Stand on the terrace at Maropeng and the horizon to the north is a long, level ridge: the Magaliesberg. It runs for about 120 km from near Pretoria to beyond Rustenburg, and its tilted quartzites were laid down well over two billion years ago, making it many times older than the Alps or the Himalayas and one of the most ancient mountain ranges on the planet.
The range is named after Mogale, a nineteenth-century chief of the Po people, the same name remembered in Mogale City, the municipality that includes most of the Cradle. In 2015 UNESCO recognised the Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve, which overlaps the Cradle and protects a meeting point of Highveld grassland and bushveld savanna, with cliffs that shelter one of the region’s few breeding colonies of Cape vultures.
Top things to do: Magaliesberg
Float over it in a hot-air balloon
The sheltered Magalies River valley between the Witwatersberg and the Magaliesberg is one of the most reliable ballooning areas in southern Africa. Flights launch at first light, last about an hour and end with sparkling wine and breakfast. They run all year, weather permitting; winter mornings are cold but usually the calmest and clearest. Compare the balloon flights.
Hike a kloof
Streams have cut deep, wooded ravines — kloofs — into the range, with rock pools you can swim in. Much of the mountain is private or protected, so access is through lodges, the Mountain Club or permit-controlled reserves; several guest farms have marked day trails.
Fly through the forest canopy
The Magaliesberg Canopy Tour in the Ysterhout Kloof sends you along a series of zip-line slides between platforms fixed to the cliffs — a good choice with teenagers. Booking ahead is essential.
Slow down in Magaliesburg village
The little town of Magaliesburg (spelt with a “u”) is the hub for country hotels, spas, farm stalls and craft shops, and on certain weekends a vintage steam train runs out from Johannesburg. It is 25–30 minutes from Maropeng.
How to get to Magaliesberg
- By car: Magaliesburg village is about 75–90 minutes from Sandton via the N14 and the R563 or R24, and 25–30 minutes beyond Maropeng. Balloon launch sites around Skeerpoort are about an hour from Sandton.
- For balloon flights: you must be at the launch site before sunrise, so either stay nearby the night before or book a flight with transfers.
- Public transport: none of practical use to visitors.
Insider tips
- Balloon flights are cancelled if the wind or cloud is wrong. Book for the start of your stay so that you have a fallback morning.
- Dress in layers for dawn flights from May to August, when it can be close to freezing on the ground.
- Summer hikers should start early and be off exposed ridges before the afternoon thunderstorms.
- Weekends are busy with Gauteng day-trippers; midweek you will have trails and lodges almost to yourself.
Best tours: Magaliesberg
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Magaliesberg:
Balloon flight from €308 Johannesburg: Hot Air Balloon Flight along Magalies Valley
Lift off at dawn from the Magalies River valley, just north of the Cradle, and drift over farmland, bush and the ancient ridge of the Magaliesberg. Flights last about an hour and finish with the traditional toast and a cooked breakfast. Flying is weather dependent, so keep a spare morning.
- About an hour in the air at sunrise
- Views of the Magaliesberg and the Cradle
- Sparkling wine and breakfast after landing
Balloon flight from €293 Cradle of Humankind: Balloon Flight & Breakfast
A sunrise balloon flight that launches in the Cradle itself, floating over the rolling grassland and dolomite hills that hide the fossil caves. Breakfast follows on landing. You make your own way to the launch site, so it suits people already staying in the area.
- Sunrise launch inside the Cradle area
- Buffet breakfast after the flight
- Meet at the launch site
Day trip from €153 Johannesburg: Cableway and Lunch Boat Cruise Half Day Tour
Hartbeespoort’s two signature experiences with transport included: the aerial cableway to the crest of the Magaliesberg for wide views over the dam and the Highveld, then a lunch cruise on the water.
- Ride the cableway to the top of the Magaliesberg
- Lunch cruise on the dam
- Transfers from Johannesburg
