soweto bicycle tours

we went on a bike tour in Soweto with Lebo bike tour. The 2 guys who took us there were really good. We experienced and we could smell what Soweto is like. You cannot say you have been to S.A. if you have not visited Soweto. The place where we were on holiday in Johannesburg was safe but did not allow us to get in touch with real people. The people in Soweto are really welcoming and friendly: Perhaps too lazy.... they should try at least to do something for the sewage system!

Really good tour to do - we did the four hour trip and although I knew a lot of the South African history, this was presented really well. The guide (Jazz) was great - fun and lively - good history but not too much and very careful to go at a pace that suited all. We went the day after we arrived and were suffering variously from jetlag and getting used to the heat but we all kept up. The trip to the Shebeen was a bit touristy but handled well and the food that we had afterwards was wonderful. So many local Jo'burg people don't visit Soweto but it is a huge part of understanding the history of the region and I would really recommend.

Fantastic bike ride and opportunity to see Soweto. Jazz was fantastic. We rode away with a much better understanding of Soweto, Nelson Mandela and and the history of South Africa.

We did the 4 hour bike tour. It sounds like a long time but it flew by quickly because there was so much to do. Our guide was Jazz. Very funny guy with a lot of enthusiasm. You could tell her loved his job.On a bike it was so much better than being in a car, or on a tuk tuk. To be able to interact with the locals was a more personal experience. The children of the neighbourhood would always want to high 5 you as you rode by.Stopped off at and tasted Soweto beer and Beef Cheek. Yes, they were actually beefs cheeks.We stopped off at Solomon Linda's house (famous for the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" original in Zulu), Nelson Mandela's house.High recommended.

The bike tour through Soweto (did 4hrs) is something everyone should go on, given the opportunity.There's no way to compare it to a bus tour, as on bike you're really right in between the houses and people, being able to meet and chat with them.We had an awesome and very fun, young guide who tought us a lot about the way the people live and feel in soweto and as a community.A definitive must-do!

Bicycle tours were unheard of until I experienced this tour which opened my eyes.This is not only for outside tourist but for locals too to have intimate knowledge about their own backyard. I would recommend it for young and old.

This tour was okay... when it actually took place.I was staying at the Brown Sugar in Johannesburg. I had arranged for my cycle tour including the hotel pickup through Intrepid/Urban Adventures. I was even given a confirmation email that I would be picked up at 8am.When it was 9:30am and I still hadn't been picked up or otherwise contacted, I called the office at Urban Adventures to see what was going on. What happened? They simply forgot to pick me up and had to scramble a driver out to see me. I ended up missing half the tour as I was asked merely to join the group as they were about 2 hours into the tour.On the plus side, the driver who was sent to pick me up did a great job in every aspect of his service--he was especially knowledgeable about the city and was a pleasure to speak with as we drove around. I doubt the mishap that took place was his fault--the office at Urban Adventures in Johannesburg was a train-wreck.The cycle tour (from what I saw anyways) was interesting, if you like riding a bike through what is basically a ghetto.The only major complaint I have is that Intrepid/Urban Adventures refused to offer me a 50% refund even though they only gave me the benefit of 50% of their service... Great way to do business.

This was our last day in Joburg after our organized tour left. We booked this and it was a great decision. The Company picked us up at our hotel (for an additional fee that was pretty reasonable) and brought us to their location and dropped us off afterwards. The tour lasted several hours and took us to various areas of Soweto, from some of the poorest neighborhoods to more middle class neighborhoods including Nelson Mandela's home as well as Bishop Tutu's. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, provided a great history lesson as well as explained how things operated and why it was the way it was. Even though the conditions of the places visited were not always very nice, we never felt unsafe and it was great for our kids (16 and 13) to see and learn the story of the township and see how life really is for those less fortunate. Along the way, we stopped and tried a local brew and a lunch was provided at the end of the tour. While there are some hills, they are not overly steep or long, most people should be 100% fine biking, including kids.

We are a family of four (we have two kids ages 9 and 11) who are touring Johannesburg during our trip to South Africa. We took the four hour Soweto tour which was amazing. Our tour guide (Jazz) was very informative, funny, and kept the tour entertaining. We cycled up and down hills, through very poor areas, past Nelson Mandela's house as well as Desmond Tutu's. The best part of the tour were the children who live in Soweto, who were thrilled to see us cycling through their neighborhood. They would run to us, happy and smiling, eager for high fives and to have their photos taken. They were not asking for anything other than a little fun and attention. Seeing their smiles was the highlight of our time spent in Johannesburg. The sites and the information learned during this tour of Soweto are so much more meaningful than any time spent in a museum. Take this tour for an experience you won't forget.

This was an in depth yet relaxed tour through the streets and back alleys of soweto. Our guide was a local so very knowledgeable and quite charming. The tour takes you through a lot of incredible sights and important historical locations. It's brilliant doing it on a bike to get an 'insiders' perspective. All round, well worth doing.

We are a family of 2 + 2 (kids are 6 and 7 years old) and made the 4 hours tour.It was a great tour with up and downs, i.e. uphill and downhill, poor and rich area and some emotionals as well.Sufficient breaks to relax. However also to receive information about Joburg, Soweto as well as life and people there.We started at 1 pm and received lunch and a drink (included in price). Tasty local food.Available bicycle are for kids of 7 years and older. For our 6 years old son we had our own bicycle. The available ones where too big.Wrap-up: Much better than by bus or car. We've been much closer to Soweto and the poeople there. Just do it!

I traveled by driver to Soweto from Jo'berg (R1000 r/t) and we found our way to Lebos . The tour operation is located at a very cool backpackers hostel. First off the staff was very friendly and the bicycles were in good condition for riding. After checking in and payment, I waited with some of the others, both hostel guests and day trippers like myself, in the relaxed courtyard patio area. I found many young (20's) travelers from many different countries, all very friendly and we enjoyed nice conversation. We then got fitted with our bikes and headed out along the streets of Soweto. We traveled though many districts including a former mens only Zulu hostel where we enjoyed local beer and foods, beef cheek and pop. Tasty! Also included were local sights incl. Nelson Mandela's former home. All along the way we met very friendly local people and as we cycled past homes, young children would excitedly run up, cheer and offer "high five" greetings. Personal safety was never a concern and I always felt safe. This tour was a highlight of my visit to South Africa and I would highly recommend it to anyone, of any age, who is interested in getting to meet some local people and experience the authentic African way of life.

It was great to cycle round Soweto, or rather part of Orlando West. The route, which took us through rich and poor parts of the township was great, though two hours was not enough time to get more than a glimpse of the Hector Pieterson museum or the Mandela house. I visited them another day. There are longer tours, but I would have found them hard due to the poor condition of the bikes.My concern, which is a safety issue, is the state of the bikes. Fair enough, smart bikes would be incongruous in Soweto. However, these bikes were lacking basic maintenance. My bike had brakes which needed attention, they were very worn. They would soon become dangerous. The gears did not work. One pedal had been damaged, and was bent.The young guide was good. Please sort the bike maintenance problems before an accident happens.

We did the 2 and a half hour tour which was excellent with a very informative guide and good value for money.We were shown the many improvements that have been made since apartheid ended but also the poverty that still exists in the informal settlements in particular..Soweto is much hillier than I expected and had to walk the bike up the final stretch.I am 64 after all.Everyone we met were very very welcoming and pleased to see us.However remember Soweto has a population of over 4 million people so cycling round an African village it is not !

If you are on the fence about this, just do it, it is definitely worth it. Our tour guide (Love) was very charismatic and had lots of information to share. You ride through the town (I never felt unsafe) and will meet many children who aren't trying to sell you anything, they just want a high-five! The four hour tour was perfect for us. The best South African experience I have had, and I'd do it again.