1 hour and 30 minutes via public transport.

Nelson Mandela Centre Of Memory

Dedicated to celebrating the memory of the great Nelson Mandela is The Centre Of Memory founded by The Nelson Mandela Foundation, a non-profit institution started by Nelson Mandela. It features a photography exhibition that details the life of the great activist and the State Of Emergency era of South Africa in 1997. The entry here is free but the foundation accepts donations.

Time required: 1-2 hours.

Airport to here: 24 minutes via taxi and 58 minutes via public transport.

Bounce

Bounce is an indoor trampoline park, first of its kind in the country, that features several sporting activities ranging from Free-Jump, Slam Dunk, Big Bag, Dodgeball, High-Performance Area, SuperTramp, BOUNCE Tuckshop and a kid-friendly bouncing area. If you’re looking to get involved in activities such as slam dunks, flips or trampoline dodgeball this facility is a must for you to visit coupled with some fun.

Time required: 2-3 hours.

Airport to here: 27 minutes via taxi and 1 hour 43 minutes via public transport.

Zorb Ride

Keep the fun rolling and experience the longest zorb ride in South Africa at the Jozi X. The 3m diameter inflatable balls roll down a 200m long slope which offers both hydro zorbing accompanied by water and Harness zorbing without water. Other fun activities featured are Bubble Soccer and the Big Air Krush Kushion Jump. Admission here is for all between the ages of 7 to 75, preferably the ideal place to catch some fun by yourself, the kids, or a loved one.

Time required: 2-3 hours.

Airport to here: 25 minutes via taxi and an hour and half via public transport.

Wits Origin Centre Museum

An in-depth exhibition curated to educate you on the history of early humans in Africa — their origins and Human Development, including a wide collection of ancient rock art that dates back to 80,000 years ago. The exhibit is accompanied by audio tours that take you through theories of evolution in ancient Africa, ancient African cultures by the early men, combining contemporary technology and creativity of South African artists that detail the beginning at the earliest evidence of humans, through to the development of art, symbolism, and technology on the African continent featuring a vast collection of fossils, paleoanthropological and archaeological materials. They also offer a DNA test to trace your origins.

Time required: 2-3 hours.

Airport to here: 25 minutes via taxi and 50 minutes via public transport.

Apartheid Museum

At the courtyard of the museum is where the exhibition begins with seven pillars erected that represent each of the South African constitutional values; democracy, equality, reconciliation, diversity, responsibility, respect and freedom. The exhibition is an illustration of the South African struggle during the apartheid and thoughtful reminders of South African history. The museum’s importance is highly regarded and offers visitors an insight into the history of a cruel time for the people of South Africa. Informational materials are provided to help guide you through the tour. The entrance of the museum is segregated and entry is decided randomly by a ticket system, each entrance leads to individual exhibitions of the same subject. A must-visit place in the country.

Time required: 3 hours.

Airport to here: 25 minutes via taxi and an hour via public transport.

Constitution Hill

This is where you’ll find the feared former prison complex in which Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, other prominent figures like Gandhi, Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Fatima Meer were once held here also. The old cells are now purposed as museums to tell the story of South Africa’s turbulent past journey to democracy and its post-apartheid future. You can learn more about the history of South Africa and famed activist Nelson Mandela here.

Time required: 1-2 hours.

Airport to here: 30 minutes via taxi and 50 minutes via public transport.