in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela’s "long walk to freedom" on this half-day tour of that infamous island where South Africa’s would-be president was incarcerated for 18 grueling years. You’ll get a glimpse into conditions on the island during those bitter days of Apartheid. You’ll see Madiba’s prison cell, and smell the dust of the lime quarries where he once sweated and lepers once lived. Ex-political prisoners – now pardoned – will escort you and provide a unique perspective on this aspect of South Africa’s past. No one with an interest in recent world history should miss a visit to this historic location.

Now proclaimed a World Heritage Site, the island has been a place of confinement for criminals, hoboes, prostitutes and the sick. It was here that rulers sent those they regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society. But nature vies here with spellbinding cultural stories for tourist attention. Unknown to many visitors, the reserve is the natural habitat of creatures such as ostriches, tortoises, and the antelopes known as springbok, eland and bontebok. What’s more, the views of Cape Town and Table Mountain are unsurpassable from the island, just 12 km from the coast. Getting to the island these days is a far more comfortable cruise than in years gone by. At the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Waterfront’s Clock Tower precinct, you’ll board the ferry that will take you on a 25-minute journey to the Island. En route, you’ll be briefed by video on the history of the island. Or you can simply enjoy the views whilst gliding over the ocean to what a famous former inmate called "The Island of the Damned".
Getting around on the island is as easy. A 50-seater coach carries visitors over the windswept, rocky terrain. This tour is designed to give you insight into the South Africa of today by looking at the injustices of the past. You’ll feel a little different about things, once you’ve been to the island.

<< Click here to go back to the half day tour list.