Robben Island has become a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.
On 1 December 2001, Nelson Mandela officially opened the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. A tour of the Robben Island Museum is a multifaceted journey which begins at the Gateway, where multi-media exhibitions, a restaurant, an auditorium, and a museum shop are housed. A Robben Island Museum tour includes a half-hour ferry trip, a guided tour of the Maximum Security Prison, interaction with an ex-political prisoner, and a bus tour of the historic buildings and the unique flora and fauna of the 575-hectare Island.
Opening hours
Ferries depart at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm, weather permitting, from Nelson Mandela Gateway, at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
Tours
Robben Island Museum
WINTER PROMOTION
Cape Town Big6 - Kids Rule School Holiday Campaign
From 9 June to 13 July 2010,
Robben Island Museum offers free entry per child under 18 if accompanied by a paying adult.
From 12 July to 31 August 2010,
Adults pay R100 and children under 18 pay R50, only on the 9am ferry.
Tour Schedule
The standard tour to Robben Island is 3.5 hours long, including the two half-hour ferry rides. Ferries depart at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm, weather permitting, from Nelson Mandela Gateway, at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
Standard Tour
The standard tour to Robben Island is 3.5 hours long, including the two half-hour ferry rides. Ferries depart at 9am, 10am, 12pm, 1pm, 2 pm and 3pm, weather permitting, from the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town. The Robben Island Tour includes:
- A return boat trip across Table Bay
- A visit to the infamous Maximum Security Prison Interaction with an ex-political prisoner
- A 45-minute bus ride with a guide providing commentary
- The opportunity to explore the Murray's Bay Harbour precinct attractions, such as the Muslim shrine, or kramat, and the Museum Shop.
Educational Tour
The Robben Island Museum has a dedicated Education Department. Among its many activities is the facilitation of subsidised school tours.
Educational Concession tours: R30 per children up to 58 learners and R60 per educator, maximum two educators. Normal tour for children/youth: R75 per child.
The standard school tour is 3.5 hours long, including the two half-hour ferry rides. A visit includes:
- A tour of the prison.
- Interaction with an ex-political prisoner.
- A bus tour of the Island.
- Seeing some of the Island's special wildlife, such as African penguins and rare bontebok.
Tickets
To secure a place for yourself or your group on the ferry during the busy summer season, we recommend you book early.
- Adults: R200
- Children (under the age of 18): R100
- Concession rates to schools and disadvantaged groups are also considered on application to the Education and Marketing departments respectively.
Click here to book online
For more information about ticket sales - click here
History
People lived on Robben Island many thousands of years ago, when the sea channel between the Island and the Cape mainland was not covered with water. Since the Dutch settled at the Cape in the mid-1600s, Robben Island has been used primarily as a prison.
Indigenous African leaders, Muslim leaders from the East Indies, Dutch and British soldiers and civilians, women, and anti-apartheid activists, including South Africa's first democratic President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and the founding leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, were all imprisoned on the Island.
Getting Here
Robben Island is accessed by ferries which depart from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. The ferries leave at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm, weather permitting. The ferry ride is half an hour each way.
