I Artist Adventure Tanzania Safari Experts
🐢 History & Tortoises · From $40 per person

Prison Island Tour

A short boat ride from Stone Town to Changuu Island — giant Aldabra tortoises, a former quarantine station, and a snorkel reef.

Experience Guide

A 20-minute boat ride off Stone Town, Changuu Island — universally called Prison Island — has a layered history: built as a prison that never held prisoners, it served instead as a quarantine station for yellow fever. Today its draw is a colony of giant Aldabra tortoises, some over a century old, that you can walk among and feed.

The trip combines the tortoise sanctuary and the historic buildings with a snorkel over the surrounding reef and time on the small beach. It’s an easy, varied half-day from Stone Town, popular with families.

How It Unfolds

Boat
Short crossing

A 20-minute boat ride from Stone Town.

Tortoises
Meet the giants

Walk among and feed the giant Aldabra tortoises.

History
The old station

Explore the historic prison/quarantine buildings.

Snorkel
Reef & beach

Snorkel the surrounding reef and relax on the beach.

Is It Worth It?

A pleasant, easy half-day with genuine appeal — the tortoises are remarkable and great for kids. It can get busy mid-morning with cruise crowds, so going early helps. Combine it with a Stone Town stay; it's right offshore.

Good to Know

  • Go early to avoid mid-morning crowds
  • Tortoises are a hit with children
  • Snorkel gear worth bringing
  • Easy add-on to Stone Town
Gallery

What It Looks Like

Prison Island Tour
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Where It Works Best

Best Places for This Experience

These are the destinations we most often pair with Prison Island Tour, based on route flow, season, and how the wider itinerary fits together.

Zanzibar Island

Powder-white beaches, turquoise reef lagoons, and the carved doorways of Stone Town — the natural finale to any Tanzania safari, 30 minutes'...

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Stone Town

Stone Town

Zanzibar's historic heart — a UNESCO-listed maze of coral-stone houses, carved doors, spice markets, and centuries of Swahili, Arab, Indian, and European...

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Nungwi

Nungwi

Zanzibar's liveliest beach village at the island's northern tip — powder sand, swimmable water at all tides, and the archipelago's best sunsets.

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Kendwa

Kendwa

Nungwi's calmer neighbour — a broad, tide-free swimming beach with a more relaxed pace and a famous monthly full-moon party.

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Questions?

We arrange this experience every week and know the operators, sites, and seasons inside out.

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Before You Book

Why is it called Prison Island?
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It was built as a prison but never used as one, serving instead as a yellow-fever quarantine station; the name stuck.
What's the main attraction?
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A colony of giant Aldabra tortoises, some over 100 years old, which you can walk among and feed.
Is there snorkelling?
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Yes — the reef around the island offers easy snorkelling, included on most trips.
How long does it take?
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About half a day, including the short boat ride from Stone Town.
Safari Advisor
Ibrahim ● Online Based in Arusha, Tanzania

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