Johannesburg City Tour
Stop 1. Constitution Hill
We visit Constitution Hill and experience the unique way that South African transition has built hope for the future out of the pain of the past. We stop here for a guided tour through the old and cold deserted prison. (1 Hour Stop) The hill was formerly the site of a fort which was later used as a prison. The Old Fort Prison complex is known as Number Four. The original prison was built to house white male prisoners in 1892. The Old Fort was built around this prison by Paul Kruger from 1896 to 1899 to protect the South African Republic from the threat of British invasion. Later, Boer military leaders of the Anglo-Boer War were imprisoned here by the British [citation needed].
The Old Fort prison was later extended to include "native" cells, called Section 4 and Section 5, and, in 1907, a women's section was added. An awaiting-trial block was constructed in the 1920s. Both political activists opposed to apartheid and common criminals were held at the prison. Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned here in 1906, and striking white mineworkers in 1907, 1913 and 1922. Under the apartheid government, only whites were held in the Old Fort itself, except for Nelson Mandela, who was given a bed in the hospital section when he was as an awaiting-trial prisoner in 1962 prior to the Rivonia Trial. Joe Slovo, Bram Fischer, Albert Luthuli and Robert Sobukwe were also inmates. The site housed prisoners until 1983, when it was closed. In 1995, the Constitutional Court justices began looking for a permanent location for the new Court. The court building itself was built using bricks from the demolished awaiting-trial wing of the former prison. The court building is open to the public who want to attend hearings or view the art gallery in the court atrium. The court houses a collection of more than 200 contemporary artworks chosen by Constitutional Court judge Albie Sachs, including works by Gerard Sekoto, William Kentridge, and Cecil Skotnes. The hill overlooks downtown Johannesburg to the South and the wealthy northern suburbs of Houghton, Parktown, Sandton, etc to the North.
Stop 2. The Carlton Centre
The Carlton Centre is a skyscraper located in downtown Johannesburg. At 233 meters (731feet), it is the tallest building in Africa and about half the height of the Sears Tower in Chicago.
This will be our last stop to ascend to the 50th floor of the highest building in Africa. This will offer you the best aerial view in Africa. The building houses both offices and shops, and has over 46 per cent of the floor area below ground level. A viewing deck on the 50th floor offers views of Johannesburg and Pretoria.(20 minute stop). From here we depart for a tour through Johanesburg city centre, a drive past Newtown, we crossover the Nelson Mandela Bridge and via Hillbrow.
Stop 3. Newtown PrecinctHistorical background
At the turn of the 20th century, the Newtown Precinct was originally known as the Brickfields. This area was rich in clay, brick makingbecame the most popular form of generating income and even better if an individual had their own clay mixer for making bricks. By 1896, about 7 000 people of all races lived in the Brickfield area, later named Burghersdorp.
As this land was close to the centre of Johannesburg and the railway line, many businesses and immigrants coming from overseas bought stands in Burghersdorp. Soon trading companies, banks, brick companies, a brewery and fisheries moved into the area. Many Indians set up shops and eateries along Locatie (now known as Carr Street), which led to the station.
In April 1904, the fire brigade set the area alight destroying everything in the inferno -a measure to the combat bubonic plague that had broken out. The area was surveyed, re-planned in unbecoming haste and renamed Newtown by October 1904. A commercial area where vast fortunes in milling, production of sugar and food merchandising would come to existence. Newtown has now become synonymous with the heritage and culture of South Africa and especially Johannesburg. hence it is universally known as the cultural Precinct. Nelson Mandela Bridge, and a drive through the famous Hillbrow.
Tour Information
Tour Cost: R490.00 per person
Tour Duration: 4 hours
Entrance Fees: Included
Apartheid Museum and Soweto Tour
Visit the Apartheid museum
We visit to the Apartheid Museum. This highly rated and recommended museum is a must see. A visit will put into perspective the history of South Africa. 2-3 hours stop before or after the Soweto tour.
Visit the Hector Peterson Memorial
Hector Peterson Memorial
The now-famous image of a young man, holding a dying schoolboy in his arms, as his hysterical sister runs besides screaming, dominated the 25th anniversary commemoration Saturday of the Soweto Uprising, when South Africa's black youth challenged the white apartheid government. The events of June 16, 1976 marked a turning point in South Africa's political history and are now marked with a public holiday, Youth Day. (45 Minute Stop)
Nelson Mandela Family House, Vilakazi Street
We drive past the Mandela Family House. We also visit Vilakazi Street, which is the only street in the world which houses 3 celebrities and 2 Nobel Prize winners.
Regina Mundi Cathedral
Regina Mundi's renowned Black Madonna What started out as "church services" often ended up as political rallies. Funerals, points out Father Vusi Mazibuko, who has been pastor at the church for the past four years, were often political affairs. They started off at Regina Mundi and ended up at Avalon Cemetery. We stop here for a guided tour through the church. (25 Minute Stop)
Mutswaledi Shanty Town
We take a 25 min guided tour through one of the suburbs in Soweto. We visit a Sheebeen, a family house, a small shop and interact with the locals.
Tour Information
Tour Cost: R590.00 per person
Tour Duration: 4 hours
Entrance Fees: Included
Gold Reef City Tour
Come and experience Africa's greatest Entertainment Theme Park, created around an authentic 19th Century Gold Mine. Nowhere else will you find such a comprehensive and colourful depiction of mining life at the turn of the nineteenth century. Good value, good fun and variety are only part of the story.
Gold Reef City Theme park has an abundance of adventures rides, restaurants, history, site seeing and tours for you to enjoy.
Over 30 thrill rides
Jozi's story of Gold (Heritage Tour)
Restaurants
Amusement Attractions
Tribal Dancers
Kiddies Corner
Farmyard
A Victorian Hotel
Conference Facilities
Speciality Shops
Operating hours:
The Gold Reef City Theme Park is open Tuesday - Sunday from 9:30am- 17:00pm. and open every day during Gauteng School Holidays. Not open on Christmas Day.
At Gold Reef City you will find experiences that you will not find anywhere else - it's a combination of fun, fantasy, historical fact all in a safe environment with great facilities.
Tour Information
Tour Cost: R590.00 per person
Tour Duration: 4 hours
Entrance Fees: Excluded
Tour Duration: Flexible (Please note: Entrance and park fees (R155.00) are excluded. Return Transfer only)
The Cradle of Humankind, World Heritage site Tour
Sterkfontein (Afrikaans for Strong Spring) is a set of limestone caves of special interest to paleo-anthropologists located in Gauteng province, Northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa near the town of Krugersdorp. The archaeological sites of Swartkrans (Afrikaans for Black Cliff) and Kromdraai (Afrikaans for Crooked Turn) (and the Wonder Cave) are in the same area. A number of early hominid remains have been found at the site over the last few decades. Sterkfontein was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 and the area in which it is situated, was named the Cradle of Humankind. Modern excavation of the caves began in the late 1890s by limestone miners who noticed the fossils and brought them to the attention of scientists. It was not until 1936 that students of Professor Raymond Dart and Dr. Robert Broom from the University of the Witwatersrand began concerted excavations.
These excavations revealed many early hominids. In 1936, the Sterkfontein caves yielded the first adult Australopithecine, substantially strengthening Raymond Dart's claim that the skull known as the Taung child (Australopithecus africanus) was a human ancestor. There was a pause in excavation during World War II, but after the war Dr. Broom continued excavations.
In 1947 he found the almost complete skull of an adult female Australopithecus africanus (or possibly that of an adolescent male). Broom initially named the skull Plesianthropus transvaalensis (near-man from Transvaal), but it became better known by its nickname, Mrs. Ples. Mrs. Ples is estimated to be between 2.6 and 2.8 million years old placing it in the Pliocene.
In 1997 a near complete skeleton of an early hominid was found in the caves by Ronald J. Clarke; extraction of the remains from the surrounding breccia is ongoing. The skeleton was named Little Foot, since the first parts found (in 1995, in storage) were the bones of a foot; it is estimated to be 3.3 million years old. Excavations continue to this day and finds now total some 500 hominids, making Sterkfontein the richest site in the world for early hominids.[citation needed]
The Palaeo-Anthropology Scientific Trust (PAST), a non-profit trust fund established in 1994, sponsors over 90% of the research undertaken at Sterkfontein and was instrumental in its nomination as a World Heritage Site
Tour Information
Tour Cost: R890.00 per person
Tour Duration 6 hours
Entrance Fees: Included
The Lion Park EXPERIENCE TOUR
The lion park near Lanseria Airport north of Johannesburg in Gauteng Province serves as a gateway and introduction, a true window, to thesplendors of Africa's Wildlife. It is home to more than 70 lions including white lions and many carnivores such as cheetahs, wild dogs, brown and spotted hyenas, black leopards and many more.
The Lion Park is constantly involved in new ventures and scientific research projects. One of these projects involve our long-term relationship with the EndageredWildlife Trust(EWT). This project has enabled us to test all our lions for the possibility Feline Immunodeficience Virus (FIVE), bovine tuberculosis and various other diseases. All of our Lions have been micro-chipped by the EWT to ensure reliable identification.
We will have the opportunity to touch some lion cubs which are still all on bottle feeding done by the lionpark. This is a perfect photo opportunity whilst holding an Africa lion cub! The park offers terrific up close views and other exciting interactions with a large variety of predators and large herbivores, indigenous to Africa.
The Lion Park is home to over 80 lions including the rare white lions and many other carnivores such as cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, striped hyena, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, and a wide variety of antelope which roam freely in the antelope area.
Guests have an opportunity to interact with some of the animals in the Cub World area which has a giraffe feeding platform that puts you at eye level with our tame resident giraffe creating a fun experience for all ages. Then there is the popular cub interaction which allows guests to touch the cubs and take photographs.
Lions There are currently more than 80 lions at the Lion Park. including the white lions. The lions are situated in various areas in the park such as our four drive-through camps. The lions can be viewed closely from the comfort of your own vehicle. There are plenty of excellent photo opportunities. The sub-adult lions and lion cubs are housed in the Cub World area where you can enter and actually play with lion cubs. Hyenas After you have taken a drive through the antelope camp you will drive past our hyena enclosures where spotted hyena can be viewed from your own vehicle. Brown and striped hyena can also be seen at Cub World. Other Carnivores Several other carnivore species can also be seen at the Lion Park. These include cheetahs, wild dogs, side-striped and black-backed jackals in various areas of the park such as near the cheetah enclosures or near Cub World. Here you can learn more about these interesting species. Large Herbivores The Lion Park’s large herbivore species include black wildebeest, springbok, blesbok, impala, gemsbok, zebra and giraffe. These animals are all on view during a drive through the open antelope areas of the Lion Park.
Tour Information
Tour Cost: R650.00 per person
Tour Duration 6 hours
Entrance Fees: Included
The Rhino & Lion Park Tour
An ideal opportunity for the businessman or tourist who has limited time to see some big game in a natural highveld grassland reserve only 45 minutes from Sandton or Johannesburg.
The Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve is a privately owned game reserve close to Johannesburg.
They have a successful breeding project, best illustrated by the 18 white rhino calves that have been born at the reserve. Other predators that are part of their breeding program include lions, cheetah and the highly endangered Cape wild dog. Also currently being bred are endangered Bengal tigers, Siberian Tigers and the extremely rare White Lion. A big attraction is the "vulture restaurant" and one can view as many as 200 birds feasting.
The animal creche provides the opportunity to interact with cubs of many of these breeding programmes
Activities:
Cheetah Run
Snake displays
Lion, Cheetah & Wild dog feed
Reptile Park visit
Lion, Cheetah & tiger Cub Display (Touch & photo(own camera) - when available !
Animal Crèche
Picnic & Braai Area
Swimming Pool
Restaurant, Kiosk & Curio's
Croc Pub
Childrens Playground
Animals
Impala
Ostrich
Hippo
Nile Crocodile
White Rhinoceros
Wilddog
Lion
Gemsbok
Blesbok
Lappetfaced Vulture
Cheetah
Black Wildebeest
Black Eagle
Blackshouldered Kite
Springbok
Tour Information
Tour Cost: R850.00 per person
Tour Duration 5 hours
Entrance Fees: Included
PRETORIA TOUR
Stop 1, The Melrose House
Today this elegant house is a museum that stands as a superb example of the transition of Victorian to Edwardian architectural styles and interiors. The interior is characterised by colourful stained glass windows, paintings by English artists, carpets in rich colours, ornate ceilings and fireplaces, as well as valuable porcelain ornaments. The majority of these items belonged to the Heys family itself, we spend 25 Minutes here before heading of to Pretoria Church Square.
Stop 2, Pretoria Church Square
Church Square is the historic centre of the city of Pretoria, South Africa Its most prominent feature is the statue of the Boer leader and president of the South African Republic Paul Kruger at its centre. Statues of four anonymous Boer citizen-soldiers surround that of Kruger's on a tower level of the ninth. Several historically and architecturally significant buildings surround the square: the Palace of Justice the Old Capital.
Stop 3, The Union Buildings
The Union Buildings are situated on Meintjies Kop, Pretoria, and form the official seat of the South African government-They contain the offices of the President of South Africa. They are probably best remembered as the place where South Africa's first democratically-elected president, Nelson Mandela, was inaugurated in May 1994. We spend 20 Minutes in the famous gardens infront of the union Building.
Stop 4, Fort Klapperkop
Fort Klapperkop offers a spectacular view of the city centre of Pretoria and the famous UNISA university, the largest correspondent university in the Southern Hemisphere. Fort Klapperkop houses some of the boer war artillery.
Stop 5, The Voortrekker Monument
The Voortrekker Monument is smaller than the Hotel de Invalldes in Paris, the grave of Napoleon, much smaller than the Taj Mahal in India and just an eleventh of the size of the VoIkerschlachtdenkmal in Leipzig, In comparison with those buttings, the Voortrekker Monument is definitely not the biggest monument in the world, however the architect purposefully tried to build a massive, impressive monument. Our tour guide takes us from one explanitory freeze to the other, than straight to the top of the building for the best city view ever!
Tour Information
Tour Cost: R890.00 per person
Tour Duration 6 hours
Entrance Fees: excluded
All the quoted rates are in South African Rands (hotels stay excludes 1% tourist levies)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Entrance Fees are excluded unless stated
Lunch excluded
Accommodation, dinner and bed & breakfast excluded
Tours are conducted by SATour registered Tourist guides in comfortable Air-Conditioned Vehicles.
Prices subject to alteration without Notice.
Accredited by - SATOUR
- Durban Africa
- Gauteng Tourism
- KwaZulu-Natal Tourism (The Zulu Kingdom)
Minimun payment of 50% is required for all tours at the time of booking the tour, and the balance is payable on the day of departure.
Once the Tour is confirmed, there will be a cancellation fee of 30% of the cost of the tour
CONTACT:
Tel: +27 31 8221 176
Mobile: +27 76 4643 606 /
Fax: +27 86 5401 633
E-mail: eagleluxcoaches@yahoo.com
