Home / Cradle of Humankind / Wondercave
Wondercave
A wonderful add-on tour to the Rhino and Lion Park is the Wondercave.
- 4 hours
- 100 km
- Departs Between 09:00 and 14:00
- Entrance fees included
About this tour
A wonderful add-on tour to the Rhino and Lion Park is the Wondercave. As a stand-alone tour or combined, an African Timeout tourist guide will accompany you into this wonder.
The cave was discovered by Italian miners in 1898. They mined out about 15% of the formation and brought it to the surface. The formation is made of calcite, which they baked for two weeks in a self-built oven at about 1,100 degrees. This formed a powder that was taken by ox wagon to Pretoria and Johannesburg to make cement and toothpaste, and to extract gold. Mining stopped in 1902 because of the outbreak of war and low productivity. It is the third largest chamber in South Africa, after the Cango Caves and the Sudwala Caves.
The entrance goes down 87 stairs at a 45 degree angle, dropping 22 metres below the surface. You then take an elevator for a further drop of 18 metres into the cave.
Included
- Entrance fees
More in Cradle of Humankind
Cradle of Humankind Full Day Tour
Welcome to Maropeng and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.
From R 1 800 per person
Malapa Fossil Excavation
Death traps and bone collectors, streams that disappear into vast underground lakes, and rock-eating termites with magnesium mandibles.
From R 3 410 per person
Maropeng Visitor Centre
The next time your six year old asks where we come from, a visit to Maropeng at the Cradle of Humankind is waiting to answer those age-old questions.
From R 1 340 per person
Sterkfontein Caves
Visit the Cradle of Humankind and the famous Sterkfontein Caves, a World Heritage Site.
From R 1 340 per person
Vredefort Dome
Join African Timeout and a specialist guide to explore this one-of-a-kind wonder of the world.
From R 2 490 per person