Two Days in Johannesburg | The Perfect Solo Itinerary

After my solo trip to Kenya and Tanzania last year, I had been dying to visit the African continent again. Lo and behold, a work trip to Johannesburg materialized, and I jumped at the opportunity to visit South Africa. However, I only had time to visit the two major cities: Cape Town and Johannesburg in my Seven-Day South Africa Itinerary.

So, here’s a 2-day Johannesburg itinerary you can do solo.

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Basics

About

Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city, situated in Gauteng, which is the smallest yet wealthiest province in the country. The city was founded after the discovery of gold in 1886 and nicknamed eGoli, meaning “city of gold” in Zulu. The name ‘Johannesburg’ comes from the two officials of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek—Christiaan Johannes Joubert and Johannes Rissik—who were involved in surveying the area. The name combines their shared first name, Johannes, with ‘burg’, the Dutch and Afrikaans word for ‘fortified city’.

Johannesburg sits at an altitude of 1,753 meters (5,751 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest major cities in the world. It is home to several universities and research institutions, such as the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand, and has various cultural and historical landmarks, including the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill.

Unfortunately, the city faces significant crime challenges, with high rates of violent crimes like assault, robbery, and homicide, as well as property crimes like burglary and car theft. Therefore, tourists often bypass Johannesburg in favour of its more attractive sister city, Cape Town. But Johannesburg comes with its unique charm.

Johannesburg, only about 140 years old, is a young city. Yet, with its population of 5.6 million people and expansive buildings and localities, you wouldn’t think so today.

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—Take a full-day guided tour to see the city easily—

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Best Time to Visit

Conventional wisdom suggests that the best time to visit Johannesburg is from September to April, particularly January to March, due to clear skies and sunny, long days. It doesn’t get very hot, with temperatures remaining moderate, even in summer. In June, when I visited, the weather had turned chilly and rainy, often dropping below 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. Therefore, if that’s not your jam, visiting between September and April will allow you to enjoy the city in pleasant weather.

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Is it Safe?

Not really. But with some precautions, you’ll make it through. I did!

Here are some tips to be safe in Johannesburg.

• Be discreet with valuables: Avoid flashy jewellery and keep your phone tucked away. Use a crossbody bag for added security. Phone and bag snatching are common, so extra precaution is advisable.
• Avoid walking. Instead, utilize ride-sharing apps like Uber and Bolt even for short distances. Stick to well-lit areas at night and avoid walking alone, especially on empty roads. Just avoid walking, period.
• Grocery stores and supermarkets are few and far in-between and thus access to food can be challenging at times, so keep yourself well-stocked with food at all times. SPAR, Woolworth, Checkers, and Pick n Pay are the popular supermarkets, to put in your ride app.

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—Guided tours offer safety and convenience, especially in Johannesburg—

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Flights and Visa from India

Flights

I flew Qatar Airways to Cape Town and Etihad on my way back from Johannesburg. The round trip cost INR 55,000 or USD 660. Kenya Airlines had flights too but with long layovers in Nairobi.

A tip: Arrive at least 2.5 hours early at O. R. Tambo International Airport on busy days like Sunday. The immigration process can take a minimum of 30-45 minutes due to understaffed counters (which is puzzling). You can buy your wine gift at the ‘Big Five Duty-Free,’ which is well-stocked with wines from Stellenbosch and Groot Constantia.

Visa

There are two ways to get a visa at present. One is a South African eVisa and one is a stamped visa through VFS.

I’m not certain how things will unfold in a year or two, but for now, getting a South African eVisa can be unpredictable. I applied for one and received it within five days, but it had the wrong expiry date. No amount of phone calls or emails could correct it.

Subsequently, I had to apply for a visa through VFS. While the form was easy to fill and the visa was free, there were VFS service charges of INR 2255 in Mumbai (courier and SMS services). It takes 15-20 days to process a visa through VFS.

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SIM, Money, and Transportation

SIM

The Johannesburg International Airport is much larger than the Cape Town Airport. Like the latter, it has both Vodacom and MTN SIM card stores. Vodacom has slightly better 4G/5G network coverage in South Africa but is more expensive than MTN. A 30-day, data-only (10 GB) MTN SIM costs about 469 ZAR (25 USD).

Money

At the time of writing this, 1 South African Rand (ZAR) equalled INR 4.6 and 0.055 USD. I budgeted 200 ZAR (20 USD) per day to cover walking tours (~200-300 ZAR for a 2-hour tour), roadside shopping, and as a backup in case my credit card did not work. However, almost all places accept credit cards, with many displaying a ‘cashless’ sign, indicating that no cash is accepted. ATMs are available at the airport if you want to withdraw cash as a backup, as I did. Standard Bank, Capitec, and Nedbank ATMs appeared to have the lowest charge for withdrawal at 50 ZAR, while ABSA charges around 75 ZAR per withdrawal.

Transportation

Uber and Bolt are reliable and affordable ways to get around in Johannesburg. Locals consider Uber safer and it was only marginally more expensive than Bolt in Johannesburg, unlike in Cape Town where the fare difference was significant.

To travel from the airport to the hotel, take an Uber or Bolt. Do not get swayed by those who promise to help you find a cab or claim to be Uber. In Johannesburg International Airport, walk to Terminal A or B, Parkade 2. Ask for directions from one of the uniformed personnel inside the airport. The airport has plenty of security, so it feels safe.

I didn’t move around on my own much in Johannesburg. I saw all the main sights using the Red City Sightseeing Bus.

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The Itinerary

I took the City Sightseeing Bus Tour on day 1 and did a Soweto Walking Tour on day 2. On both evenings I visited the local popular malls to do some shopping. The City Sightseeing Bus Tour also offers a Soweto side tour (645 ZAR for a combined ticket) but you would not have the personal attention that would come from a Soweto Walking Tour and one is also pressed for time on the bus tour.

I had a lot of fun on my Soweto Walking Tour (500 ZAR for 4 hours with small snacks included) as I was the only one on the tour. It felt like walking about with a friend.

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DAY 1: City Bus Tour

The City Sightseeing Bus Tour goes to the following stops which take end to end about 2 hours and 30 minutes. In winter, the bus starts at 9 AM and ends at 5:30 PM. Fun fact: by the time the tour ended, it was already sundown, and I was terrified to make the short 5-minute walk to Hyatt House Hotel just across the road from Holiday Inn. So much is the Johannesburg Paranoia. Sigh.

Below are the stops on the sightseeing bus. The journey from the Mining District to the Apartheid Museum takes the longest.

1. Rosebank (The stop is in front of the Holiday Inn Hotel)
2. Melrose Arch (meh, it’s a sprawling mall, that’s it. Stop here if you like shopping and eating worry-free. There are some interesting sculptures and cafes.)
3. Nelson Mandela Foundation (No need to stop here)
4. Munro Drive Photo stop (from the bus only. In winter, with the bare trees, the view was meh.)
5. Constitution Hill (Can get down here.)
6. Mining District (No need to disembark. This is in CBD and better avoided alone.)
7. Apartheid Museum (Get down here).
8. Gold Reef City Casino Hotel (Can get down here.)
9. Newtown (Don’t get down; there are plenty of graffiti photo opportunities, so keep your phone ready.)
10. The Playground Braamfontien (meh. Only if the Saturday Market is on.)
11. JHB Zoo (Can get down here. A good way to see African wildlife and the ‘Big 5’.)
12. Military Museum (Stay on the bus and take a pic of the Anglo-Boer War Memorial)

Here is more on the two places I thought were worthy of a stop.

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The Apartheid Museum

The Apartheid Museum is the seventh stop on the hop-on-hop-off route, approximately an hour from the starting point in Rosebank. As it’s adjacent to Gold Reef City Casino, you can explore both one after the other.

The Apartheid Museum’s admission fee is 160 ZAR, and it operates from 9 AM to 5 PM, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

At least two hours is required at this expansive museum, as it presents a comprehensive history of apartheid, showcasing the harsh realities and struggles of that era. It features numerous artefacts, archival film footage, and powerful photographs depicting life under apartheid. Photography is not allowed inside the museum, and I was told off by a guard when I unknowingly took a picture 🙁

I found the Apartheid Museum overwhelming, with its numerous exhibition areas. The layout can be confusing to navigate, and the volume of information is immense. Compared to Cape Town’s District Six Museum and the Slave Lodge Museum, I found the Apartheid Museum to be less engaging, but that’s just my personal preference for a manageable and organized experience. Additionally, I felt there was too much focus on Nelson Mandela throughout the museum (and the country). While his contributions are significant, highlighting the roles of other figures in the anti-apartheid movement (and in the development of the country) would be beneficial. Fortunately, India has emerged from the long shadow of Gandhi.

However, despite these minor quibbles, it’s undeniable that the Apartheid Museum offers a deep dive into a crucial period of South African history, with fantastic artefacts and photographs. Since Johannesburg doesn’t offer many historical tourist attractions, this one is well worth visiting.

Constitution Hill

Constitution Hill in Johannesburg is a historic site that houses the South African Constitutional Court and various museums. Visitors can explore the courtrooms, learn about South Africa’s constitutional democracy, and delve into the country’s history of human rights struggles. The site also includes former prison buildings, such as the Old Fort and Number Four, which once held political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

Inside Constitution Hill, guided tours are offered hourly. Although my colleagues spoke highly of these tours, my experience was different. Upon arrival, the site appeared rundown, and the two staff members at the ticket counter (curtly) informed me that no tours were running at that hour and they had no idea where the tour guides were. I continued on my Bus Tour and went to the Apartheid Museum instead. Open 9 AM – 5 PM; Closed Sundays.

—Take a guided tour of the Constitution Hill if you can. Those who have taken it speak highly of it—

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DAY 2: Soweto

Soweto, located 30 minutes or 25 km from Johannesburg’s CBD, is home primarily to black South Africans, as well as poor undocumented immigrants. It is divided into Orlando West and East; I found the former to be a charming middle-class neighbourhood and the latter more rundown, with a slum or two.

Key attractions in Soweto include Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, where Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, two Nobel laureates, once lived, although at different times. Nelson Mandela lived here with his first wife, Evelyn Mase, who was given the house by the government due to her role as a nurse. Desmond Tutu lived in a house on the road known as the Beverly Hills of Soweto, and his descendants live there now.

Soweto is known for its role in the struggle against apartheid. The Hector Pieterson Museum commemorates Hector Pieterson, a 12-year-old student who became a symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle after being killed by police on June 16, 1976, during the Soweto Uprising. The area around has several symbols of the student uprising.

Soweto is markedly different from mainstream Johannesburg. It’s a mix of middle-class-orderly, chaotic-lower-to-middle-class homes and sprawling townships (i.e., slums), with fallow land in between.

Finally, there are the Soweto Towers, iconic symbols of Soweto. Once power stations decommissioned for polluting Soweto while providing electricity to other localities, they are now a popular bungee jumping destination. Most tours usually end here. They look sedate in my picture below, but the towers are frequently repainted and appear quite colourful in other pictures I have seen.

Eat a delicious Kota while here. Shop at the Bara Mall or a tuck shop. Ride in a minibus taxi, stopping them using (eh) hand gestures.

Mandela House

“That night I returned with Winnie to No. 8115 in Orlando West. It was only then that I knew in my heart I had left prison. For me, No. 8115 was the centre point of my world, the place marked with an X in my mental geography.”

Built in 1945, the Mandela House was commissioned as part of a Johannesburg City tender for new houses in Orlando. Mandela moved in here with his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase, to whom the house was awarded as she was a government nurse. Eleven years later, and with a divorce finalized in 1957, Mandela welcomed his second wife, Winnie Madikizela Mandela, into the house while Evelyn moved out (why though? I thought it was her house. Anyway…).

Inside 8115, visitors can see the rooms where the family lived, along with personal artefacts, photographs, and memorabilia documenting Mandela’s life and legacy. Additionally, the museum provides insight into the history of the anti-apartheid movement and the significance of Mandela’s role in shaping South Africa’s democratic future.

Fun fact: Mandela’s third wife, Graça Machel, with whom he stayed in Houghton later, close to where I stayed in my hotel (The Great Gatsby ), was once married to the President of Mozambique, making her the only woman to have been married to two presidents!

Open: 9 AM to 4:45 PM | Entry: 180 ZAR

Hector Pieterson Museum

This museum is usually the starting point of a Soweto Walking Tour but spend some time looking inside and around the premises. It is located two blocks away from where student protester Hector Pieterson was shot and killed on 16 June 1976. The museum is named in his honour and covers the events of the anti-Apartheid Soweto Uprising, where more than 170 protesting school children were killed.

The backstory: Hector Pieterson was a 12-year-old student killed by police during the Soweto Uprising in South Africa. The uprising was a protest by black students against the mandatory use of Afrikaans in schools, instead of their native languages. ‘Afrikaans’ was seen as the language of the ‘oppressor’.

The museum displays a famous photograph by Sam Nzima showing fellow student Mbuyisa Makhubo carrying Hector’s body, with Hector’s sister Antoinette running alongside. This image highlighted the brutality of apartheid, increasing global condemnation and pressure on the South African government. Makhubo fled South Africa due to persecution and later disappeared. Antoinette Sithole now serves as a Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum tour guide.

Various other artefacts in Soweto commemorate the event, a significant moment in the struggle against apartheid.

Open: Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM​.

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Evenings

Sandton City

Malls should typically not be part of a travel itinerary, but in Johannesburg, Sandton City provides a welcome respite. It’s also a good place to walk about free of worry. Sandton City is one of the largest shopping centres in Johannesburg. The mall covers over 140,000 square meters of retail space and houses more than 300 shops, including international and local brands. Adjacent to Sandton City, Nelson Mandela Square features a large statue of Nelson Mandela and is a popular dining and cultural hub. Check out the shows playing at Theatre on the Square and the Pieter Toerien Theatre if you want cultural invigoration.

Sandton City typically stays open from 9 AM to 8 PM on weekdays and Saturdays, and from 9 AM to 6 PM on Sundays and public holidays.

Rosebank Mall

Rosebank Mall is a prominent shopping destination in Johannesburg with over 150 stores. Notable shops include Woolworths, Edgars, and Clicks, alongside high-end fashion retailers like Zara and H&M. The mall also hosts unique boutique stores, such as House of Cinnamon, Mambu, and Poetry. I found the Rosebank Mall difficult to navigate If I’m being honest, but it offers a more laid-back vibe compared to the bustling and more commercialized Sandton City. They also have a great Sunday market and the Keyes Art Mile is worth dropping into.

Rosebank Mall is open from 9 AM to 6 PM from Monday to Saturday and from 9 AM to 5 PM on Sundays and public holidays.

Ponte City Experience

Ponte City is a 54-story cylindrical skyscraper in Johannesburg, prominently standing out in the skyline. Completed in 1975, it is the tallest residential building in Africa, notable for its hollow core and turbulent history, including periods of neglect and revitalization. This unique urban exploration tour takes you through Ponte City, labelled by them as a ‘highly misunderstood’ residential building. The group also offers other interesting tours worth taking a look at.

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Day Trips

Kruger or Pillanesberg

Kruger National Park, located in northeastern South Africa, is one of Africa’s largest game reserves, spanning nearly 20,000 square kilometres. It is well-known for its diverse wildlife, including the Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffaloes. A trip to Kruger National Park can be done in 2 days. Johannesburg Hop-on-Hop-off offers tours as do other tour operators. A Pilanesburg Game Safari can be done within a day and offers the opportunity to see the Big 5 as well.

Cradle of Humankind

The Cradle of Humankind is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg. It is known for its rich fossil record that offers crucial insights into human evolution. Discovered in the late 19th century, the Cradle of Humankind comprises a complex of limestone caves. The caves were closed at the time of writing, but the Maropeng Visitor Centre was open. The centre offers interactive exhibits about human evolution. A trip takes half a day and costs about 1000 ZAR upwards for a group tour. I have heard that it is good for kids, and to learn about human evolution, but the inscriptions are outdated. Additionally, as the Sterkfontein Caves are closed, it is not as impactful. The Maropeng tour includes a museum-guided tour, an underground boat ride, and a tour of the Vortex tunnel.

Pretoria City Tour

Pretoria is one of South Africa’s three capital cities, serving as the executive branch and administrative capital. (The other two are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital). Pretoria is located in the northern part of Gauteng Province and is known for its government buildings, universities, and historical sites. It is less than an hour away from Johannesburg. Visit the Voortrekker Monument, Church Square, Union Buildings, and Kruger House. Tours take half a day.

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