If you find yourself in Cape Town, I highly recommend going to Robben Island to explore its somber history, and how the UNESCO World Heritage Site was once home to political prisoners.

Most famously, it was home to Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years captive here, who was one of countless who had to endure its harsh conditions.

There are many ways to see the island, though I’ve detailed the 5 top Robben Island tours from Cape Town that I’ve personally found to be particularly profound. These tours are well worth your time and money, and are sure to change the way you see life, itself. Let’s get started.

Be sure to see our reviews of Cape Town Safaris, Paragliding and Helicopter Rides.

Best Robben Island Tours From Cape Town

	Cape Town Township Tour including Robben Island - Walk to Freedom Tour	Robben Island Tour including Pick Up & Drop Off from Cape Town	Robben Island Tour - Hotel Pick-Ups & Stops at Interesting Places Pre/Post Tour
Location:	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included
Start:	8:00 AM	9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM	8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM
Duration:	9 hours	3 to 4 hours	5.5 hours
Includes:	Full-day guided tour of Cape Town and Robben Island, professional guide, transport by air-conditioned minivan	Driver/guide, round-trip transport, entrance fees to Robben Island	Robben Island tour with ticket, bottled water, stops at famous spots in the City pre or post-Robben Island, light lunch
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Robben Island Tours For 2024

1. Cape Town Township Tour including Robben Island – Walk to Freedom Tour
2. Robben Island Tour including Pick Up & Drop Off from Cape Town
3. Robben Island Tour – Hotel Pick-Ups & Stops at Interesting Places Pre/Post Tour
4. Private Full-Day Tour to Robben Island and Table Mountain
5. Robben Island, Table Mountain and Cape Town City Private Day Tour

Robben Island Tour Reviews

1. Cape Town Township Tour including Robben Island – Walk to Freedom Tour

This first tour takes you to some of Cape Town’s most legendary townships, combined with a visit to the historic Robben Island for an intense journey into the center of the country’s complex past.

I love this tour for the way it shares history in such a raw and uncensored manner, along with community connection through seeing the townships the way locals do.

If you’re looking for a profound understanding of what life looked like both inside the prison walls and beyond, I highly recommend the Cape Town Township Tour including Robben Island – Walk to Freedom Tour.

Starting out by getting picked up at your hotel lobby around 8 am, you’ll head out with your guide in an air-conditioned minivan with your destination being the District Six Museum. This is a quick look into apartheid’s beginnings in 1950 and how they forced out over 60,000 black South Africans here to ensure it became all-white.

Next, is the oldest township in the city – Langa – which is a great opportunity to hear stories directly from those who can tell the real history of South Africa.

Then it’s time to head over to Guga S’thebe Arts & Culture Centre for insight into the efforts made in improving the local Langa community’s lives before heading to the township of Gugulethu.

This township is older and was constructed for migrant workers from the Eastern Cape, where you’ll see a stark contrast between poverty and thriving nightclubs. Afterward, take some leisure time to soak in everything so far at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, and perhaps grab some lunch before it’s time to take the ferry.

Take the ferry to Robben Island and learn about Nelson Mandela’s nearly 2 decades here, with actual former political prisoners will be the ones to give you a tour.

We even got to see Mandela’s former cell, which was shockingly small! This day was so enlightening and despite so much turbulent history, you really could feel the hope and see the improved outlook in present-day.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Robben Island Tour including Pick Up & Drop Off from Cape Town

This may be the shortest tour on this guide, but I’ve added it because it’s the best way to check out Robben Island if you’re on a tight schedule. It literally just covers the tour of this historic UNESCO site, with all of the logistics and organization smoothed out for you.

The Robben Island Tour including Pick Up & Drop Off from Cape Town allows you to focus solely on the site which served as a prison for some of the country’s most prominent political figures for decades.

This experience is much more than some cookie-cutter tour that just rattles off facts and dates. Rather, you should expect a more intimate setting with a small group size to allow you to fully connect with this important landmark.

Starting off by being picked up at your hotel and heading straight to the ferry at the V&A Waterfront, you don’t have to worry about organizing everything yourself like you would without a tour like this one.

Once you get on the ferry, it’s a short ride full of breathtaking Table Mountain and city skyline views until you get to the island. Once there, you’ll head to the buses that will take you around the island, passing various buildings and walls constructed by prisoners in the 60s.

Inside the prison, you’ll be guided by former inmates who bring their own incredible stories of survival and resistance into the mix, which is far beyond what you’ll get from a history book.

We learned how the island’s history goes far beyond the prison, spanning 500 years of people who passed away from leprosy, the Lime Quarry, the Bluestone quarry, Army and Navy bunkers, and so much more.

No visit to Robben Island is complete without a visit to Nelson Mandela’s cell, which is sobering yet carries a story of hope and triumph.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Robben Island Tour – Hotel Pick-Ups & Stops at Interesting Places Pre/Post Tour

If you’ve ever thought about going out to Robben Island on your own, you may be surprised to find it isn’t usually as easy as it may look. Tickets are often sold out, and you have to organize your transportation there and back.

Why not simplify things for yourself with a professional local guide to lead the way with the Robben Island Tour – Hotel Pick-Ups & Stops at Interesting Places tour? Our tour started with a convenient hotel pickup right from our lobby, hopping into the air-conditioned vehicle and making our way to the waterfront to take the ferry.

It gave me such peace of mind knowing that our tickets for everything were already booked, so there was no further action needed on our part. While our guide didn’t board the boat with us, he did make sure we got on board and once we arrived our Robben Island guide took over.

While it’s not guaranteed, our guide did a great job of saving us time by even jumping the queue so we could head straight inside! We also took a bus ride around the island along with a guided walk to explore the grounds and learn about the intense history that went along with it.

Our guide was so welcoming and knowledgeable, it almost felt more like a close friend was taking us around and showing us all of the most exclusive parts of the island.

It’s not always going to be possible to experience a tour of Robben Island led by former inmates, so I really felt fortunate to be able to have this experience.

While we learned about its tragic past, it was amazing to see the hope and light coming from the guides and realize just how powerful people can be when they come together and remain strong.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Private Full-Day Tour to Robben Island and Table Mountain

Table Mountain has a special place in my heart, as it was the first landmark I saw when flying into Cape Town. It’s undoubtedly one of the most iconic sites in the city, and is considered a “must-see”, along with the historically significant Robben Island.

See both of them in one organized experience with the Private Full-Day Tour to Robben Island and Table Mountain! What I really enjoy about this tour is that it combines the hustle and bustle of the city, along with natural beauty, peace and quiet, as well as history.

Your tour starts off at 8:00 am with a hotel pickup in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle for a stress-free start to your day. Our guide was very friendly and informative, answering all of our questions as we made our way to the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island.

I’ve been to Robben Island many times and I do think that it’s better to go in the morning to avoid most of the crowds and most of the heat! The boat ride over to the island is short and sweet, with plenty of beautiful views of Table Mountain in the distance.

Upon arrival, we were taken on a deep dive into the history and culture surrounding the island, learning about Nelson Mandela’s time here from a former inmate.

After, we come back to Cape Town where we grabbed a bite to eat and fueled up before heading to the legendary Table Mountain, so get your walking shoes ready.

Stopping along the way for some photo ops at the vibrant and colorful Bo-Kaap, we arrived at the cable car station to arrive at Table Mountain. Table Mountain offers some of the most amazing views of the city and sea, so make sure to take plenty of snapshots!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Robben Island, Table Mountain and Cape Town City Private Day Tour

If it’s your first time in Cape Town, I’d say that this tour should instantly be at the top of your list. It’s one of the most comprehensive tours by far, taking you through some of the best sites in Cape Town, along with Table Mountain and the infamous Robben Island.

This 8-hour experience is meticulously-organized and really maximizes your day – something that I find nearly impossible to do on your own, without the help of professionals!

Start off the tour with an 8:00 am pickup right from your hotel, with a pro guide/driver who will first take you to the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the waterfront for you to hop on the boat to Robben Island.

Our guide is just there to transfer us to the boat, and once the ferry arrives on the island, it was taken over by a resident sight guide who was sweet, friendly, and a wealth of information!

We took a short walk to the bus that took us around the island, learning about its expansive 500-year history before heading inside the prison.

Our tour was given to us by a former political prisoner who was absolutely fascinating and shared many important historical stories, including some involving Mandela, along with so many incredible anecdotes.

After our viewing of Mandela’s cell, we headed back to the ferry to return and enjoy a delicious lunch at an amazing local restaurant on the waterfront. After regaining our energy, we went to Bo-kaap for some photos, then checking out the famous Adderley Street filled to the brim with important monuments and heritage museums.

If you haven’t seen much of Cape Town yet, it’s a great way to become familiarized in a way where you’ll remember where everything is located so you can go back and explore more on your own.

The Cape Quarter was also quite interesting, as well as the Afrogem stop to see how they produce fine African jewelry and even had the chance to see production behind-the-scenes and buy some jewelry, ourselves!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience