How I Spent 3 Days in Johannesburg, South Africa [Museums, Art, and More]

Johannesburg, also known as Joburg or Jozi, is South Africa’s largest city, one of the continent’s largest urban areas, and a key economic hub in Africa. The city is renowned for its complex history and stark contrasts, with modern business districts and skyscrapers adjacent to historic sites associated with the gold rush and apartheid eras.

Growing up, I was fascinated by Nelson Mandela’s work and the atrocities that resulted from apartheid. When I finally had the opportunity to visit Johannesburg (and South Africa as a whole), I was extremely excited.

Here’s an in-depth look at how I spent 3 days in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg is served by O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), roughly 18 miles (30 kilometers) east of the city. The airport serves many international destinations, with an emphasis on flights to the rest of Africa, Europe, and a few destinations in the Middle East.

You can fly nonstop between 2 U.S. airports and Johannesburg on 2 airlines:

• Delta Air Lines from Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg (JNB)
• United Airlines from Newark (EWR) to Johannesburg (JNB)

Where To Stay in Johannesburg

Simply put, Johannesburg can be a very dangerous city. The city has a reputation for exorbitantly high crime rates, particularly in certain areas. Issues such as theft, robbery, and carjacking are common concerns.

Safety can vary widely depending on the neighborhood. However, many of the city’s neighborhoods (especially its townships) and the downtown Central Business District are unsafe for walking alone and are not recommended for tourists to stay in.

The city has several Western hotel properties across some major hotel brands, including Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Marriott.

Rosebank

One of the city’s most upscale neighborhoods, Rosebank is considered relatively safe. Numerous private security companies and active community patrols patrol local homes and businesses. It is also considered among the best places to stay for foreigners.

There are a few Western properties in Rosebank, including the Holiday Inn Johannesburg – Rosebank and the Park Hyatt Johannesburg. I spent all 3 nights there.

Sandton

Sandton is the financial district of Johannesburg, making it convenient for both business and leisure travelers. It also has many shopping malls, including the popular Sandton City shopping mall. Using the Gautrain, you can reach Sandton station from O.R. Tambo International Airport in under 15 minutes.

Sandton has a few Western hotel properties, including the Holiday Inn Express Sandton – Woodmead, Hampton by Hilton Sandton Grayston, and the Protea Hotel Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton.

Melrose Arch

Just south of Sandton is Melrose Arch, a modern development with numerous shopping venues, office buildings, cafes, high-end restaurants, and hotels.

Melrose Arch is home to several Marriott properties, including the Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch, Protea Hotel Fire and Ice! Johannesburg Melrose Arch, and the African Pride Melrose Arch, Autograph Collection.

How I Explored Johannesburg

Although I have traveled to more than 100 countries, I knew I needed a different approach to Johannesburg than most other places in the world, where I typically arrive at a new destination and start walking to explore. Every single one of my South African friends urged me not to be on the streets alone in most of the city, so I took their advice to heart.

Per a friend’s recommendation, I booked my first hop-on, hop-off tourist bus service in nearly a decade. I signed up for City Sightseeing Johannesburg, knowing I would be in safe hands, and it visited many of Johannesburg’s major attractions.

I went with the 2-day bus-and-Soweto tour, which cost me R679 ($39).

Day 1

After an excellent rest and breakfast at the Park Hyatt Johannesburg, I walked less than 7 minutes from the property to the City Sightseeing Johannesburg office (also in Rosebank). After a representative validated my ticket, I boarded the hop-on, hop-off bus.

Constitution Hill

My first stop was Constitution Hill, a former fort and prison complex that’s now a living museum and one of the most famous sites in Johannesburg. Today, it is home to South Africa’s Constitutional Court, the country’s highest court, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Built in 1892, the Old Fort Prison Complex housed many political prisoners during colonialism and apartheid, most notably Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. The prison was notorious for its harsh and dehumanizing conditions, particularly for its Black inmates.

The museum features several exhibitions, including the Number Four Prison, the infamous prison cell block where Black male prisoners were held. Other well-known sites at Constitution Hill include the Women’s Jail and the Old Fort.

The museum does an excellent job showing the horrifying conditions for the prisoners, which included terrible physical and mental abuse, forced labor, overcrowding, and racial segregation. Even the toilets and uniforms were segregated based on skin color.

The museum is also home to the Constitutional Court, which is often open to the public and filled with art and human rights symbolism. It also serves as a powerful symbol of South Africa’s journey from colonial rule and apartheid to democracy.

Constitution Hill is open daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. There is an R180 ($10) admission fee.

The museum is free to enter on national holidays, including Human Rights Day (March 21), Freedom Day (April 27), and Heritage Day (September 24).

Hot Tip:

If you visit Constitution Hill as part of the City Sightseeing Red Bus tour, your ticket gives you a 25% discount on the ticket price on the day of your bus trip.

Gold Reef City

Next, I headed to Gold Reef City, another iconic Johannesburg site. Gold Reef City is a multipurpose entertainment complex built on a former gold mine. It includes a massive theme park with several rides and roller coasters, a movie theater, a wedding chapel, multiple restaurants and retail stores, and the Gold Reef City Casino.

Gold Reef City was built on the site of Witwatersrand’s gold discovery, which made Johannesburg famous. Here, people can learn about the history of the gold boom, how miners worked in the early 1900s, and the process of extracting and processing gold. You can even see live shows of real gold being poured into a bar.

It also offers an underground mine tour where tourists can go 246 feet (75 meters ) underground into a real gold mine.

Soweto

Next, I patiently waited for my 2-hour Soweto tour, part of my sightseeing bus ticket. Soweto, short for South Western Townships, is one of South Africa’s most historically and culturally significant areas. The township played a major role in the country’s fight against apartheid.

It was ground zero for antiapartheid resistance, especially during the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when thousands of students protested against racist education laws. It is also home to many famous South African liberation figures like Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Hector Pieterson.

The tour took us to many important sites around Soweto, including the Orlando Power Station, commonly called the Soweto Towers. Orlando Power Station is a coal-fired power station that, despite being in the center of the township, provided electricity to Johannesburg’s white suburbs but not to Soweto. It has served as a symbol of apartheid-era inequality.

You can also visit other famous sites, including the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum and Vilakazi Street, which is best known for being the only street in the world where 2 Nobel Peace Prize winners (Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu) once lived.

Of course, you can also meet locals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Zulu, Sotho, and Xhosa (among others).

Soweto is home to over 1.3 million residents, making it the largest township in South Africa. It mostly consists of informal settlements and low-cost housing.

Although many Black people were forcibly relocated there under apartheid, many chose to stay to create lives there.

Day 2

Apartheid Museum

To start the second day, I visited the Apartheid Museum, another famous site in Johannesburg. The museum showcases the rise and fall of apartheid, human retellings of life under apartheid, the resistance movements, the transition to democracy, and the lasting impact of apartheid on modern South Africa.

The museum provides a unique experience: upon arrival, visitors enter the museum through one of 2 entrances (labeled “White” and “Non-White”) assigned randomly by their entrance tickets. The path they follow and the exhibits they encounter are initially determined by which entrance they use.

The entrance system perfectly introduces the dehumanizing nature of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination.

There are numerous key themes in the museum, including segregation before apartheid, life under apartheid for ordinary people, the detention and torture of political prisoners, resistance movements, and Nelson Mandela’s work toward democracy.

The museum features thousands of photographs, personal testimonies, archival video footage, and memorabilia, such as personal identification cards.

The Apartheid Museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the admission fee is R190 ($11).

Maboneng Precinct

After several hours at the Apartheid Museum, I headed to Maboneng, one of Johannesburg’s most vibrant and creative neighborhoods.

Once a run-down industrial area on the eastern edge of the city’s Central Business District, Maboneng has transformed into a vibrant mixed-use district featuring numerous cafes, art galleries, and independent shops. It is now considered a hub for art, culture, food, and young urban life in Johannesburg.

Maboneng also features numerous street art and murals, which was the primary reason I chose to visit.

I have always loved street art, as I think it perfectly captures the soul of a city, reflecting its history, struggles, and identity in visual form.

Maboneng is generally a safe and walkable precinct. However, it would be best for you not to be there alone at night. Although there is high foot traffic on the main roads, it is not recommended to wander alone into the surrounding areas.

Day 3

Johannesburg Zoo

For my final day in Johannesburg, I visited the Johannesburg Zoo. Opened in 1904, the massive zoo spans about 136 acres (55 hectares) and is home to over 300 species of animals from around the world.

Since I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to visit any of South Africa’s national parks, I was excited to visit the zoo. The Johannesburg Zoo houses more than 2,000 animals, including numerous big cats, primates, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic birds.

The zoo is divided into themed zones, like the savannah section, where I saw several African herbivores and predators, including a white rhino.

Although the African continent does not have tigers, the zoo had several Siberian tigers, among my favorite animals. Their enclosure was designed so visitors can get quite close to the animals.

The Johannesburg Zoo is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and charges a R120 ($7) admission fee.

After about 6 hours at the zoo, I returned to my guesthouse to collect my bags and head to the airport. Next up was Cape Town, a city I wanted to see even more than Johannesburg!

Final Thoughts

Johannesburg is a fantastic city with a wealth of attractions to offer everyone who visits. I really enjoyed the Apartheid Museum and Johannesburg Zoo. Although the city has significant safety issues, I was surprised by how friendly the people were, and I plan to return soon.

Hopefully, I will have more time to explore outside Johannesburg next time, including Pilanesberg National Park and Kruger National Park.