Tanzania Family Activities: Ages, Fees and Ideas

Travel advisory: Before planning, note that the US advises travellers to reconsider travel to Tanzania and the UK advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the Cabo Delgado border with Mozambique. Safari parks and Zanzibar are outside that strip. Look at travel.state.gov and gov.uk travel advice for Tanzania before you pay deposits.

Children in Tanzania are best sorted by age band, because that is how lodges, tour operators and the mountain authority sort them. Here is how the options stack up.

Under 5

Under-5s enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area free and are generally free in the national parks too. Many lodges set a minimum of about 6 for game drives. Beaches on Zanzibar and an easy village visit are better fits at this age. Cover shoulders and knees in towns and villages, and keep beach clothing for the beach.

Ages 5 to 11

Child tariffs apply: USD 23.60 in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for ages 5 to 15, and roughly 20 to 50 percent of the adult rate in other parks. The Ngorongoro tariff is on the NCAA site . Practical activities include:

  • Tarangire and Lake Manyara, each about two hours from Arusha, with elephants, baboons and flamingos.
  • Mto wa Mbu, a two-hour cultural walk through banana plantations, a market and a Makonde carving workshop, run by community guides.
  • Changuu (Prison) Island, a boat trip from Stone Town to see giant tortoises.
  • Jozani forest and the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre, where a tour takes 30 to 40 minutes and covers more than 50 species.

Most lodges also keep walks off the vehicle and lodge grounds for children 12 and older. Ask each property directly.

Ages 7 and up

Balloon flights over the Serengeti take children from 7. A shared flight is reported at USD 599 per person, with park fees extra. At USD 82.60 per adult per 24 hours at peak, the Serengeti is also the most costly park, and the 8 to 9 hour drive from Arusha to Seronera is hard on small passengers.

Teenagers

The official minimum age for Kilimanjaro is 10. Under-10s may go only to about 3,100 m with special permission. Treks last many days with a registered operator and guide, so reserve them for fit teenagers.

Practical points

  • Gates take cards or e-payment only.
  • Malaria is present below about 1,800 m, so ask a doctor about child-friendly prophylaxis.
  • Entry needs an e-visa and mandatory insurance (USD 44, up to 92 days). Check UK entry requirements for the child rate.
  • Plastic carrier bags are banned, so use cloth totes or zip-lock bags.

Look at family departures on Viator . For route ideas, use the 4-day itinerary or the day trips guide .

Verdict: choose two short parks and a beach week over a long Serengeti drive.