Robben Island Tickets: book your visit online
By Andrea Semonella
Updated on 16 min read
In short
On Tiqets the ferry and prison tour starts at €42.50 per adult and covers the whole visit: the return ferry from the V&A Waterfront, the bus tour of the island and the guided walk through the prison. The ticket reaches your phone a few minutes after booking. If your dates might change, the flexible ticket costs €65 and can be cancelled or moved for free up to 24 hours before.
Robben Island can only be visited on a guided tour that starts and ends at the Nelson Mandela Gateway, at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. Every ticket includes the return ferry across Table Bay, a bus tour of the island and a guided visit to the Maximum Security Prison, which ends at Nelson Mandela's cell.
If you need to decide quickly, the most booked option is the Ferry Ticket & Prison Museum Tour: it starts at €42.50 and the ticket arrives on your phone in minutes. If your dates are not fixed yet, the flexible version costs €65 and can be cancelled or changed for free up to 24 hours before.
If you are staying away from the Waterfront, the guided tour with return transfer picks you up and brings you back. If you only have one day in Cape Town, the full-day tour with Table Mountain fits both in: it is in the table below.
Ferries sail weather permitting and the museum recommends booking early, especially from September to April. Below are all the options with their prices, and what you need to know on the day. The visit itself is described in our guide to the Robben Island tour.
All Robben Island tickets compared
Every ticket below includes the return ferry, the guided tour of the island and the prison visit. The tickets differ in how you get to the Waterfront, who guides you and what else you see that day. Prices are per adult on Tiqets.
| Ticket | Best for | What you get | Time | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferry Ticket & Prison Museum Tour | Most visitors | Return ferry, island bus tour, prison visit. Non-refundable, date cannot be changed | About 4 h | €42.50 | Check dates |
| Ferry Ticket & Prison Museum Tour, flexible | Dates not fixed yet | The same visit. Free cancellation and date change up to 24 h before | About 4 h | €65 | Check dates |
| Guided Tour with Return Transfer | Staying away from the Waterfront | The same visit plus pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation. Free cancellation up to 72 h before | 3.5 h + transfer | €64.50 | Check dates |
| Tour with Mandela's Warder and Chef | Smaller groups and first-hand stories | Groups of up to 20, stories and photos from Mandela's warder and cook, coach transfer | About 4 h | €135 | Check dates |
| Robben Island and Table Mountain | Only one free day in Cape Town | Island visit, hotel pick-up, St George's Cathedral and the Groote Kerk; cable car paid on the day | About 8 h | €114.28 | Check dates |
| Long Walk to Freedom and Robben Island | Following Mandela's life | Island visit plus the Long Walk to Freedom exhibition (entry extra), pick-up at 08:00 | About 8 h | €107.51 | Check dates |
| Private Tour: Island, Table Mountain and City | Families and private groups | Island, Table Mountain and the city with your own driver-guide, pick-up at 08:00 | About 8 h | €164.70 | Check dates |
| Robben Island and Groot Constantia | Wine lovers | Island in the morning, the oldest wine estate in South Africa in the afternoon; tasting extra | About 8 h | €251.24 | Check dates |
If in doubt, take the first: it is the full visit and the one most people book. If your dates could still change, the second is the same visit with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Robben Island tickets and entrance fee: options and prices
The standard visit is the same whoever sells it: ferry, bus tour and prison. On Tiqets it comes in two versions, a standard ticket and a flexible one, and the only difference is what happens if your plans change.
Ferry Ticket & Prison Museum Tour
This is the classic visit, and the one most people book. You check in at the Nelson Mandela Gateway, cross Table Bay by ferry, tour the island by bus with a live guide in English and then walk through the Maximum Security Prison, where the story is often told by a former political prisoner. The visit ends at Mandela's cell in B Section, and the ferry takes you back to the Waterfront. Allow about 4 hours in total.
The ticket arrives by email, and on WhatsApp or iMessage if you choose, a few minutes after booking. Hotel pick-up, food and drinks are not included. This ticket is non-refundable and the date cannot be changed.
Flexible ticket with free cancellation
The same visit is also sold as a flexible ticket, from €65. You can cancel it, or move it to another date, for free up to 24 hours before. On Robben Island that matters more than elsewhere: strong wind and heavy swell cancel sailings in any season, and with a flexible ticket a bad forecast, a delayed flight or a change of plans costs you nothing.
Why book on Tiqets
Booking on Tiqets changes what happens before the crossing, not the visit itself: the ferry, the guides and the prison are the same. This is what you get with the Ferry Ticket & Prison Museum Tour on Tiqets; the first two rows apply to its flexible version.
| On Tiqets | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Free cancellation up to 24 hours before (flexible ticket) | You can cancel for any reason. The museum refunds its own tickets only if it cancels the sailing. |
| Free date change up to 24 hours before (flexible ticket) | If the forecast changes, or your plans do, you pick another day. At the museum you must ask 48 hours ahead and pay a fee. |
| Ticket on your phone in minutes | It arrives by email, and on WhatsApp or iMessage if you choose. Show it at the Gateway with your ID. |
| Card payment in your currency | You pay in your own currency, with no rand to work out. The museum accepts only rand or cards. |
| Website and support in your language | Booking, changes and questions are handled in your language. The guided tour on the island is in English. |
Prices on Tiqets start at €42.50 per adult for the standard ticket, which is non-refundable, and €65 for the flexible one. We earn a commission when you book through our links. Free cancellation lets you book early without risk. The museum can cancel a sailing in any season, in a summer south-easter or a winter swell, and with the flexible ticket you can move or cancel the visit without losing anything.
Table Mountain and Cape Town seen from the shore of Robben Island
Robben Island guided tours with transfer
The visit on the island is always guided, but getting to the Waterfront is up to you. These tours add a transfer from your hotel, or first-hand stories from a former warder.
Guided Tour with Return Transfer
The same ferry, bus tour and prison visit, with pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation. The tour lasts about 3.5 hours plus the transfer, groups have up to 45 people and you can cancel for free up to 72 hours before. It is the easiest choice if you are staying away from the Waterfront and do not want to deal with parking.
Tour with Mandela's Warder and Chef
A smaller group, up to 20 people, with stories from a man who worked as Mandela's warder and cook, illustrated with photos from his personal archive. The ticket includes the ferry, the guided tour and a transfer in an air-conditioned coach, and it can be cancelled for free up to 24 hours before.
Robben Island combined tickets and day tours
If your time in Cape Town is short, a full-day tour takes care of the ferry booking and fits a second sight into the same day. All of these include the Robben Island ticket.
Robben Island and Table Mountain Full-Day Tour
About 8 hours with hotel pick-up, a driver-guide, water and Wi-Fi on board, and entry to St George's Cathedral and the Groote Kerk. The Table Mountain cable car ticket is not included and is bought on the day.
Robben Island, Table Mountain and Cape Town: Private Tour
The same idea with a private driver-guide for your group, starting at 08:00 with a pick-up from your hotel. The cable car ticket is extra.
Long Walk to Freedom and Robben Island Tour
A day built around Mandela's life: the visit to Robben Island and the Long Walk to Freedom exhibition. Pick-up is at 08:00 within 30 km of Cape Town; entry to the exhibition is not included.
Robben Island and Groot Constantia
The island in the morning and Groot Constantia, the oldest wine estate in South Africa, founded in 1685, in the afternoon. Groups have up to 13 people, guides speak English and French, and the wine tasting is paid separately.
Robben Island with a safari or a paragliding flight
Tiqets also sells two bundles at a small discount: a guided day safari with lunch plus the Robben Island ferry and museum tour, and a tandem paragliding flight over Cape Town plus the same tour.
Where to buy tickets: online or at the ticket office
Online on Tiqets
The simplest way is to book online before you leave home: you choose the date and the departure, pay by card in your currency and receive the ticket on your phone. The ferry and prison tour on Tiqets starts at €42.50, its flexible version can be cancelled or moved for free up to 24 hours before, and the tours with transfer and the full-day tours on this page are booked the same way.
Sites with "official tickets" in the name
Other platforms also resell the same ferry and prison tour, or package it with a transfer. Be careful with sites that put "official tickets" in their name or headline: several are affiliates of these platforms, as their own footers say. That is not a problem in itself, as we are an affiliate too, but you should know who you are buying from. Before paying, check three things: what is included, the cancellation deadline and whether the price is per person.
The ticket office at the Nelson Mandela Gateway
Unsold seats are sold at the Gateway on the day, in rand or by card. On quiet days this can work, but there is no guarantee, and in peak season you may walk to the Gateway for nothing.
How far in advance to book, and last-minute tickets
The museum does not give a number. It says only that tickets are subject to availability and that early booking is recommended, especially from September to April, when the island is busiest. Our advice: book your visit as soon as your dates are fixed, and in December and January, the southern summer holidays, do not leave it to the last week. If you want to book early but your plans could still change, take the flexible ticket: you can cancel it for free up to 24 hours before.
If you are already in Cape Town, open the ferry and prison tour on Tiqets to see live availability for the coming days: if a departure is still open, you can book it from your phone and get the ticket in minutes. Failing that, try the Gateway ticket office early in the morning, before the 09:00 ferry.
The red Clock Tower at the V&A Waterfront, next to the Nelson Mandela Gateway
Useful information for your visit
Where the ferry leaves from
All tours leave from the Nelson Mandela Gateway in the Clock Tower Precinct of the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. Check in at least 30 minutes before departure: the gates close 10 minutes before the ferry leaves. The ferry lands at Murray's Bay Harbour on the island. Buses, parking and taxis are in our guide on how to get to Robben Island.
Save the Gateway's location on your phone before the day.
Nelson Mandela Gateway, V&A Waterfront
Open in Google MapsFerry times
| Season | Departures |
|---|---|
| 1 September to 30 April | 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 |
| 1 May to 31 August | 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 |
Next ferry
09:00
Departures at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 from September to April
Departures
- 09:00
- 11:00
- 13:00
- 15:00
From May to August: 09:00, 11:00 and 13:00 · weather permitting
To plan the rest of your day, pick your departure and see roughly when you will be back at the Waterfront.
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.
The crossing takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on the boat; our guide to the Robben Island ferry has the details. If you are in Cape Town for a few days, book your visit for early in your stay: if the sea is rough and the ferry is cancelled, you still have time to rebook.
The evening before and on the morning of your visit, check whether the Robben Island ferry is running today: the page rates each departure on the wind and swell forecast and gives the number to call the museum.
Documents and rules on the island
Bring a passport, an ID card or a driving licence: you need it to board. Personal photos are allowed, drones and tripods are not. There is no restaurant on the island, only a small shop with snacks and drinks; you can bring your own food, but alcohol is not allowed. If you get seasick, the museum suggests taking a tablet an hour before boarding.
Official museum prices, for reference
These are the prices the museum charges at its own ticket office. Robben Island Museum sets two price lists, one for South African citizens and one for everyone else. The tour is the same: return ferry, bus tour and prison visit. At R600, the adult ticket for international visitors is the fourth most expensive of the 13 in our comparison of prison museum ticket prices, and costs a quarter less than Alcatraz, the other island prison whose ticket includes the boat.
| Visitor | Adult | Under 18 |
|---|---|---|
| International visitors | R600 | R310 |
| South African citizens | R400 | R210 |
| Under 2 | Free, with a birth certificate or passport | |
The museum's own rules are strict. Its tickets are refunded only if the ferry is cancelled because of the weather or an operational problem, and changing the date needs a request at least 48 hours ahead, with an admin fee. Free tickets for children under 2 are issued at the Gateway on presentation of a birth certificate or passport.
The museum's frequently asked questions add three more rules. Official tickets are personal and cannot be transferred. If you cannot travel because you are in hospital, or because of a death, you can apply for a refund. At the museum you pay only in South African rand or by credit or debit card.
Walking tour tickets
The museum's walking tour has its own, higher price list: R1,400 for international adults and R820 for under 18s, R1,000 and R620 for South African citizens. It runs from Friday to Sunday, leaving at 09:00, and covers about 5 km on foot over about 5 hours, with a free cap and water bottle.
Some travel guides quote R1,400 as the price of a Robben Island ticket: that is the walking tour. The standard tour by ferry and bus costs R600. The walking tour is sold only by the museum and suits visitors who are fit and happy to walk for hours; how it compares with the standard visit is explained in our guide to the Robben Island tour.
Side by side, the museum's own adult prices show how big the gap is: the walking tour costs more than twice the standard visit.
- Standard tour, international visitorR600
- Walking tour, international visitorR1,400
- Standard tour, South African citizenR400
- Walking tour, South African citizenR1,000
Robben Island Museum adult prices
Discounts and concessions
Under 18s pay the child rate and under 2s travel free. South African pensioners aged 60 and over get a concession on Mondays and Wednesdays. The museum also lists a tour guide discount and a birthday special among its current promotions, but does not publish their conditions online: ask the museum on +27 21 413 4200 before you book.
Visitors on the rocky shore, with Table Mountain across the bay
Conclusions
For most visitors the best choice is the Ferry Ticket & Prison Museum Tour: it is the full visit, it starts at €42.50 and the ticket arrives on your phone in minutes.
Choose the flexible ticket if your dates are not certain, the tour with transfer if you are staying far from the Waterfront, and a full-day tour if Robben Island has to share your only free day in Cape Town.
Before you go, read about the prison and Mandela's years on the island: the visit means more when you know the story.
Robben Island tickets: FAQ
How much is a ticket to Robben Island?
On Tiqets the ferry and prison tour starts at €42.50 per adult. That covers the return ferry, the guided bus tour of the island and the prison visit, which ends at Mandela's cell. The flexible version costs €65 and can be cancelled or moved for free up to 24 hours before. You pay by card in your own currency and the ticket reaches your phone in minutes. The museum's own price list is in the last section of this page.
Can I buy Robben Island tickets on the day?
Any unsold seats are sold at the ticket office in the Nelson Mandela Gateway, but there is no guarantee that any are available. The museum recommends booking in advance, especially from September to April. Online you can check live availability for the coming days and book the ferry and prison tour on Tiqets, with the ticket on your phone in minutes.
What does the Robben Island ticket include?
The return ferry from the V&A Waterfront, the guided bus tour of the island and the guided visit to the Maximum Security Prison, which ends at Nelson Mandela's cell. Food and hotel transfers are not included in the standard ticket; if you want to be picked up, the guided tour with return transfer adds it.
Can I change the date of my Robben Island ticket?
Not on the standard ticket: the ferry and prison tour on Tiqets at €42.50 is non-refundable and the date cannot be changed. If your plans are not certain, book the flexible ticket at €65, which you can reschedule or cancel for free up to 24 hours before your visit. With the official ticket you must ask at least 48 hours ahead and pay an admin fee.
Do I need my passport to board the ferry?
You need a valid document: a passport, an ID card or a driving licence. Without one you cannot board, even with a ticket. Printed and digital tickets are both accepted.
What happens if the ferry is cancelled because of the weather?
If you booked on Tiqets, contact Tiqets customer service from your booking, in your own language, and they arrange it with the tour operator. Official tickets are refunded when the museum cancels a sailing. To leave room for a second try, book the visit for one of your first days in Cape Town. If the forecast worries you, the flexible ticket lets you move the date for free up to 24 hours before.
What is the official website for Robben Island tickets?
The Robben Island Museum's website is robben-island.org.za, the reference for the island's history and the visiting rules. Several sites with "official" in their name or title are resellers or affiliates: check the footer before you pay. We are an affiliate too, of Tiqets, where the ferry and prison tour starts at €42.50.
Are there discounts on Robben Island tickets?
Children under 18 pay a reduced rate and children under 2 travel free. South African pensioners aged 60 and over get a concession on Mondays and Wednesdays. The museum also lists a tour guide discount and a birthday special, without publishing the conditions online.
How long does the Robben Island tour take?
About 3.5 to 4 hours from departure to return, including two crossings of 30 to 60 minutes each. Full-day tours that combine the island with Table Mountain or the Winelands take about 8 hours.
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.
The Robben Island tour
Nelson Mandela Gateway