South Africa · TOWNSHIP TOURS
Langa and Khayelitsha in Cape Town, Alexandra and Soweto in Johannesburg. The 15 below are led by guides from the neighbourhoods they show, and are compared on length, group size and what your money covers — several include lunch at a family kitchen.
Guided Cape Town townships and District Six learning stop, then ferry to Robben Island to see Mandela’s prison cell.
“the experience was so great, from town tour and table mountain visit to township tour with Nelson and Simosakhe... great work guys and it was so good to know that there are that young guys who know sa history that much big up... everything else was great”
Walk Langa with local guide Nathi, visit Guga S'thebe, taste street food, and hear real stories of life and change in 150 min.
“This tour was a really good experience, our guide Xuzie lives in the township & was able to explain in detail the history & experiences residents have had over the years, & something of how life is for the people who live there now. At the cultural centre we were shown the creative projects where township residents can learn crafts with a view to generating some income. And we took part in a brief drumming workshop - very enjoyable. We did see a glimpse of the poverty & the conditions in which some of the residents of the township live - in contrast to the glitz of the Waterfront &…”
Private half-day Cape Town township tour to Langa and Khayelitsha with resident guide Mzu, Guga S'thebe art, and a shebeen stop.
“What an amazing day we had with Mzu! From the time he picked us up he was so professional, friendly and informative and taught us so much about Cape Town’s township’s history. Although , much of what we saw was quite shocking, everRead more”
Cape Town Langa township walking tour with local guides, street art, heritage stops, and community projects. 150 minutes, $37.
“excellent is an understatement. Mike was fantastic, he is prepared for every question and made sure I saw everything I can in this 2.5 hour tour.”
Half-day Cape Town township tour to District Six Museum and Langa, with local stories and optional shebeen beer tasting, plus hotel pickup.
“This tour was truly amazing and would recommend it to any and every one that visits Cape Town. The guide/escort was very knowledgeable and his English was very clear. He was open to all questions and remain polite and professional at all times. Many people would never see that side of Cape Town if they remain on the main roads in the Tourist Areas and go to the Beaches only. It was interesting to see that in 2018, over half of the black population in South Africa were still struggling and living in subpar condition due to poverty, lack of opportunities, unemployment and education. One of the BEST tour of…”
A private 6-hour township tour in Cape Town, from District Six to Langa and Khayelitsha, with museum time and local stories.
“Where should I begin?! Our experience was far beyond amazing- it all starts with Theo, who picked us up from our hotel and right from the start he brought in positive friendly vibes. We learned so much about South Africa’s history and the locRead more”
3-hour private Cape Town township tour, District Six to Khayelitsha, with apartheid context, a healer, and shebeen beer.
“The tour was amazing. We were the only two people on the afternoon tour, which made it even better. Both guides were really nice and answered every question we had. The tour is definitely a must do in Cape Town! It helps to get a better understanding of the country and it's culture. Our guide also assured us that the tour is highly appreciated by the people in the township since they can use the donations to improve the facilities for kids for example.”
Full-day Soweto and Apartheid tour from Johannesburg with a small group, Hector Pieterson and Apartheid Museums, informal settlement visit, and lunch.
“Shared tour that was way better than expected. Lebo was a fantastic guide explaining so much about context, curiosities and other information about the culture. He was the reason that we could explore so much in such short time and understand better about the beautiful Soweto and apartheid period. Would definitely recommend for anyone that wants to know more about the history of Johannesburg.”
Half-day Cape Town township and District Six tour with apartheid-era context, visits to local school, shebeen, healer, and Robben Island upgrade option.
“Wonderful guide and driver great information very informative really got to understand the community and the people. It was very nice to visit the daycare. I wish I had known ahead of time how many children would be there brought little small gifts for them probably didn’t haRead more”
A 1-hour Qolweni township walk in Plettenberg Bay, learning Xhosa culture, singing at school, and supporting local education.
“De tour met de gids Hazel was super. Iedereen heeft het over hoe gevaarlijk het is. We zijn heel enthousiast over de tour! Heel aandoenlijk, en ha over sommige dingen is er twijfel of het wel op de juiste plek komt, maar ook ... that's life. Zo koop he eenbrugzak met inhoud ( potloden etcetera.) voor de meest arme kinderen die geen rugzak hebben. Bij aankomst bij de school gaat de inhoud baar het kantoor van de staff. Maar we blijven het een echte aanrader vinden”
Walk through Langa in Cape Town with local guides, see Dompas Museum and old apartheid hostels, then visit Guga S’thebe for arts and jobs.
“A great way to support the Langa community. The staff are Langa residents who have a first hand understanding of the history, challenges and the hope for their community. All the community members we encountered were friendly and I alRead more”
Cycle through Masiphumelele by bike with a local guide in Cape Town, meet residents and children, visit a Sangoma, and enjoy lunch.
“We had an amazing tour with our lovely knowledgeable local guide Lutho from AWOL. On a very relaxed cycle through Masiphumelele he showed us the school, library, computer centre and local church. We wandered on foot through the corridors of the informal settlement, met the wonderful local children and ate in a local restaurant. This tour was humbling, enlightening and highly recommended.”
A 3-hour Cape Town cultural tour blending Bo-Kaap color, District Six context, and Langa’s Xhosa history with a guide-led townships visit.
“Amazing bit of history It was wonderful seeing the creativity and beauty in south african We loved every inch and corner Being zimbabwean it was so nice to see the real beauty we have close to home”
Cape Town combo tour with District Six Museum, Langa township visit, and Robben Island. Hotel pickup and admission included.
“Both guides where nice and had a lot to tell about capetown, apartheit, their lifes and the townships. it was super interesting, we learnd a lot, opened our minds axlittle more and most of all, felt safe the whole time!”
Private Soweto tour from Johannesburg or Pretoria with Apartheid Museum, Mandela House, Hector Pieterson Memorial, and optional bungee or bike.
“I was a little worried that this would just be a taxi guide, but this wasn’t the case at all. I was so impressed with our guide Nkululeko (& his articulate English) and the way he shared the history made this experience incredible. This is a must do tour to take in the essence of Johannesburg and the core culture.”
From the cableway to the Kruger gate, sorted by the kind of day you want.
