With kids · Zanzibar · Tanzania
Zanzibar with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: This photo was taken by Anton Zelenov . Please credit this with : Photo : Anton Zelenov in, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Zanzibar works well for families: tortoises on Prison Island, monkeys in Jozani Forest, turtles at Nungwi and calm beaches at Kendwa. Choose beach areas carefully, as east-coast tides retreat a long way, and plan around the heat. Top picks: Prison Island (Changuu), Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park and Mnarani turtle conservation pond. Families usually base themselves in Kendwa.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Kendwa
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Island · Off Stone Town
1.Prison Island (Changuu)
About 30 minutes by boat from Stone Town, Changuu Island was planned as a prison and later used as a quarantine station; today it is home to a colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, some of them very old, plus a small beach and snorkelling reef.
Combine it with the Nakupenda sandbank on a half-day boat trip from the Stone Town waterfront.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- History
- Outdoors
Nature · Central Unguja
2.Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park
The island's only national park protects remnant forest and mangroves and is home to the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey, which you can watch at close range. A boardwalk loops through the mangroves.
Visit on the way to the east-coast beaches, and keep the recommended distance from the monkeys.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Aquarium · Nungwi
3.Mnarani turtle conservation pond
A natural tidal pool at Nungwi run as a community conservation project, where rescued green and hawksbill turtles are cared for and some are released to the sea.
A short, easy visit with children while staying in Nungwi.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
Market · Stone Town
4.Forodhani Gardens night market
Every evening the waterfront gardens in front of the Old Fort fill with food stalls grilling seafood skewers, making Zanzibar pizza and pressing sugarcane juice with lime and ginger, while local boys dive off the sea wall at sunset.
Agree the price of seafood before it is grilled, and choose stalls that are busy with locals.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Food
- After dark
- Kids
Experience · Central Unguja
5.Spice farm tour
Farms in the countryside north of Stone Town show cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, lemongrass and tropical fruit growing, with guides who explain their uses and often finish with a spiced lunch. Tours are usually half a day from Stone Town.
Choose a small farm tour that includes lunch, and bring cash for buying spices directly from the farm.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Food
- Nature
- Kids
Beach · Off Stone Town
6.Nakupenda sandbank
A strip of white sand that appears in the sea off Stone Town, its size changing with the tide; boat trips stop for swimming, snorkelling and a seafood lunch in turquoise water.
Go with an operator that brings shade and leaves no rubbish behind; there are no facilities on the sandbank.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Kids
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for beach, couples and families
Kendwa
Just south of Nungwi, Kendwa has a wide, sandy beach where the water stays deep enough to swim at low tide, plus a mix of large resorts and smaller beach hotels. It is quieter than Nungwi apart from the monthly full-moon parties.
- Good
- Swimmable at low tide; Sunset views; Wide sandy beach
- Watch out
- Few restaurants outside hotels; Noisy on full-moon party nights
- Nearby
- Nungwi, Mnemba Atoll
Family travel tips
- Kendwa and Nungwi beaches are swimmable at most tides; east-coast beaches are better for rock pools at low tide.
- Pack reef shoes to protect feet from sea urchins and sharp coral on the tidal flats.
- Seek advice from a travel-health clinic about malaria prevention and vaccinations well before travel.
- Resorts in Kiwengwa and Kendwa have pools and kids' clubs for the hottest hours.
- Transfers across the island take an hour or more; bring snacks and water for children.
Day trips for families
- Mnemba Atoll (About 1 hour by road and 20–40 minutes by boat) — The island's top snorkelling and diving area, a protected reef ring around a private island with clear water, reef fish, turtles and frequent dolphins.
- Jozani Forest (About 45 minutes by car) — The national park's red colobus monkeys, endemic to Zanzibar, can be seen at close range, and a mangrove boardwalk shows the coastal ecosystem.
- Kizimkazi (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car) — A south-coast fishing village for dolphin-watching boat trips and one of East Africa's oldest mosques, with inscriptions from the early 12th century.
When to go with children
The best months overall are January–February and June–September. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Zanzibar good for kids?
Zanzibar works well for families: tortoises on Prison Island, monkeys in Jozani Forest, turtles at Nungwi and calm beaches at Kendwa. Choose beach areas carefully, as east-coast tides retreat a long way, and plan around the heat.
+What can kids do in Zanzibar?
Prison Island (Changuu), Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, Mnarani turtle conservation pond, Forodhani Gardens night market and Spice farm tour.
+Where should families stay in Zanzibar?
Kendwa: A long west-facing beach with resorts and calm water.