Local information and activities
Below is a simple guide of what is available in Johannesburg. Please contact the concierge at The Hilton Sandton for further details.
City Sightseeing Johannesburg
https://citysightseeing.co.za/en/joburg
We are able to show you the very best of Johannesburg & Soweto safely and enjoyably on our double decker Hop on - Hop off tours. Learn about the world's biggest man made forest, visit the Apartheid Museum and fall in love with the economic power house of Africa.
*The red bus tour is a recommend way of seeing Johannesburg.
Apartheid Museum
https://www.apartheidmuseum.org/
The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story.
The Apartheid Museum, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid.
An architectural consortium, comprising several leading architectural firms, conceptualised the design of the building on a seven-hectare stand. The museum is a superb example of design, space and landscape offering the international community a unique South African experience.
Gold Reef City Theme Park
https://www.goldreefcity.co.za/theme-park/
Not only is Gold Reef City Theme Park the largest of its kind in South Africa, but it was also voted one of Johannesburg’s most loved and coolest entertainment destinations too.
Take your pick from 16 thrilling rides, 7 Family rides, 21 dedicated kids rides, Jump City Trampoline Park, the only authentic underground mine tour in Johannesburg, 12 dining options, multiple Retail stores, plus 15 other attractions all set against a gold rush era backdrop.
Lyric Theatre Gold Reef City
https://www.goldreefcity.co.za/entertainment/theatre/
It’s not just what’s on stage that is show-stopping at the Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg South. This opulent theatre is a work of art in itself. Of course, the shows which take to the stage here keep audiences spellbound whether it’s large international shows making their Johannesburg debut or popular musicals, ballets, gospel shows or hilarious comedy… and everything in between!
Montecasino
https://www.montecasino.co.za/
Award-winning entertainment destination – located in Fourways in northern Johannesburg – boasts international theatre, world-class dining, family fun, class-leading hotels, casino-thrills, shopping, movies and much more.
Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind is a paleoanthropological site and is located about 50 km northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Gauteng province. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, the site is home to the largest concentration of human ancestral remains anywhere in the world.
44 Stanley
Garden courtyard complex featuring independent boutiques & services as well as chic open air restaurants. Located close to our KPMG Johannesburg offices.
Pilansberg Game Reserve
https://www.pilanesbergnationalpark.org/
Pilanesberg is home to the Big 5, along with an abundance of flora and fauna. This Game Reserve in South Africa is every wildlife enthusiasts dream.
Nelson Mandela Square
https://nelsonmandelasquare.co.za/
Nelson Mandela Square, Joburg’s finest dining destination, situated in the heart of Sandton. Paying homage to one of the world’s greatest men, our symbol of freedom and African pride, Nelson Mandela Square is home to an iconic statue of Nelson Mandela. This makes for a popular attraction, and together with the African sunshine, Nelson Mandela Square has become a prime lifestyle and fine dining destination for locals and tourists alike.
Liliesleaf
Liliesleaf is one of South Africa’s foremost national heritage sites. Between 1961 and 1963, Liliesleaf served as the secret headquarters and nerve centre of the ANC, SACP, Umkhonto we Sizwe and the Congress Alliance.
On 11 July 1963, the police, acting on a tip-off, raided Liliesleaf and arrested the core leadership of the underground liberation movement. Following the raid, ten people were put on trial to face charges of 193 counts of sabotage against the state.
Nelson Mandela, who was already serving a prison sentence at the time of the raid, became Accused Number 1. With him in the dock were Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel ‘Rusty’ Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor, Elias Motsoaledi and Andrew Mlangeni.
Kantor and Bernstein were acquitted but the other eight were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. The raid on Liliesleaf and the subsequent imprisonment of the leaders of the struggle dealt a hammer blow to the liberation movement and internal resistance to apartheid.
Today, Liliesleaf is home to extraordinary exhibitions that tell the story of the journey to democracy in South Africa. Liliesleaf is more than just a national heritage site; it is also a site of memory that keeps the history of our liberation alive.
Croc City Crocodile and Reptile Park
Croc City Crocodile & Reptile Park is fast becoming one of the most exciting attractions in South Africa, where visitors take part in thrilling activities such as holding a baby crocodile, touching exotic snakes and getting up close and personal with a tarantula!
DP World Wanderers Stadium
The Wanderers Stadium is a stadium situated just south of Sandton in Illovo, Johannesburg in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Test, One Day and First class cricket matches are played here. It is also the home ground for the Highveld Lions, formerly known as Gauteng and as of 2023, the Joburg Super Kings
The Wanderers Golf Club
https://www.wanderersgolfclub.com/
The Wanderers Golf Club not only has a wonderfully warm club spirit, but a challenging parklands golf course that is rated one of the best in Gauteng. While the Wanderers is essentially a members’ course, it does a big percentage of visitor rounds, including many corporate days.
Bryanston Country Club
https://www.bryanstoncc.co.za/
The Bryanston Country Club has become the ultimate urban Country Club in one of the most vibrant areas of Johannesburg - an area with a unique atmosphere, rich with heritage, rooted in tradition, and where quality of life is of the utmost importance. The Club’s styling captures the essence of Bryanston’s relaxed, yet elegant family lifestyle, with Club facilities that include a full service Clubhouse complete with restaurants offering both fine and casual dining together with function and event venues, welcoming members and guests into a world of personal attention and service. Also to be enjoyed are the Club’s esteemed 18 hole golf course, swimming pool and Lapa area, 2 bowling greens, 4 squash courts and 9 tennis courts.
Johannesburg Zoo
https://www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com/services-facilities/zoo/about
The Joburg Zoo is one of the most popular local and tourist attractions situated in the leafy northern suburb of Johannesburg. The Zoo covers 55 hectares of land and was founded in 1904, when land was donated to the public for recreational use by the firm of the late Hermann Ekstein.
The Joburg Zoo houses over 320 species of animals, totalling about 2 000 animals. The Joburg Zoo is open to the public 364 days a year, including Christmas, New Years and Easter holidays. With international accreditation, the Zoo maintains a high standard of animal welfare, nutrition and ethical conduct to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of all its animals.
Constitution Hill
https://www.constitutionhill.org.za/
Constitution Hill is a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. The site is a former prison and military fort that bears testament to South Africa’s turbulent past and, today, is home to the country’s Constitutional Court, which endorses the rights of all citizens.
There is perhaps no other site of incarceration in South Africa that imprisoned the sheer number of world-renowned men and women as those held within the walls of the Old Fort, the Women's Jail and Number Four. Nelson Mandela. Mahatma Gandhi. Joe Slovo. Albertina Sisulu. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Fatima Meer. They all served time here. But the precinct also confined tens of thousands of ordinary people during its 100-year history: men and women of all races, creeds, ages and political agendas; the indigenous and the immigrant; the everyman and the elite. In this way, the history of every South African lives here.
Mandelas House
The Nelson Mandela National Museum, commonly referred to as Mandela House, is the house on Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, South Africa, where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962
Johannesburg Botanic Garden
https://www.jhbcityparksandzoo.com/services-facilities/botanical-gardens/about
The 81-hectare Botanical Garden form one of Johannesburg’s vital green lungs. The land for the gardens was set aside in 1969 – at the time it was a sports field and golf driving range consisting of bare veld and no trees. Now it consists of large, grassy, open spaces scattered with trees and used by runners, picnickers and dog walkers. It hosts the occasional concert season and kite-flying competitions. Visitors enjoy its special gardens – the Shakespeare Garden, the Rose Garden, the Herb Garden, a Hedge Demonstration Garden and the main arboretum, which houses family groupings of plants and trees of South Africa and the rest of the world.
The gardens contain an attractive mix of bunched indigenous and exotics surrounded by lawns, overlooking the 7,5-hectare Emmarentia Dam, which dates back to the turn of the century, popular with canoeists and boaters. There is also a tea pergola and a floreum for meetings, shows and exhibitions. The dam is fed by two smaller dams above it, which are home to many aquatic birds.
*If you woud like to visit the botanic gardens please be safety aware and go in a group/organised tour.
The Bryanston Organic and Natural Market
https://www.bryanstonmarket.co.za/
Joburg's first and finest outdoor market, established 43 years ago, it is a magical place removed from the rush of everyday life, offering inspired crafts and wholesome food. Located 20 minutes from Sandton with free entrance. On offer are quality artisanal products that are locally produced from organic and natural materials and ingredients. Shopping options include a wide selection of arts and crafts, clothing, accessories and jewellery, health and wellness products and quality curios and collectables. Organic fresh produce, bakery and delicatessen products complete the selection. There are also several coffee shops and eateries where you can enjoy a healthy and wholesome meal or snack in a shady environment to the accompaniment of live music. A conscious living space where we lead by example and like-minded people come together to share and to learn. An experience that is more than the purchase of a product.
Shopping
Sandton City Shopping Centre
Sandton City is Africa’s most iconic shopping centre. Defining the Sandton skyline, this prestigious setting is home to over 373 of the world’s most coveted retail brands, and embodies all the glamour of world-class shopping, dining, and leisure.
Mall of Africa (Largest shopping centre in Africa)
Described as the true home of Africa’s luxury, Mall of Africa, offers consumers a shopping experience like no other, including a newly opened hub that offers local African designers a platform to showcase their work. KOOP Studios and a partnership with South African Fashion Week ensures that Mall of Africa remains authentic and supportive of the local fashion and design industry.
Hyde Park Corner (upmarket shops and Nu Metro)
https://www.hydeparkcorner.co.za/
Hyde Park Corner is a shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Hyde Park at the major intersection of Jan Smuts Avenue and William Nicol Drive. and was completed in November 1969 and built by Murray & Roberts Construction, now renamed Concor.
Melrose Arch
Redefining the face and future of mixed-use precincts, Melrose Arch offers an unparalleled experience when it comes to living, working and playing in the city. Renowned for its world-class safety and security, this modern urban precinct is a pillar of African internationalism, boasting an eclectic café culture paired with a retail galleria showcasing over 100 local and international brands.