5-Hour Johannesburg and Soweto Tour with Mandela House and Constitution Hill

Pick up at your hotel, followed by a general introduction and overview of the area.

Houghton Estate is one of the most affluent suburbs of Johannesburg. Nelson Mandela lived in this neighbourhood and remains its most famous resident. You will see his house from the outside, where he lived during his presidency and where he died in December 2013.

The Munro Drive is a national monument built by Italian prisoners of war captured during the Second World War. It overlooks the northern suburbs of Johannesburg and offers a beautiful scenic view of the world's largest man-made subtropical forest.

We then proceed through Hillbrow, where the results of influx can be seen. Since the gold rush of 1886 drew fortune seekers to Johannesburg, the city has become the New York of Africa - home to a huge population of immigrants, whether from foreign shores, elsewhere on the continent, or other parts of South Africa.

This is a living museum that tells the story of South Africa's journey to democracy. The site is a former prison and military fort that bears testament to South Africa's turbulent past. Today, it is home to the Constitutional Court, which endorses the rights of all citizens. Mahatma Gandhi was once incarcerated here, and during the apartheid struggle, political prisoners including Nelson Mandela were also held here.

We drive on Nelson Mandela Bridge on the way to Newtown. Johannesburg CBD was once the epicentre of the gold rush era in the late 1800s and is rich in history. It lies atop the continental watershed in a Highveld grassland environment - a cosmopolitan metropolis, a city marked by exclusion and segregation, a centre of resistance against apartheid, and a hub of creativity.

Your guide gives you an orientation tour of Johannesburg, pointing out historic sites and heritage buildings. This includes Newtown Junction, Mary Fitzgerald Square, The Standard Bank Mineshaft Museum, Gandhi Square, and Luthuli House.

Drive past this iconic landmark, currently the largest football stadium in Africa. The stadium hosted the opening ceremony, several matches, and the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The area is divided into different sections. Diepkloof Extension is recognised as an upmarket part of Soweto, with many professionals living in the area. It is characterised by formal, owner-built large houses owned by the Black lower and upper middle class. Presently, Diepkloof is known for higher-than-average house prices compared to other suburbs of Soweto.

Chris Hani Baragwanath is a public hospital considered to be the third-largest hospital in the world, occupying around 173 acres (0.70 km2), with approximately 3,200 beds and about 6,760 staff members. See the hospital as we drive past and hear interesting stories about it.

The two cooling towers are a prominent landmark in Soweto. They are now used as an entertainment centre, housing a famous bungee jump and a barbecue restaurant.

The thriving heart of Soweto is one of the most well-known streets in South Africa, Vilakazi Street.

Vilakazi Street may be the only street in the world that can claim to have had two Nobel Laureates as residents - the late Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. The true electricity of this street comes from those who now call it home, each with their own beautiful stories.

Sakhumzi Restaurant is located on Vilakazi Street near the Mandela House Museum. Sakhumzi, which means "building a house", is popular for its Soweto-style buffet - a variety of proudly South African traditional cuisine such as umngqusho (samp and beans), mogodu (tripe), and dombolo (steamed bread). Travellers can also feast on a range of self-styled signature dishes named after various Soweto locations.

Explore, on a guided tour, the exhibits and artefacts in the former home of the nation's revered former president, Nelson Mandela. This house has become one of South Africa's most significant heritage sites, telling its tales and stories through sound, film, interpretive panels, and guided tours.

Take a self-guided tour of this museum, which chronicles the 1976 Soweto student uprising and is named after one of its victims, a thirteen-year-old boy. The museum today stands as a symbol of resistance against the brutality of the apartheid regime.

After a fascinating day well spent in Soweto, you will be dropped back at the starting point or at your accommodation in Johannesburg.