Robben Island
Table Bay
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and former prison island, reached by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront in about 3.5 hours return.
- Best monthsAny monthThe museum lists four daily departures from 1 September to 30 April and runs general tours only when weather and demand permit, so allow some flexibility on the day.
- How longAbout 3.5 hours for the general tour
- WhereTable Bay
Robben Island lies in Table Bay, about 6.9 km off the Bloubergstrand coast, and was used for centuries as a place of banishment and imprisonment. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison here. The maximum-security prison for political prisoners closed in 1991, the medium-security prison in 1996, and the site has been run as a museum since 1997.
Visitors board a ferry at the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. The general tour takes about 3.5 hours including the crossing, although the museum says this varies from boat to boat. Departures in the peak season, from 1 September to 30 April, are at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00. The museum also lists a separate five-kilometre guided walking tour of about five hours, which it describes as suited to physically fit visitors.
People go to see the former prison and the island at first hand, as part of understanding South Africa's route out of apartheid. The island was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1999.
What it costs
The general tour cost R400 for a South African adult, R210 for a South African child, R600 for a non-South African adult and R310 for a non-South African child (under 18) on the museum's tour-types page in October 2026.
Getting there
Ferries leave from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, on the waterfront side of the city centre. Tickets are sold through the museum's own booking page.
Visiting safely
- The museum runs general tours only when weather and demand permit, so check the booking page or call the museum on +27 21 413 4200 if the sea looks rough on the day.
- The five-kilometre walking tour takes about five hours and the museum describes it as suited to physically fit visitors who can walk long distances.
- Buy tickets only through the museum's official booking page, and check the tour type against its listed price before paying.
Where this comes from
- Robben Island · Wikipedia
- Victoria & Alfred Waterfront · Wikipedia
- Robben Island Museum tour types and prices · Robben Island Museum
