Cradle of Humanity: Explore Human Evolution

81 Ratings

The Cradle of Humankind

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Embark on a full-day tour of the Cradle of Human Kind from Johannesburg. Explore the origin of human kind at this UNESCO World Heritage Site and discover the fascinating journey to humanity. Uncover the meaning of being human and witness a wealth of fossils that reveal our shared ancestry.

Duration: 7 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

The Cradle of Humankind - The Cradle of Humankind Museum houses fossils and provides extensive information on the existence and discovery of human remains in Africa. Visitors will gain insight into why historians believe many people have African roots or heritage.
Sterkfontein Cave - After exploring the Cradle of Humankind Visitor Center,…

What's Included

Hotel drop-off
Bottled water
Driver/guide
Hotel pickup

What's Not Included

Gratuities
Drinks
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Lunch

Additional Information

The Cradle of Humanity, located just outside of Johannesburg, is one of South Africa’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This unique site offers tours that provide insights into the origins of humankind in Africa. Visitors can learn firsthand what it means to be human by viewing the numerous fossils found here which explain human evolution.
Tour Highlights:…

Location

The Cradle of Humankind

Krugersdorp North

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings

4.5

(81 Ratings)

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79eltonl

Oct 8, 2025

Cradle of humankind and Sterfonkein cave day trip - Memorable - Sello was driver. Patient, punctual and informative. Hour drive to the sites, but had lot of fun conversation. Caves and Maaropng centre are amazing sites to understand human evolution. Recommend to inquire if solo is available, as I went with othe travellers. Highly recommend day trip from Joburg.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Laurenky5638nk

Oct 5, 2025

We traveled down into the caves and were able to see historic fossils and learn all about the cave system/its history - Micheal was a joy to have as a tour guide! My family and I really enjoyed listening to all the knowledge he had to share with us. Would definitely recommend this trip to anyone visiting the area, the caves were absolutely amazing and such a neat and fun experience.

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75tonyas

Sep 29, 2025

Educational trip to Cradle of Humankind museum - Monday the caves are closed but we went anyway because we wanted to go to the museum and couldn’t go a different day. Our driver, Solly, was very good. He drove safely and provided us with nice information during the trip. The museum alone was worth it to us. But it probably would have been even better with the caves.

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307wattb

Sep 22, 2025

Good Day Trip - Michael our driver was punctual, very friendly and knowledgeable. He got us to our destinations on time. The Caves are amazing but be prepared to swat through some of the entrances. Time in caves was enough and well worth the visit. Picture moments at entrances would have been nice as memorable pieces. Maropeng is more like a exhibition of various different elements. Interesting all the same. Overall good day trip.

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K2425bdmariaa

Sep 20, 2025

The start of human existence! - Very informative tour - Michael our tour guide driver was very personable and knowledgeable. Things to note for the cave 1) Wear trainers if possible, lots of walking and stairs and dusty floors 2) Cave is chilly so if you don't have green blood wear long sleeves or take a cardigan/jacket with you 3)There's about 3 parts of the cave where if you aren't a squatting or limbo expert, or of a more petite height - you may need to move on your butt to move under this low slung part of the cave (at 5ft 8" i had to) or on your hands and knees (again, this was the easier option for moi) so shorts not advised! Not sure its the best place for young kids and definitely not for people with mobility issues due to the uneven paths and number of stairs. But apart from that - very interesting. Part 2 is Maropeng - more like a museum/exhibition - very good for kids and those who can't do the caves. Some of this part of the tour had repeated information but still had some things to see about humankind that was thought provoking so still a valuable place to see. There's a 5 minute little boat ride to show the elements so you could 'experience' how humans lived way, way, way back then. If that can be experienced in 5 minutes! All in all, enjoyable, informative - thumbs up all round! And a round of applause for Michael our tour driver as he was the icing on the cake :-)

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Alex

Sep 13, 2025

Lovely little trip - Very informative trip and the caves were spectacular. Driver was great too, he pointed out sights as we travelled around Johannesburg as well as discussing South Africa as a whole on our journey

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Mccombshelly

Sep 6, 2025

Caving and learning - Excellent day trip! Our guide was kind and knowledgeable. The two activities complemented each other very well- a nice mix of activity and learning.

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Hillel_c

Sep 16, 2025

HillelC Highland Park, New Jersey 67127 Sterkfontein Caves are phenomenal but the Maropeng Tour is only OK - Michael, our driver, was very informative and very friendly during the hour or so drive from Jo-berg to the caves. The Sterkfontein caves are phenomenal. The cave guide from Wits University was extremely knowledgeable (and funny). Due to its nature, there are a lot of steps going into and out of the caves, so unfortunately the cave tour is not for anyone who walks with a cane, walker, or wheelchair. The small on-site museum at the Sterkfontein caves is absolutely exceptional. I wish that we had more time to slowly go through the small museum to absorb and think about what was displayed. Instead, we had to race through it. I took pictures of the displays and exhibit notes to review later. After the caves we went to the Maropeng interactive center/museum. In our opinion, the Maropeng visitor center/museum is geared to students or adults uneducated in science. For us this was OK, but not great. Others may enjoy it more. The 5-min Disney-like ride at Maropeng is a complete waste of time.

Review provided by Viator

Hillelc

Sep 15, 2025

Sterkfontein Caves are phenomenal but the Maropeng Tour is only OK - Michael, our driver, was very informative and very friendly during the hour or so drive from Jo-berg to the caves. The Sterkfontein caves are phenomenal. The cave guide from Wits University was extremely knowledgeable (and funny). Due to its nature, there are a lot of steps going into and out of the caves, so unfortunately the cave tour is not for anyone who walks with a cane, walker, or wheelchair. The small on-site museum at the Sterkfontein caves is absolutely exceptional. I wish that we had more time to slowly go through the small museum to absorb and think about what was displayed. Instead, we had to race through it. I took pictures of the displays and exhibit notes to review later. After the caves we went to the Maropeng interactive center/museum. In our opinion, the Maropeng visitor center/museum is geared to students or adults uneducated in science. For us this was OK, but not great. Others may enjoy it more. The 5-min Disney-like ride at Maropeng is a complete waste of time.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Jenjtiu

Sep 18, 2025

Driver was late - It would have been a good experience but my driver was 17 minutes late. Excused himself due to traffic being stuck. This ruined my mood for the day. I did not enjoy my tour as much as I expected. To be fair the start time was supposed to be 8am but he suggested to adjust to 7:45am. Ending up 17 minutes late.

Review provided by Viator

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From $87

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult