Johannesburg: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Johannesburg is a city of 9.4 million people in South Africa (Gauteng), 1,767 m (5,797 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre. It has 2 railway stations on record, including Johannesburg Park Station. Our booking partner lists 1,835+ places to stay.
Key facts
Open Johannesburg in Google Maps
Daylight in Johannesburg runs from about 10 h 32 min a day in late June to 13 h 50 min in late December (computed for -26.2° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Johannesburg is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre, whose 14,495-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Lanseria International Airport (HLA, 32 km).
Flights to Johannesburg: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Johannesburg Park Station, Westgate. Trains to Johannesburg
Buses to Johannesburg · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 1,835+ places to stay in Johannesburg (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 616 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (364), and 29 are five-star. Across 531 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.4 out of 10. Guests have left 356,237 reviews in total.
Hotels in Johannesburg: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Pretoria, 53 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Soweto, 20 km — tours
- Soshanguve, 81 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Evaton, 42 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Benoni, 28 km — car rental · tours
- Bloemfontein, 371 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Thembisa, 29 km — car rental · tours
- Vereeniging, 54 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Boksburg, 22 km — tours
- Welkom, 236 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: New York City, Birmingham, Cape Town, Durban, Lehrte, Beijing, Pretoria, Rome, Addis Ababa, London, Saint Petersburg, Taipei, Accra, Thann.
Common questions
Which airport serves Johannesburg?
O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Johannesburg?
About 9.4 million people live in Johannesburg, across 1,644 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Johannesburg in?
Africa/Johannesburg, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Johannesburg?
The Rand (ZAR). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Johannesburg?
Our booking partner lists 1,835 or more places to stay in Johannesburg, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Johannesburg?
Pretoria (53 km), Soweto (20 km), Soshanguve (81 km), Evaton (42 km), Benoni (28 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.