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Johannesburg Tour: Apartheid Museum, Carlton Centre Observation Deck And Soweto Bike Ride
Start your tour with a pickup from your centrally located Johannesburg hotel, and travel by air-conditioned minibus to the Carlton Centre – the city’s tallest skyscraper. Once at the top, a magnificent panorama of Johannesburg awaits!
Soak up the views then head back down and board your minibus for a whistle-stop tour of the city, visiting Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum to learn about the turbulent time in South Africa’s history. Explore at leisure, and walk through its exhibitions, learning about the country’s post-Apartheid journey, from segregation to ‘a place of healing’ – South Africa as it stands today.
Continue by minibus to Soweto, arriving in time for a midday feast of local specialties at one of the neighborhood’s buzzing restaurants. After using the break to chat, relax and eat with your guide, head outside to listen to a comprehensive safety briefing for your bike tour! Put on your helmet, hop on your bike and set off on your way.
Following your guide at a steady pace, pedal around the streets of this colorful neighborhood, enjoying stops every so often to hear about its history and soak up the sights. Hear how the name ‘Soweto’ was derived from an acronym for ‘southwestern township,’ referring to its origins as a cluster of segregated townships sprawled across Johannesburg’s outskirts. Learn of the town’s significance in the struggle against the Apartheid and pay a visit to a former migrant worker’s hostel in Meadowlands to learn about the realities of life here.
Cycle down leafy Vilakazi Street where Nelson Mandela once lived, and then take a peek at the house that Bishop Desmond Tutu reportedly owns. Your bike tour finishes at a traditional Soweto shebeen to enjoy a drink (own expense), play a game of pool or perhaps dance to Soweto’s traditional kwaito music. Once operated as illegal drinking dens during the Apartheid era, shebeens are now growing in popularity -- forming an integral part of the old townships’ cultural identities.
