South Africa · ROBBEN ISLAND TOURS
Sailings are capped, sell out days ahead and are cancelled outright in a big swell. These 15 cover the standard ferry and prison tour, the versions with hotel pickup and the combinations with the townships, priced and clear about departure times.
Spend four hours traveling from Cape Town to Robben Island, then tour the island by bus and walk through the prison with a former inmate. Guides such as Monde, Terrence, and Sipho have led especially moving prison visits, while the ferry offers views of Table Bay and the coast.
“The guldens stories on Robben Island was very moving and heartbreaking”
You’ll be picked up in central Cape Town, taken to the V&A Waterfront, and guided across to Robben Island. A 45-minute ferry ride leads to a bus tour and prison visit, including Nelson Mandela’s cell. Former prisoners such as Tom and Sipho have led deeply personal tours.
“A place not to be missed. Having ex prisoners as guides is a special experience.”
Start with District Six, Langa, Bonteheuwel, and Gugulethu in an air-conditioned minivan. Local guides such as Sam, Mpumzi, Luyolo, and Shake explain township life, apartheid, homemade beer, and community traditions before you take the ferry to Robben Island.
“This was such an informative day out. We started in the township areas and both of our guides were incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the area and South Africa. We could have stayed speaking to them both for hours. There were moments I'll admit when I was a little nervous walking through the township but everyone we met along the way were very friendly. The trip to Robben Island was sobering but again steeped in so much history. Having an ex-prisoner as our guide inside the prison made it very real. A highly recommended tour.”
Take the ferry from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to Robben Island, then tour the lime quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, and the maximum-security prison. A former political prisoner leads the prison visit, sharing firsthand stories before you return by ferry after about three and a half hours.
“We had a an amazing time. The history from the guides was surely worth it. Highly recommend!”
Set out from your Cape Town accommodation with an English-speaking guide such as Samora or Yamkela, ride the Table Mountain cable car, then take the ferry to Robben Island for its prison and island tours. Robben Island tickets and transport are included, but the cable car costs extra.
“Our guide, Yamkela, was fantastic. He was so friendly and extremely knowledgeable and picked us up from the exact location we wanted. There was plenty of advanced contact and we were able yo ask questions in advance. I would definitely recommend. Those travelling to Robben Island should be aware it can be a rough sea crossing. The ex-prisoner tour is extremely good.”
Travel from your Cape Town hotel to the Nelson Mandela Gateway, then ferry to Robben Island for a bus tour and Maximum Security Prison visit. Expect former-prisoner guides, Nelson Mandela’s cell, apartheid-era sites, hotel transfers, and a moving four-hour experience.
“The boat trip pretty cool, staff great, overall good.. the bus tour guide was just awesome, I think his name was Thenda or something, what a nice guy.. gone out of his way to make it a special memorable trip, however the Robyn Island tour.. Not so nice.. The guide Sipho aRead more”
Take a shared 30-minute ferry from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to Robben Island, then tour the island by bus and visit Nelson Mandela’s cell. A former political prisoner provides live commentary inside the prison. Allow about four hours, and arrive 30 minutes early with your passport.
“Despite a booking number and a confirmation number the tour operator had no record of my booking and would not honor the copy of my booking summary from Viator. My attempts to contact Viator were unsuccessful so I had to rebook and pay again for jthe tour.”
Travel from your Cape Town hotel to the Nelson Mandela Gateway, then cross by shared ferry to Robben Island. A former political prisoner leads the island tour, which includes a bus circuit, the prison, Mandela’s cell, and the Long Walk to Freedom. Return transfers are included.
“This was a fantastic tour and met all our goals for seeing the Cape of Good Hope and Chapmans Peak and the Boulders Beach Penguins all with a private driver and fantastic driver in an 8 person air conditioned van.”
Join Faziela of ML Sultan Travel & Tours for a hotel pickup, Cape Town sightseeing, and a pre-booked visit to Robben Island. Your ticket, ferry transfer, island bus tour, prison walk with a former prisoner, bottled water, light lunch, and return hotel transfer are included.
“Fantastic tour! Highly recommended! We saw The Long March to Freedom, a recently-opened outdoor collection of bronze statues commemorating important people in the country’s history. A crash course in South African history, and a perfect set-up to visit… Robben Island, the prison-island off the coast. Half the tour takes you through a prison block - where your guide is a former political prisoner from the apartheid era. The second half is a bus tour of island highlights - the infamous lime quarry, an Anglican church, and a church where the island’s current residents worship.”
Take a shared ferry from Cape Town to Robben Island, then tour the prison, Mandela’s cell, Sobukwe’s house, and the limestone quarry with a former political prisoner. The $90 package includes transport and guide fees, but you must claim the original boarding ticket before departure.
“Medise was our guide on the bus, he really is an exceptional inspirational guide to have. Glad we made the tour while there are still ex-prissonars to share their own personal experience with us. It was a humbling experience.”
Travel from your Cape Town hotel to Robben Island, tour the prison with a former political prisoner, see Nelson Mandela’s cell, and return for time at the V&A Waterfront. Shared transfers, admission, WiFi, and bottled water are included. The tour lasts about five hours.
“I really loved the experience The guide was awesome, really knew the history and helped a lot to understand the context of the streets, buildings, and other infrastructure. I loved it so much and I recommend it”
Start before sunrise with a private guide and luxury vehicle, then follow the Atlantic coast to Boulders Beach, Cape of Good Hope, and Cape Point before taking the 11:00 ferry to Robben Island. Guides such as Ray and Roland are praised for warm, clear storytelling. Expect a full, tightly timed day.
“Very nice experience and high cooperation from the staff”
Spend about eight hours linking Robben Island, Cape Town’s historic center, Bo-Kaap, and Table Mountain. A private driver-guide such as Alex, Ruben, Joshua, or Gavin handles the road portion, while a former political prisoner leads the island tour. Robben Island is included, but Table Mountain tickets cost extra.
“The advert is not clear that you must pay for table mountain, we had to pay for our selves while we have booked a combo. We asked for price breakdown and Viator failed to explain that to us. Terrible service indeed.”
From the Nelson Mandela Gateway, you take a 30-minute ferry to Robben Island for a four-hour English guided tour. A former political prisoner leads you through the prison, Lime Quarry, Sobukwe’s house, and Nelson Mandela’s cell before the ferry returns to Cape Town.
“The tour itselfnis amazing. Is a must see. Guides are actually ex prisoners from the jail. The oegsnizstion was not so good, we had the tour for 9 AM but it got cancelled with no notice and we had to reschedule it.”
Spend about eight hours exploring Cape Town by road, boat, and cable car. Your English-speaking guide handles hotel transfers and pre-booked tickets, while Robben Island provides its own former-prisoner guide. Visit Bo-Kaap, then ride Table Mountain when weather allows.
“Helt underbart att åka upp Taffelberget direkt på morgonen, solen sken och inga köer. Alla biljetter för dagen ingick och därför inga onödiga väntetider. Att ha en lokal och egen guide är givande, alla små detaljer kommer med, speciellt vid de färgglada husen och rundturen i stan. Turen till Robben Island är mycket givande på ett jobbigt sätt, den lokala guiden ute på ön som suttit i fängelset var så bra!”
Pick a reserve, a coastline or a cellar.
