Tourist Places To Visit In Johannesburg

Fondly known as the "City of Gold", Johannesburg is the commercial capital of South Africa. This city is constantly transforming into a tourist magnet thanks to its spirited locals and their exuberant cultures. Tourists can unwind and get up close and personal with the tribes of South Africa on a tour of the Soweto Township.

Visitors can also pick and choose between either visiting the city's museums for a date with history or exploring one of their several jazzy cafes and restaurants. Exhibiting South African traits, Johannesburg also offers visitors with a truckload of game reserves to venture into. Let us read on to know more about these captivating tourist places in Johannesburg.

The Apartheid Museum showcases South Africa's progress and declines during the times of tyranny and separation. The museum utilizes media such as text panels, film footage, photographs, and several other relics to picture the events that occurred during the Apartheid era. These stories and pictures provide inspiring insights into the lives of those freedom fighters of South Africa that suffered during their fight for democracy. A span of about one and a half hour should be enough to cover the innumerable artifacts that the Apartheid Museum holds within its doors.

Spanning close to 300 hectares of countryside and grasslands, the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden is a true bird's nest and an apt picnic site for the locals of Johannesburg. The garden nurtures more than 600 species of plants and more than 200 bird species. Fanatics come to this garden well-equipped with their cameras so that they could get an eyeshot of these attractive birds. With the Witpoortjie waterfalls lying in the background, the garden proudly houses two Verreaux's eagles, who stay atop the cliffs. The nature reserve around the garden also boasts of some animals such as jackals and antelopes.

The Market Theatre lies within a transformed market building. The theatre comprises of four different live venues that showcase some of the most exceptional movie shows of the South African film industry. The building complex also consists of a photography and art exhibition room, a bookstore, and an eatery. Tourists can light up their evenings by visiting Kippie's junction, where renowned jazz musicians perform on a regular basis. Within close proximity to the Market Theatre, Museum Africa showcases replicas of conventional arts and crafts created by the local tribes.

Constitution Hill once formed an erstwhile penal colony and today depicts intriguing revelations about the historical events of South Africa. This museum perfectly showcases how South Africa remoulded into a democratic system. Some of the fascinating sites here include the Women's prison, the Constitution Court, Number Four prison, and the Old Fort. The Old Fort has the dubious distinction of holding behind its bars eminent leaders of the time, such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. Tourists can pay heed to hearings at Constitution Hill to learn about the court proceedings and also delve deeper into historical roots.

Madikwe Game Reserve covers a vast expanse of 680 sq km, even reaching close to the border of the neighboring country of Botswana. This game reserve has a flourishing community that consists of 350 birds and more than 80 mammals. Madikwe Game Reserve is situated along the gorge of Marico River, offering scintillating vistas of the river valley and the Dwarsberg range in the horizon. The reserve nurtures some fascinating animals such as leopard, buffalo, hyena, lion, elephant, and rhino. Tourists can either wander through the bushes or hop on to adventurous game rides throughout the day.

The Soweto Township is renowned for being the place where the initial battles to uproot the Apartheid system began in 1976. One of the famous tourist sites here is the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, which pays respect to the students who bravely stood up against Apartheid during the initial uprising in Soweto. Local authorities organize informational tours of the township, wherein tourists get to interact with the locals. Visitors also get to explore the bustling streets of Vilakazi and two houses that were previously occupied by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.

The popular game reserve of Pilanesberg National Park nurtures the Big Five animals of Africa­­­­: leopard, lion, rhino, elephant, and buffalo. This park is renowned for its varied assortment of wildlife and affluent ecosystems. Situated between the flourishing Lowveld grasslands and the withered Kalahari desert, this park also fosters in excess of 300 different bird species. The authorities have strategically positioned hideouts for photographers to capture photos of these graceful creatures when in flight. In addition, animals such as zebra, sable antelopes, and African wild dogs also throng the park.