City Sightseeing South Africa

Red buses in Cape Town and Johannesburg, plus guided day tours

City Sightseeing South Africa runs red open-top hop-on hop-off buses in Cape Town and Johannesburg and sells guided day tours, safaris and boat cruises from both cities. The About page says the buses run 363 days a year in Cape Town (closed for the Cycle Race and the Cape Town Marathon) and 362 days a year in Johannesburg (closed for the ABSA fun run, the 94.7 Cycle Race and Heritage Day, with the Soweto Run affecting the Soweto extension only). The company describes itself as "a proud member of the City Sightseeing Worldwide hop-on, hop-off network", which it says operates in more than 100 destinations; this listing covers the South African business. The site's top menu splits into Cape Town, Johannesburg and "Kruger Park Safari /OR/ Garden Route". The head office is at 36 Auckland Street, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, and prices are in South African rand.

The Johannesburg Red Tour

The Johannesburg bus page promises "over 16 stops" and "over 20 of Johannesburg's top attractions". The Red Tour starts at the tour office in The Zone shopping center on Oxford Road, Rosebank, then runs past Melrose Arch and the Mandela Foundation to Constitution Hill, through the inner city to the Mining District, the Apartheid Museum and Gold Reef City Theme Park, and back via Newtown, The Playground, Johannesburg Zoo and the Military Museum.

Ticket prices shown on that page: the 1-Day Hop-on-Hop-off Ticket at R 325 for adults 18 and over (from R 345) and R 195 for juniors aged 4 to 17; the 2-Day ticket, valid on 2 consecutive days, at R 425 (from R 690) and R 295; and the online-only Sunday Sizzler at R 295 and R 175. A Winter Special brings the junior 1-day ticket down to R 65, for a maximum of 2 kids per adult, and cannot be combined with other offers. Entry to attractions and food and drinks are not included, and each Johannesburg ticket lists a complimentary hotel shuttle from selected hotels.

The Soweto combination

The 1-Day Bus + Soweto tour costs R 745 for adults (from R 765) and R 415 for juniors. It adds a "small group, live guided Soweto tour" of 2 hours, led by a local resident, which riders join at Stop 8, the Gold Reef City Casino Hotel, before rejoining the bus at the same stop. The tour follows the stories of Mahatma Gandhi's Passive Resistance movement and Nelson Mandela's Defiance Campaign, and its listed highlights include FNB Stadium, Orlando Towers, the Hector Pietersen Memorial, Vilakazi Street and the Soweto Brewing Company. The page lists temporary closures to plan around: the Apartheid Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, Gold Reef City needs pre-booking, and several museums close over the festive season.

Xplorer day tours and safaris

The Xplorer Tours page lists full-day guided trips with prices. From Johannesburg, the Dinokeng Big 5 Safari Tour runs 10 hours with return transport from Rosebank, Sandton or Melrose Arch (the page puts the reserve ±1.5 hrs from Johannesburg), a 2.5 to 3-hour 4x4 game drive "with an expert English-speaking ranger", concession and conservation fees, water and a light snack, at R 1,749 for adults 12 and over and R 879 for children 3 to 11. The Sterkfontein Caves and Voortrekker Monument Tour, also 10 hours, includes an English-speaking guide, both entrance fees and lunch at Neck & Deck Restaurant in the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, at the same adult price.

From Cape Town, the Cape Point & Penguin Xplorer Tour includes a hike from Cape Point to the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Penguin beach admission, the Cape Point funicular, lunch and pickup near hotels, at R 475 for adults. The Paarl, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch wine tour includes 3 tastings with up to 14 wines, a cellar tour, a photo stop at the Nelson Mandela prison and lunch, at R 845. The Whale and Hermanus Tour gives up to 3 hours in Hermanus with an optional whale cruise at R 1,075, and the Franschhoek Wine Tram Xplorer Tour costs R 765. The About page also mentions township tours in Langa and 2 boat cruises at the V&A Waterfront, each about 30 minutes, one on the canal to the CTICC and one around the harbor.

On the bus

Buses "arrive at each stop at regular scheduled intervals (with very few exceptions)", the About page says, and riders show the same ticket to board the next bus. On-board commentary is available in 15 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic and Zulu, with a separate fun channel for kids. The company says its fleet is continually upgraded for low emissions and Euro emission standards. In Johannesburg, riders can reach the Rosebank office by Gautrain using the North Exit, park at The Zone, and should arrive 15 minutes before departure. The website offers live bus tracking, timetables and route maps.

Booking and terms

Tickets are booked online, and the site runs pensioner, student and family deals alongside combo products such as the bus with a Table Mountain Cableway ticket. The Soweto combination page states: "Cancellation fee of R20, per ticket cancelled, will be charged." A separate Refund and Cancellation Policy page is linked in the footer. Contact is +27215116000 or info@citysightseeing.co.za, and the site has private hire and charter options.

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The Cape Town bus routes, stops and fares are not set out alongside the Johannesburg ones; the About page confirms the Cape Town buses, but the published fare table is for Johannesburg. The site does not say whether the R20 cancellation fee applies to every product or how late a ticket can be cancelled. The About page calls the tours a "safe, fun and informative introduction to the city", but there is nothing on wheelchair access to the buses.

City Sightseeing suits first-time visitors to Johannesburg who want the city's main museums and a guided Soweto visit in one day without a car, and Cape Town visitors after a guided day to Cape Point or the winelands. The combination of a bus ticket with a small-group township tour is the most distinctive product, and the Dinokeng safari gives Johannesburg visitors a game drive within a day trip.