Greater Johannesburg / Pretoria
Cullinan Diamond mine Tour
3 106 Carat. What !? A diamond that size – the size of a woman’s fist ?
Diamonds have been part of South Africa’s illustrious mining history since the 1860’s, when our fist diamond was discovered in Hope Town (in what is today the Northern Cape) and is still, today, a proud export product. The celebrated Cullinan Mine is one of the biggest sources of the blue diamond and has, through the years, produced some of the top quality gem diamonds in the world, with its most iconic, the 1905 – discovered (biggest in the world, ever) Cullinan Diamond, two of which of its cut stones form the quintessential diamonds in the British Crown jewels.
Diamonds are mined in an ancient volcanic pipe and the mine is located a short drive from Pretoria and about 1 hour from Johannesburg. Upon arrival, visitors are delighted by the quaint countryside town of Cullinan with its street lined with Jacaranda trees. After the tour, we welcome it if guests wants to stay a while for a light meal at one of the restaurants in town.
(recommendation: combine with Pretoria or the Ann van Dyk Cheetah centre to make a full day tour)
1) Surface Tour http://www.diamondtourscullinan.co.za/
Highlights of the tour
- Introductory DVD of underground operations (15min)
- Diamond Display Room – replicas of very famous diamonds (from Cullinan Diamond Mine and all over the world
- Mock up life size underground tunnel – guide explains the construction of tunnels underground
- Shafts where the kimberlite rock is hoisted from 500m underground to surface
- Winding Engine Room – heart of the shafts operation
- Lookout point of the Big Hole – where the volcanic eruption took place 1.2 billion years ago (4 times larger and 2 x deeper than Kimberly’s big hole
- Diamond Cutting and Jewellery shop – where the end product can be viewed and bought (including the 66 facet Cullinan Star Cut which can only be bought at Cullinan Diamonds, which is the last leg of our tour.
| Duration | HALF to 3/4-Day (the surface tour itself is 1,5 – 2 hours) |
| Departure | 08:30 / 12:30 (Sat & Sun: 08:30 and 10:30) |
| Included | Surface Tour fees, Services of a Tour guide, transport in an air-conditioned, licensed vehicle. |
| Excluded | Lunch, any items of a personal nature, tips, and or gratuities
Optional extra: Underground tour (see below) |
| Choice Tours’ Price | 1 guest – R 2 100; 2 guests – R 1 350 pp (25% discount for groups of 4 or more) |
| Time required | Ideally 5 1/2 hours; can be done in 5 hours |
| Bonus | Sights of the South African highveld plateau and the quaint town of Cullinan |
Underground Tour
2) Underground Tour (please note, children under 16 are not allowed underground) http://www.cullinan-tours.co.za/
(recommendation: can be combined with a short orientation tour of Pretoria)
Highlights of the tour
- Introductory DVD of underground operations (15min) (optional)
- Diamond Display Room – replicas of very famous diamonds (from Cullinan Diamond Mine and all over the world
- Shafts where the kimberlite rock is hoisted from 500m underground to surface
- Explore Underground tunnels and view the mining process
- Winding Engine Room – heart of the shafts operation
- Lookout point of the Big Hole – where the volcanic eruption took place 1.2 billion years ago ( 4 times larger and 2 x deeper then Kimberly’s big hole
- Diamond Cutting and Jewellery shop – where the end product can be viewed and bought (including the 66 facet Cullinan Star Cut which can only be bought at Cullinan Diamonds, which is the last leg of our tour.
| Duration | FULL DAY (the tour itself is about 4 hours long) |
| Departure | 09:00 (Monday & Friday); 08:00 (Tues to Thurs); 06:30 (Saturday). Closed Sundays |
| Included | Underground Tour fees . Services of a Tour guide, transport in an air-conditioned, licensed vehicle. |
| Excluded | Lunch, any items of a personal nature, tips, and/or gratuities to guides |
| Choice Tours’ Price | 1 guest- R 3 500: 2 guest or more – R 1 750 pp (25% discount for groups of 4 or more) |
| Time required | 7 – 8 hours |
| Bonus | Sights of the South African highveld plateau and the quaint town of Cullinan |