The ferries depart from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V & A Waterfront. The tour takes 3.5 hours including the ferry trip to and from the Island (Depending on the boat used as they have different travel times).

You will disembark at Murray’s Bay Harbour situated on the east coast of the Island and take a short walk to buses that will transport you to all the historical sites around the Island. On the way to the buses, you will pass buildings and a high wall built by prisoners during the 1960s.The buildings were used for family and lawyer visits to prisoners.

You will meet your Tour Guide when you have boarded the busses. The Tour guides inside the prison are former political prisoners. They are fully conversant and knowledgeable about the Island’s multi-layered 500 year old history. The tour route includes the graveyard of people who died from leprosy, the Lime Quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, the Bluestone quarry, the army and navy bunkers and the Maximum Security Prison where thousands of South Africa’s freedom fighters were incarcerated for years. The tour culminates with a viewing of Nelson Mandela’s cell.

Currently the boat runs three times a day, 09h00, 11h00 and 13h00. We recomend booking the 09h00 ferry as the sea is usualy calmer and it leaves you the rest of the day for other activites.