The Cradle of Humankind is not one ticket. Its two visitor sites — the Maropeng Visitor Centre and the Sterkfontein Caves — are charged separately at around R150 for an adult each, with a combined ticket reported at R175.
The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site north-west of Johannesburg. There is no gate around the area itself and no fee to drive through it; you pay at the individual attractions.
What Each Site Charges
| Site | Adult | Child | Pensioner | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterkfontein Caves | R150 | R125 (6–18) | R100 | Official |
| Maropeng Visitor Centre | R150 | R125 (6–11) | R100 | Secondary |
| Combined ticket | R175 | R102 (under 14) | R75 | Secondary |
Sterkfontein’s rates are confirmed against the operator’s own page — see Sterkfontein Caves entrance fee. The Maropeng and combined figures are from third-party listings and should be checked at the point of purchase.
The Combined Ticket Is the Saving
If the reported R175 combined adult ticket is current, it covers both sites for R125 less than paying R150 twice. For a family, the reported child rate of R102 for under-14s is also below Sterkfontein’s own R125 child rate, so the combined ticket is worth asking about at whichever site you reach first.
Free Entry Conditions
Children under 6 enter Sterkfontein free, capped at two per paying adult, and birthday visitors enter free with ID. Under-2s are reported free on the combined ticket.
Plan Around the Caves, Not the Centre
Sterkfontein closes on Mondays and runs its last guided tour at 15:00, while the visitor centre keeps longer hours. If you intend to do both in a day, book the cave tour first and fit the centre around it.
Price Source and Last-Checked Date
These figures come from secondary sources, not an operator-published rate card. Sterkfontein’s own rates are official and cited on its dedicated page. Maropeng and the combined ticket do not appear on an operator rate card we could read directly, so those figures are third-party.
- Tourism Update — price hike at Maropeng and Sterkfontein Caves
- In Your Pocket — Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves
Last checked: 6 September 2026. Treat them as indicative and confirm at the point of purchase.