Tanzania and Zanzibar family holidays

Big game, light-aircraft flights, comfortable lodges and the true African bush – Tanzania makes for extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime family holidays. Its nature sanctuaries offer the chance to seelots of African game, and if you partner your stay with time on the exotic spice island of Zanzibar, you can also enjoy white sandy beaches, turquoise waters and coral reefs.

12.00

Today

24°C
76°F

Capital City	Dar es Salaam
Flying Time	10 hours
Carbon Footprint	5.25 tonnes CO₂
Timezone	GMT +3
Local Currency	Tanzanian Shilling

What to do

Immerse yourself in the African wilderness of the coastal Saadani Gamme Reserve, breathtaking in its tranquillity. A short walk one way brings you to the beach, but head the other way and you are in the wilds. As well as seeing animals (eland, waterbuck, zebra, giraffe, oryx and perhaps the rare Roosevelt sable, and, on boat trips up-river, a glimpse of hippo, crocodile and plenty of birdlife), you might visit a local village and its school and experience everyday life. On organised adventure holidays you'll stay at a beach camp with thatched bungalows.

Head inland to the contrasting Mikumi National Park, with fantastic opportunities for spotting elephants, buffalo and large herds of antelope, and the dense rainforest at the foot of the Uluguru Mountains, home to Colobus monkeys, plus more elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, impala and other antelope.

Discover Zanzibar. Stone Town is a colourful mix of Africa and Islam, while the white sandy beaches, clear seas and coral reefs make the island perfect for relaxing family holidays.

Where to stay

When it comes to family holidays in Tanzania, you can generally expect clean and comfortable accommodation – there are some stunningly upscale lodges too, but in most case they're not as child-friendly. For inspiration, see our feature Green Places to Stay With Kids: Africa.

Most families take escorted adventure trips to Tanzania (see the right-hand column of this page for our recommendations and deals), in which case accommodation is in a mixture of hotels, safari lodges and fixed camps – again, comfortable but not luxurious.

Zanzibar, meanwhile, is the place to splurge on luxurious family-friendly beach resorts such as the Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort.

Photos

When

Tanzania's long dry season (June–Oct) is followed by the 'short rains' (Nov and Dec). Then comes the short dry season (Jan–Mar), when it it can be too hot (Dar es Salaam, 30–32°C) and humid for family holidays, at least with younger kids. The ‘long rains’ fall Apr–May. All this said, this seasonal pattern and the amount of rainfall has been less regular in recent years.

On the coast, the heat is tempered by sea breezes. In the mountains it can be considerably cooler, especially in the evening.

Zanzibar is only 6° south of the equator so the climate is essentially tropical – hot and humid, with average daytime temperatures in the low 30°Cs.

How

There are direct flights from London to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania; see our flight deals page. Flying time is about 10hrs direct and Dar es Salaam is 3hrs ahead, meaning that jet-lag is unlikely to be an issue on family holidays.

Before booking flights, make sure you have time to get all the necessary jabs.

Eat

Poultry, corn, beef, fish, lamb, eggs, tropical fruit and vegetables are the main ingredients of Tanzania's cuisine. On safaris and family adventure holidays you'll normally be offered relatively simple but tasty dishes.

Zanzibar is a good place for exotic seafood dishes, but Western staples at the bigger resorts mean you can cover all bases on family holidays on the island.