Must-see attractions in Gauteng

  • Constitutional Court on Constitution Hill.

    Constitution Hill

    Johannesburg

    Do not leave Jo'burg without visiting Constitution Hill. One of South Africa's most important historical sites, the deeply moving and inspirational…

  • Freedom Park in Pretoria, South Africa.

    Freedom Park

    Pretoria

    This stunning park and museum honours fallen South Africans in all major conflicts and adopts an integrated approach to African history. It is a place of…

  • 28 OCT 2017: the District Six Museum, a museum in memory of apartheid, located in Cape Town.
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    Apartheid Museum

    Johannesburg

    The Apartheid Museum illustrates the rise and fall of South Africa’s era of segregation and oppression, and is an absolute must-see. It uses a broad…

  • The Voortrekker Monument on a hill to the south of Pretoria, South Africa

    Voortrekker Monument

    Pretoria

    The imposing, art-deco-style Voortrekker Monument was constructed between 1938 and 1949 to honour the journey of the Voortrekkers, who journeyed north…

  • Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa.

    Sterkfontein Caves

    Gauteng

    One of the most significant archaeological sites in the world, Sterkfontein Caves include a permanent hominid exhibit and a walkway down into the…

  • Exterior of the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum in Soweto.

    Hector Pieterson Museum

    Gauteng

    This powerful museum, named after the 12-year-old boy shot dead during the student protests in Soweto on 16 June 1976, illuminates the role of Sowetan…

  • Maropeng

    Gauteng

    Partly housed in a building that looks like a giant grassy mound on one side and shiny modern steel on the other, Maropeng is an all-in-one information…

  • Constitutional Court

    Johannesburg

    Inaugurated in 2004, with its design based on the African concept of 'justice under a tree', the Constitutional Court is a very real symbol of modern…

  • Liliesleaf Farm

    Johannesburg

    A highlight of Jo'burg's northern suburbs is Liliesleaf Farm. This was the secret headquarters of the ANC (African National Congress) from 1961 until a…

  • Rietvlei Nature Reserve

    Pretoria

    This 38-sq-km reserve, 27km south of Pretoria, off Rte 21, is popular with locals who come for fishing in the dam, but is also great for wildlife viewing…

  • June 16 Memorial Acre

    Gauteng

    Opposite one of the schools from which students marched on 16 June 1976 is this stunning open-air memorial to the bloody events that presaged the Soweto…

  • Gandhi Square

    Johannesburg

    in 2002 Van der Bijl Sq was revamped and renamed Gandhi Sq in honour of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi. Look out for the bronze statue representing him as a…

  • Rand Club

    Johannesburg

    Founded in 1887, this version of the illustrious (and once whites- and men-only) club dates from 1904. It's now open to all, and so long as you're not…

  • Chancellor House

    Johannesburg

    It was in this three-storey building that, in the 1950s, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo set up South Africa's first black-owned law firm. After a 2012…

  • One Eloff

    Johannesburg

    Painted an unmissable acid yellow and turquoise, this art-deco building was originally a car showroom but was revamped in 2016 by the property developers…

  • Ponte City building.

    Ponte City

    Johannesburg

    Nothing sums up the changing fortunes of inner-city Jo'burg better than Ponte City, which can be visited on tours with Dlala Nje. This 54-storey…

  • The Cosmopolitan

    Johannesburg

    Standing out against the more modern warehouse conversions in Maboneng is this former pub dating from 1902. The handsome whitewashed building now hosts a…

  • Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newton.

    Mary Fitzgerald Square

    Johannesburg

    Named after South Africa’s first female trade unionist, this square is partly decorated with an array of heads, carved from old railway sleepers by…

  • Zoo Lake

    Johannesburg

    This busy park is a firm favourite with Jo'burgers from all walks of life. Lace up your trainers and join locals for a run on the paved paths or games on…

  • Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre

    Johannesburg

    Officially opened in 2018, the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre was founded to raise awareness about the evils of genocide, with a particular…

  • Sci-Bono Discovery Centre

    Johannesburg

    Testament to the remarkable reawakening of downtown Jo'burg, this well-organised science museum, full of interactive exhibitions, occupies a former power…

  • Ditsong National Museum of Military History

    Johannesburg

    If you’re fascinated by guns, tanks and aircraft, you can see artefacts and implements of destruction from the 1899–1902 Anglo-Boer War through to WWII at…

  • Victoria Yards

    Johannesburg

    These old brick buildings of what used to be a steam-powered laundry have been transformed recently into studios for artists and artisans. The site is…

  • Delta Park

    Johannesburg

    One of Jo'burg's largest public parks, Delta Park is ideal for long strolls and picnics. It is best known for its stunning explosion of pink and white…

  • Workers’ Museum

    Johannesburg

    This important museum is in the restored Electricity Department’s compound, which was built in 1910 for 300-plus municipal workers and has been declared a…

  • South Africa, Johannesburg, Origins Centre, Recently Opened Museum On The Campus Of Wits University,

    Origins Centre

    Johannesburg

    This stunning museum explores the African origins of humankind through interactive exhibits. The centre is brilliant for school-age children and holds the…

  • Church Square

    Pretoria

    A statue of Old Lion (Paul Kruger) takes pride of place in the centre of Church Square, which is surrounded by some impressive public buildings. The…

  • Sammy Marks’ Museum

    Pretoria

    This handsome mansion, 20km east of central Pretoria, was built in 1884 for the industrial, mining and agricultural magnate Sammy Marks. Now it’s a…

  • Kliptown

    Gauteng

    Established in 1891 and found southwest of Orlando West, Kliptown is Soweto's oldest settlement. Informal settlements (shacks) for black families started…

  • Nizamiye Mosque

    Johannesburg

    Built as a replica of the Ottoman Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, the Nizamiye Mosque is a real find in the far-northern Jo'burg suburb of Midrand…

  • Spaza Art Gallery

    Johannesburg

    The home, sculpture garden and small 'matchbox' gallery of artist Andrew Lindsay is extraordinary. The garden is dominated by a mobile phone signal tower…

  • Smuts House Museum

    Pretoria

    JC Smuts' home for over 40 years has been turned into an interesting museum. With a wide veranda and shady trees, it has a family atmosphere and gives a…

  • Nan Hua Temple

    Gauteng

    Rising out of the savannah, 56km east of Pretoria along the N4, is Nan Hua Temple , the largest Buddhist temple complex in the southern hemisphere. Opened…

  • Arts on Main

    Johannesburg

    Occupying a former warehouse complex, the Arts on Main development is one of the key catalysts of the Maboneng precinct. The once-dilapidated building has…

  • Anglo American Head Office

    Johannesburg

    This handsome building, taking up an entire block, has been the mining company's HQ in Africa since 1939. It has an impressive main entrance with delicate…

  • L Ron Hubbard House

    Johannesburg

    Architecture and design buffs will not want to miss a chance to visit the home of L Ron Hubbard. The prolific pulp fiction author and founder of the…

  • Main St Pedestrian Mall

    Johannesburg

    Honouring Jo'burg's history of mining are a series of information panels, statues and artifacts lining the partly pedestrianised mall at the western end…

  • Vaal Dam

    Gauteng

    Around 77km south of Jo'burg is South Africa’s second-largest dam by area. With over 800km of coastline covering three states, it is hugely popular with…

  • Thunder Walker

    Johannesburg

    Inside century-old Somerset House, a former bank office, Thunder Walker is a bar/restaurant/events venue with a historic twist. The building's interior is…

  • Alexandra Heritage Centre

    Johannesburg

    This architecturally striking museum – it's built on either side and on top of a busy street – in Alexandra, Jo’burg’s oldest township, finally opened in…

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