Visit the tallest Building in Johannesburg Ponte city & Hillbrow
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Ponte City Tour – Johannesburg’s Iconic Landmark
Visit Ponte City, the tallest residential building in Africa. Rising 54 stories above Johannesburg, this cylindrical tower – often compared to Paris’s Montparnasse – offers the best views of the city and a history as dramatic as its skyline.
From its glamorous beginnings in the 1970s, to its fall into a “vertical slum,” and its transformation into a vibrant hub today, Ponte’s story will captivate you. Our tour takes you inside the building, then out into Hillbrow for a walking tour of this dynamic neighborhood.
With transport, lunch, and three tours daily, everything is taken care of. Whether you want to admire the view, dive into the building’s history, or explore the city’s heart, this experience has it all.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
We start the tour at our community centre where we introduce ourselves ourselves Lotjhani! Molo! Sawubona! Dumela! Avuxeni! Ndaa! and illustrate the relevance of our location. Our guides will take you through a chronological journey, helping better understand the building's history and context. We will go through the early days of grand opulence, government red-lining and social oppression. We will also detail the stories of urban decay and the building's resilient nature through complex economic times. You will enjoy a drink on the 51st floor of the building to compliment the experience.
Hillbrow Tower
We will be providing context to the iconic Hillbrow Tower.
Options
Hillbrow Tour + Ponte Tower
Access to Ponte city building Duration: 3 hours Lunch is Included Full tour Van Pickup included
Ponte city Experience
Duration: 3 hours Transport: Pick up and drop off is included Pickup included
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Bottled water
All Tours include Entrace to the iconic Ponte city Tour
Lunch is included on the walking tour not the tour of the building.
Gratuities
Alcoholic Beverages
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
14 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Carefully Crafted Storytelling
Trail693776,May 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing experience led by Mbongiseni. Through a carefully crafted series of questions and storytelling he shared his intimate knowledge of the history of the area and Ponte Tower. I recommend it especially because the tours give back to the community.
A must!
florianec2026,Feb 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Incredible and very educational experience with guides full of anecdotes about the neighborhood! A must to discover and understand the different periods of Joburg!
Absolutely Awesome.
Gruver,Dec 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an amazing experience this was. I had to Google something like “Ponte City tour with hotel pick-up” in order to locate and book a coordinated transfer from my hotel to the tower, which eventually led me to a tour I booked through TripAdvisor. Unless you’re particularly brave or an Urbex type, I would suggest you do the same because the neighborhood is rough, to put it mildly. With the hotel transfer, we were deposited inside the gates of Ponte City. Throughout the experience, I never felt unsafe as a result. Once you’re at Ponte City, you are in very good hands, indeed. Our tour guide was Kea, who told us of the great work the in-house charity performs, took us to their 52nd floor event space, to the interior base of the tower, and around the grounds. Kea was absolutely delightful and extremely informative. She was really a perfect tour guide. I really don’t have the appropriate adjectives to describe the experience, but it was superlative. The building in its own weird way is a concrete and glass microcosm of the story of apartheid and it’s downfall, and visiting here is an experience I will never forget. Super cool. Highly recommend.
Discovery in the other face of Johannesburg
mbusnumm,Dec 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was quite good having two young guys as guide, they took time to explain me everything about the historical places of Pointe city and Hillbrow. I felt bad knowing what happened to the black people like me there, specifically in Hillbrow which shows the bad conditions of blacks but, i finally gained by learning some historical courses I was good and pleasant
Must do tour of a troubled but fascinating area!
Kevin N,Mar 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An unforgettable experience! My guides, Julian and Magugu, were amazing—extremely informative and made me feel safe in a neighborhood that has a reputation for being less than safe. The tour took us to areas most others wouldn’t, offering a raw and insightful look into the history and transformation of this troubled yet fascinating part of the city. The street food lunch was delicious, and my driver, Tye, was also excellent and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended for anyone looking to go beyond the typical tourist spots!
An authentic view of the city
Martin globe explore,Oct 11, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very enjoyable three hours. Our guide Max was very knowledgeable and helped to make the walk memorable. Would definitely recommend.
Good Joburg option
jr1402019,Sep 7, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Guide was cool and knowledgeable. He worked with my time and gave out some good insights. I got enough info and was able to go explore some on my own. Good option tour to check out.
A nice experience
Sunshine00854100582,Aug 29, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a very nice experience. I got to know the emblematic places of the city, mainly those that refer to the racial segregation that existed in the city
Great downtown tour
907elwiraj,Aug 12, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We spent a lovely time with Sean, visiting the downtown of Joburg with some extra activities like eating some specialities and taking a local taxi. We were only two with our guide which made the tour even more special. Thank you Sean!
Very engaging and interesting.
Ashhani,Aug 12, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Sean was very knowledgeable and engaging, especially the hidden things that yiu couldn't see yourself. In addition to experiencing local trabsport. Highly recommended at the beginning of your stay in Johansberg.
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