Discover Johannesburg with the hop on hop off bus If you don’t have a lot of time in Johannesburg but would like to see the highlights, the Johannesburg Hop on Hop off bus is ideal. I had already used that bus in several cities around the world and its usefulness has been proven to me several times. This was also how I was going to discover Johannesburg in 1 day.
It is great to explore a city in that bus because you get a sense of the city. You get the feeling on how big the area is you need to see, or maybe how small the circle of interest is in the city. You get a nice map of the city with the highlights pointed out on it, a small description comes with it.
Where is Johannesburg located?
Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city and is located in Gauteng province. The city of Johannesburg is not the capital of South Africa but it is the South African heart of the economy. Johannesburg became big because of the discovery of gold. In other local languages, the names for this city all refer to the Gold of Witwatersrand.
Did you know that 40% of all the world’s gold comes from Witwatersrand?
Statue in front of Reef City Johannesburg – South Africa
Is Johannesburg safe for tourists?
During the day, Johannesburg is reasonably safe but, as in almost all cities, you need to be on your guard. In this 2024 list, Johannesburg ranks third after Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria as the most dangerous city in South Africa. ( Also read these tips for carrying your bag safely )
I can definitely advise against being on the streets after sunset in most neighbourhoods. However, this is possible where there are a lot of restaurants and a lot of tourism.
Read on in this blog what you must definitely have seen in Johannesburg
At the end of my South Africa trip, I still had a few days in Johannesburg and booked the hop on hop off bus. What I also wanted was to see some of the surrounding area like Pretoria and Soweto. Because. on balance, I only had 1 day left in Johannesburg itself. And so how do you discover a city like Jo’burg properly? Right, with the Johannesburg Hop on Hop off bus.
In the morning, I took the first Hop on Hop off bus straight into downtown Johannesburg. That first time, I sat on it for a whole lap right away. I just wanted to have a look, get a feel for the city of Johannesburg and see the surroundings at my leisure. Ears in and listening to the explanations, lovely! At the last stop, I was at Constitution Hill. There I bought a ticket and visited the museum with a guide. Very interesting and impressive.
Johannesburg by Hop on Hop off
Constitution Hill museum
An eternal flame burning in the chapel on the courtyard of Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill used to be a fort. Later in history, the year 1892, they build it into a jail. At first the jail was build for white prisoners, later they extended it so they could keep also black people. And later women also.
The guide showed me several old parts of the jail, like the kitchen, where the prisoners would get there food. He told me that it depended on your colour how much food you would get. If you were white, coloured or black. And also what kind of food you would get. It is unbelievable!
He also told about the humiliation, how the prisoners had to be naked in front of the guards and they had to do some kind of ritual, the called Tausa. They had to do this to show the guardes they didn’t had anything hidden in their anus.
It’s been written down by an ex prisoner how he felt at the time of the strip and the ritual. There were some pictures taken at the time of Tausa, they were taken secretly by a photographer called Bob Gosani. Those were showed in the media at that time and ofcourse there was a lot of rumour about that.
The Tausa took place on the lower part of this courtyard. The guide showed me some isolationcells. They are visible in the back of the picture shown above. On the inside of these cells were words and sentences carved. They were still very visible..
Prisoncells at Constition Hill
Visiting Constitution Hill in Johannesburg by hop on hop off bus
The guide told me that Gandhi also was a prisoner in this jail, he had been here for a long time. There was a room dedicated to Gandhi and to his remembrance at Constitution Hill. There were pictures and clothes of him and from the time he was there.
M. Gandhi Memorial at Constitution Hill
And when you go out of the jail you will see the newly build court, the highest and most important court of the city of South Africa. I think it is a real nice building. Everything they used for the building has a meaning. I think that was the best thing!! Everything is a symbol for what is was and what is now should be. And ofcourse all that has to do with equality. Many of the bricks and fabrics they used are from the old jail. Also a part of the courtroom is made of glass so you can see the old jail.
It is meant to be seen while in court and while in session you will be reminded of the past, how it was and how it never should be again.
Outside, between the jail and the court
Symbol of speaking justice. Like they did in the old days, under a tree
Biggest flag in the country, made out of beads. Like so many traditional objects
The courtroom of Johannesburg
Entrance fee for Constitution Hill in 2025 for the Self Guided Tour is R100, which is €5.10.
Roof of Africa – Johannesburg
After this impressive visit I went back in the bus. I took an extra half round of the trip to go to the highest building of South Africa. They call it the Roof of Africa. I wanted to go enjoy that view. I would be great, heard people talking about that. The building is 50 levels high and counts 223 metres!! The upper floor has all around a glas wall, so you get a 360′ view over the city.
The building is closed I read. Unfortunately, you can no longer go up to enjoy this view of Johannesburg.
Cold Reef City for lunch
The morning had already come to an end and it was time to get something to eat. I went back on the bus to go to Gold Reef City Casino. I had seen earlier today that there were lots of restaurants. In the morning I also saw many people getting out either to go to the casino or the Gold Reef City, it is an amusment park with all kinds of activities. Very nice for a daytrip when you have small children in your family or when you are a teenager 🙂 I went into the casino and found the Ocean Basket.
One of my favorite restaurants in South Africa for a warm and great lunch with fresh fish. In Knysna it was great and it is a chain of restaurants you see anywhere.
Seeing Johannesburg by hop on hop off bus, South Africa
Apartheidsmuseum – Johannesburg – South Africa
From the exit of the casino you can cross the street and enter the Apartheidsmuseum. It was the next stop of the Hop on Hop off bus too. At the museum I bought a ticket. I saw on that ticket that I was randomly chosen to be ‘blankes’ (White) and that I had to enter through the door that belonged to the whites.
Full of surprise, I looked at it and saw other people also standing in front of the two doors and walking on in despair.
Couples I saw each taking a different door. It was very strange to see but also to have to take a door myself. Immediately I wondered what was behind that other door … and what I wouldn’t get to see. I walked inside, through the door for the white people.
If you buy a ticket from this museum in 2025, you will pay 160 Rand, which is €8.20.
It was so IMPRESSIVE to feel discrimated by random…
I saw all kinds of pictures of identitypapers of people that had entered. I saw the hall besides me, it was the same. When I went on the hall turned to the left….the other hallway went on…appeared. I hesitated again…would I go through the pictures..underneath it…and look what on the other side would happen? I didn’t do it, I really wanted to but I also thought…this is not what the museum had planned for us to experience. So I went on.
It was the purpose of the museum to get us thinking…well it happen to the max inside my head!
I was wakling on the other side of the first building we entered. I was standing outside and a hill was in front of me. A small hill we had to climb…. I started to walk alongside the building, I saw mirrors. In those mirrors I saw all kinds of people walking up…I also saw myself in one of those. At the top of the small hill all people I saw before entering the museum were standing there too, from there on we would go the same route and make the same memories of what we would see and experience..
What an impressive way of entering a museum. I will never forget that feeling that it gave me!
On the way up, we saw big mirrors and in those mirrors we saw people. People who had once walked here but I also saw myself and the other people who all made the walk up here.
Inside there was a room dedicated to Nelson Mandela. A whole exhibition in honour of his life, what he had accomplished. There were a lot of things placed there that used to belong to Nelson Mandela.
The rest of the museum was the history of the Apartheid. It showed how things were managed, how unfair people were treated. They were placed under labels and were treated like that. In the museum it is forbidden to take pictures but I couldn’t resist this picture. The look in his eyes….
Take your time at the Apartheidsmuseum – Johannesburg
I spend more then two hours in this impressive museum. So my day ended here, this was my last stop and I went back on the bus to go back to my startingpoint. I had arranged a taxi from my logde, Brown Sugar Backpacker Lodge. I was picked up and could lay down on the couch in their public area and think about everything I saw this day.
Do you really want to learn about Johannesburg?
Explore Johannesburg but 1 day is really too short. The distances are too great to get from one point to another easily and quickly. If you wanted to see everything on the Hop on Hop off route you really should take two days.
An additional option is then to go to Soweto on the second day, which is offered as a combo deal on the ticket.
I haven’t shared anything about it yet but a bike trip in Soweto is really recommended! So much fun to do!
Also, the museums I visited I could have spent much more time like this, especially Constitution Hill. In doing so, I feel I didn’t see half of it, other tourists I spoke to told me they had walked around for over 4 hours.
As shared earlier, I stayed at the amazing hostel Brown Sugar Backpackers Logde. Don’t want to stay in a hostel right now?
In the hip Melville district, you will find the lovely Lucky Bean Gueshouse with a lovely garden and pool where you can end a hot day in the city. Within walking distance you have several bars and restaurants.
In the Sandton district, another sought-after area outside Johannesburg city centre, you will find the Marion Logde. This accommodation also offers a nice garden where you can relax with a nice pool to cool off in.
Want to read more about my South Africa Adventures?
Jacomijn is een politieagent uit Nederland die jou graag laat zien hoe je veilig, actief en gezond de wereld kan over reizen. Safe and Healthy travel is a MUST
I’m just writing about my South Africa trip, too. Johannesburg will be my next blog post as well, so it was really interesting to read about your time there.
Thank you Agness, it was a great experience!! Highly recommended tot visit those musea!
Wow, it was a very challenging day for you. Great memories and I wish I was there right now!
Great to hear, you liked your visit too! I will check your site too! Thanks for you comment!!
I’m just writing about my South Africa trip, too. Johannesburg will be my next blog post as well, so it was really interesting to read about your time there.