Robben Island Helicopter Tour

The Robben Island helicopter tour is a scenic flight departing from the V&A Waterfront Heliport, featuring a full 360-degree fly-around of the Robben Island UNESCO World Heritage Site. The aircraft is the Airbus H120 or H130 in the operator's rotation, both SACAA-maintained (the South African Civil Aviation Authority that licenses commercial flight operations). The route covers the Atlantic Seaboard on the outbound leg and the seaward face of Robben Island on the loop, with sweeping aerial views of the former maximum-security prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for eighteen years.

What does the Robben Island helicopter tour include?

The Robben Island helicopter tour is a scenic flight departing from the V&A Waterfront Heliport, offering full aerial views of Robben Island and the Atlantic Seaboard. Flying time is roughly 15 to 20 minutes, with the island fly-around as the route's main focus. This is a fly-past experience, not the State-run Robben Island Museum ferry tour. The aircraft is the Airbus H120 or H130 with noise-cancelling headsets and live pilot commentary on every flight.

Where does the Robben Island helicopter tour fly?

The route runs from the V&A Waterfront Heliport north-west across Table Bay to Robben Island, then circles the seven-square-kilometre island for a full 360-degree pass before returning along the Atlantic Seaboard with views of the city bowl, Lion's Head and Signal Hill. The entire flight remains within Table Bay airspace and is among the shortest scenic flight routes in Cape Town that include World Heritage subject matter.

The order of sights from the V&A:

• Table Bay outbound. The route crosses the bay with Table Mountain behind, the V&A precinct shrinking below.
• Robben Island. The maximum-security prison, the lime quarry where Mandela worked, the village, the airstrip and the church.
• Bluebergstrand horizon. The full sweep north toward Bloubergstrand and the West Coast.
• Atlantic Seaboard return. South past Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay before the heliport approach.

Live pilot commentary through noise-cancelling headsets covers the island's history (3,000 years of human use, the 17th-century Dutch jail, the leper hospital, the apartheid-era maximum security prison closed in 1996, the 1999 UNESCO World Heritage Site listing).

Who is the Robben Island helicopter tour for?

The Robben Island helicopter tour suits visitors who want a dedicated aerial look at the World Heritage Site, guests who can't fit the State-run ferry-and-walk tour into their schedules, and photographers seeking aerial views of the prison and lime quarry that no land tour provides. It is also a mid-tier flight that pairs well with the Hopper or the Atlantico for guests building a half-day at the V&A.

• Visitors with limited time. The ferry-and-walk takes around four hours; the helicopter tour takes under an hour, from V&A to V&A.
• Photographers. The seaward face of the island and the lime quarry are the angles a ferry tour doesn't reach.
• Guests doing multiple routes. Pairs cleanly with a longer scenic flight earlier or later in the day.
• Anyone interested in apartheid-era history. The pilot commentary covers the prison's history and its significance.

In our booking team's experience, the Robben Island flight is the most-requested route by repeat Cape Town visitors who have already done the ferry tour and want the aerial perspective they missed the first time.

How is this different from the Robben Island ferry tour?

The helicopter tour is a scenic fly-around with no landing on the island. The State-run Robben Island Museum ferry tour is a half-day experience: a thirty-to-forty-minute ferry across Table Bay from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A, a bus tour of the island's main sites with an ex-political-prisoner guide, a walk through the maximum-security cells, including Mandela's, and the return ferry. The two products are not substitutes; many guests do both.

For the wider helicopter tour catalogue, see the helicopter tour packages category.

How does the Robben Island helicopter tour booking work?

The Robben Island tour runs as both a shared scenic flight (set departure times, four to six passengers per aircraft) and as private hire of the whole aircraft. Shared booking sits in the mid-tier; private hire moves up, giving full control over the slot. Both formats use the same aircraft and pilots. Check-in is 20 to 30 minutes before takeoff at the V&A Waterfront Heliport.

• Check-in: 20 to 30 minutes before take-off at the V&A Waterfront Heliport.
• Safety briefing and weight: every passenger weighs in for the load-balance calculation; mandatory.
• Headsets: noise-cancelling, one per passenger, with live pilot commentary.
• Children: under-twos free on a parent's lap; over-twos need their own seat.
• Weather: pilot's call. If the flight is cancelled for safety reasons, you will be rescheduled or refunded in full.

For pricing, scroll up to the booking form on this page; for the wider tour catalogue, see the helicopter tour packages category.

Includes

• Qualified, professional pilots and flight crew.
• Fuel sufficient for the charter.
• A complimentary welcome drink.

Excludes

• Lunch, drinks and other activities during the tour.

Terms and Conditions

• The availability of all charters is subject to weather conditions and the charter operator's discretion.
• Booking and payment currency is in South African Rands.
• All charter bookings are subject to our Charter Terms and Conditions.
• You may be required to accept terms and conditions specific to the Charter Operator.
• The Charter Operator reserves the right to return the helicopter to base if operationally required and will collect from the wine estate at the appointed time.

How to Book

• Fill in the booking form for the charter you're interested in, and select whether you'd like us to quote for additional options.
• Once we've confirmed the booking date and time, we'll email you the charter quote, including additional options and our Charter Terms and Conditions.
• We'll send you your invoice and a secure payment link once we receive your acceptance of the quote and the signed booking terms and conditions.
• To secure your charter, simply make payment in full by bank transfer or a secure payment link.
• To avoid disappointment, it's best to reserve your charter early, especially during high season.
• Once we receive your payment, we'll send you a confirmation email for your charter with all the essential details.