Soweto Food, Bicycle and Tuk-Tuk Tours at Lebo's Soweto Backpackers

The Soweto food, bicycle and tuk-tuk tours are run from Lebo's Soweto Backpackers, a lodge in Orlando West, Soweto, in Gauteng, South Africa. The lodge operates its own township tours, which makes it one of the more community-rooted ways to see Soweto, and the tours are bookable through sowetobackpackers.com. Orlando West sits close to Vilakazi Street, the well-known road once home to both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, and this street is one of the standard stops.

Depending on the route chosen, tours last from about two to four hours. Visitors travel by bicycle, by tuk-tuk or on foot, led by a township guide who explains the history of the area, from the 1976 student uprising to present-day life in the neighbourhoods. Food is woven through the route: depending on the option, tastings at local vendors or a home-cooked meal at a community park are included. The food is South African township cooking, so savoury dishes such as pap with meat stews, chakalaka, grilled meat and vetkoek predominate, with sweet items limited to snacks and fruit.

Prices are generally between R550 and R850 per person, with a discount usually offered to guests staying at the lodge. The price covers the guide, the bicycle or tuk-tuk, and the food tastings or meal described in the booking. Transport from central Johannesburg or the airport is not necessarily included, so visitors should check when booking whether a pick-up is available. Groups are usually small, the tours are conducted in English, and the pace on the bicycle route is easy and includes frequent stops. Dietary requests such as vegetarian meals can often be accommodated when raised in advance, though township menus are meat-centred by default.

Because the tours are run by a Soweto-based lodge, part of the spending stays in the local community. Visitors should wear sun protection and comfortable shoes, carry water, and use the guide's advice on photography, since asking permission before photographing residents is expected. The cooler and drier months from April to September are the most comfortable for cycling, though the tours operate year-round.