The 12 Best Turtle Encounters

1.Zanzibar: Nungwi Turtle Aquarium Guided Half-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 197 reviews · 2.5 - 5 hours · from $22Our pick

This private Zanzibar trip takes you from your hotel to Nungwi Aquarium, where an English-speaking guide explains turtle rescue, feeding, and care. You can swim in the tidal lagoon, then visit Kendwa Beach. Drivers such as Salim and Chamia have earned praise for friendly service and good communication.

“Both driver & guide were friendly, helpful & knowledgeable. The experience was fabulous, not too many people & able to get in with so many of these beautiful turtles, to feed the & see just how wonderful they are. The only let down today was the weather! Did not stop us have a great afternoon.”

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2.Cairns: Aquarium Entry Ticket and Turtle Rehabilitation Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 89 reviews · 1 day · from $55

Spend a full day at Cairns Aquarium, then join a 30-minute English tour of its Turtle Rehabilitation Center. You may meet turtles such as Tommy, see feeding, and learn from guides including Brett or Sharlie about plastic, habitat loss, and release plans. Entry, wheelchair access, and a small group of up to 10 are included.

“It was such a beautifully designed aquarium with the most spectacular wildlife! The turtle tour was so insightful and you can see the passion of the workers - a must visit for sure!”

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3.Zanzibar: Swim with Sea Turtles at Baraka or Salaam Aquarium

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 65 reviews · 3 hours · from $80

Your hotel location decides the aquarium: Baraka in Nungwi for north and northeast stays, or Salaam in Kizimkazi for the south. Swim, feed, and photograph sea turtles with a local guide, then return by private vehicle. Guides such as Abdul and Mrisho are praised for friendly service and helpful local stories.

“We had a great time, the turtles were amazing - such a good experience. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and answered any questions we had. He even stopped off on the way back to buy us a red banana because we'd never tried one - delicious. He also arranged a taxi service for us for the next day that was the cheapest quote we had. Brilliant”

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5.Zanzibar: Swimming with Turtles at Salaam Cave Aquarium

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 26 reviews · 4 hours · from $56

Spend four hours visiting Salaam Cave Aquarium in Kizimkazi, where you can swim and snorkel with sea turtles in a clear natural cave pool. A guide explains the rescue work, provides water, and handles hotel transfers in English, French, German, or Swahili.

“Ha sido divertira. Algo diferente y para recordar y repetir”

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6.Horse Ride + Swimming with Turtles in Aquarium at Nungwi Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $150

Spend about four hours combining a bareback horse swim at Mangapwani with a visit to Baraka Natural Aquarium in Nungwi. You must be able to swim. Private transport, bottled water, entry fees, and turtle feeding are included, but confirm your pickup point before departure.

“Never was picked up for the excursion. No response from company. Had to request a refund. The refund comes in 3 days. Still had to pay another fee to book another excursion. Absolutely terrible. Ruined my bday”

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7.Full Day Private Mnemba Island + Turtles Aquarium & Kendwa Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 6 reviews · from $104

Spend six to seven hours exploring Mnemba Island, snorkeling, swimming near bottlenose dolphins, visiting Baraka Natural Aquarium, and relaxing at Kendwa Beach. Your private guide handles transport, equipment, water, and fruit. Guide Issa is praised for making guests feel at ease.

“Our trip was amazing. Visiting the different beaches to swim with the dolphins and snorkel are unforgettable. I especially appreciate our guide Issa for making us feel comfortable. If anyone books with Issa he will make you feel like you have been friends for a long time. Asante Issa!”

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8.Nungwi Village Tour & Swim with Turtles at Mnarani Aquarium

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 5 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $54

Spend 2.5 hours with a private guide exploring Nungwi’s fish market, dhow yard, and village streets before visiting Mnarani Natural Aquarium. You can swim with sea turtles for an extra $10 entrance fee. Guides speak several languages, and Gandhi is one named local guide.

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9.Zanzibar: Horseback Riding and Turtle Aquarium Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4 reviews · 1 day · from $150

You’ll ride with a guide into the clear waters near Nungwi, then visit Baraka Natural Aquarium to see, feed, and possibly swim with rescued turtles. The private tour includes hotel pickup, multilingual guides, photos, and flexible cancellation, but the horse swim lasts about 30 minutes.

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10.Cairns Aquarium Turtle Hospital and City Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $139Top rated

Start at 9:30am at Cairns Aquarium with a self-guided visit and 11:30am turtle hospital tour. At 12:45pm, join a guide such as Graham or Eric for Cairns sights, St Monica’s Cathedral, the museum, botanical gardens, Barron Gorge, Palm Cove, and Devonshire tea.

“The turtle rescue rehab programme at the cairns acquarium was really informative and interesting. This was followed by our tour of cairns city. Tropical botanical gardens was well worth visiting. St Monica’s cathedral with its full length stained glass windows, are the largest in the world was awesome. Palm coast beach where we walked the pier and the view of the city from a high point. Lastly yummy scones topped off with jam and cream. Graham our tour guide was very friendly, and had a wealth of knowledge regarding cairns and the surrounding area.”

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11.Private Mnemba Island and Turtle Aquarium Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $190

Join a private guide and boat for a five-hour Mnemba Island outing with snorkeling gear and seasonal fruit, then visit Baraka Natural Aquarium in Nungwi for two hours with sea turtles. Guides such as Mohamed and Abdul can add personal help, including in-water snorkeling support.

“We had Abdul with us as our driver/guide. The day was amazing from pick up to the activities. The turtles were amazing and as we got there early there were very few people there. The snorkelling was also amazing, we saw dolphins and amaRead more”

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12.Zanzibar: Nungwi Mnarani Aquarium Feed and Swim with Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 3 reviews · 2 days · from $46

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle to Mnarani Turtle Sanctuary in Nungwi, where you can feed rescued green sea turtles, swim beside them, and ride a transparent kayak. A local guide explains the sanctuary, while hotel pickup, entry fees, water, and return transport are included.

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