The museum is located on robben island, just off the coast of cape town. Robben island ferry and prison tour for nonsa citizens cape. Robben island, including its buffer zone, is a national heritage site and unesco has listed the island as a world heritage site. Robben island is an iconic landmark in south africas history of democracy. For adults, the normal ferry trip costs r360 while for children it costs r200.
Travel to robben island by ferry and visit the famous prison where nelson mandela spent many years. Review of the halfday robben island tour from cape town. Our tour guide never explained to us how the number 46664 was given to the prisoner like they explained years ago. According to tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience robben island museum. Robben island, the unique symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, suffering and injustice with a rich 500 year old multilayered. Visit different townships around cape town and witness the aftereffects of the struggles of apartheid before hopping on a ferry to robben island and discovering the story of one of the men who played a vital role in overcoming the social injustice. Failure to produce corresponding proof will result in full price being charged. The robben island entrance fee via a boat has been categorised into two. Being the low season in cape town, i did not expect the ferry boat tour to robben island to be fully booked. Robben island museum, cape town central tripadvisor. These days, a trip to robben island, a unesco world heritage site, is a must do on the. Robben island is now more of a money making museum rather than a historical tour. This exciting table mountain tour starts with an exhilarating ride on a table mountain aerial cable way cable car to see.
Robben island, the unique symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, suffering and injustice with a rich 500 year old multilayered history, is visited every year by thousands of people eager to understand and honour the important aspects of south africas history that the island represents. Spice up your cape town stay with a visit to the historic robben island and eyeopening townships in south africa. The journey takes around 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to admire spectacular views of cape town and table mountain and to look for the whales, dolphins, penguins and fur seals that inhabit table bay. This letter, like many others, received no response. Book flights and browse accommodation now to get the best rates. I learnt a lot about most of the south african struggle icons who served time at the prison though my highlight was robert sobukwe whom i.
Tripadvisor robben island ferry and prison tour for nonsa. You can expect the tour including the trips to and from the island to last about threeandahalf hours. Wed visit the place which once held prisoners of the apartheid regime in south africa nelson mandela being the most famous among them. On this full day private city, table mountain and robben island tour, you will encounter unique cultures, architecture, historical sites and. Today it is a world heritage site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic south africa and of the price paid for freedom. On this full day private city, table mountain and robben island tour, you will encounter unique cultures, architecture, historical sites and unforgettable scenery. The tour commences with a ferry trip across the bay to robben island weather permitting. The robben island museum tour has a dedicated education department. It was a sunny day when we headed to the cape town waterfront to catch the boat to robben island for our halfday robben island tour. Visiting robben island on a tour from cape town stoked to. Sep 28, 2015 robben island is now more of a money making museum rather than a historical tour.
Visit the district six museum, the townships of langa, guguletu and bonteheuwel, among many others on this insightful journey to the other side of the country. I learnt a lot about most of the south african struggle icons who served time at the prison though my highlight was robert sobukwe whom i knew little of up until my visit to the roben island. A robben island tour guide will conduct the prison tour. Theres just one ticket which includes the ferry ride and the robben island tour price. Take a shared boat trip to robben island museum and explore the island where former south african president nelson mandela was held as a political prisoner for 18years. Gates close 10 minutes prior to boarding, so it is best to arrive early. A 45minute bus ride with a guide providing commentary. Since the dutch settled at the cape in the mid1600s, robben island has been used primarily as a prison.
Visiting robben island on a tour from cape town why i wanted to visit robben island. We therefore start this exciting table mountain and robben island tour with a trip to the most iconic landmark of them all, table mountain. Things to do in cape town and everything you need to know about robben island, the attractions, history and. Robben island fees robben island in cape town entry tickets. The island is a unesco world heritage site and has served as a whaling station, a leper colony and most notably as a prison, where south africas nelson mandela spent 18 years of his 27 years of incarceration before being elected as the countrys first democratic president. The opportunity to explore the murrays bay harbour precinct attractions. One of south africas most respected heritage sites, robben island which means seal island in dutch is central to the countrys history. Book a flight around majestic robben island nac helicopters. Best known for being the place of nelson mandela s imprisonment, today the prison is a museum that travelers can explore and discover the detailed history of south africas past.
Both the township tour and robbens island were incredible. Collect from your pick up point and head to robben island via the ferry. Return ferry once the island tour is completed, you will ferry back to the mainland where we will break for lunch. Enjoy a bus ride around the island, then learn about the. If robben island is closed, you will receive a refund for the robben island ticket. What wasnt great was that there was an issue with our tickets the night before. Robben island tour private table mountain tours table. Children under 2 enter for free with a presentation of a birth certificate.
On the hottest day of the summer holidays, we decided to book a tour to robben island with the family. You will be picked up at your accommodation in cape town at 8. Tour robben island, where nelson mandela was held prisoner, and langa township, an area of town desginated for black and migrant workers during apartheid. Since 1997 it has been a museum and a heritage site. A special tour with 10 highlights and 5 stops is also available and it needs the adults to pay r1050 and children below 12 years of age to pay r600. Its history as a prison is almost as old as the first dutch settlement on the cape, dating all the way back to the 17th century. The robben island portion will be subject to the availability of robben island tickets at time of. It was a training and defence station in world war ii 19391945 and a hospital for people with leprosy, and the mentally and chronically ill 18461931.
I am leaning towards booking the robben island tour for sure and soon as there are finite numbers of spaces on the ferry but was wondering should i just wait and book the table mountain tickets the first day i get there as we should know what the weather should be. One of south africas most famous sights, robben island is located four miles to the west of cape town. This full day tour takes you to two important sites in cape town history. Robben island or robbeneiland afrikaans is an island in south africa, located off cape town, 6. Robben island is set in table bay at the northern end of the cape peninsula on the atlantic coast about 5. City, table mountain and robben island by cape town day tours. Mar 23, 2020 township and robben island tour combination. Join us on this guided, tenhour tour and combine a trip to the mountain with a threehour tour of robben island, where nelson mandela was imprisioned. The tour includes a return trip, for more info visit. No tour of cape town is complete without a trip to table mountain, the flattopped mountain overlooking cape town. Depending on the weather and the specific boat, the ride out to the island can take half an hour on the short end and up to an hour on the long end. Robben island is truly a historic location of the continent of africa and so there are many things to do here. Book your tickets online for robben island museum, cape town central. Cape townships and robben island full day tour in cape town.
One way that its not possible to book 24h in advance on the. Robben island museum rim is a public entity responsible for managing, maintaining, presenting, developing and marketing robben island as a national estate and world heritage site. Today, tourists and locals alike can tour robben island and give themselves the opportunity to experience a part of south africas history. Tour combined a boat trip from cape town with a bus tour of the island and a foot tour of the prison where nelson mandela was held for most of his life. Prices are the same whether you book online or buy from the ticket office. Jan 30, 2018 on the hottest day of the summer holidays, we decided to book a tour to robben island with the family.
Robben island cape town, western cape tour agency, island. If table mountain is closed, you will visit signal hill instead. Visit different townships around cape town and witness the aftereffects of the struggles of apartheid before hopping on a ferry to robben island and discovering the story of one of the men who played a. Robben island tour prices, entrance fees 2018 updated.
View his prison cell, learn about the dramatic history of the island and south africa from a former political robben island prisoner. Inscribed on unescos world heritage list in 1999, robben island is known for being used as a prison, leprosarium, psychiatric hospital and military defence post. It was established by the department of arts and culture in 1997. Robben island is a small landmass located just seven kilometres four miles off the coast of cape town, in table bay. Years ago when i visited mr mandelas cell was open for us to walk into. Oct 23, 2017 it was a sunny day when we headed to the cape town waterfront to catch the boat to robben island for our halfday robben island tour. Do you need to book in advance to visit robben island museum. Book robben island tour pickup 8am with transfer from hotel. Book robben island tour pickup 8am with transfer from hotel 1 transfer included from cape town city centre hotels or sea point hotels 1 robben island ticket included per person return ferry trip to robben island experience an emotional heart rendering story by an ex inmate.
These tours are from monday to friday during the concession period 2 may to 31 october, but can change at the discretion of management. Dec 11, 20 being the low season in cape town, i did not expect the ferry boat tour to robben island to be fully booked. It takes its name from the dutch word for seals robben, hence the dutchafrikaans name robbeneiland which translates to seals island. Declared a world heritage site a tour of robben island takes 3 and a half hours and lasts a lifetime in your mind. Robben island tour is very common to see done by all tourists here in this destination. Your tour will comprise of two facets a guided scenic tour of the island and a walk through the maximum security prison, including a visit to nelson mandelas prison cell.
Check out the best tours and activities to experience robben island. Robben island half day tour with diamond museum experience 1. Used as a leper colony in the 1800s, it later became an infamous prison where former south african president nelson mandela was jailed for 18 years during apartheid. From the 17th to the 20th centuries, robben island served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Visit robben island and enjoy a cape town city tour. Written from mandelas tiny cell in robben island prison, five years into his life sentence for sabotage, the letter would have seemed outlandish to its recipient. It holds a significant place in south african history as it once housed the countrys most famous political prisoner and freedom fighter, nelson mandela. Book your township tour now to receive guaranteed robben island tickets. Book now and enjoy more cultural activities in south africa through the klook website today.
Whilst my knowledge of apartheid is reasonable thanks to my university degree in international politics, nothing can compare to learning and experiencing history firsthand in south africa. City, table mountain and robben island by cape town day. People lived on robben island many thousands of years ago, when the sea channel between the island and the cape mainland was not covered with water. Robben island tours and times things to do in cape town. Cape town being one of the most muslimfriendly cities in the world means that we can present you with plenty of halal lunch options. Among its many activities is the facilitation of subsidised school tours. Much of the correspondence in this volume is published here for the first time, on the centenary of mandelas birth. Departure times are generally at 9am, 11am, and 1pm. Join us as we travel through south africas oldest city affectionately known as the mother city. Everything you need to know about moses mabhida stadium in south africa. The tour includes a return trip, for more info visit za tickets are not transferable.
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