Johannesburg itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Johannesburg, day by day: the Apartheid Museum, Mandela House, the Hector Pieterson Museum and MuseuMAfricA first, then Constitution Hill, Newtown, the Art Gallery and the Orlando Power Station, and Melville, Gold Reef City, the Lion Park and the Cradle of Humankind as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Johannesburg in 1 day
Day 1
Hector Pieterson Museum
Museum in Orlando West about the 1976 Soweto uprising, named for the schoolboy shot during the protests.
Mandela House
The small Vilakazi Street house in Soweto where Nelson Mandela lived, now a museum of his family life and early career.
Apartheid Museum
Museum south of the centre telling the story of apartheid and the struggle against it, with film, photographs and documents.
MuseuMAfricA
Museum in Newtown with exhibitions on the history of Johannesburg, gold mining, rock art and the city's people.
Johannesburg in 2 days
Day 1
Johannesburg Botanical Garden
Garden in Emmarentia with a rose garden, herb garden and lawns, next to the dam and its walking paths.
Zoo Lake
Lake and public park near Parktown with picnic lawns, a boating area and paths, popular on weekends.
Johannesburg Planetarium
University of the Witwatersrand planetarium with star shows and talks about the night sky, held on set show times.
Constitution Hill, Johannesburg
Former prison complex that now holds South Africa's Constitutional Court, with exhibitions on the cells and the people held there.
Johannesburg Art Gallery
The largest art gallery in southern Africa, in Joubert Park, with South African and European works.
Newtown, Johannesburg
Inner-city cultural district with theatres, the Market Theatre, museums and Mary Fitzgerald Square, reworked from an old industrial quarter.
Day 2
MuseuMAfricA
Museum in Newtown with exhibitions on the history of Johannesburg, gold mining, rock art and the city's people.
Apartheid Museum
Museum south of the centre telling the story of apartheid and the struggle against it, with film, photographs and documents.
Orlando Power Station
Decommissioned power station in Soweto with two large cooling towers painted with murals, used for bungee jumping and tours.
Mandela House
The small Vilakazi Street house in Soweto where Nelson Mandela lived, now a museum of his family life and early career.
Hector Pieterson Museum
Museum in Orlando West about the 1976 Soweto uprising, named for the schoolboy shot during the protests.
Johannesburg in 3 days
Day 1
Hector Pieterson Museum
Museum in Orlando West about the 1976 Soweto uprising, named for the schoolboy shot during the protests.
Mandela House
The small Vilakazi Street house in Soweto where Nelson Mandela lived, now a museum of his family life and early career.
Orlando Power Station
Decommissioned power station in Soweto with two large cooling towers painted with murals, used for bungee jumping and tours.
Melville, Gauteng
Relaxed suburb on 7th Street with cafes, bars, small shops and street life, popular in the evening.
Newtown, Johannesburg
Inner-city cultural district with theatres, the Market Theatre, museums and Mary Fitzgerald Square, reworked from an old industrial quarter.
Day 2
Johannesburg Planetarium
University of the Witwatersrand planetarium with star shows and talks about the night sky, held on set show times.
Constitution Hill, Johannesburg
Former prison complex that now holds South Africa's Constitutional Court, with exhibitions on the cells and the people held there.
Johannesburg Art Gallery
The largest art gallery in southern Africa, in Joubert Park, with South African and European works.
MuseuMAfricA
Museum in Newtown with exhibitions on the history of Johannesburg, gold mining, rock art and the city's people.
Gold Reef City
Amusement park and casino themed on the 1880s gold rush, with rides and a visit to a former gold mine.
Zoo Lake
Lake and public park near Parktown with picnic lawns, a boating area and paths, popular on weekends.
Day 3
Apartheid Museum
Museum south of the centre telling the story of apartheid and the struggle against it, with film, photographs and documents.
Johannesburg Botanical Garden
Garden in Emmarentia with a rose garden, herb garden and lawns, next to the dam and its walking paths.
Lion Park
Conservation park north of the city with lions, cheetahs and other animals, visited by vehicle or on guided walks.
Cradle of Humankind
World Heritage area of caves and fossil sites north-west of Johannesburg, where some of the earliest human ancestors were found.
Watch: Johannesburg
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Johannesburg
May to September is the dry winter, with sunny days and cold nights, and is a pleasant time for sightseeing. October to March brings warm weather and afternoon thunderstorms, mostly in the late afternoon. Johannesburg is at high altitude, so the sun is strong and evenings can be cool at any time of year.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Johannesburg on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Johannesburg on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Johannesburg on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Johannesburg with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for South Africa from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Johannesburg with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Johannesburg
- Soweto sights such as Mandela House and the Hector Pieterson Museum are spread out and best reached by a guided tour or a driver rather than on foot.
- Johannesburg is a driving city and public transport is limited; use a licensed taxi, a ride-hailing app or a booked tour, and ask your hotel which areas are fine to walk in.
- The Apartheid Museum is large and sombre; allow a few hours and book ahead for busy periods.
- The Cradle of Humankind sites, including the Sterkfontein Caves, lie outside the city; plan them as a separate half or full day trip.
- Many museums close on Mondays, so check opening days before fixing a day plan.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Apartheid Museum: NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Constitution Hill, Johannesburg: The Heritage Portal, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cradle of Humankind: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gold Reef City: CMallwitz ( talk ), Public domain
- Hector Pieterson Museum: U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain
- Johannesburg Art Gallery: Janek Szymanowski, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Johannesburg Botanical Garden: NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Johannesburg Planetarium: Thuvack, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lion Park: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mandela House: No machine-readable author provided. Moongateclimber assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Melville, Gauteng: fiverlocker from Brighton, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
- MuseuMAfricA: Thomas.macmillan ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Newtown, Johannesburg: Adamina, CC BY 2.0
- Orlando Power Station: Tim giddings, Public domain
- Zoo Lake: Dyltong, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
