SOWETO: Ethical, bespoke, authentic, community driven small group
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Johannesburg, South Africa
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Bypass seeing Soweto’s highlights on your own and book this Soweto small-group tour that leads the way easily and keeps you safe as you hop from place to place. See Hector Pieterson Memorial and Mandela’s House, as well as explore Kliptown and Vilakazi Street with a guide who teaches you about Soweto’s history and culture. Plus, round-trip transport in an air-conditioned vehicle from Johannesburg with hotel pickup is included, too.
- See Soweto’s highlights in just one day with a guide
- A small-group tour gives you a more intimate experience at each stop
- Alcoholic beverages are included, as well as admission to Mandela’s House
- Travel comfortably with round-trip transport and hotel pickup from Johannesburg
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic BeveragesA glass of traditional beer
- Entrance fee to Mandela House
- All tour guides used are paid by Eenblond TOURS
- Coffee and/or TeaLunch and any additional beer or drinks excluded
- Tips to local performers, dancers and guides (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 08/31/2022 - 05/08/2027
Monday - Sunday : 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Itinerary
1
SOWETO TOWERS
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Vilakazi Street
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Mandela House
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Kliptown
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
6
FNB Stadium
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Vilakazi Espresso
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Walter Sisulu Square
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Sakhumzi Restaurant
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 59 reviews
Tina_C, Sep 2025
Our experience was absolutely wonderful and the highlight of our trip to South Africa. Please do not miss out on the opportunity to learn about Johannesburg and meet her people. Gilda, one of the owners and our guide for the day was very professional. She shared her passion and knowledge about Johannesburg and specifically Soweto. Gilda's relationships with the community allowed us to have experiences that we wouldn't have had on a "traditional " tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you very much for your lovely review, and for connecting so lovely with everyone you've met on tour
JanaL_C, Jan 2025
My friend and I had a truly incredible day on this tour. We were both really looking forward to learning more about Soweto and its history, and this experience really shows you a lot of sides of the community. Because we spent the full day rather than many of the half day tours that are offered, we were able to go to many spots with no tourists and interact with the locals. I also appreciate. how much this tour strives to give back to the community and support the local economy. I highly recommend this experience!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you very much for your lovely review. A half day tour is indeed not enough to experience this unique part of Johannesburg. Thank you for being such lovely guests and supporting my efforts in the community
John_S, Jan 2025
This tour was in my opinion one of the best and most humbling tours I have ever done. Our guide, Gabriel, was himself born and raised in Soweto and knew where to take us for the best overview of everything. The visit to the boys in one of the poorest parts of Soweto was both enlightening and overpowering. The outlook on life by these boys who have absolutely nothing, was a mark of their determination to succeed in whatever they do, and with the help of Gilda they are managing to achieve.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you very much John, what a thoughtful review. Thank you also for your generosity on tour, and seeing what I'm trying to achieve.
Warmest regards
Gilda
Anthony_K, Jan 2025
This was the best experience I have had in the entire trip to South Africa. It challenged my pre conceived notions of Soweto- it’s a lively, safe, vibrant community. Gabriel was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
We are very glad that you enjoyed your day, and that we could change your perceptions. Enjoy the rest of our beautiful country
James_G, Apr 2024
Gilda and Gabriel took us on an amazing, unrepeatable day around Soweto. The exceptional relationships that Gilda has cultivated give her guests an utterly unique, real, vibrant experience. From Vilakazi street to the local family in their yard to the exceptional boys Kliptown, Gilda will open you to an unforgettable experience. If you want to really immerse yourself in Soweto don’t miss this exceptional opportunity.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your lovely review James!
Christian_s, Jan 2024
She was an excellent guide absolutely recommended if you are looking for an authentic and immersive experience both in Soweto culture and local African village. In addition to it we really appreciate had a typical lunch. Martina e Christian
Reggie_W, Dec 2023
The entire tour was very informative. We loved the authenticity. Meeting the families and children was enlightening. Someone actually pleasantly invited us into her home. Highly recommended if you want to experience the true Soweto.
Lara_S, Oct 2023
Incredible opportunity to see the real Soweto life. Gilda and Gabriel were excellent guides and brought the area to life enabling us to go to places where most tour companies would not go.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you Lara, was so nice to host you
Deborah_H, Oct 2023
The tour was amazing. Gilda is very connected to people and culture. The most memorable segment was the immersion into the history of Soweto, and the beauty of the Joburg spirit. I hosted 14 family members and will never forget this tour.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you Deborah, and for bringing your family on tour. It was lovely!
Gerard_V, Aug 2023
Hearing stories from the locals give such a great additional layer of emotion which I have didn’t get from previous tours I did in Soweto. Gilda is so engaged and committed to the people in Soweto.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thank you Gerard, I'm so happy you enjoyed your tour! See you back in SA soon :)
Stan_Z, Apr 2023
What an unbelievable experience, Gilda gave us! From the moment we arrived in Soweto we knew it was going to be a great day.
Gilda sat with us in a coffee shop along with our driver, who was great as well, and explained the history of Soweto and the townships before we even started our tour. She is a very special person with a passion for her profession, and for her community, she is very generous and caring about, the Soweto people, and especially the children we visited. We received a tour of the area where the students were shot while protesting apartheid. Then we got a chance to look in the museum as well briefly, but the best part of the tour was the walk through the area of Soweto called Kliptown. What an experience it was! We interacted directly with the residents and got to see how difficult their lives are and yet see how much happiness and love is obvious throughout the community
The best part was taking selfie's with the residents who loved being part of pictures. We were never hounded to give money like happens in many places. We chose how to give a small token of our appreciation to, and they were eternally grateful this was one of the best tours we have ever taken
If you want to see the real Soweto and learn about its history, and the history of apartheid take the tour!
If you want to just sit in the bus and stare at monuments in museums and residents out a window this is definitely not for you
Lesley_S, Jan 2023
Perfect blend of history and culture - truly immersive experience. The good the bad and the ugly (and the amazing). The tour way exceeded expectations. Blew my mind. Glenda and Gabriel are phenomenal. Worth every cent and then some. So grateful to have had this experience. Changed all the preconceived beliefs about Soweto.
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Lol, Glenda, Brenda....I see the locals managed to confuse you too. Gilda was very happy to host you, you were a wonderful, warm guest to have. Hope to see you again in future! Much love
marybzorn, Nov 2022
If you want an amazing tour of the wonderful place called Soweto you have to take this enlightening travel opportunity. Discover the REAL Soweto. Meet the lovely welcoming people. See places not on the tourist map. I was so lucky yo pick this tour. What a pleasure to be able to explore what Soweto and the area stand for. See the past view the present and envision what this lovely place has to offer.
Gilda and the locals that showed me around were the best. Gabriel picked me up on time and provided a lively explanation of many of the places we past on our way to Soweto.
Gilda does not only provide tours but also is a viable part of the community even though she does not live there. She has created an NGO for the locals.As we walked through some small communities men were asking for seeds to plant gardens.
The only thing that should be changed about the tour is that all the people we spoke with wanted to be tipped. I do not mind but I did not budget for this. I suggest to raise the price of the tour maybe and she pay her people herself.
So many people have a very negative view of the world in these South African communities. One only has to walk through these wonderful communities to see how vibrant safe and welcoming they are. Never once did I even think I was unsafe. We all should take this tour and have our eyes opened and walk away a bit more educated and happy.
Response from Host, Nov 2022
Thank you for your beautiful, detailed review Mary, and thank you for being so friendly and engaging with the locals! Just a point of clarity, I do pay all the local guides I use. We prefer not to hand out money on tour, but rather support community initiatives through NGO's. This allows our clients to contribute to projects that spoke to their hearts after the tour. Tomorrow I'm taking some seeds. Enjoy the rest of your time in Africa!
Daniel_P, Nov 2021
My wife and I took this tour and can't recommend it enough. We saw Soweto in a way you never could in a large tour group and our guides were folks who lived in the neighborhoods they were talking about. Gilda and Gabrielle were both incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and really catered the day to our interests. Start to finish every moment of the day was memorable and anyone with any sort of interest in this incredible city would be doing themselves a disservice to book with anyone else.
Response from Host, Nov 2021
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. Travellers like yourselves, who engage with the community makes my job fantastic, it was really great hosting you! I hope we see you in our colourful city :) again!
From $116.93
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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