Robben Island
Island · Cape Town ·
Former prison, UNESCO site, tours led by ex-inmates, see Mandela's cell
Information
South Africa Get directions
Former prison, UNESCO site, tours led by ex-inmates, see Mandela's cell
South Africa Get directions
"Visible from almost anywhere in Cape Town and much like San Francisco’s Alcatraz, this former prison is reached by ferry and confronts the apartheid era where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were incarcerated; private tours with Mandela’s prison guard–turned–friend Christo Brand are an option for deeper context." - Katie Jackson Katie Jackson Katie Jackson is a New York City-based writer who covers travel, food, and more. Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Sunday Times, Esquire, Outside, New York Post, and Travel + Leisure, among others. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Taking a trip to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years was a sobering, essential part of understanding Cape Town’s history and resilience." - CNT Editors
"A former prison turned historic site where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held during apartheid; tours ferry visitors to the island to learn about its role in South Africa’s history. Private tours led by former prison staff such as Christo Brand are recommended for deeper personal insight." - Katie Jackson Katie Jackson Katie Jackson is a New York City-based writer who covers travel, food, and more. Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Sunday Times, Esquire, Outside, New York Post, and Travel + Leisure, among others. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Located in Table Bay, visible from almost anywhere in Cape Town, Robben Island looms in the background much like Alcatraz in San Francisco. But this infamous island has 400 years of its own fascinating history. Once occupied by wildlife and indigenous peoples, it was important for trade and hunting during the Age of Exploration before later becoming home to everything from banished convicts to a whaling station and even an insane asylum. Today, it's where visitors can tour the former prison and see the cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Other attractions on the island include a penguin sanctuary and lepers' graveyard." - Katie Jackson Katie Jackson Katie Jackson is a New York City-based writer who covers travel, food, and more. Her work has appeared in USA Today, The Sunday Times, Esquire, Outside, New York Post, and Travel + Leisure,
"Located just 6 kilometers off the coast of Cape Town, Robben Island was a maximum‑security prison until 1996 and held many political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela; former prisoners serve as tour guides, you can see Mandela’s cell, visit the prisoner graveyard and the limestone quarry, ferries run three times a day (a fourth in summer), tours start at about 600 ZAR for non‑South Africans, and expect the trip to take at least four hours." - Matthew Kepnes