Tanzania · PRISON ISLAND TOURS IN ZANZIBAR
This is the shortlist you would text a friend: 15 prison island tours in Zanzibar worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the thing to know before you commit.
From Stone Town, guide Milano Prada or another multilingual guide takes you by boat to Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank. Expect tortoises, old prison cells, swimming, snorkeling, fresh seafood, fruit, and a long beach stop. Hotel pickup is optional, and private groups are available.
“Milano was a great guide. We had the best day from start to finish - would highly recommend!!”
Sail from Stone Town to Changuu, known as Prison Island, for colonial ruins and giant Aldabra tortoises. Then spend several hours at Nakupenda Sandbank swimming, snorkeling, and eating a BBQ lunch. Guides such as Salim and Bahama lead friendly, informative small-group trips.
“The activities were great! Very well planned and organized. Very nice tour guides!”
Spend 7 to 8 hours moving from Prison Island to Nakupenda Sandbank and Stone Town. Guides such as Muhammad, Yaser, and Suliman lead the day, with boat transport, a seafood or chicken BBQ, fruit, drinks, and snorkeling equipment included.
“This tour was great. Driver was on time to pick us up to our hotel. The tour was just as described. Lunch was good and enough for everyone. Wish we had some time to walk on our own in old town but other than that everything went well.”
Spend 6 to 9 hours off Zanzibar with guides such as Jeff, Milano, or Mulebe. Visit Prison Island’s Aldabra giant tortoises, snorkel in clear water, then eat seafood, fruit, and drinks at Nakupenda Sandbank. Pickup may be available from your hotel.
“This tour was really amazing. Milano is very fun and nice guide. Really recommend to book with him. Food on Nakupenda Sandbank was delicious! All fresh seafood and a lot of it. And also fresh fruit, yum! Prison Island was a little disappointing and overpriced for 15$. This agency also take care of our backpacks in their office and took care for taxi after tour. Amazing guys.”
Take a private three-hour boat trip from Stone Town to Prison Island with a guide such as Mohammed, Musa, or Babu. Hear the island’s story, meet giant tortoises, snorkel over coral rocks, and relax on the beach. Boarding may require walking through shallow water.
“The trip went very smoothly and our guide Joseph was very helpful and knowledgeable in everything we discussed. All in all, a worth while experience!”
Spend 7 to 8 hours with a private guide exploring Stone Town, Jambo Spice Farm, and Prison Island. Guides such as Mady, Ismael, and Abkar are praised for clear storytelling. Lunch, drinks, entrance fees, and Stone Town hotel transfers are included.
“I had such a wonderful day with Ismael on this tour. We started with the spice farm where I learned so much about Zanzibar’s spices and got to eat delicious pilau rice. Ismael was very knowledgeable and explained things very well. We thRead more”
Walk Stone Town with guides such as Haji, Hamdu, Hamid, or Sullemani, visiting the museum, Arab Fort, markets, Freddie Mercury’s house, and Lloyd Mathew’s monument. Then boat to Prison Island for giant tortoises, swimming, and beach time. Pickup is included within Stone Town.
“Very clever guide, helpful vise man, which like explein not only history of Zanzibar but actual local lifeto and answer all questions for us.”
Travel from Zanzibar to Prison Island by boat for its old buildings, giant tortoises, coral waters, and beach time. Then walk through Jozani Forest with a guide to see red colobus monkeys and mangroves. Some departures add Nakupenda Sandbank, lunch, fruit, drinks, and snorkeling.
“The conditions for the tortoises on Prison Island are poor. The place is not a sanctuary or a conservation center. The tortoises are kept in a small, fenced area with many tourists. They cannot move freely, and their environment feels unnatural. Overall, it seems more like a prison for tortoises than a place focused on animal welfare or protection. I would skip prison island and only go to jozani forest. The guide and driver, transportation and everything else was great. We got to see red colobus monkeys on their natural habitat in jozani forest.”
Meet your English-speaking guide by Stone Town’s Old Fort, then boat to Prison Island. See its unused prison buildings, feed tortoises over 100 years old, snorkel among fish and coral, and finish with a Swahili seafood BBQ, fruit, cheese, snacks, and water on the sandbank.
Take a traditional dhow from Stone Town to Prison Island on a private 3-hour outing. You’ll see giant tortoises, hear why the island earned its name, and have time to snorkel among tropical fish and coral. Hotel pickup is available, but guide communication and boat access deserve attention.
Spend about four hours with a private guide in Stone Town and on Prison Island. Visit the old slave market site, Old Fort, Sultan Palace Museum, House of Wonders, Freddie Mercury’s house, giant tortoises, and Sultan’s prison, with boat tickets and snorkel gear included.
“Great tour; our guide (Munta) was friendly, relaxed, and flexible. We skipped the snorkeling in favor of more time at other stops and never felt rushed. Highly recommend!”
Spend about 10 hours visiting Nakupenda Sandbank, Prison Island, and Stone Town. You’ll sail by dhow, snorkel, eat a Swahili seafood lunch, meet giant tortoises, and tour historic landmarks with guides such as Ibrahim, Abraham, Adam, Malcolm, and Isaac.
“C'était vraiment super à refaire ,nous avons découvert de magnifiques lieux et les tortues juste impressionnantes”
This half-day Zanzibar tour pairs a boat trip to Prison Island with a guided walk through Stone Town. You’ll see giant tortoises, the Old Fort, Forodhani Gardens, Freddie Mercury’s former home, the slave-market memorial, and Darajani Bazaar. Guides such as Mohamed, Mohammed, Yakop, and Riz’one lead the route.
“Shadow our spice guide was amazing. Mohammed was amazing on the walking tour and prison island your. Learned so much. Amazing. Walking wasn't bad. Had my 60+ yr old mother, wife, and four kids (4,6,8,9) no one complained. All fun”
Spend 7 to 8 hours with guide Yasco exploring Stone Town, Changuu Prison Island, and Nakupenda Beach. Your private tour includes boat fare, lunch, shopping time, tortoises, historic sites, and snorkeling, with pickup and return at Mizingani Seafront Hotel.
“Yasco, our tour guide was absolutely amazing! Such a kind soul and truly made our experience an unforgettable one. He provided so much information about Zanzibar and its history. Traveling this far away from home with best friends can be Read more”
Take a 30-minute boat from Zanzibar to Changuu Island for giant Aldabra tortoises, a former quarantine station, beach time, and optional snorkeling. Your guide handles hotel transfers and entrance fees, while you bring swimwear, towels, water, and patience for rough seas or crowded afternoons.
“Very nice trip to prison island. Great driver and car and our guide was very friendly and informative on what we visited.”
Pick a park, a reef or a route up the mountain.
