Where to Go in Johannesburg
Whether you are staying for a few days or treating the City of Gold as a quick stopover between flights, Johannesburg offers a range of sights and activities to its visitors. Choose the affluent Sandton neighbourhood for upscale retail therapy and its humming nightlife or perhaps somewhere peaceful like quaint Melrose, with its superb array of fine-dining restaurants. Other ‘Jozi’ highlights are guided walking tours through the Art Deco mining district, finding young African street culture in Maboneng or Newtown, visiting historical sites connected to Nelson Mandela or even going further afield to the Cradle of Humankind to see fossil remains and the origins of humanity.
Sandton
Johannesburg’s fast-paced, big-money lifestyle is exemplified by Sandton, the premier financial, retail and business suburb of South Africa’s biggest and wealthiest city. Meetings between Sandton’s affluent, designer-clothed residents are often conducted in the restaurants and cafes of the massive Sandton City Mall, which also offers excellent options for those in need of some retail therapy.
Easy to access from O R Tambo International Airport, there’s plenty of accommodation in the suburb, most of which is in the form of large luxury hotels. Many travellers who require a single night’s accommodation in Johannesburg generally stay here.
Fast-paced Sandton also has a buzzing nightlife but in this flat, sprawling suburb you need to plan where you’re going, arrange transport and have your wits about you.
Melrose
Located in northern Johannesburg, Melrose was until recently a quiet residential suburb but it has since developed into an upmarket destination with an expanding commercial sector.
Its peaceful, tree-lined streets are home to several excellent coffee shops and restaurants and its central location makes it easy to access nearby attractions: the Wanders Cricket Ground is just a few blocks away while virtually next door are Rosebank’s shopping centres and vibrant markets.
Quick links to travel advice
Interested in urban culture and street art? Read about Joburg’s fantastic inner city walking tours – History, Culture & Cuisine: Our Top Guided Walking Tours
Download our free Johannesburg guide here.
