Lesedi Cultural Village Tour: Engage with South African Music, Dance, and Culture

Immerse yourself in South African culture with a Lesedi Cultural Village tour. Experience traditional music, dance, and food while exploring the history of humans and our ancestors at the Maropeng museum.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Lesidi Cultural Village - Enter into the cultures of the Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Basotho, and Ndebele tribes. You will be transported into their Villages and discover their Traditions and meet the people of Africa. After completing this tour we join the African dancers and are entertained by talented dancers and singers in the traditional African way…
What's Included
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Free WIFI in vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Bottled water
  • Lesedi Cultural Village R 630 includes Lunch or Dinner, Cultural Tour, Dance Show
  • Lesedi Cultural Village R 450 Culture Tour and Dancing.
  • Entrance fees
Additional Information

Exciting news! The Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind have reopened after being closed for two years. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore.
The Lesedi Cultural Village tour offers an enriching experience of the history and culture of the African people in South Africa. Visitors can explore their…

Location
Lesidi Cultural Village
Lanseria Road
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(47 Ratings)
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T6164rdfrancescob
May 2, 2025
All the World is Human - We had long conversations with Shane about his beloved South Africa on the long drives to and from the Cradle of Humankind, the Lesedi Cultural Village, and over lunch. He puts his hopes for the country in its youth. He is well traveled himself and curious about his guests and where they come from. At the Cradle of Humankind, in addition to the fossils, many of the exhibits are interactive and particularly interesting for children. The museum as a whole, despite being about the distant past, is suffused with a spirit of hope for the nation's future and encouragement for its young. At the Lesedi Cultural Village, the early highlight was the drumming class which the entire family took part in. Shane took video and photos of us which he immediately sent to me. Then we did the village tour, seeing examples of traditional life among different tribes, after which we returned to the theater to watch the dances. We were only in Johannesburg for three days. We came from about as far away from Africa as one can. We booked this tour because we wanted the children, young as they are, to learn more about our common humanity. The places we visited and our guide Shane helped them with this. Recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Francesco_b
Apr 24, 2025
The exhibits and people... - The exhibits and people make it a particularly interesting tour for young kids, but good for adults as well, especially with the long conversations about South Africa you can have with your guide Shane along the way.
Review provided by Viator
Bob
Apr 11, 2025
Shane was a great tour... - Shane was a great tour guide. I was lucky enough to be the only guest on the tour. The tour itself was outstanding. The village with the drums and dancing couldn't have been better.
Review provided by Viator
Dalia
Feb 27, 2025
Excellent and Our favorite cultural experience in Johannesburg! - Excellent and Our favorite cultural experience in Johannesburg! Entertaining, good food and drinks, and learned a lot, thank you!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaietours
Jan 29, 2025
LESEDI Cultural Village & Cradle of Humankind Tour - Taking a solo day tour to LESEDI Cultural Village and the Cradle of Humankind was an unforgettable experience, made even more special by my incredible guide, Thabang. His passion, knowledge, and storytelling brought the journey to life in a way I could never have imagined. At Lesedi, I was awed to meet the tribe of the legendary Miriam Makeba, an encounter that felt like a brush with history itself. The village tour was immersive, offering a deep dive into South Africa’s diverse cultures and traditions. Walking through the compound, I was transported into the heart of vibrant customs, music, and warmth that define these communities. The second half of the tour took me even further back—millions of years back—at the Cradle of Humankind. Standing in the place where humanity's story began was a humbling experience. Seeing the fossil discoveries and learning about our origins left me absolutely speechless. This tour was more than just sightseeing; it was a journey through time, culture, and identity. Whether you're a solo traveler or in a group, this is an experience that will leave a lasting mark on your soul. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle
Nov 19, 2024
Thank you Shane - Shane was friendly, timely, and informative. He structured the day perfectly to avoid crowds and traffic. We also really appreciated his background information and suggestions for planning the rest of our trip in South Africa. The Cradle of Humankind is an important site to see, and early morning without the crowds was ideal.
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Shoot4astar
Nov 2, 2024
Excellent tour in general, but it was Shane who really made it special and amazing. - Shane was an amazing tour guide. We had only 1 spare day in Johannesburg before going on a big S. African safari, and we're very happy we spent it with Shane. We went in Sept 2023. He picked us up at our hotel on time for our private tour. The value for money on this tour is outstanding. Shane is a great storyteller, and he has so many! He's had an incredibly interesting life, and I was fascinated to hear about the many adventures he's had, the people he's met, and crazy experiences he's had. It made the time in the car pass very quickly in between the actual destinations. Shane actually taught us some Zulu language during the tour! I'm not joking when I say those words he taught us helped us throughout our tour in the rest of S. Africa. As soon as we would greet people or respond when they greeted us, or use a couple of the catch phrases, it never failed to draw a smile out from everyone. People let us skip ahead in lines when we were pressed for time to get back to the tour bus, they gave better service, they really appreciated that we were making an effort to speak some of the local dialects, and they were keen to teach us more. I can't stress enough what a big impact this had. People responded in amazing ways. For this alone, I can recommend this tour. But it didn't stop there. When we went to Lesedi Cultural Village, tour guides get in for free (of course), but they also get a discount on the tickets so they can sell them to their visitors at regular price. Shane passed his guide's discount on to us instead of keeping that profit for himself! That shaved money off the tour itself. Shane is a real class act. By the way, Lesedi is not to be missed. It was a fantastic opportunity to see so many different cultures of S. Africa all in one place, and the education we got there gave us a leg up on other tour participants. My wife and I enjoyed watching others slowly discover during the tour what we already learned on Shane's tour. We were always a step ahead of everyone else. Lol. We quite enjoyed the Cradle of Humankind museum as well. Too bad the caves were closed due to water (which we already knew before we booked because at that time they had been closed for a year due to safety concerns), but maybe one day we'll get back for that. We also couldn't visit the Lion Park because we went on Monday and they're closed every Monday. Doesn't matter though. The tour we had was amazing. This day tour was literally our first experience in S. Africa and it was a PERFECT way to start our 3 week safari. My wife and I still talk about it sometimes, and we still appreciate what his teachings did for us and how it helped pave the way for so many positive interactions with other S. Africans. I almost forgot... While my wife and I were walking around in Lesedi, Shane was snapping photos and sending them to us. He got some great shots. He was always around in case we had questions. When we were leavnig, we saw our first wildlife there and he said it was really rare in that area and we must be lucky. He told us to watch out for wild dogs on our safari (very rare... which no one else knew about because they didn't take Shane's tour!!). Well guess what, not only did we later see the Big 5 in just 2 days, we saw 6 leopards in one day (including one taking down a Springbok), saw the rare wild dogs (they're VERY fast), and had a wild elephant come right to our car (arm's legth). Our good luck all started on this first day with Shane. :) I highly recommend doing whatever tour with Shane. Quite frankly, the destinations you visit will only be a small part of it. Going with Shane is what made it special.
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Thegratefulwanderer
Oct 23, 2024
This tour was Awesome - Shane was phenomenal. The tour started the moment we left the hotel. He has a lot of passion and love for South Africa and it shows. I have been traveling to SA since 2017, and this was my first time at Lesedi Cultural Village, but it will not be my last. If you are nervous about booking with Shane, please don’t be HE IS AMAZING.
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Ambassador178906
Oct 22, 2024
One of the best cultural experiences you will ever have - I really enjoyed this tour. It was much more than I expected. The museum was incredible and very enlightening. So many different aspects. The Village experience was so amazing, it is enjoyable from beginning to end. From the warm greeting when you arrive to history of the tribes and the drumming and dance this tour is definitely a must. Our guide Shane was a delight. Very knowledgeable not only about the tour itself but the history of South Africa as well. He answered all of our questions and made the ride very enjoyable.
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Fabianokm
Sep 23, 2024
Great tour - Shane was a great tour guide. He picked me up at my hotel in Johannesburg at around 07:00 so we wouldn't be stuck in traffic. He gave lots of informations about the places we were visiting and we were also talking about South Africa in general. The Cradle of Humankind is more children-oriented, but still very interesting. Lesedi was amazing, so many things to learn about South African people. I was back at the hotel around 16:00. As we were making good time, we stopped for coffee. I definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $93
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).