After the Johannesburg City Marathon: A Museum Morning and a Soweto Afternoon

The Route: Hotel → Apartheid Museum → Lunch → Soweto guided visit → Hotel Logistics: One driver for the day. Book the Soweto guide in advance. Marathon Month: March Duration: Day trip

Hotel ──(driver)──> Apartheid Museum ──> Lunch ──(driver)──> Soweto (guided visit) ──(driver)──> Hotel

The race starts at 06:00 on a weekend morning, so the legs have the rest of that day to complain. Spend it somewhere seated and plan the visits for the next day. The Apartheid Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and is closed on Mondays, so check the day before you commit. A Sunday race with a Monday rest day means the museum may be shut, in which case swap the order and do Soweto first.

March in Johannesburg: late summer. Daily lows sit near 14°C and highs near 24°C, and afternoon showers are common, so carry a light waterproof.

The Museum

Allow a couple of hours. The exhibits are mostly indoors and the pace is yours. Stairs and long corridors are the main effort for tired quads, so take the lift where one is signed. Tickets are sold on the day or through the museum's website.

Lunch

Eat near the museum or at your hotel before the drive to Soweto. Ask your driver for somewhere with parking close to the door.

Soweto

Lebo's Soweto Backpackers in Orlando West runs guided walking, bicycle and tuk-tuk visits. After a marathon, choose the tuk-tuk. Book the guide and the driver together and agree the finish time in advance, so you are not hunting for a lift at dusk.

Getting Back

Keep the same driver all day. FCDO advises against walking after dark and recommends using researched transport, so aim to be back at the hotel while it is light.