30 September 2016 | Carina van Wyk and Rebecca Nattar

City Sightseeing Johannesburg will soon be launching a new tour taking you through the most beautiful parts of the city.

The view from the Munro Drive viewpoint in Houghton (Image: City Sightseeing)

Our new Green Tour will show visitors just how green and leafy Joburg is, and why it is known as one of the most wooded cities in the world.

The first stop, which will also be home to our new ticket office, is The Zone @ Rosebank. We will also, for the first time, be offering a shuttle service for City Sightseeing customers from several hotels in Sandton to the ticket office at The Zone.

From Rosebank, the red bus will take you to Zoo Lake, Johannesburg Zoo and the Ditsong National Museum of Military History. From there, the bus will depart to Constitution Hill via Munro Drive, one of the most scenic roads in Joburg with picturesque views over the luscious green suburbs of Westcliff, Saxonwold, Parktown and beyond. Other areas seen along the route include Killarney and Houghton.

The South African National Anglo-Boer War Memorial at the Ditsong National Museum of Military History (Image: City Sightseeing)

The route is complemented by insightful and colourful commentary based on the area's rich history and stories shared by locals, bringing to life Joburg's standing as a diverse culture, arts and business hub.

Artwork at the entrance of Moyo restaurant at Zoo Lake (Image: City Sightseeing)

The Green Tour will take passengers through some affluent suburbs and past popular points of interest, reflecting on both Johannesburg's past and present. It also provides pertinent information, touching on social aspects and pointing out colonial architecture and modern art that co-exist harmoniously in this unique city. It also focuses on some of the changes that the city and country have undergone over the years.

Children feeding ducks at Zoo Lake (Image: Johannesburg City Parks)

Quite a diversion from other city routes, the Green Tour is lush and, as the name suggests, green at practically every turn. Along certain roads, massive trees lining the street create arches as you drive through – a beautiful experience, especially on a city tour.

You'll also learn more about South African cuisine and music along the way, and there are plenty of opportunities to get a taste of these, too.

Exploring Zoo Lake (a lovely picnic spot and home to Moyo restaurant, well known for its distinctive African cuisine), the zoo, the military museum and Constitution Hill provides for a well-rounded tour that covers nature, culture, arts and history. At Constitution Hill, passengers will be able to hop on the Red City Tour to explore the CBD and surrounding areas.

The king of the jungle at Johannesburg Zoo (Image: Johannesburg Zoo)

Good to know:

• Similar to Cape Town’s colour-coded tours, you’ll only need one ticket for both the Red City Tour and the Green Tour
• A one-day ticket giving you access to both the Red City Tour and the Green Tour will cost you R190 per adult (R170 online) and R90 per child aged five to 17
• A two-day ticket giving you access to both tours will cost R290 (R270 online) per adult, R180 per child
• You can also opt to combine your one- or two-day ticket with our tour to Soweto. The one-day combo ticket will cost you R470 per adult (R420 online) and R220 per child, while you'll pay R570 (R520 online) for a two-day adult combo ticket and R310 for a child
• Children four years and younger hop on the Joburg red bus free of charge (maximum two kids per adult)
• The first bus will depart from Rosebank at 9am, with a bus departing every 30 minutes thereafter
• The Green Tour will take an hour to complete if you don't hop off at any of the stops
• The Green Tour and the Red City Tour combined will take two and a half hours if you don't hop off anywhere
• If you opt for the add-on tour to Soweto, add another two hours to your journey

Our information office at The Zone @ Rosebank opens this Saturday, 1 October. The date of the Green Tour launch will be announced soon. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay posted.