Gauteng, South Africa
Explore the largest known concentration of human ancestral remains on Earth. Visit the Maropeng museum and walk through the active Sterkfontein fossil caves.
4.7 from 248 traveller reviews on Viator
Tickets & tours
Select a guided trip from Johannesburg or Pretoria.
Most bookedThe Cradle of Humankind was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 because of the area’s exceptional contribution to our understanding of the history of humanity, over...
Top ratedThe Cradle of Humankind has become one of Johannesburg biggest attractions. Its unbelievable that the oldest human fossil in the world and fossils of 2 million years old...
Apartheid Museum: Take a Long Walk to Freedom Experience: This isn't just a visit; it's an immersive, chronological journey through apartheid. Your entry card assigns a...
Explore
Two distinct sites separated by a short drive.
Sterkfontein Caves yield over a third of all early hominin fossils ever found.
See where Mrs. Ples and Little Foot were discovered.
Plan your visit
Allow 1 to 2 hours for Maropeng and 90 minutes for the cave tour. Add 60 minutes for driving from Johannesburg.
April through September. The dry, mild months offer excellent cave-access conditions.
Drive via the N14/R563 or book a guided tour. There is no direct public transport.
Adult entry is about R150 for Maropeng and R150 for Sterkfontein Caves. Guided day tours start around $112.
The Cradle of Humankind covers 47,000 hectares of protected land approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg. It holds the largest known concentration of human ancestral remains. Visitors typically explore two main areas: Maropeng Visitor Centre and the Sterkfontein Caves.
Maropeng features a 2,500-square-meter interactive museum inside the Tumulus building. It includes an underground boat ride and exhibits on hominin evolution. The Sterkfontein Caves offer guided underground walks through active excavation zones. The caves remain a steady 16 to 18 degrees Celsius year-round.
Before you go, check How to Arrive and read up on Sterkfontein Dress Code for the damp caves.
We check which tours include entry tickets and which require payment at the gate.
We highlight pickup zones across Johannesburg and Pretoria.
We review total durations to help you plan your afternoon.
From Viator
248 reviews of the maropeng & sterkfontein caves on Viator
Our tour guide, Sabelo gave us a good insight about Johannesburg, South Africa's history & early mankind on the way to and from Sterkfontein cave and Maropeng. While driving through the countryside Sabelo made our tour special and very enjoyable. A most informantive and enjoyable tour.
Guide Sabelo very knowledgeable and friendly, the maropeng was interesting and not what we expected but fun, there is a boat ride and interactive things to widen your knowledge.
We did the Rhino & Lion Park plus Wonder Caves. The whole experience was amazing. Shane is a star & absolute top bloke!! Made the adventure something to remember. Caves were great addition to experience being on the reservation. Would highly recommend the whole thing - but do it with Shane to ensure top experience!!!!
I absolutely holidayed in South Africa to experience a safari tour. The safari at the lion and rhino park was and is the glitter of life. I was able to get up quite close in a vehicle to the rare white lions and rare cheetahs. Also the visit to the Sterkfontain caves was incredible.
We had na amazing experience! Our Guide Kat was very knowledgeable, polite, kind and pleasent. Pick up and drop off was efficient. The van was confortable. We felt very safe and confortable. I cannot recommend it more. Thank you so much, Kat!
Themba was simply amazing! He went out of his way to take us through parts of Jo-burg that I was curious about and walked us through the cultures and heritages of the city and country that we would have otherwise never known.
Marvin was very personable and served as a great guide for our group. Great about staying in touch regarding pickup and made sure we were all informed about meeting times and places. The tour is informative and I really enjoyed both the caves and Maropeng experience.
Marvin was an incredible host! Very friendly, fun, all around nice guy. Hope to have him again if we ever come back, Jordan
It was a wonderful experience..we were thrilled with the culture, life and vibrant action packed dances of South Africa. Our tour guide Mr. Marvin of Mojo Tours was courteous and very helpful. We recommend him for other tourists.
Travel tips
Tickets and PricesCosts and entry rules for Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves.Read 
How to ArriveTransport options for reaching the Cradle of Humankind.Read 
Best timeWhen to visit Sterkfontein Caves for dry weather and good conditions.Read 
Maropeng vs SterkfonteinCompare the interactive museum and the active fossil caves.Read 
Sterkfontein Dress CodeEssential clothing and shoe advice for exploring Sterkfontein Caves.Read 
Visiting With KidsFind out if Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves are good for kids.Read Yes. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the largest known concentration of human ancestral remains. The interactive Maropeng museum and the active Sterkfontein excavation sites offer clear insights into deep human history.
Adult entry is about R150 for Maropeng and R150 for Wits Sterkfontein Caves. Children aged 6 to 11 pay R125 at Maropeng. Children under 6 enter free. See Tickets for guided tour costs.
Yes. They operate Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 16:00. They are closed on Mondays. Guided cave tours last 60 to 90 minutes and are capped at 30 people per slot.
You need 1 to 2 hours to explore Maropeng. The Tumulus building houses a 2,500-square-meter exhibition and a 15-minute underground boat ride.
Maropeng is an interactive, modern museum focused on human evolution and earth origins. Sterkfontein Caves is an active, underground fossil site where deep history is physically uncovered.
The sites are located approximately 40 to 50 kilometers northwest of Johannesburg. Driving takes about 45 to 60 minutes via the N14 or R563. Learn more about transport on our Plan your visit page.
Book your tour and step back millions of years into deep time.
