South Africa · APARTHEID HISTORY TOURS

Apartheid History Tours: The 15 Most Worthwhile

35 tours  ·  from $34

Soweto, the Apartheid Museum, District Six, Constitution Hill. These 15 are compared on which sites they reach, how long they spend at each and who guides them, with prices and pickup points.

Soweto /Johannesburg and Apartheid Museum Guided Full Day Tour - Hector Pieterson Memorial and the Soweto uprising
Apartheid History Tours, Apartheid History Tours in Soweto, Full-Day, Guided, Museums, Museums in Soweto, Soweto Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Soweto /Johannesburg and Apartheid Museum Guided Full Day Tour

1.Soweto /Johannesburg and Apartheid Museum Guided Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 932 reviews · from $103Our pick

Spend 8 to 9 hours seeing Johannesburg and Soweto with a local guide, hotel pickup, and air-conditioned minivan transport. Visit Hector Pieterson Museum, Mandela House, Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum, Vilakazi Street, Orlando Towers, FNB Stadium, and central Johannesburg. Guides have included Nathi, Bobo, BoBo, and Matti.

“We were a small group which made the day more enjoyable. The tour was full of interesting facts and locations. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. He answered all questions and was happy to be with us. A very good insight into Johannesburg and Soweto.”

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Jo'berg in 1 Day: Soweto, Apartheid Museum & City Tour - Entering Soweto through Diepkloof and Orlando West
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Jo’berg in 1 Day: Soweto, Apartheid Museum & City Tour

2.Jo’berg in 1 Day: Soweto, Apartheid Museum & City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 524 reviews · 8 hours · from $142

Spend eight hours seeing Johannesburg through Soweto’s streets, Vilakazi Street, the Hector Pieterson Museum, the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill, and central city sights. Guides such as Khutso, Thapelo, Tinyiko, and Sello bring history and local context to the drive. Transport, hotel pickup, entry fees, and onboard WiFi are included. Lunch is extra.

“The guide has been very informed and polite, the tour gave us an idea of which is the life in Johannesburg. Everything was very interestring in particular visiting Soweto.”

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Johannesburg: Full-Day Tour with Soweto and Apartheid Museum - Starting with Constitution Hill and the Old Fort
Apartheid History Tours, Apartheid History Tours in Soweto, Full-Day, Museums, Museums in Soweto, Soweto Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Johannesburg: Full-Day Tour with Soweto and Apartheid Museum

3.Johannesburg: Full-Day Tour with Soweto and Apartheid Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 478 reviews · 10 hours · from $104

Spend 10 hours with a live English or French-speaking guide exploring Johannesburg and Soweto. Visit Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum, Mandela House, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial, with hotel pickup, transport, and entry fees included. Guides such as Advice, Bob, John, and Masese bring the history into focus.

“An eye opening tour to say the least. Our guide was named Advice and he is an excellent guide, really knows his stuff. We also spent some time with another guide named John, together he and Advice make an excellent team. A very sobering look at a difficult history. One hundred percent recommend this tour. Book this tour ask for Advice by name and you won't be disappointed.”

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Full-Day Soweto, Apartheid Museum and Lunch Tour - Motsoaledi, an informal settlement, and meeting local residents
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Full-Day Soweto, Apartheid Museum and Lunch Tour

4.Full-Day Soweto, Apartheid Museum and Lunch Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 410 reviews · from $108

Spend a full day seeing Soweto beyond the usual landmarks. Guides such as Khutso, Cipo, Marc, Sello, and Tsolo bring local insight to the informal settlement, Hector Pieterson Museum, Vilakazi Street, and Regina Mundi. Lunch, WiFi, hotel pickup, and the Apartheid Museum are included, while Mandela House entry costs extra.

“Our fantastic guide was knowledgeable, sensitive to our needs and was vey personable. The experience was as sobering as it was instructive. A must do tour.”

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Half Guided Day Tour of Soweto And Apartheid Museum - Starting with two hours at the Apartheid Museum
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Half Guided Day Tour of Soweto And Apartheid Museum

5.Half Guided Day Tour of Soweto And Apartheid Museum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 356 reviews · from $69

Join guides such as Nathi, Bobo, or Solly for a 4 to 5-hour small-group tour from Johannesburg. Visit the Apartheid Museum, walk Vilakazi Street, see Mandela House and the Hector Pieterson Memorial, and learn how Soweto shaped South Africa’s modern story.

“We had a great tour with Bobo. We felt very safe and looked after throughout the tour. It was really interesting to learn about the aparteid and South Africa's constitution at Constitution Hill. Soweto was great too. It was really informative. The night before the tour, Solly was in touch to check in and provide the pick up time. Overall, it was a well organised tour and I would recommend this to other”

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Ultimate Johannesburg Soweto Experience with Apartheid Museum - Two hours inside the Apartheid Museum
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Ultimate Johannesburg Soweto Experience with Apartheid Museum

6.Ultimate Johannesburg Soweto Experience with Apartheid Museum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 313 reviews · from $108

Spend about nine hours touring Johannesburg and Soweto in an air-conditioned minivan with hotel pickup, onboard WiFi, and a local guide. Visit Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum, Hector Pieterson Museum, Vilakazi Street, and an informal settlement. Mandela House is optional, and lunch is at your own cost.

“The toud gives a quite good overview of the city and of the history of the country. However, you have to be emotionally prepared for the tour - the prison/apartheid museum and Hector Petersen memorials parts of the tour are not "funny place". The guide is great. P.S. Bring some sweets for kids in Soweto.”

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Soweto: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, City Tour and Apartheid Museum - Starting at Rosebank or using the Sandton shuttle
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Soweto: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, City Tour and Apartheid Museum

7.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, City Tour and Apartheid Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 250 reviews · 1 day · from $50

Spend a full day combining Johannesburg’s open-top hop-on hop-off bus with a two-hour guided Soweto tour. A local guide takes you past FNB Stadium, Orlando Towers, Mandela House, and Hector Pieterson Memorial. The bus also reaches Constitution Hill and the Apartheid Museum, with audio commentary in eight languages.

“The bus tour was excellent in terms of what it showed us. I’ve lived in joburg my whole life and thought it would be cool to try it out and I was pleasantly surprised. Even I learnt a few things and got to see parts of the city that I hadn’t glimpsed in a while.”

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Johannesburg and Soweto Apartheid Full Day Tour w/Lunch - Constitutional Hill and the road to democracy
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Johannesburg and Soweto Apartheid Full Day Tour w/Lunch

8.Johannesburg and Soweto Apartheid Full Day Tour w/Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 219 reviews · 8 hours · from $93

Spend eight hours exploring Johannesburg, Constitutional Hill, Soweto, and the Apartheid Museum with a local guide such as James, Vincent, Lauren, or Pascal. Expect landmark views, personal South African history, Vilakazi Street, Mandela’s home, Hector Pieterson Memorial, and lunch at a local shebeen. Museum hours matter: it opens Wednesday through Sunday.

“Our full day tour with James was fantastic! He did such a great job at explaining the history and facts about all of our stops and was entertaining as well. It didn’t feel like an all day event since he made everything enjoyable. All of the places we visited were great with a good amount of time at each stop. We definitely learned a lot and tried to soak it all in. I would highly recommend this tour, especially with James!”

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Johannesburg: Soweto & Apartheid Museum Half-Day Tour - Pickup from Johannesburg and the airport
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Johannesburg: Soweto & Apartheid Museum Half-Day Tour

9.Johannesburg: Soweto & Apartheid Museum Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 99 reviews · 5h 30m · from $84

Spend about five and a half hours visiting Soweto, Mandela House, the Soweto Towers, and the Apartheid Museum. Guides such as Advice, Masese, John, and Kwanda explain South Africa’s past and present in clear, personal terms. Hector Pieterson’s memorial is viewed from outside, while the museum visit takes about two and a half hours.

“Masese was marvelous ! Very detailed in all his guiding and so glad to have learnt so much about South African history. Thank you very much was again !”

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Johannesburg: Soweto Apartheid & Township Tour with Lunch - The road from Johannesburg to Soweto
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Johannesburg: Soweto Apartheid & Township Tour with Lunch

10.Johannesburg: Soweto Apartheid & Township Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 80 reviews · 7 hours · from $114

Spend seven hours exploring Soweto with a small group of up to 13 people and an English-speaking local guide. Visit Vilakazi Street, the Hector Pieterson Museum, an informal settlement, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, and the Apartheid Museum. A traditional lunch, hotel pickup, museum admissions, and onboard Wi-Fi are included.

“I really liked the guides. They had so much knowledge of the area. It was good way to explore a bit of the area, and I felt quite safe. I am really glad I chose this company and would recommend it to others.”

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Johannesburg: Half-Day Apartheid Museum Tour - Entering 22 exhibition areas
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Johannesburg: Half-Day Apartheid Museum Tour

11.Johannesburg: Half-Day Apartheid Museum Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 73 reviews · 5 hours · from $49

Spend five hours traveling from your Johannesburg accommodation to the Apartheid Museum and back, with three hours inside its 22 exhibition areas. An English-speaking guide such as Mark, Bongani, Tshepo, or James may add local context on the drive and help you follow the museum’s difficult story. Small groups, hotel transfers, Wi-Fi, and wheelchair access are included.

“Incredibly interesting and informative afternoon. there was some transport confusion beyond the control of the tour company, who responded fantastically by sending out a replacement guide/driver who ran almost a private tour for me. Excellent, thank you.”

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From Johannesburg: Pretoria, Soweto & Apartheid Museum Tour - Kruger Museum and Church Square
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From Johannesburg: Pretoria, Soweto & Apartheid Museum Tour

12.From Johannesburg: Pretoria, Soweto & Apartheid Museum Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 48 reviews · 7 hours · from $186

Spend seven hours tracing South Africa’s past from Pretoria’s Voortrekker Monument and Union Buildings to Soweto’s Hector Pieterson Museum and Mandela House. An English-speaking guide, transport, entry fees, snacks, and water are included. Small groups are limited to 15, with pickup from Johannesburg or Sandton.

“This tour covered some major points of interest in Pretoria as well as Soweto and Johannesburg. Our guide John was knowledgeable and we enjoyed his commentary. His presentation of parts of South Africa's history was unbiased and objective given the complex nature of this country's past during the Apartheid era. We highly recommend this tour.”

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Soweto & Johannesburg and Apartheid Museum - Starting from Munro Drive and Johannesburg’s central districts
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Soweto & Johannesburg and Apartheid Museum

13.Soweto & Johannesburg and Apartheid Museum

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 41 reviews · 8 hours · from $92

Spend eight hours with a live English or French speaking guide touring Johannesburg and Soweto. Visit Hillbrow, Newtown, Diepkloof, Vilakazi Street, Nelson Mandela House, Hector Pietersen Memorial, and the Apartheid Museum. Hotel transfers and both major museum admissions are included. Joseph is one guide praised for clear explanations and thoughtful care.

“Amazing and very informative I solo traveled here from Philadelphia so having a tour guide was ideal for me! Thankyou so much follow my instagram to see more content. IG:_bbygaal”

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Soweto and Apartheid Museum Tour - Starting from Sandton, Johannesburg, or East Rand
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Soweto and Apartheid Museum Tour

14.Soweto and Apartheid Museum Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 38 reviews · 7 hours · from $232

Spend seven hours tracing South Africa’s apartheid past with an English-speaking guide. Visit the Apartheid Museum, Mandela House, Hector Pieterson Museum, Vilakazi Street, Orlando Towers, Constitution Hill, and the World Cup Stadium, with lunch, transport, entrance fees, and hotel pickup included.

“it was our 1st day to Johannesburg, so we were excited about to know the history of South Africa. Michael was our guide , and he was excellent, informative, patient and helped us to under so well. the entire day we absorbed with so much of knowledge and we were very satisfied. we went around the city , constitution hill, Apartheid Museum, Soweto. it's worth tour to understand the cruel history of South Africa.”

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Soweto: Hector Pieterson Memorial, to Orlando Towers Tour - Vilakazi Street, Mandela’s house, and Tutu’s neighborhood
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Soweto: Hector Pieterson Memorial, to Orlando Towers Tour

15.Hector Pieterson Memorial, to Orlando Towers Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 31 reviews · 4 hours · from $34

Spend four hours walking through Soweto with guides such as Tebogo or Dumi, beginning at the Hector Pieterson Memorial and ending at Orlando Towers. You’ll visit Mandela’s former home, see Archbishop Tutu’s neighborhood, eat a kota, taste Tolokazi beer, and ride a local minibus taxi. Expect about 5 km of walking, strong historical context, and honest discussion of life after Apartheid.

“The tour couldn’t have been better so I highly recommend it to everyone. Dumi is the best guide and even though he’s still young he already knows so much about Soweto. He is educated, had a clear story at each site we visited and also gave his own opinions at times. We were free to ask him whatever question and he always had an answer so again, I highly recommend to take this tour with him.”

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New in Apartheid History Tours

★ 5.0Soweto Tour; Mandela House; Vilakazi Street; Market CultureFrom $936 reviews
★ 4.2Soweto and Apartheid Museum day TourFrom $1213 reviews
★ 5.0Soweto and apartheid museum tour(Half-day)From $1024 reviews
★ 4.3Johannesburg: Pretoria, Apartheid & Soweto Small-Group TourFrom $1869 reviews
★ 4.7Johannesburg: Soweto, Apartheid Museum, and Cradle toursFrom $1013 reviews
★ 5.0Johannesburg: Mandela Legacy Day TourFrom $1835 reviews
★ 5.0Half Day Soweto and Apartheid Museum Guided TourFrom $1175 reviews
★ 5.0Johannesburg: Private Guided City Tour with Apartheid MuseumFrom $696 reviews
★ 3.7Mandela Capture Site Howick Falls & PheZulu Village Day TripFrom $1867 reviews
★ 3.5Drakensberg, Mandela Capture Site and Howick FallsFrom $2123 reviews
★ 4.1Drakensberg Kamberg Cave Art & Mandela Capture Site Day TourFrom $2186 reviews
★ 4.9Constitutional Hill & Apartheid Museum Half Day TourFrom $1436 reviews
★ 5.0Constitutional Hill and Soweto 5 hours tour.From $625 reviews
★ 5.0Apartheid museum and Soweto. 5 hours Private tour.From $673 reviews

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