Cradle of Humankind
 

I am having trouble finding out about this attraction. If there is shuttel service between visitor center and caves and if caves are too difficult for senior citizen to traverse. One has a 2-our boat ride and caves have guided tour but don't know how long. Can anyone speak for this. I will be staying near airport in hotel there and cannot find tour to pick me up and bring me back there. My sister would like to look at cave paintings but it is unclear if these are at this location or not.

JoAnn and Joelle

No cave paintings. This is an archeological dig site from longer ago than that. For San Art, the best places are in the Drakensberg Mountains and in Mapungubwe National Park. Both are far from JNB but excellent destinations. I'm not aware of any anywhere near Joburg or Cape Town.

Lots of seniors at the Cradle of Humankind but you need to be pretty spry to do the caves - low heights and uneven stairs/paths. It was maybe an hour or two, plus a small museum and digs outside. The museum is easy. It's tough to do without a car as there is no transportation between the attractions. It's also pretty far outside town. Wilro Tours and Hylton Ross can provide transfers/tours.

I don't remember the river ride being that long. It's kind of like "It's a Small World" with scenes and a narration. It's a pleasant day. But I don't know how expensive it would be without a car.

But if that doesn't work for you, the HopOn HopOff bus is excellent. Do the Soweto extension too. It's a perfect day tour of a fascinating, historic city. It works well on a day you are leaving on a late international flight - it fits into the timeframe perfectly with an early start after a good breakfast. Your hotel will hold your bags for the day. The Apartheid Museum is incredibly well done. Give yourself plenty of time. If that's not your thing, check the HoHo bus route if there's anywhere you'd like to visit - it hits most of the highlights - and use Uber, a cab or the Gautrain.

Enjoy your stay.

I agree about hop on hop off bus. We would never take it in other cities, but it was great in Jo'burg. We did the Soweto tour with it, very good.

Thanks everyone. My arrival day in Jo-burg I will do a half day Wilro tour of Apartheid museum and Soweto, both of which everyone endorses. I have decided to pick those over Robben Island and District Nine. I have also booked Wilro Tours for a half day Cradle and caves tour and they are nice because their pickup times are flexible and not set. You are right about the boat ride iit is fairly short. Thanks for information about interior of cave. I think I am short and spry enough and just will watch footing. I contacted the center and they said it was an hour guided tour, so I imagine it is not at breakneck speed either.
I love these forums and find them very useful.

Robben Island is in Cape Town.

I don't think a half day is enough for either of your tours. The Apartheid Museum can take a long time and Soweto is more fun the more you see. I'd do both using the HopOn HopOff bus so I could spend as much time as I want and not feel rushed. The caves/CoH took us most of a day and are pretty far outside town. We enjoyed it and would have stayed longer looking around the outdoor digs.

Did you see the news yesterday? Homo naledi might have buried their dead in caves - they found two groups. Find out while you're at the caves!! And I had a fight with someone over the weekend who refuses to believe we could all be African. Really - he was absolutely horrified he could be African.

Where are caves?CoH?