Where to stay · Johannesburg · South Africa
Where to stay in Johannesburg
8 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Tim giddings, Public domain
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Sandton. Glass towers, Nelson Mandela Square and the city's biggest malls. Best alternatives — budget: Melville; nightlife: Melville.
Key facts
- First visit
- Sandton
- Families
- Sandton
- Budget
- Melville
- Nightlife
- Melville
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Sandton | Glass towers, Nelson Mandela Square and the city's biggest malls |
| Families | Sandton | Glass towers, Nelson Mandela Square and the city's biggest malls |
| Couples | Rosebank | Galleries, a Sunday rooftop market and a walkable centre by Joburg standards |
| Budget | Melville | Bohemian bars and guesthouses on and around 7th Street |
| Luxury | Sandton | Glass towers, Nelson Mandela Square and the city's biggest malls |
| Nightlife | Melville | Bohemian bars and guesthouses on and around 7th Street |
| Food lovers | Rosebank | Galleries, a Sunday rooftop market and a walkable centre by Joburg standards |
| Solo travellers | Melville | Bohemian bars and guesthouses on and around 7th Street |
| Shopping | Sandton | Glass towers, Nelson Mandela Square and the city's biggest malls |
| Quiet stays | Parkhurst | Leafy suburb with a restaurant strip on 4th Avenue |
Johannesburg neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, luxury and families
Sandton
Sandton is Johannesburg's financial district, with Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, international hotels and a Gautrain station that reaches OR Tambo airport in about 15 minutes. It feels more corporate than characterful, but it is convenient, well policed and full of restaurants, which suits first visits and business trips.
- Good
- Direct Gautrain link to the airport; Wide choice of hotels and restaurants; Feels secure day and night
- Watch out
- Corporate atmosphere; A long drive to Soweto and the southern museums
- Nearby
- Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton City, Gautrain Sandton station
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, food lovers and culture
Rosebank
Rosebank mixes office blocks with art galleries around Jellicoe Avenue and the Keyes Art Mile, the Mall of Rosebank with its long-running Sunday rooftop market, and a cluster of mid-range and boutique hotels. Its Gautrain station connects to Sandton, Park Station and the airport, and Parkhurst's restaurants are a short ride away.
- Good
- Gautrain station; Galleries and cafés within a few blocks; Central between north and south
- Watch out
- Busy roads around the station; Limited nightlife on weeknights
- Nearby
- Keyes Art Mile, Mall of Rosebank, Parkhurst, Johannesburg Zoo
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers and quiet stays
Parkhurst
Parkhurst is a residential area of low houses and jacaranda-lined streets whose 4th Avenue is packed with independent restaurants, delis, décor shops and pavement tables. Guesthouses and small B&Bs make it a calm, neighbourly base close to Rosebank.
- Good
- Good restaurants on one street; Quiet nights; Pretty in jacaranda season
- Watch out
- Few hotels, mostly guesthouses; No Gautrain station
- Nearby
- 4th Avenue, Rosebank, Emmarentia Dam
$$ · Best for budget, nightlife and solo travellers
Melville
Melville, near the University of Johannesburg, is known for the bars, cafés and second-hand bookshops of 7th Street and its cheaper guesthouses. Melville Koppies nature reserve rises on its edge, and the area draws a student and creative crowd at weekends.
- Good
- Affordable guesthouses; Lively but small-scale nightlife; Close to green spaces
- Watch out
- Some streets feel deserted at night; Mixed upkeep
- Nearby
- 7th Street, Melville Koppies, Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, solo travellers and culture
Braamfontein
Wedged between Wits University, Constitution Hill and the Nelson Mandela Bridge, Braamfontein has rooftop bars, coffee shops and design stores along Juta and De Korte streets. It is close to the historic sights and livelier than the suburbs, though best enjoyed by day and early evening.
- Good
- Walk to Constitution Hill; Rooftop bars and coffee shops; Good-value hotels
- Watch out
- Quiet and less secure late at night; Busy student crowds at weekends
- Nearby
- Constitution Hill, Nelson Mandela Bridge, Origins Centre
$$ · Best for culture, solo travellers and nightlife
Maboneng
Maboneng, on the eastern edge of the inner city, turned old industrial buildings around Fox Street into galleries, cafés, loft apartments and small hotels, and its walls are covered in murals. It is the base for guided walks of the inner city, but the surrounding streets are rough, so most visitors stay within the precinct.
- Good
- Street art and creative spaces; Good base for inner-city walking tours; Affordable loft stays
- Watch out
- Surrounding streets are unsafe after dark; Precinct is small
- Nearby
- Fox Street, Ellis Park, Johannesburg CBD
$$$ · Best for families, couples and first-timers
Melrose Arch
Melrose Arch is a gated mixed-use development with paved streets, hotels, restaurants and shops just off the M1 between Rosebank and Sandton. It is one of the few places in the city where visitors can walk from hotel to dinner at night, which suits families and travellers who want an easy first stay.
- Good
- Walkable at night within the precinct; Restaurants on the doorstep; Easy motorway access
- Watch out
- Feels artificial; Limited local character
- Nearby
- Rosebank, Sandton, Killarney
$ · Best for culture and budget
Soweto (Orlando West)
A handful of guesthouses and backpacker lodges in Orlando West put you a short walk from Vilakazi Street, the Mandela House and the Hector Pieterson Memorial. Staying here, ideally with hosts who arrange guided cycling or walking tours, gives a far fuller picture of Soweto than a two-hour bus visit.
- Good
- Walk to Soweto's main sights; Local hosts and food; Low prices
- Watch out
- Far from the northern suburbs; Go out at night only with local hosts or guides
- Nearby
- Vilakazi Street, Hector Pieterson Memorial, Orlando Towers
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Sandton | $$$$ | Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton City, Gautrain Sandton station |
| Rosebank | $$$ | Keyes Art Mile, Mall of Rosebank, Parkhurst, Johannesburg Zoo |
| Parkhurst | $$$ | 4th Avenue, Rosebank, Emmarentia Dam |
| Melville | $$ | 7th Street, Melville Koppies, Johannesburg Botanical Gardens |
| Braamfontein | $$ | Constitution Hill, Nelson Mandela Bridge, Origins Centre |
| Maboneng | $$ | Fox Street, Ellis Park, Johannesburg CBD |
| Melrose Arch | $$$ | Rosebank, Sandton, Killarney |
| Soweto (Orlando West) | $ | Vilakazi Street, Hector Pieterson Memorial, Orlando Towers |
Getting to your hotel
OR Tambo International (JNB) is about 25 km east of Sandton; the Gautrain reaches Sandton in about 15 minutes and Rosebank and Park Station a little later. Ride-hailing and metered taxis take 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. Lanseria (HLA), north-west of the city, handles some domestic flights.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Johannesburg for first-time visitors?
Sandton. Sandton is Johannesburg's financial district, with Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, international hotels and a Gautrain station that reaches OR Tambo airport in about 15 minutes.
+Where should families stay in Johannesburg?
Sandton: Direct Gautrain link to the airport.
+Which area of Johannesburg is best for a budget stay?
Melville ($$): Bohemian bars and guesthouses on and around 7th Street.