The 9 Best Cape Town Ferry Trips to Robben Island

1.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Guided Prison Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,792 reviews · 4 hours · from $79Our pick

Take a shared ferry from Cape Town to Robben Island, then tour the island by bus and visit the prison with a former political prisoner. The four-hour English tour includes ferry tickets and museum entry. Expect moving stories, Mandela’s cell, shared transport, and time in ferry queues.

“Nice tour to Robben Island by ferry. Ferry was fully enclosed and quite crowded. Once on the island after about a 45 minute ride, we boarded a bus with an ex-prisoner guide who provided details about the buildings and life on the island. After an hour we were dropped at the prison and did about an hour of walking and understanding of life inside by another ex-prisoner. The tour provided a very moving explanation of what actually happened to those who disagreed with segregation, and the goals of the Government to try to silence them.”

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2.Robben Island Ferry Tour with 1-Way Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,380 reviews · 5 hours · from $71

Travel from central Cape Town to the V&A Waterfront, sail 45 minutes to Robben Island, tour the island by bus, and visit the prison and Mandela’s cell. An English-speaking former prisoner leads the prison visit. Pickup is included, but you return to Cape Town on your own.

“Good communication, they sent me the ticket one day before and smooth pick up. Yet I don’t think it was worth it. Could have done it on my own. I only booked it as I was trying to book from RI website before I arrive and it was not working and was afraid it will be fully booked when I arrive, but I think its expensive given that they don’t offer anything extra. But overall it was an ok purchase given my situation.”

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3.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Townships Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 400 reviews · from $89

Start with District Six, Langa, Bonteheuwel, and Gugulethu in an air-conditioned minivan. Walk through Langa with a local guide, visit a school, shebeen, beer maker, and traditional healer, then take the ferry to Robben Island. Guides such as Sam, Mpumzi, and Luyolo add personal insight.

“The Township tour was excellent. Sam gave detailed history of township..”

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4.Robben Island Ferry with Prison Ticket and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 324 reviews · 3h 30m · from $90

Take the ferry from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to Robben Island, tour the island by bus, see Mandela’s former cell, and walk through the prison with a former political prisoner. English tours last 210 minutes and include round-trip ferry tickets.

“This was a great tour and really interesting. We had lots of time on the island and it gave us a great insight and what happened there. I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Cape Town.”

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5.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Guided Prison Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 160 reviews · from $69Best value

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 with a former political prisoner. Expect a moving, tightly scheduled four-hour experience, weather risks, and no hotel transfers.

“The lecture not worth the amount of money paid. Consider reviewing the fees and this is not value for money”

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6.Robben Island ferry ticket with guided tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 61 reviews · 4 hours · from $74

Meet at the Nelson Mandela Gateway beside Cape Town’s Clocktower for a 30-minute ferry to Robben Island. An English-speaking former political prisoner guides the island and prison tour, including Mandela’s cell, the Lime Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, and the leprosy graveyard.

“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.”

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7.Robben Island ferry ticket plus Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 37 reviews · 4 hours · from $71

Take the 30-minute ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, then tour the former maximum-security prison with an ex-inmate guide. You’ll see Mandela’s cell, the Lime Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, and other important island sites before returning to Cape Town.

“Such an interesting visit with guides with personal knowledge of Robben Island, and an inspiring message of unity and forgiveness. Quite different from the horror stories that are often told in places like this and from a person with much to resent”

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8.Robben Island Ferry and Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 7 reviews · 1 hour · from $109

Take the ferry from Cape Town’s Clock Tower to Robben Island, then tour the prison, quarry, and Mandela’s cell with an English-speaking former political prisoner. French support is available by request for an extra fee. Bring ID, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes.

“visite annulée par l'organisateur avec proposition de remboursement non encore exécuter ce jour. Je lui envoyé un mail de rappel voici 15 jours mais toujours pas de réponse.Si nécessaire je vous envoie copie des divers mails. Merci pour votre intervention. M Corvers”

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9.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Guided Prison Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 7 reviews · 4 hours · from $87

Travel from Cape Town CBD to Robben Island by ferry, tour the island and maximum-security prison, and hear firsthand accounts from a former political prisoner. The four-hour trip includes hotel pickup within the CBD, an English-speaking guide, and time at Mandela’s cell and the limestone quarry.

“Grosse arnaque au niveau des prix. Cette société est un vol organisé . Ils vendent leur touriste à des locaux, nous avons payé 4200 R pour des tickets qui valaient 2409 R. A fuir absolument et passer en direct par le site de Robben Island.”

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