Johannesburg Travel Guide
Buy South African RandJohannesburg at a glance
Johannesburg is South Africa's biggest city and the usual first stop for Indian travellers, who land at O.R. Tambo after one stop in the Gulf, Addis Ababa or Nairobi. Two or three days covers the Apartheid Museum, Soweto, Constitution Hill and the Cradle of Humankind; add a day for Pilanesberg.
The Gautrain runs from O.R. Tambo to Sandton for ZAR 228 at any time of day (fares from 1 September 2026), every 10 minutes at peak and 20 off-peak. Gautrain takes contactless bank cards but does not say whether foreign cards work, so be ready to buy a Gautrain card (ZAR 21, at least ZAR 38 loaded) at the airport station.
From 1 May 2026 the Apartheid Museum charges international adults ZAR 240 and closes on Mondays. Mandela House in Soweto (ZAR 185) and Constitution Hill (ZAR 150 for the one-hour tour) are cashless. Pilanesberg, a malaria-free Big Five park about 2.5 hours away, has charged foreign adults ZAR 748 a day plus ZAR 168 per car since 1 December 2025.
The UK Foreign Office advises against walking after dark, including to and from Gautrain stations, and warns that criminals have followed travellers from the airport; book rides inside the app and keep car doors locked. Indian passport holders need a visa: flying into Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban or Lanseria, apply online for South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorisation, usually decided within 24 hours; otherwise apply for the free visitor visa through VFS Global in India.
What to see and do
Constitution Hill is just north of the city centre; the Apartheid Museum and Soweto are to the southwest, and the Cradle of Humankind an hour's drive northwest.
The Apartheid Museum
The essential stop, south of the city beside Gold Reef City: ZAR 240 for international adults, Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00. Allow two hours; the museum says it is not suitable for children under 11.
Constitution Hill
The old Fort prison, which held Mandela and Gandhi, beside the Constitutional Court in Braamfontein. The one-hour tour costs ZAR 150 and the two-hour tour ZAR 200, at 10:00 and 13:00; cashless.
Vilakazi Street, Soweto
Mandela House (ZAR 185 for international adults, cashless since 1 December 2025) and the Hector Pieterson Memorial nearby. Go with a licensed Soweto guide.
The Cradle of Humankind
A UNESCO site 56 km northwest of the city. Wits Sterkfontein Caves reopened on 15 April 2025 (ZAR 150, Tuesday to Sunday), and the Maropeng visitor centre costs ZAR 150.
Paying in Johannesburg
For the rand itself, entry rules for Indians, cash limits and the VAT refund, see the South Africa travel guide, and the ZAR to INR page for today's rate. South African rand load on the Matrix Forex Card, so most travellers carry the card plus a small cash float.
Cards work in malls, restaurants, Uber and most museums, and Mandela House and Constitution Hill take nothing else. Keep ZAR 200 to 300 a day for car guards, tips and street food, and use ATMs inside malls or banks. Claim a VAT refund at the O.R. Tambo counters before check-in.
What Johannesburg actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in rand and Indian rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights and accommodation, per person per day. Converted at the verified mid-market rate on 19 October 2026, R1 ≈ ₹5.76, not a Matrix board rate.
Budget roughly ₹4,890 to ₹16,990 per person per day on the ground, excluding flights and accommodation.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Gautrain, O.R. Tambo to Sandton | ZAR 228 |
| Gautrain card / minimum balance | ZAR 21 / 38 |
| Apartheid Museum, international adult | ZAR 240 |
| Mandela House, international adult | ZAR 185 |
| Constitution Hill: 1-hour / 2-hour tour | ZAR 150 / 200 |
| Pilanesberg, foreign adult + car, per day | ZAR 748 + 168 |
Getting around
Johannesburg is a driving city: most visitors combine the Gautrain with Uber or Bolt. Sandton to Rosebank or Park station costs ZAR 38 at peak and ZAR 30 off-peak. Rea Vaya buses to Soweto cost ZAR 11.50 to 28.50 on a smartcard from 1 July 2026, but a guided tour is simpler. Gauteng's e-tolls were switched off in April 2024.
Common mistakes in Johannesburg
Leaving the visa to VFS by default
Adults flying into Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban or Lanseria can apply online for the ETA instead, usually decided within 24 hours. Children under 18 still need the VFS visitor visa.
Planning the Apartheid Museum or Sterkfontein for a Monday
Both are closed on Mondays.
Carrying only cash
Mandela House and Constitution Hill no longer take cash.
Budgeting Pilanesberg at old prices
Foreign adults now pay ZAR 748 a day plus ZAR 168 per car.
Johannesburg FAQs
ZAR 228 per person one way at any time of day, under fares from 1 September 2026. A Gautrain card costs ZAR 21 if you need one.
Yes. Since 12 August 2026, Indians flying into O.R. Tambo, Cape Town, King Shaka or Lanseria can apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), usually decided within 24 hours and valid for multiple entries. The ETA needs a passport valid for 7 months and does not yet cover children, who apply for the visitor visa through VFS Global, which charges no visa fee, only its service fee.
Gautrain accepts contactless bank cards for the train, bus and parking but does not say whether foreign cards work, so keep about ZAR 250 ready to buy and load a Gautrain card at the airport station.
From 1 May 2026 international adults pay ZAR 240, and students, pensioners and children aged 7 to 17 ZAR 190. It is closed on Mondays.
Yes. Wits University reopened the caves on 15 April 2025. Adults pay ZAR 150, with tours every hour from Tuesday to Sunday.
Fordsburg, around the Oriental Plaza on Lilian Ngoyi Street, is the city's main Indian food and shopping area. Restaurants in Sandton and Rosebank also list vegetarian dishes.
On 19 October 2026 one rand was ₹5.76 at the mid-market rate, so ZAR 1,000 is about ₹5,760.
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