JoburgPlaces Soweto Full-day (10am-6:30pm)
Anyone visiting Johannesburg must certainly visit Soweto at least once. The Southwestern Township has a legendary reputation for the way its people resisted apartheid, especially during the 1976 Youth Uprising. Today Soweto is a mesmerizing and somewhat thriving part of Joburg, but still fighting the all-to-clear legacy of Apartheid. This tour takes in the captivating Hector Pieterson Museum, Vilakazi Street where two Nobel Peace Prize winners once lived, the Mandela House Museum, the Regina Mundi Church, Kliptown Square and Orlando Towers, among others.
While this tour deals with the overwhelming, shocking, and somewhat dispiriting struggle against the injustices of Apartheid, it also leaves you inspired by what the people of Soweto has overcome. The itinerary includes the following:
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.)
10:40: STOP 1: Hector Pieterson Museum
A poignant museum that tells the story of the Soweto Uprising and how the school children of Soweto rose up against apartheid and inferior education in 1976. A tragic and harrowing story, but one that speaks of inspiration and overcoming to thrive.
11:30 Depart
11:45 STOP 2: Vilakazi Street and surrounds
Stroll along South Africa’s most famous street where two Nobel Peace Prize Winners once lived, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. Visit the Nelson Mandela House Museum, before we amble to Book Ibhoni to meet remarkable Soweto tourism entrepreneurs. Next we relax and take in the street vibe with a quartz beer at a ‘shebeen’.
13:30 STOP 3: Lunch
We have many options for lunch and the venue will be chosen based on the preferences of the group. We prefer Just Badala a bit further into Soweto, but there is also Sakhumzi or 1947 in Vilakazi Street and Native Rebels in Jabavu, among many others.
15:00 Depart – we drive through Soweto to get a wider impression of its sprawling layout.
15:15 Regina Mundi Church
Enjoy a site-guided tour of the famous Catholic Church right in the middle of Soweto. It is here that students were hiding from the Apartheid police in 1976. The Church is still today a pivot point in the community and known for incredible music performances too.
15:40 Depart
16:10 Kliptown Square
We visit the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication where the Freedom Charter, which underpinned the struggle against apartheid, was signed in 1953 (CHECK).
16:30 Depart
17:00 Orlando Towers
What was once power station cooling towers, has been converted to a tourism and entertainment centre, complete with bungee jumping options and one of the most popular shebeen-braai-restaurants in Soweto. Time for beer and discussing contemporary live in Soweto.
Should you want to bungee jump at Orlando Towers, please notify us before the tour. We will then chance the order of the schedule to stop here earlier and to allow sufficient time for you bravery.
17:45 Depart
18:30 Drop off at hotel.
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.
The above fees exclude museum entrance fees which is for the customers own account on the day:
Hector Pieterson Museum: R30 per person
Mandela House Museum: R180 per person
Regina Mundi Church (including local guide): R65 per person
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.
