Cape Town Robben Island Historical Tour

You will disembark at Murray’s Bay Harbour situated on the east coast of the Island and take a short walk to buses that will transport you to all the historical sites around the Island. On the way to the buses, you will pass buildings and a high wall built by prisoners during the 1960s. The buildings were used for family and lawyer visits to prisoners.
You will meet your Tour Guide when you have boarded the busses. The prison tour will be conducted by a Robben Island Tour Guide. This is part of our integrated tour model. They are fully conversant and knowledgeable about the Island’s multi-layered 500-year-old history. The tour route includes the graveyard of people who died from leprosy, the Lime Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, the Bluestone quarry, the army and navy bunkers and the Maximum Security Prison where thousands of South Africa’s freedom fighters were incarcerated for years. The tour culminates with a viewing of Nelson Mandela’s cell.

Meeting Point

Robben Island Museum

Suit 206, Clock Tower, V&A Waterfront, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, 8002, South Africa

Meet our friendly staff at Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island where you will board your ferry trip

What's included:

• Bottled water & Sanitizer
• Certified tour guide

What to expect:

Duration: 5 hours

Robben Island Museum

Cape Town Central, 7400

Your guide will take you and your group to the Robben Island Port which is where you'll take a ferry to Robben Island. On the Island, a former political prisoner will show you around whilst sharing heartwarming stories about their past experiences. You will also get the chance to go inside the prison cell Nelson Mandela was in for 18 of his 27 years in prison. In 1961 it started being used as a prison again. During apartheid many Black people were kept on Robben Island as political prisoners. Former President Nelson Mandela was kept there. The prison internationally notorious for its harsh conditions and when the political prisoners of the apartheid government were released Robben Island became a symbol of the strength of the human spirit.
Robben Island was declared a World Heritage Site because the buildings on the island are a reminder of its sad history and because the same buildings also show the power of the human spirit, freedom and the victory of democracy over oppression.

5 hours • Admission Ticket Included