Gauteng Province Travel Information & Attractions

Major attractions in the area:
The Apartheid MuseumDedicated to South Africas darkest days this incredible world-class museum documents the forced removals, political executions, the rise of Black Consciousness and the 1976 Soweto student uprisings and its triumphs.

Newtown
Newtown Cultural Precinct is where some of Johannesburgs hot and happening cultural scene can be found. At the heart of Newtown sits the famous Museum Africa as well as the Market Theatre complex. Newtown is part of the inner city regeneration project and promises to be Joburgs most popular tourist hotspot.

The Cradle of Humankind
Take a tour to the Cradle of Humankind, at Sterkfontein, Gautengs famous World Heritage Site where caves have produced nearly half of the worlds hominid fossil discoveries. Close to the Cradle is the Kromdraai Wonder Cave, as well as the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve.

Township Tours
Experience Township Life up close and personal, in Soweto. Visiting the Regina Mundi Church, Sharpeville Memorial Site, Nelson Mandelas home and/or stay for the night at any of Sowetos famous Bed and Breakfasts. There are also township tours offered in Alexandra as well as the keen hospitality offered by township dwellers around Tshwane.

Out in the Country
The Magaliesberg area offers a wonderful arts-and-crafts route including fabulous foodie options, country getaways and wildlife. The Crocodile Ramble and the Magalies Meander are two well-known tourists routes in the area.

Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens
A well-maintained nature reserve with over 600 species of flowering plants, 210 species of birds, as well as a number of reptiles and small mammals.

Days of Gold
Spend a day at the famous Gold Reef City, where you can go underground on a mine exploration and relive the old gold rush days of Johannesburg.

Museum Heartland
Pretoria offers a number of fantastic museums, grouped together as Museum Park. Why not visit the Natural Cultural History Museum of Science and Technology, the Transvaal Museum and the Geosciences Museum, to mention just a few.

Kruger House
President Paul Kruger lived in a house situated just three blocks from Church Square, from 1884 until 1900. The Victorian gabled house which represents a simplified version of the neo-Gothic style - is a museum and displays his furniture, stagecoach, private railway coach and all of his personal effects. A few hundred meters to the west, is Pretorias Old Cemetery, Helde Akker (heroes acre) where President Kruger lies buried.

Union Buildings
Designed by British Architect Sir Herbert Baker to accommodate the offices of the Prime Minister in 1913. The Union Buildings is set in terraced gardens modeled on the famous Villa d Este at Tivoli near Rome, Italy, with magnificent views of the city. The gardens of the Union Buildings are home to another group of memorial structures. The Delville Wood memorial commemorates the South African soldiers who died in the Battle of Delville Wood in France (World War I). Today, the Union Buildings still house the offices of the State President.

Voortrekker Monument Heritage Site
Perched conspicuously on top of one of the many hills that surround the City of Pretoria, is the imposing Voortrekker Monument. This enormous granite construction commemorates the Voortrekkers (pioneers) who trekked from the Cape, between 1835 and 1854, in search of independence from British rule.

Tswaing Meteorite Crater
Situated 40 km to the northwest of Pretoria, the Tswaing Meteorite Crater is known as the Pretoria Saltpan. One of the best-preserved meteorite craters in the world, this crater is home to a few stone artifacts of the Late Stone Age as well as an impressive wetland.

A walk on the wild side
All around Gauteng, one has the opportunity to experience wildlife and nature at its most abundant. The much-loved Lanseria lion park is a must for children of all ages and Krugersdorp Game Reserve offers a safari-type adventure close to both Johannesburg and Pretoria.