The Big Hole, Kimberley

No visit to Kimberley is complete without standing on the edge of the Big Hole. This vast crater in the middle of the city is the largest hand-excavated hole in the world, dug by tens of thousands of miners with picks and shovels during the diamond rush that began in 1871.

A hole dug entirely by hand

Between 1871 and 1914, miners removed roughly 22 million tonnes of earth from the Big Hole in search of diamonds, pulling out an estimated three tonnes of gemstones in the process. The result is a crater more than 200 metres deep with a surface area of about 17 hectares, now partly filled with water. A purpose-built viewing platform juts out over the edge so you can look straight down into it — a genuinely vertigo-inducing experience and the single best photo opportunity in the city.

The Kimberley Mine Museum

Surrounding the Big Hole is the open-air Mine Museum, a faithfully reconstructed 1880s mining town. You can walk down original streets lined with period buildings — a church, a pub, diggers' cottages, a pawnbroker and old shopfronts — many relocated here from early Kimberley. Inside the main building, a secure vault displays replica and genuine diamonds, including stories of some of the most famous stones ever found here. There is also a short film on the diamond rush and a viewing of the underground mining experience.

Planning your visit

The Big Hole is open every day, and most visitors spend between two and three hours exploring the crater, museum and old town. There is a restaurant and a curio shop on site. Mornings are cooler and quieter — a good idea in the Northern Cape heat. Because it sits right in the city, it pairs easily with the nearby McGregor Museum and a stroll past Kimberley's historic heritage homes to make a full day of diamond-era history.

Staying close to the Big Hole

Milner House is only a few minutes' drive from the Big Hole, which makes it an ideal base for an early start or a relaxed half-day visit. After a morning at the crater you can be back at the guest house for a swim in the heated pool or lunch at our on-site restaurant in no time.