Hotels near Robben Island: where to stay by the ferry, the 10 best
By Andrea Semonella
Updated on 15 min read
In short
You cannot stay on Robben Island: there is no accommodation for visitors on the island, and every tour is a day trip by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront. The best place to stay near Robben Island is therefore the Waterfront itself: The Silo, the Victoria & Alfred Hotel, Cape Grace and Radisson RED are all within about 300 m of the ferry, and there are good options for families and smaller budgets within 800 m.
Can you stay on Robben Island? Accommodation on the island
No. Robben Island is a museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and every tour the Robben Island Museum runs is a day trip: you cross by ferry from the V&A Waterfront, visit the island and the prison, and come back the same afternoon. There are no hotels or guest rooms for visitors.
Two buildings cause confusion. The Guest House, built in 1895 for the Commissioner of the Island, has been used for conferences since the prison closed. The Multi-Purpose Learning Centre has accommodation, but only for organisations that apply to run educational camps on human rights with the museum. Neither is something you can book as a tourist.
Where to stay near Robben Island: the V&A Waterfront
The practical question, then, is where to stay to make the ferry easy, and the answer is the V&A Waterfront. Every boat leaves from the Nelson Mandela Gateway, in the Clock Tower Precinct of the Waterfront, and you need to be there at least 30 minutes before departure. Sleep within walking distance and your morning no longer depends on traffic.
The Waterfront is also the most practical base in Cape Town for everything else: restaurants and shops are on the doorstep, the Two Oceans Aquarium and Zeitz MOCAA are a few minutes away, and MyCiTi buses leave for the city centre and Sea Point. All ten hotels below are inside it or at its edge, from five-star to three-star, so the best hotel near Robben Island depends only on how you travel: as a couple, with children or on a budget.
The map shows the Gateway, the point to measure every hotel against.
Nelson Mandela Gateway, V&A Waterfront
Open in Google Maps
Best hotels near Robben Island: comparison table
We chose the ten best hotels within 800 m of the Robben Island ferry and noted what each one does best. Star gradings are from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa; facilities are from each hotel's official website. We do not list prices: they change daily, so check them for your dates on Booking.com.
| Hotel | Distance to the ferry | Best for | Why choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Silo Hotel | about 200 m | Luxury | Rooftop pool and rooms that look out to Robben Island |
| Victoria & Alfred Hotel | about 250 m | Walking to the ferry | On the Pierhead, keeps your bags on check-out day |
| Cape Grace | about 300 m | Couples | A private quay, a heated pool and a spa with a salt room |
| Radisson RED V&A Waterfront | about 300 m | A lively stay | Rooftop pool and bar in the Silo District |
| Dock House Boutique Hotel | about 350 m | Privacy | Six rooms in a 19th-century harbour house |
| InterContinental Table Bay | about 400 m | Rainy days | Connected to the Victoria Wharf shopping centre, free kids club |
| The Portswood Hotel | about 450 m | History lovers | Built around cells that held prisoners bound for Robben Island |
| One&Only Cape Town | about 600 m | Families | KidsOnly club, family suites, children under 12 stay free |
| Protea Breakwater Lodge | about 650 m | Families on a budget | Three stars, rooms for four in a former prison |
| City Lodge V&A Waterfront | about 800 m | A budget stay | Three stars, 207 refurbished rooms by the canal |
The 10 best hotels near Robben Island, one by one
In order of distance from the ferry, from the closest to the furthest. For each hotel: why you would choose it, what it offers and how far you walk to the boat.
1. The Silo Hotel: best luxury hotel near Robben Island
The closest hotel to the ferry, and the only one with rooms that look out to Robben Island.
The Silo is the closest hotel to the ferry and the only one here with rooms that look out to the island. It occupies the upper floors of a grain silo opened in 1924, above the Zeitz MOCAA museum, with 28 rooms and suites. From the heated rooftop pool and the Royal Suites you look across the ocean to Robben Island, the place you will visit the next morning. Choose it for a special occasion, when the hotel matters as much as the sightseeing.
At a glance
- About 200 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- 28 rooms and suites over six floors, opened on 1 March 2017
- Heated rooftop pool on level 11, spa with five treatment rooms and a sauna
- Royal, Deluxe Superior and Family Suites with views towards Robben Island
- Children of all ages welcome, Family Duplex Suites and interleading suites
- The Granary Café, The Willaston Bar, underground parking, airport transfers
2. Victoria & Alfred Hotel: best hotel for walking to the Robben Island ferry
A 1904 harbour warehouse on the Pierhead, a few minutes on foot from the ferry check-in.
This is the hotel that makes the ferry easiest. It stands on the Pierhead, in a North Quay warehouse from 1904, about 250 m from the Gateway, so the walk to check-in takes minutes. It also stores your luggage after check-out, which means you can take the last ferry on the day you leave and collect your bags afterwards. Rooms look over the Alfred Basin and Table Mountain, or over the piazza with its music and performers.
At a glance
- About 250 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- In a 1904 harbour warehouse on the Pierhead
- Loft, Mountain Facing and Piazza Facing rooms, interconnecting rooms available
- Luggage storage before check-in and after check-out
- Pool and Sanctuary Spa at its sister hotel Dock House, a short walk away
- GINJA restaurant, 24-hour room service, secure covered valet parking
3. Cape Grace: best hotel near Robben Island for couples
A private quay between the marina and the harbour: quiet, and still five minutes from the boat.
Cape Grace sits on its own private quay between the marina and the harbour, about 300 m from the Gateway, so it is quiet without being far from anything. It opened in 1996 and is now managed by Fairmont, with just over 110 rooms and suites. The heated outdoor pool stays open all year and looks over the marina, and the spa adds a salt room, a sauna and a steam room. Choose it for a quiet, romantic stay, with the island as one morning of the trip.
At a glance
- About 300 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- Five-star TGCSA grading, on a private quay since 1996
- Heated outdoor pool open all year, overlooking the marina
- Fairmont Spa with salt room, sauna and steam room
- Heirloom restaurant, Bascule Bar and Library Lounge
- Rooms facing the harbour, the marina or Table Mountain
4. Radisson RED V&A Waterfront: best hotel near the Robben Island ferry for a lively stay
A rooftop pool and bar in Silo Square, right next to the ferry.
Radisson RED is in Silo Square, next to Zeitz MOCAA, and its own website puts the Robben Island ferry 0.24 km away. It is the most informal hotel on this list: a rooftop pool and a rooftop bar with views of Table Mountain and the Waterfront, a gym open 24 hours. Families are welcome in rooms for two adults and two children with a Table Mountain view, and you can even bring your dog. Choose it if you want a lively atmosphere and a rooftop pool.
At a glance
- About 300 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway (0.24 km according to the hotel)
- Rooftop pool, rooftop bar and terrace
- Family rooms for two adults and two children, cots available
- OUIBar + KTCHN for all-day dining, 24-hour gym
- Pets welcome, indoor parking
5. Dock House: best boutique hotel near Robben Island
Five rooms and one suite in a 19th-century harbour house: the most private address at the Waterfront.
Dock House has five rooms and one suite in a 19th-century harbour house on Portswood Ridge, next to the Time Ball Tower and about 350 m from the Gateway. With so few guests it feels like a private home: three of the upstairs rooms have balconies over the harbour, and the courtyard pool looks up at Table Mountain. The spa of the NewMark hotels is here too. There is no restaurant: breakfast is served at the sister hotels a few steps away. Choose it for calm, not for children: extra beds are not possible.
At a glance
- About 350 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- Five-star TGCSA grading, five rooms and one suite
- Courtyard pool with a view of Table Mountain, Sanctuary Signature Spa
- Three rooms with balconies over the harbour
- Breakfast at the Queen Victoria Hotel or the Victoria & Alfred Hotel
- No extra beds, one pair of interleading rooms
The best hotel for Robben Island is the one that lets you walk to the boat.
6. InterContinental Table Bay: best hotel near Robben Island for rainy days
The largest hotel by the ferry, connected to the shopping centre, useful when the wind cancels the ferry.
The former Table Bay Hotel, now an InterContinental, stands on Quay 6 about 400 m from the Gateway and is connected directly to the Victoria Wharf shopping centre. That matters in Cape Town: if wind cancels your ferry, you have shops, restaurants and a heated pool without stepping outside. With 306 rooms it is the largest hotel on this list, and children aged 4 to 12 have a free kids club while you visit the island. Choose it for a full-service hotel that works in any weather.
At a glance
- About 400 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- Five-star TGCSA grading, 306 rooms
- Directly connected to the Victoria Wharf shopping centre
- Heated outdoor pool, Spa InterContinental
- Planet Trekkers kids club for ages 4 to 12, free; connecting rooms
- Flint & Fennel, Le Bistrot de JAN, covered on-site parking
7. The Portswood Hotel: best hotel near Robben Island for history lovers
Built around the cells that once held prisoners bound for Robben Island.
No other hotel has such a direct link with the island's history. The Portswood stands at the entrance to the Waterfront, about 450 m from the Gateway, and its lobby and restaurant are built around a 300-year-old well and the cells that once held prisoners bound for Robben Island. Their journey to the island began a short walk away, from the same harbour you will leave from. The restaurant serves Cape Malay food and the outdoor pool is open from morning to evening. Rooms take two guests, with no children's accommodation, so it suits couples and solo travellers.
At a glance
- About 450 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- Four stars in the TGCSA directory
- Lobby built around old cells for prisoners bound for Robben Island
- Quarter Kitchen for Cape Malay dishes, Links Bar open 24 hours
- Outdoor pool from 08:00 to 20:00, private airport shuttle on request
- Rooms for two, no children's accommodation, check-out at 10:00
8. One&Only Cape Town: best family hotel near Robben Island
The five-star hotel where children are most welcome: a kids club, and free stays under 12.
One&Only is the easiest five-star hotel at the Waterfront for children, and still about 600 m from the ferry. Its KidsOnly club keeps younger children busy, children under 12 stay free with a cot or rollaway bed, and the Two-Bedroom Family Suite measures 218 square metres. The hotel advertises the largest rooms and suites in Cape Town, with views of the harbour and Table Mountain, an infinity pool and a spa on its own island. Choose it when the island is one day of a family holiday.
At a glance
- About 600 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- Five-star TGCSA grading
- KidsOnly kids club; children under 12 stay free
- Family suites up to 218 square metres, interconnecting rooms
- Infinity pool and One&Only Spa on a private island
- Nobu, ROOI and Isola restaurants, Vista Bar & Lounge
9. Protea Breakwater Lodge: best budget hotel near Robben Island for families
A 19th-century prison turned three-star hotel, with rooms that sleep four.
Breakwater Lodge is the simplest way to sleep inside the Waterfront with children. Its two-bedroom rooms sleep up to four, there are family and junior suites, and the ferry is about 650 m away on foot. The building is a 19th-century prison whose convicts were sentenced to build the Table Bay breakwater, a good introduction to the history of Robben Island. The Stonebreakers restaurant looks towards Table Mountain and there is an on-site spa. Choose it if you want the Waterfront address at a three-star level.
At a glance
- About 650 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- Three stars in the TGCSA directory
- Two-bedroom rooms for up to four guests, family and junior suites
- In the 19th-century Breakwater prison building
- Stonebreakers restaurant, Relax Spa
10. City Lodge V&A Waterfront: best budget hotel near Robben Island
A refurbished three-star hotel on the canal, for a clean room at a lower budget.
City Lodge is the straightforward choice when you want a clean, central room and will spend your days out. It stands on the canal at the edge of the Waterfront, about 800 m from the Gateway in a straight line: still a walk, or a short taxi ride for an early ferry. Its 207 rooms have been refurbished, some face the canal, and there is a splash pool, a new gym and a ground-floor restaurant with a canal terrace. Choose it to keep the budget for the island, the mountain and the restaurants.
At a glance
- About 800 m from the Nelson Mandela Gateway
- Three stars in the TGCSA directory, 207 refurbished rooms
- Some rooms facing the canal
- Splash pool and fitness centre
- Atlantic Social restaurant and bar, Atlantic Lounge
The Queen Victoria Hotel, a five-star sister of Dock House on Portswood Ridge, is about 350 m from the Gateway as well and shares its pool and spa. If Dock House is full, it is the natural alternative.
InterContinental Table Bay, with its bronze seal statue and palm trees
Accommodation near Robben Island outside the Waterfront
If the hotels at the Waterfront are full or over budget, four other areas of Cape Town are good places to stay for Robben Island. The map shows them with rings at 1, 2 and 3 km from the Gateway.
In numbers, this is how far from the ferry you sleep in each area, compared with the Waterfront hotels in this guide.
- The Silo Hotel, the closestabout 200 m
- City Lodge, the furthest of our tenabout 800 m
- Green Point, centreabout 1.5 km
- City Bowl, centreabout 2 km
- Sea Pointabout 3 km
Straight-line distances, rounded. The walk or drive is a little longer.
De Waterkant and Green Point
Cobbled streets, colourful cottages, cafés and galleries, close to the Waterfront and Cape Town Stadium. The centre of Green Point is about 1.5 km from the Gateway in a straight line: a walk or a short taxi ride.
Sea Point
The Promenade along the Atlantic for running and sunset walks, palm-lined streets and outdoor tables. Sea Point is about 3 km from the Gateway, and MyCiTi route 104 runs from here to the Waterfront Silo stop, a short walk from the Clock Tower. Traffic along the Atlantic Seaboard can be heavy at rush hour, so leave early for a morning ferry.
City Bowl
The city centre and the neighbourhoods at the foot of Table Mountain, with bars and restaurants on every corner. Gardens is quieter and suits apartments and longer stays. The centre is about 2 km from the Gateway, and route 104 connects Civic Centre station with the Waterfront. Bus, car and taxi options are in our guide on how to get to Robben Island.
The V&A Waterfront harbour and quays with Table Mountain behind
Robben Island hotels: planning your stay around the tour
- Book the island early in your trip. Crossings can be cancelled in strong wind or heavy swell, in any season. If your ferry is on day one or two, you still have days left to try again, and with the flexible ferry and prison tour on Tiqets you can change the date for free up to 24 hours before.
- Do not book a ferry for the morning you land. Cape Town International Airport is about 20 km from the Waterfront, 25 to 40 minutes by car depending on traffic. Spend the first night in town.
- Use your last day. If your hotel stores luggage after check-out, as the Victoria & Alfred Hotel does, you can take a ferry on the day you leave.
- Plan half a day. The tour lasts about 3.5 to 4 hours with the crossings. In high season, from 1 September to 30 April, ferries leave at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00; in low season there are usually three departures, the last at 13:00. Details are in our guide to the Robben Island ferry, and the planner below tells you when you will be back at your hotel.
- Staying out of town? The guided tour with return transfer picks you up at your accommodation, and some full-day tours combine the island with Table Mountain. The crossing is the same museum ferry; all the options are on our Robben Island tickets page.
When will I be back at the Waterfront?
Choose your ferry departure:
Pick a time to see when you will be back.
Estimate based on a visit of 3.5 to 4 hours. High-season departures, weather permitting.
What happens once you land, from the bus tour to Mandela's cell, is in our guide to the Robben Island tour.
Robben Island hotels and accommodation: FAQ
Can you stay on Robben Island?
No. Robben Island is a museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and every tour it sells is a day trip with a return ferry. The only accommodation on the island is for groups taking part in educational camps run with the museum, not rooms that tourists can book.
Which hotel is closest to the Robben Island ferry?
The Silo Hotel, above the Zeitz MOCAA museum, about 200 m in a straight line from the Nelson Mandela Gateway. The Victoria & Alfred Hotel is about 250 m away, Cape Grace and Radisson RED about 300 m.
What is the best area to stay for Robben Island?
The V&A Waterfront, because you walk to the ferry in a few minutes. Green Point and De Waterkant are close too; Sea Point and the city centre are linked to the Waterfront by MyCiTi route 104.
Which hotels near Robben Island are best for families?
One&Only Cape Town has the KidsOnly kids club and lets children under 12 stay free; InterContinental Table Bay has a free kids club for ages 4 to 12. Radisson RED has family rooms for two adults and two children, and Breakwater Lodge has two-bedroom rooms for up to four.
Is there a budget hotel near the Robben Island ferry?
The two hotels listed with three stars in the TGCSA directory are City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront, about 800 m from the Gateway, and Protea Hotel Breakwater Lodge, about 650 m. Both are inside or at the edge of the Waterfront, so the ferry is still a walk.
Is there a hotel with a view of Robben Island?
The Silo Hotel is the only one of our ten that sells rooms with Robben Island views: its Royal, Deluxe Superior and Family Suites look over the ocean towards the island, and the rooftop has views from Table Mountain to Robben Island.
Is Sea Point far from the Robben Island ferry?
About 3 km in a straight line. MyCiTi route 104 runs from Sea Point to the Waterfront Silo stop, a short walk from the Gateway.
Can I stay near the airport and still visit Robben Island?
You can, but the airport is about 20 km from the Waterfront, 25 to 40 minutes by car depending on traffic. For a morning ferry, a base at the Waterfront is much easier.
Andrea SemonellaBorn and raised in Genoa, Italy. Co-founder of Benicool, which publishes independent guides to cultural sites. He has travelled to every continent and writes about how to visit them without wasting time or money.
How to get to Robben Island
The Nelson Mandela Gateway
Robben Island tickets,_Waterfront,_Zeitz_Museum_of_Contemporary_Art_Africa_--_2024_--_2980.jpg){kind=link}
,_Waterfront,_Victoria_%26_Alfred_Hotel_Cape_Town_--_2024_--_2892.jpg){kind=link}
_2018_089.jpg){kind=link}