We offer three different food tours in Johannesburg. The Ultimate Fantastic Foodie Tour is a full-day affair and the ultimate tasting experience. We also offer two half-day food tours in the inner-city: the West City Food Tour (Asian migrant cuisine) and the East City Food Tour (Pan-African and Mediterranean cuisine). All three tours are listed below. Scroll down to get to the two shorter, half-day tours.
Ultimate Fantastic Foodie Tour (10am-6pm)
An incredible day tour, exploring Joburg through food tasting. The city is known for its incredible mix of migrant foods and freshest ingredients. Our Ultimate Fantastic Foodie tour includes some of the most significant migrant foods of the city and involves a combination of restaurants and deli shops. Of course, along the way, Charlie tells you mesmerizing stories about the migrant communities of Johannesburg and the cuisines they introduced to the local culture.
The tour typically runs from 10am-6pm. The tour itinerary below is indicative and may be adjusted depending on which venues are available on the day of your tour, or the size of your group. We have a wide array of possible stops to choose from and guests can know that the combination of venues chosen, will always make for a spectacular experience.
- All meals and any drinks consumed along the way is for the customer’s own account on the day, paid directly to the relevant shops and restaurants.
10:00: Pickup at your hotel in Rosebank, Sandton, or the Parks Suburbs
(Pickups further afield are possible but please check with us when booking as it will influence the schedule/timing of the tour. It could also incur an additional cost depending on the location.)
10:30: STOP 1: Super Sconto Deli & Restaurant (Italian)
We start the tour with the fascinating story of Italian migration to South Africa and Johannesburg. Guests can also enjoy browsing the incredible deli shop, enjoy coffee or a snack.
11:20 Depart
11:45 STOP 2: Fordsburg Market & Juice Den (Indian/Pakistani)
We visit the Indian/Pakistani/Middle Eastern Muslim-dominated neighbourhood west of the inner-city, best known for its incredible cuisine and lively streets. We browse the Fordsburg Market for samoosas and enjoy the freshest mango lasi at the legendary Juice Den. Time to look for delicious baklava and buying some spices too.
12:45 Depart
13:00: STOP 3: Sui Hing Hong
A brief stop at one of Joburg’s longest-running supermarkets in First China Town. A great place to buy Chinese food ingredients for cooking at home.
13:20 Depart
13:40 STOP 4: Nestanet, Little Addis (Ethiopian)
Our favourite part of the inner-city is known as Little Addis, right next to the Fashion District. Here you will find buildings full of Ethiopian coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, fashion stores, barbers and more. Guests enjoy delectable, traditional Ethiopian njera with a range of toppings at Netsanet. We also gather for a coffee ceremony on the first floor balcony, while guests can browse the bakery and delight of trading stores too.
14:40 Depart
15:00 STOP 5: The Social Table, Maboneng or Kwa Mai-Mai (Traditional African)
In the lively and arty neighbourhood of Maboneng is one of Johannesburg’s best restaurants to enjoy local South African food – The Social Table. For the more adventurous, we could also opt for the Kwa Mai-Mai market – a traditional Zulu marketplace with a great meat market and chesa nyama (braai meat) eating area.
16:00 Depart
16:15: STOP 6: Troyeville Hotel (Portuguese/Mozambican)
An absolute Joburg institution is the Troyeville hotel. The food options are endless. Their peri-peri chicken and the prawn curry are legendary.
17:30 Depart
18:00 Depart for hotel drop-offs
Rates:
Available as a private tour only at any time, 7-days a week, subject to availability.
We charge separately for guiding and for transport:
The minimum guiding charge is R6000 for up to 3 guests or R1800 per person if you are more than 3 guests.
The minimum transport charge is R2100 in total for up to 3 guests or R2300 in total if you are up to 6 guests. For more guests, we will quote you on the best transport option. Transport charges may vary depending on your pickup and drop-off location or the travel season. We will confirm charges before you make the booking.
Any food, drink or museum entrance fees for the customer’s account on the day.
West City Food Tour
The West City Food Tour celebrates Joburg’s Asian migrant cuisines. We explore First Chinatown and Fordsburg on the western edge of the inner-city, tantalizing your taste buds with many delicacies. We shop along the way and enjoy everything together as a feast meal in Fordsburg.
The western edge of the inner-city has a long history of migration from India and China, dating as far back as the goldrush of the 1880s, with more waves of migration during the 20th century, including the more recent arrivals from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The result is a melting pot of cuisines and cultures. A smorgasbord not to be missed!
Typical stops include Sui Hing Hong supermarket and Swallows Inn in First China Town, as well as the famous Juice Den in Fordsburg (simply delicious mango lassi!). The tour culminates with shopping up a storm at the Fordsburg market, where we devour it all together. A feast to cherish!
This 4-hour tour provides the best way in which to learn fascinating migrant history of the city, while literally tasting the stories along the way.
We offer this tour as a private tour at R2600 for up to 4 guests. Or R600 per person if you are more than 4. Note that we do not provide transport but walk and hop between the places with Uber (cost for the guest’s own account). We start at JSE Newtown and walk to First China Town, before taking Uber to Fordsburg market. We uber back from there to JSE Newtown. Guests therefore need to pay for two Uber trips along the way.
If you prefer, we can also book transport for you with hotel pickup and drop off and drive you for the entire tour. The additional cost for transport and driver is R2100.
East City Food Tour
This tour celebrates our ultimate favourite places to eat on the eastside of the inner-city. The focus is on Pan-African food with a dash of the Mediterranean thrown into the mix.
We start off at JSE Newtown and travel to Little Addis, the frenetic and astonishing Ethiopian Quarter in the city. Here we enjoy exquisite Ethiopian coffee, before reclining for delectable Ethiopian njera – a taste sensation of flat bread with meaty and vegan toppings. We also shop for the freshest bread at a local bakery.
Next up is Kalahari Thyme in Maboneng for a proper African stew. We then proceed to Victoria Yards to visit one of Joburg’s most famous delis: Fama, known for their fantastic salamis and processed meats, produced on site.
Lastly, we enjoy the landmark Troyeville Hotel, celebrated for their Portuguese cuisine, of-course influenced by nearby Mozambique. Apart from the feast of cuisines, Charlie tells the stories of African and Mediterranean migrant communities in Johannesburg. An excellent day out to cherish for a long time!
We offer this tour as a private tour at R2600 for up to 4 guests. Or R600 per person if you are more than 4. Note that we do not provide transport but walk and hop between the places with Uber (cost for the guest’s own account). We start at JSE Newtown and Uber to Little Addis. From there we Uber to Maboneng, then to Victoria Yards and lastly to the Troyeville hotel. Guests can then Uber back to JSE Newtown if they parked there, or Uber straight home. Guests therefore need to pay for four to five Uber trips along the way.
If you prefer, we can also book transport for you with hotel pickup and drop off and drive you for the entire tour. The additional cost for transport and driver is R2100.
BOOK NOW:
To book your tour, send an email to gerald@localplaces.co.za or a WhatsApp to +27 82 894 5216
Please do not phone as we are mostly busy hosting guests.
Send a message and we will contact you as soon as is possible.
We will respond to your booking request and provide an online payment link for you to pay by bank card to secure the booking.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Guests participate in all LocalPlaces tours at their own risk. Neither LocalPlaces, nor its guides, accept any responsibility whatsoever for any injury, accident or death that may occur while participating in a LocalPlaces tour, whether in a public or a private space.
A tour booking is only secured upon payment.
Provisional bookings will automatically be cancelled if not paid within 48 hours from making a booking.
Bookings cannot be cancelled once paid for any reason whatsoever and no refunds will be offered for cancelled bookings.
Bookings can be postponed to another date if postponed more than 30 days in advance of the booked date. However, bookings cannot be postponed for any reason whatsoever within 30 days of the tour date, as we would lose the opportunity to take another booking for that slot.
STARTING POINT
For driving tours pick up and drop off from your hotel or accommodation (one address) is included as long as it is within the northern suburbs of the city or at the airport.
JOIN OUR GROUP:
If you urgently want to know about already scheduled open tours in a current week, which you could join, please WhatsApp us directly on +27 82 894 5216. We also run a WhatsApp Group where we post news on upcoming quick encounters, tours and events. send a message to us requesting to join this group.
WhatsApp us on +27 82 894 5216 or email us on gerald@localplaces.co.za to check availability.