Getting around Johannesburg

6 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

The places visitors want to see in Johannesburg are spread out: Soweto, the Apartheid Museum beside Gold Reef City, Constitution Hill and Maboneng in the inner city, and Rosebank and Sandton. Germany’s Foreign Office advises against visiting the central business district at any time of day, and recommends guided tours for townships. That shapes how you move: by train between the hubs, by app or tour for the rest.

The Gautrain

The Gautrain network covers about 80 km on two lines. The north-south line runs Park, Rosebank, Sandton, Marlboro, Midrand, Centurion, Pretoria and Hatfield. The airport line runs from Sandton via Marlboro and Rhodesfield to O.R. Tambo. From Park or Rosebank you change at Sandton for the airport, and from Pretoria, Centurion or Midrand you change at Marlboro.

Gauteng Tourism gives typical journey times of 4 minutes from Rosebank to Sandton, about 15 minutes from Sandton to the airport, about 30 minutes from Sandton to Pretoria and about 40 from Park to Hatfield. Trains run roughly from 05:30 to 20:30, with first and last trains varying by station and day. You pay by tapping a contactless debit or credit card or a Gautrain Card; cash is not accepted on trains or buses. A new operator was appointed in September 2026 for 15 years, with plans for more frequent off-peak trains and longer hours, but no dates yet.

Park Station, the southern end of the line, lies in the transport hub of the inner city next to Braamfontein. Canada’s travel advice calls the station and its surroundings dangerous because of high crime, so use it to change, not to walk out into the centre.

e-Hailing and taxis

For trips the train does not cover, most visitors use e-hailing. Germany’s Foreign Office recommends only verified services such as Uber or Bolt and advises against hailing taxis in the street, minibus taxis and hitchhiking. The British government reports armed violence between e-hailing and metered taxi drivers, and Canada’s advice mentions the same conflict, so book only through the official app and check the car and driver against what the app shows before you get in. In the evening, after the Gautrain has stopped, an app ride or a booked transfer is the usual way back.

The red sightseeing bus

City Sightseeing runs an open-top red bus on a loop of about 2.5 hours, every 40 minutes from 09:00, starting at its office in The Zone at Rosebank. The 2026/2027 timetable lists the stops as Rosebank, Melrose Arch, the Mandela Foundation, the Monroe Drive viewpoint, Constitution Hill, the Mining District, the Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City, Newtown, Braamfontein, the Holocaust and Genocide Centre, Johannesburg Zoo and the Military Museum. A Soweto extension of at least two hours leaves from the lobby of the Gold Reef City Casino Hotel, and a free shuttle links some Sandton hotels with the Rosebank stop. The operator reserves the right to change or cancel departures.

The ticket includes audio commentary in eight languages and onboard Wi-Fi. Entrance fees are extra, and the listing notes that the Apartheid Museum is closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays. Riders like it as a safe-feeling first look at the city; the main complaint is that a long stop at the museum leaves little time for Soweto. A combined ticket books the guided two-hour Soweto tour together with the bus, and each Soweto tour connects with a bus back to Rosebank. More on guided options on city tours.

Rea Vaya

Rea Vaya is the City of Johannesburg’s bus rapid transit network. Cards are sold at every Rea Vaya station. Routes named by the city include C1 to Soweto and T4 between Sandton, Alexandra and the inner city. Check fares and payment at the station before you travel.

Driving yourself

A rental car makes sense for the Cradle of Humankind, Hartbeespoort or a self-drive safari. Traffic drives on the left, and Germany’s Foreign Office says a German licence is only valid together with an International Driving Permit. It warns that smash-and-grab thefts happen at red lights and in dense traffic, and of carjackings at quieter junctions after dark. The British government suggests anti-smash-and-grab film on the windows, which rental companies can supply, and keeping the tank more than half full. The US Department of State advises against driving outside metropolitan areas at night because of hazards such as animals and broken-down vehicles.

For cash, the Foreign Office recommends ATMs inside shopping centres, supermarkets or banks rather than on the street. More on staying safe on is Johannesburg safe.