Soweto Experience

Embark on a one week South African adventure dividing your time between the astounding sights and treasures of the busy streets of the city of Johannesburg and the beautiful and culturally enriched township that is Soweto. Check out the details for this unbelievable experience below!

Day 1: Arrival

On arrival at O R Tambo International Airport you will be met by your guide after passing through the entry formalities and
be transferred to your hotel in Johannesburg, the famous city where in 1886 the biggest gold discovery in the world was made, to
spend 7 nights on a Dinner Bed and breakfast basis. The journey to the hotel will include a short city orientation tour of
Johannesburg, the city of Gold – depending on your flight arrival time.

Check in at Hotel and spend the day at leisure and adjusting – Dinner to be at hotel or restaurant nearby.

Day 2: Full Day Soweto Heritage Tour and Umbuyisa School of Arts and Culture visit

After breakfast we pick you up at your hotel at approximately 09h00 in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle and depart for a full
day Soweto heritage tour and a visit to Umbuyisa School of Arts and Culture.

Enter Soweto via Soccer City

We head South of Johannesburg to the SOuth WEstern TOwnships, the first stop is outside the magnificent calabash designed
Soccer City Stadium on the outskirts of Soweto, where the final of the 2010 Football World Cup was held.
We enter Soweto and head towards Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the largest hospital in the Southern Hemisphere and pass the
Twin Towers in Soweto, the colorful Orlando Towers and the most recognizable landmark in the area. We pass through one of the
original Soweto suburbs named Orlando East and pass the upmarket Maponya Mall.

Onto Orlando West which was a major focus point during the ’76 student uprising. We visit the Hector Pieterson Museum which is
an interactive museum depicting images and footage of the struggle. We view the memorial which shows the famous Sam Nzima
photograph and learn about the struggle for freedom by the youth on this visit to the Hector Peterson Memorial (the first child to
be killed in the 16 June uprising in 1976. After the museum we continue the tour and visit:

Tsietsi Mashinini Museum

At 8am on June 16 1976, a nineteen year-old Tsietsi Mashinini led students on a peaceful march in protest against Afrikaans as a
medium of instruction in black schools around Soweto. Within hours of the march, the police and army opened fire on young
unarmed school children, killing hundreds in the months that followed.

The Oppenheimer Tower

During the 1930’s the demand for housing for the large numbers of black people who had moved into Johannesburg grew to such
an extent that new housing was built in an area known as Orlando, named after the first administrator Edwin Orlando Leaky. In the
1940’s a controversial character James Mpanza led the first land invasion and some 20000 squatter’s occupied land near Orlando.
James Mpanza is known as the “Father of Soweto”. In 1959 the residents of Sophiatown were also forcibly removed to Soweto and
occupied the area known as Meadowlands. Sir Earnest Oppenheimer, the first chairman of the Anglo American Corporation, was
appalled by the housing shortage and was instrumental in arranging a loan for the construction of additional housing and this is
commemorated by the Oppenheimer Tower in Jabulani. We have a view of Soweto from the top of the Oppenheimer tower.

Lunch: Lunch will be on route at Maponya mall or local restaurant/take away for a student pie (Kota).

Freedom Square

After lunch we continue to nearby Freedom Square and the memorial which commemorates the signing of the Freedom Charter in
the 50’s, parts of which form part of South Africa’s constitution today. Take a walk around the square and take in the interesting
symbolic architecture. Pass by some new townhouse and modern flat complexes all set amongst older and much more informal
dwellings giving a sense of a melting pot of complete extremes. In many ways Soweto is a microcosm of the entire country’s
diversity.

Vilakazi Street , Mandela House, Umbuyisa school of arts and culture and Welcome dinner

Continue to the famous Vilakazi Street, which is the only street in the world where two Nobel Prize winners lived: Nelson Mandela
& Desmond Tutu Visit the Mandela House which is filled with many interesting artefacts and memorabilia pertaining to South
Africa’s greatest icon. After walking the streets of the struggle against apartheid while and learning about Nelson Mandela at the
Museum, we visit the Umbuyisa School of Arts and Culture where we will meet the children and staff.

We end the tour with a welcome dinner prepared by the art school staff and children officially welcoming the guests.

Day 3: Johannesburg sightseeing Tour

After breakfast, depart on a sightseeing day tour of Johannesburg city. We board one of the Johannesburg Hop-On, Hop-Off
Double-Decker Red Buses and get started with the fun-filled trip, and see the city from a different perspective. With the
Johannesburg hop-on hop-off tour bus, we have an option to visit and learn about the city’s top 20 sites. The pre-recorded audio
commentary in 15 languages provides you with information on the history of Johannesburg while you are on board. As you travel
across the city on the double-decker bus, you’ll pass through historic districts and intriguing sites, many of which are connected to
the battle against apartheid. You will learn about the history of the world’s largest man-made forest and why Johannesburg should
have never been developed at the location it was.

Johannesburg Hop-On, Hop-Off stops

Green Tour:

1. Rosebank 2. Zoo Lake
2. Johannesburg Zoo
3. Military Museum
4. Constitution Hill

Red City Tour:

1. Constitution Hill
2. Mining District
3. Carlton Centre (for the Roof of Africa viewing deck)
4. James Hall Transport Museum
5. Gold Reef City Casino Hotel (join the Soweto extension tour here)
6. Apartheid Museum
7. New Town
8. The Grove, Braamfontein
9. Constitution Hill

We will Visit the following places:

Constitutional Hill

Originally the site of a fort in the late 19th Century Boer Republic, it later became a notorious prison where two of its most famous
inmates were Gandhi (in colonial times) and Mandela (under apartheid rule). It is now home to the Constitutional Court of South
Africa. Constitution Hill is a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. This former prison and military
fort site that bears testament to South Africa’s turbulent past, is today home to the country’s Constitutional Court which endorses
the rights of all citizens. We join a tour of the prison and the Court.

Carlton Centre

The 50-storey, 223-metre tall skyscraper and shopping centre is the second-tallest building in Africa. From the top, you have a
panoramic view of the city of Johannesburg and the northern suburbs.

Lunch

We will have lunch in the many restaurants available in Rosebank.

Soweto

We leave the City at about 14h00 and make our way to Soweto to meet with the kids at Umbuyiswa art school for some after school
activities and interaction.

Dinner and cultural evening out in SOWETO.

Day 4: Cradle of Humankind

After breakfast we depart for the Cradle of Humankind. Today we find out about our common history at the Cradle of Humankind,
a World Heritage Site. During our tour, we visit the Sterkfontein Caves and the Maropeng visitors center.

The Cradle of Humankind is the world’s richest hominin site, home to around 40% of the world’s human ancestor fossils. The 53
000ha area is also home to a diversity of birds, animals and plants, some of which are rare or endangered.

Sterkfontein Caves: Amongst the most remarkable findings to have been made by numerous world famous scientists within the
Cradle of Humankind is the famous Mrs. Ples, the first complete Australopithecus skull to be discovered and more recently,
“Little Foot”, a 4.17 million-year-old almost complete ape-man skeleton was also discovered in these caves.

Maropeng visitors center: (the official visitor center of the Cradle of Humankind) and the Sterkfontein Caves. Maropeng means
“returning to the place of origin” in Setswana, the main indigenous language in this area of South Africa. Our ancestors have
lived in this area for more than 3-million years. By coming here, you are coming to the birthplace of humanity. We have lunch
around the area and depart at around 14:00pm to head back to the art school for the Kinds with after school activities.

Dinner at Hotel or nearby restaurant.

Day 5: Full day Umbuyisa school of art and culture & Soweto Equistar Center visit

After breakfast, travel to Soweto for a full day at the art school to preparing for children and voluntary work and also as
visit to the equestrian center for some horse riding and grooming is scheduled for the day.

Day 6: Capital city adventure experience

Early morning departure with packed breakfast for a Hotair-ballon or Skydiving experience on a full day Capital city tour . You will be provided with breakfast packs, and lunch can be enjoyed at one of the many restaurants on route.

Options: Do a Pretoria city tour and head back to art school for interaction with kids or stay in Pretoria for an evening
game drive/safari after morning activity.

Pretoria city tour can include an evening game viewing safari in a Game reserve:

Visit the iconic Union Buildings and the must-see Nelson Mandela statue; stop off at the lively Church Square where you can see the Palace of Justice; tour the Victorian mansion of Melrose House; and walk through yesteryear when we tour Paul Kruger’s House. Visit Freedom Park or the Voortrekker Monument. End the tour with a visit to Dinokeng Game reserve for an open vehicle safari.

Return late in the evening , Dinner at the Game reserve.

Day 7: Full day Umbuyisa school of arts and culture

After breakfast, travel to Soweto for a full day at the art school – Lunch and Dinner in Soweto – Last evening braai in
Soweto

Day 8: Transfer to airport

After breakfast transfer to O R Tambo for your flight home.

Terms and Conditions:

• Check your VISA requirements with your travel agent.
• Rates based on seasonality, June being a low season with December a High demand season for tourism facilities in SA.
• 50% deposit payable on confirmation of booking and balance payable by electronic transfer 48 hours before arrival.
• Prices are quoted in Rand value and are inclusive of South African Tax
• Price based on 2-10 people traveling together
• Prices are subject to change due to exchange rate and fuel prices
• Comfortable shoes and clothes as well as hats and sunscreen are recommended.
• Name list and special requirements to be submitted with confirmation of booking.

Price Includes

• Private full day use of an air-conditioned vehicle, with pickup and drop off daily from your hotel in Johannesburg
• Services of an expert local Sowetan Guide who will provide interesting commentary on Soweto’s history and way of life as well as co-ordinate all the stops at various places of interest that make Soweto so unique and fascinating
• All museum entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
• Breakfast, Bed and Dinners with 2 x soft drink per meal

Price Excludes

• Lunch and extra drinks
• Alcoholic beverages
• Hotair-baloon
• Skydiving
• Game viewing / Safari
• Tips at your discretion
• Return flight booking to O R Tambo from your destination.
• Activities not mentioned in the itinerary

Prices

Accommodation: