Johannesburg City in Gauteng Province, South Africa

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 3 - 5 Days Kruger

With the Johannesburg International Airport and easy access to the rest of South Africa, Johannesburg will be visited by over 50% of all tourists to South Africa.  It is a huge city, offering a wealth of activities, culture and a taste of a Cosmopolitan African society.

Johannesburg is the financial and industrial centre of South Africa, and has a huge cultural element.  The discovery of gold in 1886 kicked off a modest digger camp which was to grow into what is today one of the worlds fastest growing cities.  Johannesburg has seen devastating plagues and organised crime and gangsterism as well as prosperity and huge cultural shifts in its short history.  Today it is a city of constant change, with entertainment, arts, culture, state of the art sporting and recreational facilities and a multicultural and integrated population, and is a bustling metropolis, well worthy of a visit.  The city centre is dominated by skyscrapers and yet this concrete city is littered with parks, nature trails, game parks and nature reserves.

Popular recreational places to visit include Gold Reef City where one can descend 220m down an old mine shaft, see gold being poured into moulds, and wonder through a reconstruction of Johannesburg in the 1880's, ride in a horse drawn buggy and drink in an old time saloon bar.  Gold Reef City also has a funfair with rollercoasters and a ferris wheel.  Zoo Lake is a peaceful Oasis in Johannesburg where one can have a picnic lunch, enjoy a boat ride or browse through the fleamarket stalls for an interesting shopping experience.  White lions and red pandas can be seen at the zoo in addition to a many other animals.  Shopping Malls in Johannesburg include Southgate, Northgate, Eastgate and Westgate, Sanlam Centre, Fourways Mall, Rosebank, Hyde Park etc, and Johannesburg draws people from all over the country and Africa for shopping alone.  Wild Waters is in Boksburg, and offers a wave pool, water chutes and several water attractions which is open during summers.

Sporting facilities are of the finest in the world.  Ellis Park, Wanderers, Wanderers Cricket Stadium, Kensington, Houghton and Royal Johannesburg Golf Clubs are a few of the more famous names.   There are many, many restaurants, theatres, cinemas, bars and nightclubs for a taste of Johannesburg night life.

The Johannesburg Zoo, Botanical Gardens and various bird and game sanctuaries around the city offer a green haven for the visitor.  A few of the Nature Reserves and Parks include the following :
The Wilds (Hillbrow) - beautiful 17 hectare park with tea garden, plant houses & paths through indigenous plants and streams
Harvey Nature Reserve (Linksfield) - 6 hectares on Linksfield Ridge with stunning views and walks
Gillooly's Farm (Linksfield) - 44 hectares of wide open spaces, offering a children's playground, shady trees, a dam and streams and a popular place for weekend braais (barbeques).
Melville Koppies (Emmarentia)- Wildlife and bird sanctuary with indigenous highveld plants
Kloofendal Nature Reserve (Roodepoort) - Indigenous plants & old gold mining shafts
Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden (Roodepoort) indigenous plants and black eagles
Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve (Kibler Park) - grassy hills, aloes, walks & good birdwatching
Suikersbosrand Nature Reserve (Heidelberg) - drives & walks
Delta Park (Victory Park) - 104 hectares of grassland & playground and containing the Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary
Melrose Bird Sanctuary (Melrose)
Johannesburg Botanic Garden (Emmarentia)
Florida Lake (Roodepoort) - good birdwatching, water sports, walks & picnics
Victoria Lake (Germiston) - Wide open lawns, trees, entertainment, playground & water sportsf

A few of the interesting Johannesburg museums : 
Museum of Military History
South African Air Force Museum
the National Arts Council
The Bensusan Photography Museum - collection of old cameras, magic lanterns and photography exhibits
Bernberg Costume museum - historical clothing and artifacts
South African Museum of Rock Art
SAB Centenary Centre - history of brewing in South Africa
The Apartheid Museum - a fascinating insight into South Africa's tragic past
The Africana Museum - a collection of old South African memorabilia
Geology Museum - vast collection of interesting rocks, diamond replicas and more
Barclays Bank Museum - money through the ages and early banking displays
South African Railways Museum
Die Ou Kaphuis Museum - old Cape furniture and Africana artifacts
Harry & Friedel Abt Museum - the history of South African Jewry & Jewish art
Roodepoort Museum - discovery of Gold in South Africa & Voortrekkers
Kleinjukskei Motor Museum - old cars, motorcycles, toys etc
Johannesburg Art Gallery & Sculpture Garden - comprehensive art collection from 17th, 18th & 19th Century.
Gertrude Posel Art Gallery - Contemporary and African art exhibitions
Adler Museum of History of Medicine
Sterkfontein Caves - caves, prehistoric ape man exhibits etc
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) - tours of the studios

From JHB : Half Day Tours    Full Day Tours   14 Day SA Explorer   11 Day JHB - Cape Town   3 - 5 Days Kruger