Robben Island
Robben Island / Robbeneiland
The prison island where Mandela was held for 18 years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is guided by former political prisoners who show visitors the cells. It is essential for understanding South Africa's apartheid history.
Robben Island lies in Table Bay, 7 kilometres from Cape Town. Since the seventeenth century it has served as a place of exile, a leper colony and a military base. From 1961 to 1991, it was a maximum-security prison that held Black political prisoners. Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison here. The island was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Visits are only possible through official tours. Take the ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront, which takes 30 to 45 minutes to reach the island. First, a bus tour circles the island. You will pass the limestone quarry where Mandela and other prisoners laboured every day, a cemetery for leprosy patients, the hut where Robert Sobukwe was held in solitary confinement, the island village and a church, with views of the Table Mountain skyline. Then, a former political prisoner leads a walking tour of Section B, the maximum-security prison. You will see Mandela's cell, which measures 2 by 2.5 metres and bears the number 466/64, along with communal cells and the exercise yard. The full tour takes about 3.5 to 4 hours. Adult tickets cost ZAR 600 (2025 prices). Tours run three times daily at 09:00, 11:00 and 13:00, with an extra 15:00 tour in summer. Book in advance at robben-island.org.za. In peak season, tickets sell out 1 to 2 weeks ahead. If sea conditions are rough, tours are cancelled with a full refund, so build a spare day into your plans. The boat ride can cause seasickness, so sit toward the back if you are prone to it. The island is windy, so bring a jacket and water. The ferry terminal has a small museum you can visit 30 minutes before your departure. This is the most emotionally powerful stop in Cape Town, and the guides' firsthand stories are more direct than any museum display.
Opening hours
Ferries depart at 09:00, 11:00 and 13:00 (extra 15:00 departure in summer)
Nearby sights
- Bloubergstrand
- Sea Point Promenade
- V&A Waterfront
- Two Oceans Aquarium
- Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
- Signal Hill
- Bo-Kaap
- Greenmarket Square