Zanzibar City tour: Swim with turtles, spice farm, Prison Island

Swim with green sea turtles in waist-deep water, then snorkel Prison Island's coral reefs

A private full-day tour of Zanzibar City combines three major attractions: swimming with green sea turtles at Baraka Aquarium with instruction from a guide, touring the Tropical Spice Farm to learn about clove, nutmeg and cinnamon cultivation, and a half-day trip to Prison Island for snorkeling and beach time. The tour includes private transportation, lunch at the spice farm, snorkeling equipment, and a live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or Portuguese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Zanzibar's top attractions

• Swim and watch sea turtles
• Tour Tropical Spice Farm
• Enjoy lunch at Spice Farm
• Visit Prison Island and snorkel

The experience

The day starts at Baraka Aquarium, where you wade into waist-deep water to swim alongside green sea turtles. A knowledgeable instructor teaches you about their life cycles and habitat while you're in the pool with them, not watching from behind glass. From there, the tour moves to Zanzibar's Tropical Spice Farm, a working plantation growing over 500 medicinal plants and spices. You follow a guide through the rural plantations to see where clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon are actually cultivated and harvested, the crops that shaped Zanzibar's trade history.

Lunch happens at the spice farm itself, served in the lush gardens where the ingredients grow. After eating, you head to Prison Island (Changuu Island), a 20-minute boat ride from Stone Town. The island has a beach, clear Indian Ocean water, and giant land tortoises. You get time to swim, snorkel on the pristine coral reefs, and sunbathe before the boat returns. Snorkeling equipment is provided, and the whole Prison Island portion runs about two hours.

The tour runs eight hours total with private transportation throughout, an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water on board, and WiFi. Your guide speaks one of five languages. Hotel pickup is included, and the tour is wheelchair accessible with accessible transportation and surfaces.

What’s included

• Private transportation with hotel pickup.
• lunch at the spice farm.
• snorkeling equipment.
• bottled water and WiFi on board.
• all entry fees and taxes.
• live guide in your choice of five languages.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (24 to 55 years) · Senior (60 to 80 years) · Youth (15 to 20 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 38 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Africa & Beyond Tours & Travel Ltd

Is this one for you?Book this if you want one guide steering three major stops in a single day rather than coordinating separate visits, and you prefer moving as your own group instead of syncing with other travelers.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (15 to 20 years); Child (5 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 4 years).

What's it like to swim with the sea turtles at Baraka Aquarium?

You wade into waist-deep water in the turtle pool to swim alongside green sea turtles. An instructor is there to teach you about their life cycles and habitat while you're in the water with them, so you learn as you observe.

How much time do you spend at Prison Island?

Prison Island is a half-day portion of the tour, roughly two hours on the island itself. That gives you time to snorkel on the coral reefs, swim, sunbathe on the beach, and see the giant land tortoises before the boat returns to Stone Town.

Is lunch included, and where do you eat?

Yes, lunch is included and served at the Tropical Spice Farm in the gardens themselves. You eat surrounded by the clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and other spices the farm grows.

Does the tour include hotel pickup?

Yes, private transportation with hotel pickup is included. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle throughout the day, with bottled water and WiFi on board.