​Thembisa Shologu
Planning to spend the festive season in Jozi while "homies" visit family? Worry not; Gauteng offers unique tourism experiences that will let you pass time and create new memories this festive season.
 We have compiled a list of places to visit in the City Region this holiday season:
Central Development Corridor (Johannesburg):
Victory Park
Nestled between Delta Park and the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, you will find the quiet leafy suburb of Victory Park. Take a few hours of peaceful walking through the rolling grasslands and woodlands. If you enjoy mountain biking, this is the perfect place to start a loop around the Braamfontein Spruit trail, which skirts along the bottom of Delta Park.
Soweto

Discover the iconic Soweto. Stop over for bungee jumping or rock climbing at Soweto Towers and go on a quad-biking adventure. Take a tour of the famous Vilakazi Street, which was once home to two noble peace laurettes, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. A visit to Soweto is incomplete without a stopover at the Hector Pieterson Memorial. You can end off the visit by enjoying a hearty meal in one of the restaurants on Vilakazi street. The best way to discover Soweto is to take a guided tour where you can choose to walk, cycle, quad bike or take a tuk-tuk.
Maboneng 
Maboneng Precinct is fast becoming Joburg's most unique and innovative area, offering live / work and entertainment opportunities within a fully integrated urban environment.
Western Corridor (West Rand):
Cradle of Humankind

human ancestor fossils. Other attractions within the site include Sterkfontein Caves, a lion and rhino game reserve, beautiful scenery, guesthouses, hotels and restaurants, hiking, and hot-air ballooning activities.
Magaliesberg
The Magaliesberg, a World Biosphere Reserve, is an ancient mountain range on the border between Gauteng and North West provinces. Discover steep quartzite cliffs, deep gorges, tumbling waterfalls, indigenous woodland, grasslands, and bushveld savannah. It's a nature-lover's paradise where you can bike, hike, go birding or fishing, climbing, or abseiling, quad biking or horse riding, white-water rafting or ballooning.
Northern Corridor (Pretoria)
Cullinan
The attractive little village of Cullinan, about a 30-minute drive east of Pretoria, is where the world's largest rough diamond was discovered in 1905. But its other gems come in the form of fabulous accommodation, outdoor activities, and an abundance of elegant and offbeat eateries.
Dinokeng
 
Meaning "a place of rivers", Dinokeng is a region in northern Gauteng rich in natural, cultural, and historical heritage sites. Travellers are invited to experience rolling African bushveld, adventure activities to get your pulse racing, fine dining, and a rich and diverse history.
Roodeplaat
Roodeplaat Dam is a birdwatcher's haven and offers a variety of affordable accommodation, great outdoor activities, and the opportunity for city dwellers to give their tired senses a break, replenish their energy and breathe in clean air.
Eastern Development Corridor (Ekurhuleni):
 Marievale Bird Sanctuary

Set on a floodplain in Nigel, Marievale Bird Sanctuary has Gauteng's highest bird count: 280 species. The wetland forms part of the Blesbokspruit – a perennial river – and has been declared a wetland of international importance. It offers a lovely spot for a family picnic in the beauty of nature and colourful bird species.
Benoni Monkey and Bird Park
The Benoni Monkey and Bird Sanctuary is home to a variety of mammal, bird, and reptile species. Some of their most popular attractions include alpacas, eagle owls and lemurs. You can also spot several primate species, including Capuchin monkeys and Gibbons, in the park. Perfect for a family day out.
Southern Corridor (Vaal Triangle)
Vaal Dam
Vereeniging is one of Gauteng's favourite playgrounds. Situated on the banks of the Vaal Dam with its 800km of shoreline, it's a favourite destination for water-sport enthusiasts where water activities rule, from jet-skiing, cruising, and fishing to just cruising in a boat.
Sharpeville

Situated between the two large industrial cities of Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, Sharpeville is the oldest of six townships in Sedibeng, the Vaal Triangle. It has been described as the beginning of the end of apartheid. After the Sharpville Massacre I 1960, the township became an ongoing and enduring symbol of South Africa's struggle for human rights. Today the area is home to eight different memorials in honour of the protestors that lost their lives during that tragic event.
Teknorama Museum
The Vaal Teknorama Museum is an attractive cultural centre full of history. You will walk away well-informed with a new outlook and understanding of the history of the Sedibeng Region and the people related to the history.
*Information supplied by the Gauteng Tourism Authority