3 Best Sights in Johannesburg, South Africa

Maropeng is the official visitor center of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site and offers much more than information about the region: it's a modern, interactive museum dedicated to the history of humanity that kids will love. It provides information about the various fossil sites in the area. About a 90-minute drive from either Johannesburg or Pretoria, it's one of the area's top attractions. It's best visited in parallel with the nearby fossil site of Sterkfontein Caves, but to visit both you'll need to set aside at least half a day.

Opposite Holy Cross Church, a stone's throw from the former homes of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Vilakazi Street, the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum is a crucial landmark. Pieterson, a 12-year-old student, was one of the first victims of police fire on June 16, 1976, when schoolchildren rose up to protest their second-rate Bantu (Black) education system. The memorial is a paved area with benches for reflection beneath trees that have been planted by visiting dignitaries, an inscribed stone, and water feature. Inside the museum, multimedia displays of grainy photographs and archival footage bring that fateful day to life and put it into the context of the broader apartheid struggle. The museum courtyard has 562 small granite blocks as a tribute to the children who died in the Soweto uprisings. Suggested visiting time is at least 30 minutes. You can also hire an on-site tour guide to take you around (recommended donation is minimum R100).

This cultural museum village is not just a place to stay and eat; it's a place to learn about the cultures and history of South Africa's Basotho, Ndebele, Pedi, Xhosa, and Zulu nations. Daily shows of singing, dancing, and tours of traditional homesteads take place at 11:30 am–1:30 pm and 4:30–6:30 pm, alongside the crafts market. The large Nyama Choma serves a lunch buffet 1–3 pm and dinner 6–8 pm that features food from all over the continent—expect North African fare, East African cuisine, or opt for a South African barbecue (called a braai). Dishes include roast meats, a stiff corn porridge, and vegetables, often cooked over the fire in traditional African three-legged iron pots called potjie pots. Packages can include accommodation in a three-star hut—you have a choice of one of five traditional homesteads—breakfast, dinner, and a tour (R1,320/per person sharing), but most people just come for a day visit and a meal.