Whenever I visit a new city, I always try and make time for culturally significant sightseeing. Robben Island was one of the worst tours I've been on. Starting with the 60 minute delay with no exanatjon or apology, it was one disappointment after another. Upon arriving from the Ferry, you're herded into what felt like an apartheid era coach with around 50 other people. One of the staff explains the sites via the microphone. With the amount of people on the coach, if you're on the wrong side it's difficult to see, plus there's no depth to what she's saying, more 'this is a church' and not much explanation as to the history of it. That part lasted about 10-15 minutes before being ushered back off the bus to a historically accurate tuck shop where you have as much time to buys snacks as you had to sightsee on the coach. Invigorating. The final stop is at the prison. That's a bit better. A previous convict takes this part of the tour. He's the best part about the tour, but through no fault of his own, having a thick accent, and speaking to a large group of 50 people, it felt so lacking intimacy and depth, it was hardly worth the effort. Interesting nuggets are shared before you're taken for a quick photo op at Mandela's cell before being herded (and I mean herded) back to the ferry. Genuinely, I could have overlooked all of this if I'd felt like I'd learnt about the island's history and Mandela. I learnt more from the TV screen affixed to the Ferry on the way there and back, than I did during the actual experience. What is clearly an important part of South Africa's history is not given any justice with this tour. A money grab packing as many sweat soaked tourists in as possible. So disappointing. Would not recommend to anyone. Better off checking Wikipedia or watching a documentary. Go and explore the beautiful outdoors that Cape Town has to offer instead.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
1 hr+
Reservation recommended
Yes

A guided tour to Robben Island is something that I would recommend South Africans complete at least once in their lifetime, and for tourists to include on their list of things to do here. The ferry to Robben Island departs from the V&A Waterfront and is about a 40 min cruise. On a non-windy day, the ride is very smooth with little chance of becoming seasick. Upon arrival on the island you climb onto a bus which stops at various interest points, allowing time for the tour guide to share fascinating historical facts and tales. The interest points include the burial sites, the quarry, the school, churches and military compounds. One disembarks at a half way point where you can buy something to drink and snack on and take some photos. The bus tour ends at the prison grounds where you disembark. Another tour guide takes visitors around the prison and its grounds and we were lucky to have an ex-prisoner share some personal experiences and memories with us. We left on the 11h00 ferry and only got back to the V&A Waterfront around 15h00. Tickets are R400 for SA adults.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Een prachtige ervaring. Indien u Kaapstad bezoekt is dit een must! Let op: vooraf reserveren is noodzakelijk (ca. 3 weken vooraf). Nb. Het weer kan per minuut veranderen waardoor het kan voorkomen dat er geen boten afvaren. Het bezoek aan het museum bestaat uit twee onderdelen: een interactief deel waarbij u een rondleiding krijgt van een ex gevangene, die zeer mooie verhalen kan vertellen en open staat voor alle vragen. Het tweede deel bestaat uit een (bus) rondrit over het eiland waarbij de hoogtepunten worden laten zien. Het is niet toegestaan om zelfstandig op het eiland rond te lopen. Nb. Ook tijdens uw bezoek aan het eiland kan het weer veranderen waardoor de rondleiding ingekort wordt en u met spoed terug naar het vaste land wordt gevaren. De vaart kan behoorlijk ruig zijn.

A very powerful experience. There is a 30 minute boat ride, then a short, guided bus ride while on the island, followed by a very long, scripted speech from a former political prisoner. The speech lasts probably 35 to 40 minutes and covers a ton of great information, but it takes place almost entirely in one location. By the time the speaking portion is done, you're given about 60 seconds to snap a quick photo of Mandela's prison cell, and then have to hurry back to the boat at the dock. I would suggest having the speaking portion be significantly shortened, allow people to explore a bit more, and provide ample time for everyone to see Mandela's cell, and reflect at a pace that isn't so rushed.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

A must do if you want to see where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his jail sentence on Robben Island. Robben Island is fairly large and you start with a bus tour with an on board guide giving you information about different buildings and landmarks as you drive around. You'll then head on foot into the maximum security prison. We had a guided tour with an ex convict that gave us a deeper understanding about how the prison system functioned. You'll walk through the administration room, the armoury and various courtyard sections and jail cells with written stories on the walls of the jail cells as well as seeing Mandela's cell. Its insightful and quite the experience to walk where political activists and other prisoners lived and even died during their stay on the island.

visiting in the waterfront when you come Cape town is really the BEST! I know it can be pricey during high season, but WOW!So Worth it on every level! The vibe is super great,food is super delicious , the location is perfect, weather is awesome the views hmmm restaurants n shops wow, the service is excellent people are very friendly its a simply an outstanding location from start to finish. And if you are staying anywhere else, the history of our country is found the, seeing the boats, and the water , can’t talk about the affordability’s, ate corn dog 3 timesstill wanted more , shopping if you like me forgot your comforts sleepers at home? Don’t worry the are shops available for that just overall my experience was worth a while

This is a must see as a memorial to South Africa's history. The museum involves a 30 minute boat ride each way, a 45 minutes walking your though the jail and a bus tour of the island. The walking tour is the part that features the former prisoners and guards leading the tours. We took the last tour of the day and our guide was definitely tired. There aren't many former prisoners and guards left so they are all working a lot to fit in the tours. Accessibility note: We had three folks in our group with visual disabilities and they were welcomed to touch anything they wanted (even if it was off limits to everyone else) as well as enter Mandela's cell.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Robben Island, South Africa Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (robben), hence the Dutch or Afrikaans name Robbeneiland means “seal island”. Nelson Mandela a political activist and lawyer was imprisoned on the island for 18 of the 27 years of his imprisonment before the fall of apartheid and introduction of full, multi-racial democracy. Robben Island is a South African National Heritage Site as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Robben Island is accessible to visitors through tours that depart from Cape Town's waterfront.

Disorganised and Disinterested is how I would describe this debacle - don’t waste your precious time supporting this circus as you will learn very little of the historical significance of the island. The elderly, those with physical disabilities and those who do not understand English are left to feel excluded throughout the tour which is ironic given the history of the place. You are better off consulting Wikipedia if you are seeking to learn of the history. I could not have been more underwhelmed with the entire experience, a tragedy given the opportunity that the island offers. Best part is the photo opp of Table Mountain

'n Besoek aan Robben Island was hoog op my wens-lysie. Die boot trip was 'n eerste - ek het die wind en golwe regtig geniet. Die geskiedenis video was vrugtevol as voorbereiding. Die bus trip en gids was 'n welkom-verrassing. Die besoek aan die tronk self was egter terleurgestellend: ek sou graag briewe, verslae, dalk 'n afskrif uit Nelson Mandela se manuskrip LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, foto's ag enigiets wou sien. Met een van die wêreld se mees besoekte museums verwag ek iets meer sigbaar. Dalk moet iemand by Klerksdorp se tronk museum gaan om hierdie kragtige simbool teen apartheid tot volle potensiaal te ontwikkel.

This is an obvious must-do for visitors to South Africa and hopefully all South Africans would be able to visit as well. While the whole experience is sobering and informative, the top highlight was hearing from a former prisoner. Having him personally tell of his imprisonment while standing in the place of his incarceration is riveting. We're grateful to have had the privilege of hearing his testimony while there are still former prisoners living and willing to tell their story.
Visited on
Public holiday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

They need to improve their services and communication a lot. I bought the ticket in advance via the website, and on the day of my visit, they only informed me at Mandela gateway that the day's tours had been canceled. This is a tremendous lack of consideration for tourists. The attendants were not at all receptive to the negotiations, implying that the tourist was to blame for the cancellation. They could at least have warned us in advance. Or rescheduled it for the same day.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
No

The museum is housed on the former embarkation building for prisioners sent to Robben Island. It is well maintained and have a lot of information about the prisioners, the warders and families visiting the island. There is original artifacts, letters from the wifes of the prisioners and even the bed where the prisioners slept. I have visited the museum several times and usually is quiet, as it doesn't get much attention from the people walking around.

After a long wait came a rather chaotic, disorganised, cramped embarquent procedure on a boat that has seen better days. Same thing once on the island. You are randomly dispatched without explanation part on a bus, part on foot. The prison buildings were quite sterile. The only good thing were the former political prisoners that told you their story of the place.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
30–60 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Ich bin zweigeteilter Meinung. Zum einen ein geschichtsträchtiger Ort zum anderen ist der Besuch chaotisch organisiert. Die Bootsfahrt war ok, aber die Busse sind eng und stickig und jeder Bus zieht ein anderes Programm durch. Der eine macht etwas was der andere nicht tut. Die endlose Erzählerei der Ex Häftlinge verbraucht Zeit, die bei der Besichtigung fehlt. Ich würde es nicht noch einmal machen
Visited on
Weekday

They canceled us 3 days in a row due to bad weather of which we don't mind however they need to refund us. The policy on the website says it will be refunded within 48hours. It's been 2 weeks we still haven't recieved our money. The ticket desk is unprofessional and unhelpful...saying we should just wait. Be careful, we haven't received our refund still!

Très beau et riche en histoires et émotions.. compréhension simple en Anglais. Vous pouvez compter 3 heures À/R en visite depuis le départ en bateau. Boutique souvenir et de quoi se restaurer pendant le circuit en bus. Endroit historique et culturel important
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Heel bijzondere plek met veel geschiedenis. Tijdens de tour is er door een ex gedetineerde veel verteld over wat zich hier allemaal heeft afgespeeld. Heel indrukwekkend! Zeker een must om te bezoeken tijdens je reis naar Kaapstad / Zuid Afrika.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

It’s surreal and conflicting to ride around a beautiful island while hearing about the atrocities the prisoners had to face. Worth a visit to learn about all the sacrifices made by so many political activists.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
10–30 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

1. They require passports to enter the ferry. 2. Logistic organisation is super poor, we waited our bus for 30 min to one direction, and 40 min back. 3. The program is boring, no artifacts, no show, no interaction, just talking about history. 4. Groups are owercrouded, abot 60-70 people.

Cannot really say how it is as I haven’t been. They canceled the trip due to wind (fair) however we never got a refund. When we complained they asked us for a listing of our credit card expenses. Absolutely insane asking for this and absolutely unprofessional!

We took a boat and went there in one hour. We had the chance to be guided by an ex prisonner who explained us everything and specially the details about Mandela. If you go there, there is 2 boats, one is taking 1 hour and the other 30 minutes.

Amazing staff. Had a wheelchair user and they were very helpful and accommodating. It made a tour more simpler and peaceful
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
30–60 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

@robben_island #tour will give u every emotion-#despair/#sadness/#guilt/#hope/#happiness. Guides+crew all TOTES prof/place spotless+safe+memorable/unforgettable energy..DEF @jamescapetown fave! …

They ask for passport then buy ticket. It is nonsense. Also bad organization. Everywhere was lines. We saw only some rooms, and half hour just talk, without any foto, video, or writen information

Excellent tour and our guide was a former political prisoner. It was so interesting to hear about the prison from someone who actually was incarcerated there.
Visited on
Weekday

It was very moving to hear the story directly from an ex-prisoner. Also depressing, of course. Wish it wasnt so crowded so I would have more time to let the impressions sink in.

The most peaceful place to be and with the most traumatizing history to know.
Visited on
Weekend
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

What a pleasant trip, heard about all the historic news of those were taken to exile though it was sad but it has brought us to our freedom . Long walk indeed.

starting point of the Robben Island cruise, plan time for the security control before you get on the boat, there will be a long line of wating people

Its humbling.. very humbling.. if your there to walk through the Footsteps of a country wounded by other people.. so inspiring

It was an amazing travel in my life
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Educational, emotional, worth seeing.
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
10–30 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

What an immersive experience
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
No wait
Reservation recommended
Yes

Great History of SA
Visited on
Weekday
Wait time
Up to 10 min
Reservation recommended
Yes

Passeio imperdível em Cape town! Marque com antecedência, independente da época em que for visitar!

Very interesting look at some of the major issues in the history of South Africa. Worth a visit.

A humbling experience , but its hard to get a booking if the seas are rough

It's a very peaceful place and great people around

Touching with knowledge for history

Excellent attractions, a must visit

This is one memorable museum.

Very interesting experience.

واوووو تجربة فريدة من نوعها

Awesome! Profound! Moving!

Great vibe …

Very interesting

It looks good

Muss sein

Super