Luxury hotels in Johannesburg

7 hand-picked hotels with breakfast, upgrades and hotel credit when you book with us.

Johannesburg guide

Johannesburg: the Apartheid Museum and Soweto

South Africa's story in one day, before the flight to the Kruger or Cape Town.

The Apartheid Museum is the most cited visit in Johannesburg and one of the most moving museums anywhere; allow at least two hours. In Soweto, Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, once lived.

Constitution Hill, a former prison that now houses the Constitutional Court, and the galleries and restaurants of Rosebank and Parktown complete the picture. Most travellers spend a night here on the way to the Kruger, the Sabi Sand reserves or Cape Town, and a private guide is the best way to see the city.

Constitution Hill and Maboneng

Constitution Hill, a former prison complex where Gandhi and Mandela were held, now home to South Africa's Constitutional Court, is one of Johannesburg's most cited sights, with guided tours explaining the country's journey to democracy.

Maboneng, a regenerated district of the inner city, has galleries, studios, markets and restaurants, and guided street art walks are the best way to explore it. The Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO fossil site, is about an hour north-west.

Safari from Johannesburg: Kruger and Pilanesberg

Johannesburg is the gateway to South Africa's great safaris, and the private reserves bordering Kruger National Park, such as Sabi Sand, reached by short flights, are the most cited, with excellent leopard sightings and off-road drives in open vehicles.

Pilanesberg National Park and the Madikwe reserve, in a malaria-free area about two and a half to four hours by road, are ideal for families and shorter stays. The dry winter months, from May to September, give the best game viewing.

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