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Robben Island Tours

Our most recommended Robben Island Tours

Cape Town: Robben Island Ferry Tour with 1-Way Hotel Pickup

1. Cape Town: Robben Island Ferry Tour with 1-Way Hotel Pickup

Take the ferry to Robben Island and tour the prison where Nelson Mandela was confined. Learn about South Africa's history of Apartheid and life in the prison from a former prisoner. Depart from Cape Town on a shared bus to the V&A Waterfront. Collect your ticket and make your way to the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island. Sail out to the island on a 45-minute journey. On arrival, embark on a bus tour of the island before visiting the prison and the cell where Nelson Mandela was kept for 18 of his 27 prison years. Gain an insight into the history and conditions of the prison from a former prisoner. After the tour, return to Cape Town and be dropped off at the V&A Waterfront. Here you will be free to return to your accommodation independently or continue touring the beautiful city.

Cape Town: Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Townships Tour

2. Cape Town: Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Townships Tour

Discover some of Cape Town's most famous townships on a guided tour in an air-conditioned minivan. Visit District Six, take a walking tour in Langa, and learn about Bonteheuwel as you drive through it. After, explore Robben Island on your own with an included ferry ticket. Explore District Six, where 60,000 inhabitants were forcibly removed during the 1970s by the apartheid regime. Drive to Langa and learn the history of the oldest township at sites like the Old Pass Office and the monument to Robert Sobukwe. Learn about life during apartheid on a walking tour of the hostels and shacks. Visit a shebeen (pub), try some homemade beer, and see a traditional healer in action Then, drive through the Bonteheuwel township, reserved for the "colored" community during the days of apartheid. Hear about the division of people and its impact on the communities today. See the Gugulethu 7 Memorial to the members of an anti-apartheid group killed by the South African Police in 1986, and the memorial to the American student Amy Biehl, murdered by PAC supporters in 1993. Afterward, get dropped off at the V&A Waterfront to take your ferry to Robben Island.

Cape Town: Waterfront and Sunset Champagne Cruise

3. Cape Town: Waterfront and Sunset Champagne Cruise

Enjoy a unique view of the coast of Cape Town from the sea while relaxing and sipping on local sparkling wine on this sunset cruise. Admire the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean that stretches away from the majestic Table Mountain range. The sailboats Esperance and Serenity One follow the wind for this cruise, and therefore the destination is dependent on the weather at the time of the cruise. Your captain will let you know before departure your expected direction, but a typical Cape Town summer wind blows from the southeast. First, you'll leave the harbor and sail across Table Bay towards Milnerton Lighthouse, returning to the protection of the Granger Bay in the lee of Table Mountain to watch the sun set, and then motor back to the waterfront. In the winter months, with the Northwester prevalent, the direction will likely be towards the Clifton coastline or the Robben Island Coastline. This cruise will also return to Granger Bay and the Waterfront. On some occasions the weather may require the use of a motorboat, in which case the boat will cruise slowly along the Atlantic seaboard towards Clifton beach and then return. On all trips your skipper and crew will do their best, weather dependent, to give you the best view of the spectacular sunset over the sea - you won't believe the beauty of this sight until you experience it yourself! For all the vessels, when the seas are running too high or the wind is unpleasantly strong, instead of heading into Table Bay the destination is the Cape Town Harbor; a perfect alternative offering magical views of Table Mountain and the lights of Cape Town and the harbor in the evening. In extreme conditions the skipper will take every aspect into account, and even stay dockside to ensure the safety of the passengers.

Cape Town: Table Mountain, Robben Island, and Aquarium Tour

4. Cape Town: Table Mountain, Robben Island, and Aquarium Tour

Join a guided tour and visit Cape Town's top attractions, including Table Mountain, Robben Island, the V&A Waterfront, and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Enjoy the convenience of a hotel pickup and travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle. Start your day of exploring Cape Town with an early pickup directly from your accommodation and set out to see the city's most iconic attraction, Table Mountain. Purchase your tickets and hop into one of the cable cars to make your way to the top of the mountain. Spend some time soaking in the breathtaking views of the City of Cape Town, Signal Hill, and Lion's Head. Then, join your guide as you walk to another lookout point and be rewarded with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, Camps Bay, and the Twelve Apostles Mountains. Ride the cable car back down the mountain and head to the V&A Waterfront where you'll board a ferry to Robben Island. Disembark at Murray's Bay Harbor on the east coast of the island and board a bus that will take you to all the historic sites. Get a guided tour of the prison while learning about South Africa's history, the struggle against oppression, and the thousands of freedom fighters who were imprisoned on Robben Island, including former president Nelson Mandela. Return by ferry to the V&A Waterfront and enjoy some free time to do some shopping or grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants (cost not included). End your day with a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium. Explore the wonders of the ocean up close as you visit the penguin exhibit, shark exhibit, ocean exhibit, and much more. Finally, hop back into your air-conditioned vehicle and enjoy a comfortable ride back to your accommodation.

Cape Town: Marine Wildlife Tour from the V&A Waterfront

5. Cape Town: Marine Wildlife Tour from the V&A Waterfront

Climb aboard and look for marine life in the ecosystem of Table Bay on a 1.5-hour eco-cruise from Cape Town. See species in their natural surroundings, such as humpback and southern right whales, depending on the season. Get the chance to watch pods of dolphins breaching close to the boat and marvel at their acrobatic displays. Be enchanted by Cape fur seals lounging on the jetties and get close to unusual species, such as sunfish. Watch African penguins diving for fish to take back to their breeding colony on Robben Island.  Encounter birdlife, such as terns, gannets, cormorants and mighty black-browed albatross.

Robben Island Tickets, Penguins, and Private Cape Point Tour

6. Robben Island Tickets, Penguins, and Private Cape Point Tour

After a 6:00 AM pickup from your hotel in Cape Town or the surroundings, you'll proceed along the Atlantic Seaboard where you can admire mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. Stop at the Maiden's Cover for a photo opportunity with a backdrop of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range. Passing through Clifton, Camps Bay, Llundadno, and Hout Bay. Stop for photos on one of the world's most scenic routes, Chapman's Peak drive. Next, stop at Boulder's penguin colony to visit these enchanting creatures. Watch as these adorable birds play and frolic in the ocean. Your final destination will be the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve for a guided tour and a photo stop at this very popular landmark. From there, you'll travel to Cape Point, where you can hike to the top of the lighthouse (or take the funicular). At 10:30 AM arrive at the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island where you will take the 11:00 AM boat trip to Robben Island for a prison tour. On the island, an ex-prisoner will be your guide and take you through the prison. See the cell where Nelson Mandela spent so many years. Upon return from the island at approximately 3:00 PM, your guide will be waiting for you again at the clock tower to transfer you back to your hotel.

Cape Town: Robben Island & Table Mountain Guided Tour

7. Cape Town: Robben Island & Table Mountain Guided Tour

We will start this amazing experience with a pick up from your hotel at approximately 08H00 en route to the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island for a 3 to 4-hour experience to see where Nelson Mandela and so many other civilians, politicians were incarcerated during the Apartheid regime. Skip the line of buying the tickets as this tour will have your pre-booked ticket ahead of time. Please take note that Robben Island Museum reserved the right to cancel any given tour at their own discretion. In the case of cancellation, you will be entitled to a full refund or an option to reschedule. Your guide-driver will not escort you to the Island as they have their own guides. You will be on the boat with other people. You will be given a full tour by an ex-prisoner. Soon after returning from your Robben Island Tour experience, we will allow you to grab a sandwich or light lunch at own account at a nearby restaurant. Our next stop before we arrive at Table Mountain, we will allow you a 15 minutes stop for a photo opportunity in the Bo-Kaap ( The Colourful houses). From here, we will drive to the Cable Car station, where you will be given your return ticket by your guide. The guide will escort you for maximum experience. From here, we will drop you off at your accommodation in Cape Town.

Township and Robben Island Combination Tour

8. Township and Robben Island Combination Tour

Discover some of the most notable townships of Cape Town, learning about the struggle against Apartheid. Then visit the infamous Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for much of his 27-year incarceration. Start the tour at the historical site of District Six, where inhabitants were forcibly removed according to the Group Areas Act of 1950 during the Apartheid era. From there move on to Langa, the oldest township in Cape Town. Travel to Bonteheuwel, a township developed from the forcibly removed District Six residents classified as colored. Learn about the rules in these townships and how they affected everyday life. Make your way to Gugulethu, home to more than 300,000 residents. Here your guide will explain how this township has developed after the fall of Apartheid. Break for lunch at the V&A Waterfront, one of the top tourist destinations in Cape Town with breathtaking views of Table Mountain. After lunch, hop on the ferry to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of his 27 prison years. Here you take a guided tour of the infamous maximum-s.ecurity prison and see Nelson Mandela's cell. After exploring the island you will be taken back to the V&A Waterfront by ferry, where the tour ends

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What people are saying about Robben Island

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 710 reviews

We had a wonderful tour of the township and Robbens Island. Our guides were very professional, personable with a wealth of knowledge. This tour was our best in Capetown.

Touring Cape Town with Mr Samora as our tour guide was exceptional. He took us to Table mountain, the aquarium and Robben Island.

Super speedboat driver knowing a lot about animals world with strong sense of sustainability and ecology.

It was very convenient for me and my fellow travelers and also very interesting too.

Visit to all 3 places was awesome will recommend to anyone to visit these places