The 8 Best Ferry Trips in South Africa

1.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Guided Prison Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,792 reviews · 4 hours · from $79Our pick

Review of Cape Town’s Robben Island ferry and prison tour, with an ex-inmate guide, Mandela’s cell, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“The trip to Robben Island was everything we expected and more besides. The guides were well informed and interesting and really brought home the history of the island. It was humbling to see the cell in which Nelson Mandela spent so many years and reflect on the bravery and resilience of those political prisoners who also spent time there. The visit helped put into perspective the struggle against apartheid and how far South Africa has travelled since democracy.”

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2.Robben Island Ferry Tour with 1-Way Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,380 reviews · 5 hours · from $71

Ride the ferry from Cape Town to Robben Island, visit Mandela’s cell, and hear apartheid history from a former prisoner.

“A place not to be missed. Having ex prisoners as guides is a special experience.”

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3.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Townships Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 400 reviews · from $89

Explore Cape Town’s townships and Robben Island with local guides, apartheid history, a former prisoner’s account, and practical tips.

“This was such an informative day out. We started in the township areas and both of our guides were incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the area and South Africa. We could have stayed speaking to them both for hours. There were moments I'll admit when I was a little nervous walking through the township but everyone we met along the way were very friendly. The trip to Robben Island was sobering but again steeped in so much history. Having an ex-prisoner as our guide inside the prison made it very real. A highly recommended tour.”

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4.Robben Island Ferry with Prison Ticket and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 324 reviews · 3h 30m · from $90

Visit Robben Island from Cape Town with ferry tickets, a prison tour, and firsthand stories from a former political prisoner.

“Great historical insights. Very informative and enjoyed the tiur”

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5.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Guided Prison Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 160 reviews · from $69Best value

Robben Island ferry and prison tour review with honest advice on guides, weather cancellations, ticket value, queues, and practical Cape Town tips.

“The museum guide is an ex-prisoner, which adds a lot to an already extremely interesting tour of the jail facility”

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6.ROBBEN ISLAND MUSEUM TOUR, WITH OPTIONAL LAST MINUTE TICKETS

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 85 reviews · 4 hours · from $90

Review of the Robben Island Museum tour, covering Mandela’s cell, ferry logistics, former-prisoner guides, prices, and ticket advice.

“The tour was canceld, because of the wind and raw sea. So i would like to get the money back. Yesterday we had to go home and wasnt possible to go. Greetings Carla”

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7.Robben Island ferry ticket with guided tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 61 reviews · 4 hours · from $74

Review of Cape Town’s Robben Island ferry and prison tour, including Mandela’s cell, former inmate guide, timing, value, and practical tips.

“The tour itselfnis amazing. Is a must see. Guides are actually ex prisoners from the jail. The oegsnizstion was not so good, we had the tour for 9 AM but it got cancelled with no notice and we had to reschedule it.”

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8.Robben Island ferry ticket plus Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 37 reviews · 4 hours · from $71

Review of Robben Island ferry and guided prison tour from Cape Town, with former-prisoner stories, Mandela’s cell, costs, tips, and drawbacks.

“Such an interesting visit with guides with personal knowledge of Robben Island, and an inspiring message of unity and forgiveness. Quite different from the horror stories that are often told in places like this and from a person with much to resent”

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