Johannesburg Holidays

On this fascinating tour you will be taken by a well-known local to see the incredible street art of Newtown, explore the vibrant area of Maboneng and visit the powerful Apartheid Museum. Newtown is a powerhouse of some of the most talented street artists across Africa. At Mary Fitzgerald Square, under a bridge you’ll find around 25 pillars of back-to-back street art. Your guide will explain just some of the stories that are behind the murals and graffiti artwork.

You will then travel to Maboneng. Here there has been major reconstruction of old infrastructure in this once run down neighbourhood known as Jeppestown. Mabenong translates as ‘place of light’ and its rejuvenation now spreads over seven kilometres. Here you will find art galleries, craftwork, a variety of restaurants and music spaces. The final visit on this tour is to the Apartheid Museum. The museum opened in 2001 and documents the rise and fall of the apartheid era. The stories, movies and images are intense, and at times emotional, but it’s important to understand what went on during the apartheid era and how South Africa has been shaped as a result.

The Cradle of Humankind is a huge area peppered with limestone caves, its two standout attractions being the Maropeng Visitor Centre and the Sterkfontein Caves. The Visitor Centre itself is interesting to look at, built in the form of a mound. When you enter, you take a journey through the earth’s history; a gentle ride on a small circular boat while learning about how the earth evolved. The ride takes you to the exhibition area where you could spend hours. The award-winning exhibition shows the development of our ancestors over the past few million years. Sterkfontein’s dark, limestone caves are fascinating. You will walk down into these huge underground caverns with incredible stalactites and stalagmites. Mrs Ples is the reason that Sterkfontein became renown being one of the oldest fossil skulls to ever be discovered at more than two-million-years old. The other famous discovery here is Little Foot – a nearly complete, millions-of-years-old Australopithecus fossil skeleton.

Afterwards, for Alfred& clients, we’ve included lunch at the Cradle restaurant located at the Cradle Boutique Hotel known for its wonderful view of the African savanna.

On this fascinating tour you will be taken by a well-known local to see the incredible street art of Newtown, explore the vibrant area of Maboneng and visit the powerful Apartheid Museum. Newtown is a powerhouse of some of the most talented street artists across Africa. At Mary Fitzgerald Square, under a bridge you’ll find around 25 pillars of back-to-back street art. Your guide will explain just some of the stories that are behind the murals and graffiti artwork.

You will then travel to Maboneng. Here there has been major reconstruction of old infrastructure in this once run down neighbourhood known as Jeppestown. Mabenong translates as ‘place of light’ and its rejuvenation now spreads over seven kilometres. Here you will find art galleries, craftwork, a variety of restaurants and music spaces. The final visit on this tour is to the Apartheid Museum. The museum opened in 2001 and documents the rise and fall of the apartheid era. The stories, movies and images are intense, and at times emotional, but it’s important to understand what went on during the apartheid era and how South Africa has been shaped as a result.

See the key sites of Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital, also known as ‘Jacaranda City’ after the blue flowering trees that line its streets. Start your half-day private tour at the Voortrekker Monument to find out about the history of the Afrikaner and enjoy the great city views from its vantage point. Next, visit the Kruger House Museum, the last home of President Paul Kruger, and the historic Church Square where you’ll see the Palace of Justice, where President Nelson Mandela was tried and charged with treason. End with a possible photo stop at the Union Buildings.