Johannesburg Attractions
Johannesburg attractions range from both cultural and historic exhibitions to fun family outings and interesting displays of local innovation and productivity. With good weather throughout most of the year, sightseeing in Johannesburg is always a rewarding adventure.The first stop on any list of Johannesburg attractions should be the Apartheid Museum, which showcases South Africa's history of black oppression and illustrates how far the nation has come in its move towards democracy. Visit the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which features the Sterkfontein Caves where the ancient fossil of Mrs. Ples was found in 1947.
On a lighter note, a fantastic Johannesburg attraction is Gold Reef City, a 'gold-rush' fashioned theme park full of exciting thrill rides. While sightseeing in Johannesburg visitors can tour the SAB World of Beer, or take a scenic hike through the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. Newtown Cultural Precinct's Market Theatre and Museum Africa are also Johannesburg attractions worth seeing.
Gold Reef City
This entertainment complex is essentially a theme park full of thrill rides, but was designed to be a re-creation of Victorian Johannesburg during the gold-rush era. The park, four miles (6km) south of the city centre via the M1 motorway, was built around... see full details
Newtown Cultural Precinct
This complex of buildings in the city centre has been upgraded and restored as part of the city fathers' urban renewal policy and provides several attractions. The Market Theatre and Museum Africa, for instance are housed in a Victorian building in Bree Street... see full details
Johannesburg Zoo
The Johannesburg Zoo is a favourite place for locals to take a stroll among the numerous enclosures that house more than 3,000 species of animal, including polar bears that can be viewed underwater in their pool. Of course the Big Five are all... see full details
SAB World of Beer
SABMiller started in South Africa and has expanded to become one of the world's largest brewers of beer. The World of Beer offers a fun short tour, which summarises the history of the company, beer in general and details the brewing process. Afterwards... see full details
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens
Not known for being an especially green city, this oasis in the west side of Johannesburg covers 741 acres (300ha), offering lush gardens and scenic hiking trails. The gardens are a terrific place for bird watching (over 200 species) and garden-enthusiasts interested in seeing... see full details
Melville
This trendy suburb is a hive of activity on any given night of the week; it is the place to go out and carouse. Anything from hip and upmarket to just plain odd coffee shops, bars and dance venues throng the streets. Partygoers... see full details
The Apartheid Museum
South Africa's history of black oppression is chronicled in this building, situated near Gold Reef City. Relics of the Apartheid system, which banned non-whites from certain areas and from receiving an education, as well as forbidding interracial relationships, can be found here, right down... see full details
Constitution Hill
A guided tour of the National Heritage Site of Constitution Hill takes visitors on a journey through South Africa's turbulent past, but also illustrates its incredible transition into democracy. Visitors are guided through the Old Fort Prison Complex where the peeling walls and rusty... see full details
Hector Pieterson Memorial Site and Museum
Hector Pieterson became the iconic image of the 1976 Soweto uprising during apartheid South Africa, when a news photograph of the dying Hector being carried by a fellow student was published across the globe. He was just 12 years old when the police, unprovoked,... see full details
Market Theatre
Market Theatre is a popular Jo'burg entertainment complex offering live theatre venues (boasting the first production of Sarafina), bookshops, galleries and restaurants, as well as a flea market on Saturdays. The adjoining Museum Africa showcases the lives and cultures of the South African... see full details
Johannesburg Art Gallery
Visit the Johannesburg Art Gallery in Joubert Park to see a vast collection of works by a host of famous artists, both local and international. Some of the exhibits date as far back as the 15th century and there are also a number... see full details