Which Johannesburg Airport is best to fly or closest to City?

Two airports serve Johannesburg; Lanseria Airport (HLA) and OR Tambo Airport (JNB). OR Tambo airport is the closest to central Johannesburg at 15.5 miles, using the fastest public transport will get you to the city centre in 32 minutes. Lanseria airport is the furthest from the city centre at 25 miles, and the fastest public transport will get you to central Johannesburg in 40 minutes.

Compare airport distances and transfer times to the center of Johannesburg by public transport below.

Distance to Central Johannesburg:

OR Tambo Airport: 15.5 miles / 25 km
Lanseria Airport: 25 miles / 40 km

OR TamboAirport to Central Johannesburg Journey Times:

By Train: 32 minutes
By Shuttle: 18 minutes
By Taxi: 16 minutes

Lanseria Airport to Central Johannesburg Journey Times:

By Train: 40 minutes
By Bus: 43 minutes
By Taxi: 40 minutes

OR Tambo airport is the best airport to fly into when flying to Johannesburg, because of its closeness to central Johannesburg and the top attractions within the city. It benefits from good and efficient public transport services for passenger transfer from the airport to the city, which is generally most convenient compared to HLA. The airport handles more passengers which in turn causes long queues at the airport and some flight delays, many top airlines operate from this airport such as Air France, Air China, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, and many more with flights to many destinations around the globe. OR Tambo is the busiest airport in the whole of Africa serving flights to the seven continents except Antarctica. Transfer journey time from OR Tambo airport to central Johannesburg is shorter, faster and convenient for all passengers travelling for business or pleasure, with a lot of luggage and children. It takes around 32 minutes using the direct airport train to central Johannesburg. As the busiest airport in Africa, it has 2 terminal buildings which can be daunting but still a better choice most especially if you want to visit South Africa's administrative capital Pretoria, which is easier from this airport.

HLA (Lanseria airport) is the second airport serving Johannesburg and it is a smaller airport with a single terminal meaning less delays, queues and fewer crowd at the airport. It is mainly used for charter domestic, regional and international flight, and also served by a few airlines FlySafair, Kulula.com, and Mango with limited destinations within the country. It takes around 40 minutes using taxi and train connection from the airport to central Johannesburg, this can be very inconveniencing for most travellers with a lot of baggage or travelling with children. It is a cheaper airport that has limited public transport services, this makes it difficult for business travellers flying into Johannesburg to use the airport as it can be exhausting switching from one public transport to another. Most budget travellers with extra time to spare will prefer to use this airport while business travellers will go for OR Tambo airport.

OR Tambo airport is better than HLA because it is closer to the city centre and all the major attractions and sights to see in Johannesburg. The airports efficient public transport services either by train, bus, or shuttle will get you to central Johannesburg in 32 minutes or you can opt for a faster means by taxi or Uber. OR Tambo has 2 terminal buildings which can be tiring to move around but compared to Lanseria airport but it is still a better choice if you can patiently go through the long queues at immigration, and flight delays. The airport is served by top airlines with flights to many destinations across the seven continents except Antarctica. Although, it has efficient public transport system with more facilities, it also sees more passengers than Lanseria airport so long queues and flight delays should be expected.

OR Tambo is closest to all the top attractions in Johannesburg. From this airport, you can be in central Johannesburg in 32 minutes by train or 18 minutes by shutlle to see places like Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef City, Montecasino, Hector Pieterson Museum, Johannesburg Zoo, Carlton Centre, Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, Zoo Lake, Braamfontein, Johannesburg Botanical Garden, Emmarentia Dam, Ponte City Apartments, Neighbourgoods Market, Mandela's House, Hillbrow Tower, Nelson Mandela Bridge, The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve, and many more. For $18 you can get to see Mandela's House in Soweto using the Gautrain and Rea Vaya (T2 & T3) bus connection for a 1hour 9 minutes journey or preferably you can use an Uber for $20-$25 for a 31 minutes trip

From OR Tambo Airport by:

Train Gautrain East-West & North-South Lines: $17 - https://www.gautrain.co.za/commuter/timetables Trains run every 20 minutes from 5:30 - 23:20.

Airport Shuttle (Rhino Shuttles): $27-$140-http://www.rhinoshuttles.co.za/johannesburg-airport-transfers/ Shuttle runs on demand.

Taxi: $18-$22 - http://www.sandtontaxicabs.co.za/Available 24/7.

Uber: $12-$16 - https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate//Available on demand.

From Lanseria Airport by:

Train: Taxi (+ Gautrain North-South Line ) $31-$36 - https://www.gautrain.co.za/commuter/timetables Trains runs every 20 minutes daily.

Bus: (Taxi + Rea Vaya C4) $1-$5 - https://www.reavaya.org.za/consumer-information/the-routes Runs every 5 minutes daily.

Taxi: $29 - $40 -http://www.sandtontaxicabs.co.za/Available 24/7.

Uber: $21-$27 https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate//Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

Hotel prices can vary greatly depending on how far in advance you book, the demand for rooms, and which hotel you book but the prices below will give you a rough idea and you can do further research and hotel booking at https://www.tripindicator.com/hotel.html

OR Tambo Airport Hotels: From $124 per night
Lanseria Airport Hotels: From $67 per night

All of the airports mentioned offer competitive prices and a range of cars to suit your needs. Prices are based on the type of car, driver age, length of hire, and demand but you can get a rough idea for each airport below.

OR Tambo Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars: (Honda Fit, Ford Figo etc) $36.17 per day
Intermediate Cars: (Peugeot 408, Toyota Corolla, etc) $103.78 per day

Compare prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/johannesburg-airport.html

Lanseria Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars: (Honda Fit, Ford Figo etc) $36.17 per day
Intermediate Cars: (Peugeot 408, Toyota Corolla, etc) $103.78 per day

Compare prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/johannesburg-airport.html

OR Tambo International Airport is the primary airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa; serving Johannesburg.

JNB Airport has two passenger terminals - Terminal A & Terminal B. Terminal A has most of the airport stores and B has the airline check-ins for both national and international flights.

OR Tambo Airport is closer to the city centre, it is 25 kilometres from Johannesburg and it takes 20 minutes to see the top attractions are located in the city centre.

At HLA, the following hotels are the best for travellers, Hills and Dales Accommodation (3-Star) -$67, Lanseria Country Estate(3-star) -$79, and Dalens Self Catering Apartments (3.5-Star) - $67. At JNB, Protea Hotel by Marriott Transit O.R. Tambo Airport (4-Star)- $140, InterContinental Johannesburg O.R Tambo Airport (5-Star) - $345, and Southern Sun O.R. Tambo International Airport (4-Star) - $124.

There are many places to see in Johannesburg close to the airport such as Wi Jump Trampoline Park, The Landing Coffee Shop, Sandboarding at Mount Mayhem, Johannesburg Bunny Park, Scenic Flights with Classique Aviation, Octavia's Sensorium Day Spa, Paragliding Adventures, Fu Li Hua Asian Cuisine, Digzbeach Volleyball, Birch Acres Mall, Viva Safaris, Emperors Palace, Bhulela Africa Safaris, and many more.