Arrive at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport where you are met and transferred to the Fairlawns Boutique Hotel in the nearby suburb of Sandton. Settle in to your peaceful accommodations at our 5-star all-suite inn surrounded by lush gardens, rolling green lawns and prolific birdlife. Dinner is on your own this evening: Choose a fine-dining experience at Amuse-Bouche, the hotel's French-inspired flagship restaurant, served either in the genteel dining room or al fresco on The Terrace, or opt for lighter fare with tapas and cocktails at The Muse Bar, also with its own outdoor terrace. Room service is also available.

Gain a deeper understanding of South Africa’s complex history and cultural identity on a guided tour ofJohannesburg and Soweto. Johannesburg became South Africa's economic center following a major gold discovery in 1886, while Soweto, part of the greater Johannesburg municipality, played a central role in Black South Africans' struggle for freedom in the latter 20th century. When available, the experience includes a visit to the Apartheid Museum, the world's preeminent institution documenting the country’s racial injustice and path to democracy.

We spend extended time in Soweto, which is a large urban residential area southwest of Johannesburg whose name is an acronym for South-Western Townships. Established in the 1930s under government segregation policies that sought to remove Black laborers from the white residential districts of Johannesburg, it became a powerful hub of resistance and home to iconic anti-apartheid leaders including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. in 1955, thousands gathered in Kliptown, Soweto, to adopt the anti-Apartheid Freedom Charter, ushering in decades of protests and resistance. Following the end of Apartheid and the 1994 democratic elections, Soweto was integrated into the greater Johannesburg municipality and today is a vibrant cultural center of 1.3 million residents.

Highlights of our time in Soweto may include the Hector Pieterson Memorial—a South African National Heritage Site dedicated to the victims of the 1976 student uprising, Regina Mundi Church, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, and Walter Sisulu Square, the UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Freedom Charter was adopted. We'll also visit Vilakazi Street, where both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived—the only street in the world that was home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners.

For departures happening on a Monday or Tuesday, when the Apartheid Museum is closed, guests will have an expanded tour and historical overview of Johannesburg and Soweto instead of the museum visit. With lunch included, this all-day experience offers a powerful introduction to the people and places that shaped modern South Africa. Once our tour concludes, you'll return to our hotel where you'll meet your Expedition Leader and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner this evening, to begin your Secluded South Africa safari.