Not everyone can afford to travel outside the country, but that doesn’t mean exploring is impossible. There are amazing walking tours on offer in all our major cities to help discover parts of our home cities we never knew existed. It’s not only the most exhilarating way to be fully immersed, enabling you to absorb the ambiance, culture, and feel of a place; it’s also a lot healthier! Plus, walking tours allow you to meet people from all over and make local connections. It’s time to put your walking shoes on because we have identified six fascinating walking tours right on your doorstep.
Past Experiences, Joburg
Past Experiences are leading experts in all things Jo’burg Inner City. All of their guides are specialists in the city, registered with the relevant tourism authority as guides and have a university degree. They are also Halala Award nominees for their continued role in the regeneration of the Jo’burg Inner City. They offer the choice between archeology tours, as well as Jo’burg, Pretoria and Soweto tours. They offer tailormade private tours, experiences and team builds for locals too.
Call: 0837013046
Email: [email protected]
Jo’burg Free Walking Tours
South African cities are walkable for everyone with both Joburg Free Walking Tours and Cape Town Free Walking Tours given by professional tour guides and run on a tip only basis. Their Braamfontein tour showcases the transformation the area has gone through over the last 10 to 20 years, becoming increasingly hip and happening with a rich cultural life and very colourful history. This tour runs once a day from Johannesburg Park Station on the Wolmarans Street side for around two worthwhile hours. Their City Centre Tour is another exploration of the impressive Jo’burg cityscape. The tour tells the story of the different eras in time, showing you historical landmarks and buzzing streets. This tour runs twice a day from Johannesburg Park Station on the Wolmarans Street side for two hours too.
Call: 073 919 3355
Email: [email protected]
The Tunnel Tour, Cape Town
Good Hope Adventures hosts the tunnel tours in Cape Town, which allows you to discover the secret tunnels that snake beneath the city. Parts of the underground canals and rivers date back to 1652, and they were used to supply the Company Gardens and the passing ships with fresh water, but now they are arched over and forgotten, available to only those who walk. The tour includes qualified guides, a professional rescue medic, permits and hard hats for safety. You need to be reasonably fit and not claustrophobic, as you will be trekking through darkness for around three hours.
Call: Matt on 0824824006
Historic City Tour, Cape Town
Kicking off from the historic Greenmarket Square twice a day there is a Cape Town tour of heroes and villains, political violence and peaceful revolutions, drama and harmony and a great deal of personal insight into how locals live. Highlights usually include the President’s House, Mandela’s First Speech as a Free Man and the Oldest Living Citizen in Cape Town, amongst other stops. Cape Town By Foot hosts this tour as well as a Bo-Kaap Walking Tour and a District Six Walking Tour that delves into the intense history of the city.
Call: 073 919 3355
Oriental and Historical Tours, Durban
From Monday to Sunday you get to explore the magnificent architecture in Durban City, while gaining insights into the political movements wrought from the rich culture of the area. The Oriental Tour gets you talking about all of the fascinating cultural and ethnic dynamic, such as why the Indian population grew out of indentured labour, as well as a brief introduction to Zulu culture (explaining the difference between Inyangas and Sangomas) and a visit to the Traditional Zulu Muti Market. The Historical Tour showcases the diverse history, looking at the historical buildings, museums, city hall and galleries.
Call: 031 322 4173 / 031 322 4205
Voicemap.me, All Cities
Voicemap is a smart app that celebrates the stories unique to almost anywhere you are. It’s a walking tour app that uses your location to play audio automatically as you walk through the tour you choose and includes offline maps for your guidance. You can even tell a story of your own and submit it to the world. Choose from stories by journalists, novelists, tour guides and passionate locals and bring the neighbourhood, the city, the world that you are visiting/living in to life – just put on your headphones and you’re ready to explore.
