One Week Itinerary for a Family Vacation with Kids
The Turks and Caicos is a spectacular family vacation destination with countless activities to keep the whole family entertained. This guide is intended for families with children staying on the island of Providenciales. It is largely not applicable for families staying at the expansive Beaches all-inclusive resort.
It's generally best to rent a car for your stay, and having your own transportation is very convenient. Rates start at around $50 per day (2026 price).
Most kids love spending time at the beach, so planning elaborate excursions to all of the island's sights and attractions often isn’t required for a great vacation.
What to Pack
Food and groceries here tend to be quite expensive due to high import and customs costs. Arriving residents and visitors to the Turks and Caicos are allowed certain customs duty exemptions, so if you have luggage space, consider bringing in some snacks. See Importing Food.
The sun can be quite intense in the Turks and Caicos, and you’ll definitely want to bring sunscreen (preferably reef-safe), hats, sunglasses, and long-sleeve rashguards.
Great Family Restaurants
Reserving a table at a beachfront restaurant is a great way to keep the kids entertained while you wait for a meal. Da Conch Shack, Omar’s Beach Hut, and Rickie’s Flamingo Café are all casual local restaurants located right on the beach. Other nice options for families include Castaways Conch Bar & Island Grill, where kids can dance to live music several nights a week, Stingrays Social (which has its own kids arcade), the pizza garden at Bella Luna Ristorante, and Sharkbite Bar and Grill at Turtle Cove Marina where you can see fish and the occasional shark swim by.
Nearly all restaurants in Turks and Caicos welcome children, and many have a family-friendly ambiance and kids menu.
Ice Cream and Confections
For ice cream and dessert, there's frozen yogurt shop Turkberry at the Saltmills Plaza, gelateria Island Scoop at Regent Village, and Patty Place in Grace Bay, which serves Jamaican-style ice cream and pastries. There's also Giggles at Ports of Call Plaza.
Arrival
With the exception of a Miami—South Caicos (XSC) flight via American Airlines, all international flights to the Turks and Caicos arrive at the Providenciales International Airport.
During the summer and fall months, it typically takes about 30–40 minutes to clear immigration and customs and collect luggage. The winter and spring high season often experiences longer waits that can exceed well over an hour. There are no dedicated or family child lanes.
An expedited Fast Track service is available, and costs $75 per person. This service allows passengers to bypass queues.
Day 1: Explore The Beach
A perfect way to spend your first day is simply to enjoy the beach, and Providenciales has plenty of choices. Most accommodations are near a spectacular beach, be it Grace Bay Beach, the Bight Beach, or Leeward Beach, so get out and enjoy them.
If you’re not staying within easy walking distance of the beach, there are many locations with public beach access and adjacent parking, such as the central Children’s Park access at the Bight Beach, Stubb’s Point (also known as Pelican Point or Sunset Beach) on Leeward Beach, and the Grande Court access near Royal West Indies Resort at Grace Bay Beach.
Many of the island’s beaches offer minor yet interesting snorkeling sites such as rock jetties that shelter fish, seagrass beds, and low coastal cliffs.
Day 2: Boat Cruise in the Caicos Cays
Going on a boat cruise is one of the country's top activities. There’s a wealth of options: group half-day boat tours, private yacht charters, Grace Bay sailing charters, and relaxing sunset cruises among them.
When out on the water near Providenciales, there’s always a chance that you might spot JoJo the Dolphin!
Top sights and destinations include Little Water Cay (home to the endangered Turks and Caicos rock iguana), the incredible beach and lagoon at Half Moon Bay, Water Cay, Pine Cay, Fort George Cay, Dellis Cay, and snorkeling on the barrier reef.
Cruise availability can be limited, especially private charters, so it's best to book well in advance of your visit.
Several tours operate off the southwest coast of Providenciales and visit a different collection of sights, including the small coastal cave and historical rock inscriptions at the scenic West Harbour Bluff and the beautiful and secluded Bonefish Point.
Day 3: More Great Beaches
One of the wonderful and defining features of Providenciales is the island’s number and variety of beaches. Several smaller south coast beaches have shallow and calm water and are perfect for kids.
Sapodilla Bay is found between Sapodilla Bay Hill and Chalk Sound National Park. Due to its sheltered location, this exquisite beach offers some of the calmest ocean water on the island. The surrounding cliffs also offer interesting snorkeling, with small turtles and stingrays.
Hidden Taylor Bay is also located near Chalk Sound. This coast is a little larger than Sapodilla Bay, and also features shallow and calm water and soft white sand.
Another beautiful beach that’s great to explore is Turtle Tail Beach.
Day 4: Beach Snorkeling
Snorkeling is an activity that all ages enjoy. Kids usually don’t need the most spectacular reef to be entertained, so it’s best to choose one of the sheltered snorkeling sites that’s close to the beach.
The Bight Reef (Coral Gardens) is a good place to start and is the most popular snorkeling site on the island. The reef starts directly off the beach and is marked by buoys, so it’s easy to find your way around. The surrounding beach is also excellent and an ideal place for relaxing.
Smith’s Reef is a larger and more complex system near Turtle Cove. Much of this reef is too far out for children, yet two sections are found off the beach: one spot at the West Access and one at the East Access.
It’s very important that children understand to not touch or stand on the reef. Doing so is very damaging to the delicate corals, and there are many fish, creatures, and corals that are capable of giving painful stings or bites. Dangerous animals to be aware of are the lionfish, scorpion fish, and the many varieties of stinging and fire corals. Be aware that sharks are present in the surrounding waters. Attacks are fairly uncommon but have occurred.
Please only use reef-safe sunscreen in the Turks and Caicos. Conventional sunscreens have been proven to cause irreparable damage to reefs and the marine environment.
Children will have the best time snorkeling when they have the right equipment, which includes long-sleeve rashguards to prevent sunburn, flotation vests, and a properly fitted mask, snorkel, and fins.
When snorkeling from the beach, start on the upwind side of the reef then simply drift over the underwater sights. Doing so will ensure that everyone won’t have to fight the current.
At the central reefs on Providenciales, the upwind side of the reef is usually the eastern side.
Day 5: Eco-Adventure
Another great thing for kids to do is go on an eco-adventure or kids camp. Several resorts and tour companies offer excursions especially geared toward children, and some properties have their own kids club. Big Blue Collective, the largest eco-tour company in the Turks and Caicos, hosts dedicated kid camps at times as well.
There are so many ways to discover the environment. Excursions can be by boat, kayak, stand-up paddleboard, and bicycle.
The mangrove wetlands that surround many of the Caicos Islands act as nurseries for sea creatures. It’s common to spot juvenile fish, nurse sharks, turtles, stingrays, conch, starfish, and interesting birdlife there.
While the kids are out enjoying nature, visit one of the island's spas, go shopping in Grace Bay, or book a romantic experience.
Day 6: Potcake Place and Horseback Riding
A very popular activity with both kids and adults is taking a local Potcake puppy out for a walk on the beach. Potcake Place, a non-profit animal rescue charity located at the Saltmills Plaza, welcomes visitors to take puppies out to Grace Bay for a few hours of socialization and exercise. All of the potcakes are available for adoption, so you may end up with a new pet.
Another great afternoon activity is horseback riding on the beach with Provo Ponies. This small stable rides on beautiful Long Bay Beach, and there’s often the opportunity to ride right into the shallow turquoise water.
For older kids wanting a little more excitement, jet ski rentals and tours provide a thrilling day on the water.
Departure
We advise arriving at the Providenciales International Airport three hours prior to departure during the winter and spring high season, and two hours during the low season.
The Fast Track service is also available when departing.
Extra Ideas
What better time to capture family photos (or maternity photos if you're visiting with your growing family) than during your vacation? There are several professional photography studios on Providenciales that cater to boutique vacation and wedding photography. Photo shoots are fun, and can even be done in the ocean with underwater cameras.
The Undersea Explorer is a semi-submarine boat that tours the reefs near Turtle Cove.
Long Bay Beach is one of the top kiteboarding spots in the Caribbean, and if the wind is blowing, it can be quite interesting to watch the show. The best spot is the public beach access near the Shore Club resort.
The secluded Malcolm’s Road Beach on the west coast of Providenciales is a great place for a day trip. There’s a tranquil beach, great snorkeling, beachcombing, and wildlife abounds. Be sure to bring plenty of drinks and snacks, as it’s easy to spend much of a day here. If you’re staying at a vacation rental or small hotel and want to have the resort experience, consider a day pass from one of the island’s all-inclusive resorts.
West Caicos can be an excellent choice for kids that are a bit older. There’s great snorkeling, the historical ruins of a Victorian-era sisal plantation town, and exciting cliff jumping.
Hobie Cats are small catamaran sailboats that are fun and easy to sail. Many of the larger resorts keep a few of the vessels for guest use, and there are a few places to rent them from as well.
Children's Activities & Attractions
