45 minute drive from O.R.Tambo International Airport.

Sterkfontein caves, comparable in palaeontological importance to Tanzania’s Olduvai gorge, is where in 1936 the first fossils of an ‘ape man’ skull – believed to be 2.6 to 3 million years old- were found. In 1947 the nearly complete skull of a woman, dubbed ‘Mrs Ples’ was found by Dr Robert Broom. Amongst the most remarkable findings to have been made by numerous world famous scientists within the Cradle of Humankind is the famous Mrs. Ples, the first complete Australopithecus skull to be discovered and more recently, “Little Foot”, a 4.17 million-year-old almost complete ape-man skeleton was also discovered in the same caves.

The first fossils at Sterkfontein caves came to light as early as 1936 and were the first adult Australopithecines or more specifically Australopithecus. Australopithecus africanus existed only in South Africa between 3.2 to 2.6 million years ago and was a very early hominid (i.e. a species that belongs in our family the Hominidae).

It was the adult ape-men fossils from Sterkfontein caves that helped prove to the world that Africa was the cradle of humankind. Sterkfontein caves has fossil deposits dating back to almost 3.5 million years ago all the way up to 1.5 million years ago, providing a wealth of information about the different hominid species that existed in this 2 million year interval. This well researched storyline forms the basis of the Sterkfontein Caves experience

The Sterkfontein Caves are owned by the University of the Witwatersrand whose scientists have been responsible for the main excavations of the World Heritage Site. Sterkfontein caves has been excavated for more than 62 years in total, but it is amazingly still yielding up its secrets. The discovery just recently of the almost complete skeleton of ‘Little Foot’ bears ample testament to the wealth of information which is still to be gained from the cave deposits at Sterkfontein caves.

 

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Tours & Prices 2024

(NB – No scheduled times & days for all tours. Tours done on requests & bookings)

Half Day

Sterkfontein Caves Tour (3 hours) – STERK01

R  1,780.00 per person sharing.
R  2,180.00 single.

Full Day

Kromdraai Gold Mine closed on Mondays

Kromdraai Gold Mine / Sterkfontein Caves (5 Hours) (KGMSC01)

R 1,850-00 per person sharing.
R 2,600-00 single person.

Kromdraai Gold Mine / Sterkfontein Caves /  Lion Park (6 hours) – KGMSCL01

R 2,180-00 per person sharing.
R 2,850-00 single.

Sterkfontein Caves / Maropeng  (6 Hours) – STERKMAR01

R 1,650-00 per person sharing
R 2,650-00 single

Inclusive of tour cost: Pick-up and drop-off, guiding, entrance fees.

(Prices are subject to change without prior notice.

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