Hotels near Robben Island
V&A Waterfront, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa
Robben Island is a 5-square-km island 7 km off Cape Town's coast - a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving the prison where Nelson Mandela was held 1964-1982 (along with thousands of other anti-apartheid political prisoners). The 3.5-hour tour begins with a 30-minute ferry from the V&A Waterfront, includes a bus tour around the island, and finishes with a walking tour of the maximum-security prison led by former political prisoners themselves.
Nelson Mandela's cell B is the standard visit highlight - a 2.4x2.1 metre concrete cell where he spent 18 years. The lime quarry where prisoners performed forced labour, the Robert Sobukwe house (the more isolated PAC leader's confinement building), and the leper graveyards round out the tour. Ticket 600 ZAR including ferry. Book online via robben-island.org.za 2-7 days ahead; ferries sell out. 4 daily departures.
Pro Tip: The 09:00 first ferry has the calmest sea conditions and the longest island tour (other departures shortened depending on tide). The walking-tour-by-former-prisoner is the most emotionally powerful experience in South Africa; ask questions - the guides welcome dialogue.
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