Robben Island Half Day Prison Tour With Pre-booked Ferry Ticket.

Don’t miss if in Cape Town Mémorable and moving Would have been good to have spent a bit more time but understand why they keep everyone moving

The history of South Africa and the Aparthied regieme are important history we need to learn from. The story that came from Max our guide was heartwrenching and real.

Excellent day out so interesting to hear from an ex-prisoner which brought the whole experience to life

We were so glad that we booked this tour. It was so informative and eye-opening. The guides were previous prisoners at Robben Island and their stories were heart-rending (bring kleenex!). It was really special to get first-hand knowledge about the prison and the inmates, including Nelson Mandela. Tours like this are so important for raising our awareness about the injustices perpetrated in our world. Everyone needs to have this kind of experience so that we can, hopefully, improve the human condition. The only thing that we didn't like about the tour was that the meeting instructions were not very accurate or helpful. For future travellers: you have to meet at the Nelson Mandela Gateway Museum where you catch the ferry to the island then get on a bus where one of the guides shows you around. There is NO guide provided by Viator or their affiliates that meets you at the "Meeting Place". Your booking simply pre-pays for the ferry, island tour and museum; you're on your own to get there in time.

This is a must do excursion if you are in Cape Town. The ferry and tour are weather dependent if the boat is able to sail.The tour consists of two parts - bus tour of the island followed by a guided tour of the prison complex. Our guide was a former prisoner so all the commentary was first hand - very informative and sometimes harrowing.

Very interesting tour with former political prisoners as guides. Their stories and memories of their time incarcerated are rather haunting. Very powerful and emotional info.

This tour was informative Lady in the bus gave very good info There was not much viewing of cells or walking around in the cells area It felt rushed here

We attended a tour of the island and the second part where an ex inmate showed us and described the awful conditions for the prisoners and was excellent. However, Brits beware! On the first part of the tour the guide asked us where everyone on the coach was from and the other nationalities were welcomed but when it came to us and we said the UK, she said 'Shame on you' this was not only insulting it was offensive (And not funny). Ok the UK has got blood on its hands, some 200 hundred years ago but so have other nations who were also represented on the coach and 'not' treated the same way. This marred an otherwise interesting and informative day and left a bad taste in our mouths.

Robben island and prison tour was an unforgettable experience. The tour guides were informative and helpful. Very generous in sharing their knowledge and experiences. Recommended!

It was a powerful and thought provoking experience. Their discussion of the workings of apartheid resonated strongly with events in the world today.

It was like a pilgrimage for me I am in my 70’s so it was a spiritual journey for Me Our tour guide was amazing The tour guide on the bus was knowledgeable entertaining I was on bus 4

A must visit in Cape Town. It is impressive how much history we learned in a few hours. Don't miss it.

Really enjoyed this trip, it has been on my bucket list for years and it didn’t disappoint. The ferry ride was beautiful , around 35 mins giving an amazing view of table mountain and the city. The guided bus tour was informative, interesting and relaxed. We had a former prisoner take us around the prison including Nelson Mandela’s cell, which made it all the more moving, he explained prison life and what led up to it. A very thought provoking day, one I’ll never forget.

Really worth it. Fully accompanied shuttle and entrance included and busses on the island. Leaves VA Waterfront and comes back there

I expected so much more from this tour. Long wait to get on the ferry, took an hour to board. Then a 20 minute wait for the bus to depart. Bus tour was fairly unimportant, not really engaging. The actual prison was more interesting but our guide Terence, could have imparted more information. Some aspects were really interesting and clearly harrowing, but overall, I left without knowing a great deal about the prison. A key USP is having tours given by former inmates. I thought he might give a more personal view of how his life was as a prisoner, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it We are all interested in Nelson Mandela, who was barely mentioned. I even asked if he had met him, he said, "3 times", with no further details. Robben island is an important site and one we should visit to learn about man's inhumanity, but I feel this is currently a lost opportunity.

This tour provided history and context for the apartheid struggle in South Africa. The tour guides were all former prisoners at Robben Island and their stories were very moving. Having read Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom made this tour especially meaningful, but was not necessary.

Excellent trip that I have on my anniversary day,staff was so friendly and entertaining us with smiles

Do not have high expectations of the guides. Walking around the prison there are no signs or explanation of what the different areas were used for. Time to vidit curio shops was extremely short. Tour was unprofessional and basic.

It was great learning about the challenges of S. Africa as early as the late 1400's and the use of this island as a prison. The ferry ride was uneventful although it was nice to look back on table mountain and the shoreline of Cape Town. On arrival, we boarded a bus to tour the island with a guide who was a descendant of someone who spent time there. She shared that South African's don't talk about the time they were under Apartheid and the lack of information they had. She did have some moving stories. After the bus tour, we did a walking tour with a former inmate who told us where he stayed and some moving stories about life in prison. He was released 1 month after Mandela. Definitely worth the time and effort to have this experience.

Excellent tour. First, a bus took us around the island. Then we had a former political prisoner as a guide to show us around the prison blocks, including where Nelson Mandala was imprisoned. Sobering.

We received reminders prior to the tour of pick up times and what we needed to take. The driver picked us up from the hotel entrance and dropped us off after the trip. He was very polite and made sure we had our tickets with us. He escorted us to where the tour began and was very helpful.

My gripe is centred solely on the fact that there was no leeway, no capacity for judgement, no empathy in the case of my 90 year old Mum and a booked trip that turned out to be on a day where the weather was bad, the crossing choppy. Asking to defer the trip, I was initially told this could be accommodated and was offered an 8am slot. At 90, this wasn’t a doable option. I asked for a later slot - told fully booked - so asked for a later slot in 2 weeks. This was denied. I was then told ‘The Captain has confirmed the 12pm sailing is going ahead’ ( my original booking ). The issue now was timing - potentially not enough time to get sorted and get down to the ferry terminal. But no negotiation, no humanity, no ‘right’ decision ( to allow Mum to defer ) was possible. I guess my feeling is this - money, greed, intransigence, lack of judgement, zero tolerance, uncaring attitude…all on the part of Viator. Poor show.

This was not what I expected. We were purchasing the standard ticket at a premium by buying via Viator, with no added benefit over buying a ticket direct.

Gave an insight into the terrible experiences the prisoners faced and the conditions they had to endure. The guides were able to explain first hand the traumas they had gone through.

Robben Island is well worth a visit! On arrival you have to enter the museum and go down the steps which take you to the boarding gate for the ferry. It takes about 35 minutes to sail across to the island and once there a guide talks a little about the island itself. Then a firmer inmate takes you around the prison and tells you what it was like being a prisoner and what it was like for Nelson Mandela. Guide answered many questions and you got a real insight into the life there and apartheid. I would definitely recommend this trip, it was value for money and very informative.

This was a great half day activity. Good idea to get the morning one imo if it's hot which it was for us. Nice boat trip over and seamless transfer to the bus and the tour. Both guides were engaging and charming, particularly impressed that the prison guide had spent 7 years there as a prisoner so could give genuine insight into the horror.

On the boat crossing the staff were shocking. One guy very aggressive but most of them had an “attitude.” This being our first visit to SA and our first day, sadly, not a good first impression. We couldn’t hear the safety video stating how to put on your life jacket. Not a life jacket in sight!! I get sea sick but the employee insisted I couldn’t be at the back near the fresh air and that there were sick bags if I needed. Not a sick bag in sight. Late arrivals got to sit at the back near the fresh air. Upon arrival, you board a bus for a tour which was bearable and slightly informative but took 40 minutes and could have been done in 10 minutes. Talk about stretch it out. The bus left us with the next guide who would show us the prison. There wasn’t any information around to read and we were “preached” at by the guide and gained little information about the place. Near the end of his tour/preaching we were walked quickly past Nelson Mandela’s cell and then led back to the boat. This boat was a different one and we could actually sit outside and the staff were good. I really wouldn’t waste your time or money and would advise a visit to Wikipedia would be a far more pleasant way to learn about the history of Robben Island. Don’t go!

NEVER BOOK A ROBBEN ISLAND TOUR WITH VIATOR. It is not a South African tour company and you are charged you much much more for tickets that are cheaper directly through the Robben Island Museum. Viator comes up as the first option at the top of the search when you type in 'Robben Island Tours' into Google. If you don't know better, you just follow the prompts. Two months ago I reserved 2 tickets of R1000 each for the half day Robben Island tour for 26th Dec, for myself and my daughter, booking reference 1329088997. This was before I learnt that R600 tickets can be booked directly through the Robben Island Museum for visitors of any nationality. I indicated when I booked with Viator that neither of us was South African, although I have a South African retirement visa. We also didn't need a pick up, although there was no option to indicate that on the Viator booking system. I kept getting messages on my phone requiring my RSA ID and wanting my pickup details. I phoned the number to confirm that we were not RSA citizens, and that we didn't need pick up. I was told to ring a US number to discuss, and that the payment would double for non-RSA visitors. WHY?? The payment for R2000 went through 2 days ago on my visa card, but there were no tickets in my name at the desk this morning when we attempted to board the ferry. This was despite receiving an email message the day before with a link to my e-tickets with a bar code, which I had printed out and presented when attempting to board the ferry. However what I printed out weren't the actual tickets with a QR code and the whole trip had to be aborted. I ended up having to rebook 2 tickets directly with the museum (R1200 for two). I had no idea that Viator was American tour company, and I have now lost R2000 which no one at Viator will talk about. We were told this morning by Robben Island ferry staff that this happens many many times with customers who have booked through Viator. Viator books blocks of tickets, and then sells off already booked (and paid-for) tickets to other customers at short notice, as it appeared happened to us this morning. This was a dreadful experience and I believe that I was misled. I would like a refund, and an explanation as to why I needed to provide a RSA ID in order to access my booking. I host many visitors from other countries, and I will be telling them all about this experience.

They said the trip was nice and will certainly share the experience with others. It was a great revelation to them

A brilliant day. I was picked up and drove to the ferry and all was well explained. Friendly driver and guides that made it memorable day out.

We had a very pleasant drive to the ferry, where the guide passed us over to official guides on Robben island. The two guides we had had both been incarcerated at the prison and their first hand stories of the apartheid regime and their treatment was very powerful. Efficient and effective tour.

We were taken around by Tom Moses, who was captivating and so passionate. He brought the place as alive as he possibly could. I found it very moving.

Very informative. A tour I would strongly recommend. To hear the story from a past prisoner was very touching.

We booked to visit Robbins Island through Viator and cannot understand why we were charged R1719.44 per ticket, whilst a colleague purchased online from Robbins and paid only R600, for the exact same experience. What is the reason for such a large variance please?

A visit to the prison in Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was captivated in a small cell for 18 years leaves us with deep pain. The prison is now a UNESCO heritage site, standing as a silent witness to the apartheid era and racial oppression. The ration charts based on prisoners' color with meager food for black prisoners and the limestone quarries where political prisoners worked hard make us feel grateful for the freedom that we enjoy.

Great opportunity to listen to the history . The tour is a little regimental, not much opportunity to walk independently around the prison . Half day tour actually takes about 5 hours. Keep an eye on the weather as the crossing could be choppy .

Very boring tour, the guides talk too much and very poor time to take pictures and walk around. The buses are awful, very old and very small seats, must to change. I recommend to change the way of this tour, making more attractive.

The only disappointment upon arrival at the island was touring around it in a crammed bus taking pics out a window. The guide was tremendous. I will never use Viator again because they gouged us compared to what others paid.

This trip was amazing. We got picked up on time by our driver and given a briefing before our tour . We knew what to expect and where we should meet . Thanks again for helping us to bring our history alive

An awesome tour ...so great to learn more about the history and see Robben Island. Really makes it so meaningful that former inmates are the tour guides. Our bus driver was so amazing...very personable and the transportation went smoothly. So thankful we got to do this.

Cannot recommend this tour highly enough. We really loved every minute and our tour guides were excellent.

I wish to express my dissatisfaction with this trip. I booked two tickets for a 10am commencement time. We arrived in good time in advance of the start time and enquired where we should queue in preparation for the start. I was advised (rather rudely) by the information desk we were too early; boarding wouldn't start until 1am. In light of this information we decided to get refreshments nearby. As I paid a large increase over the standard ticket price hoping for a premium service as we were on a tight schedule, I messaged via you App to convey my disappointment. Whilst having refreshments, I received a phone call off your local representative stating we needed to be at the venue as queuing had commenced; I informed him we would be there in 5 minutes. When we meet up with the Aim Cape Tours rep he was overly keen to persuade us to reschedule to a later trip. I explained to him there was no alternative due to our scheduling and this was the only option. He kept trying to press different times/dates, but when I repeatedly declined these offers he finally admitted our tickets had been sold and no others were available. The local rep told us to join the queue for boarding and went off. He return after approximately 5 minutes and tried to offer an alternative time, when I declined he asked us to exit the queue and wait to after the boat had been loaded to see if something could be negotiated! Once all the other passengers' had been boarded we did manage to join. However, no tickets scanned like other passenger's and seemed very much like some separate unofficial transaction had happened. My contemporaneous messaging to verify my testament are recorded via your App, please view. I paid £150.18 for this trip, but direct was 1200 zar (£52.29 at todays exchange rate). Your experience was no way any premium over standard. Moreover, your local appointed company caused massive stress by their total mismanagement of a simple transaction.

Make sure and try to get a boat back to the mainland that has windows that open for ventilation OR actually a/c that WORKS. We were in stuffy hot cabin with multiple people vomiting. They said the A/c would be better once We were underway but it did not improve. The seas were not too rough either. 100+ crammed in a small space creates a lot of body heat!

The museum website said trips were fully booked but we were able to book via Viator. You do pay a bit more but definitely worth it. We were contacted by a guide in advance who provided lots of information and met us at the ferry to let us know what to expect from the trip. Ferry takes just over 30 mins and all the crew were super friendly. The tour guide on the bus around the island was fantastic, full of interesting information about its history, but it was the tour of the prison itself that was the most memorable part of the trip. We were shown around by a former inmate who brought to life what it was like to live through apartheid. This is a trip that everyone should take once. Incredibly moving experience.

I loved everything about the Robben Island tour from start to finish. Emma picked us up early and brought us to the V&A Waterfront, where he introduced us to the many things we could do there — from great food and museums to scenic cruises. He dropped us off right at the departure point and made sure we were safely on board before leaving us to enjoy the tour. After a 30-minute boat ride, we boarded a bus for a guided tour around Robben Island — it’s much larger than I expected! We only got off the bus near the end of the tour, where we met a former prisoner who shared powerful and emotional stories from his own experience while serving his sentence. We also got to see Nelson Mandela’s cell, which was truly humbling and thought-provoking. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience.

Our guide, who was a former prisoner there, was excellent. He had a wonderful sense of humor despite his ordeal. Seeing the facility and hearing it’s long history made all the stories I real to me. Getting there and back on the boat was difficult. The trip back had very rough seas and made a lot of people sea sick. Be prepared for that if you go.

Guides in English were difficult to understand. Talk in cell of 50 too long. Island and buildings interesting. Ferry over very old and unpleasant.

Be sure to get your tickets well in advance because they sell out often. The former prisoner who led the group tour gave us a wealth of information and somehow he managed to keep his sense of humor throughout his life. The boat ride to and from the island was not for the faint of stomach. The sea was very rough with big roller waves so be sure everyone in your group can handle rough seas. Wear comfortable walking shoes as most of it is gravel or stone and bring a water bottle.

The best, everything was well organised. I didn’t have to constantly chase after them for tickets. If anything they kept us abreast of everything we needed for our activity 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽