🇹🇿 Zanzibar
Spice island reefs and Swahili stone streets.
Why go to Zanzibar.
Zanzibar works as both a standalone immersive destination and the recovery leg after Kilimanjaro: reef diving, dhow sailing and the labyrinth of Stone Town.
- Mnemba atoll reef is a genuine world-class snorkel site.
- Stone Town is a living UNESCO Swahili trading city.
- Tidal flats at Paje create surreal aerial imagery.
Conditions on the ground.
Where it sits, and how to move through it.
What to see, do and find.
- Stone Town
- Mnemba Atoll
- Jozani Forest
- Nakupenda sandbank
- Kizimkazi
- Sunset dhow sail
- Spice farm tour
- Kitesurf at Paje
- Chumbe Island reef sanctuary
- Michamvi sunset point
- Matemwe village walk
- Stone Town heritage hotels
- Paje kite lodges
- Nungwi beach resorts
Explore Zanzibar before you land.
Explorer-captured immersive footage is available for Zanzibar. Step inside the landscape before committing to the route.
Open immersive modeDrone use requires Zanzibar Civil Aviation Authority permission; resort-area flights are commonly restricted.
Full drone rulesDay by day through Zanzibar.
- Day 1–2Stone Town
Get lost by design — carved doors, Darajani market, the Old Fort and Forodhani grills at sunset.
- Day 3Spice farms & Jozani
Working spice plantations inland, then Jozani forest for the endemic red colobus.
- Day 4–6East coast — Paje or Jambiani
Kite season wind, tide-driven lagoon walks and seaweed farms at low water.
- Day 7–8Mnemba & the north
Snorkelling or diving the Mnemba atoll, then Nungwi's deep-water beach for swimming at any tide.
- Day 9–10Pemba or slow return
Pemba for near-empty reefs and channel diving, or a final Stone Town night before the flight.
What it takes, and what it costs.
Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ) takes regional and some direct European flights; the ferry from Dar es Salaam takes two hours and is the better-value option.
Zantel and Vodacom cover Stone Town and the main beach strips well. Hotel wifi across the east coast is workable but not fast.
- Beach guesthouse
- €35–90 / night
- Boutique / resort
- €150–450 / night
- Dhow & snorkel trip
- €30–60 pp
- Two-tank dive
- €90–130
- Meals
- €15–35 / day
Eat, behave, pack.
- Zanzibar pizza at Forodhani night market
- Urojo — the sour, spiced 'Zanzibar mix' soup
- Octopus curry with coconut rice
- Sugarcane juice pressed with ginger and lime
- Zanzibar is majority Muslim — cover shoulders and knees away from the beach.
- Ramadan closes many daytime restaurants outside resorts.
- Alcohol is served in hotels and tourist venues, not in most local ones.
- Ask before photographing people, particularly women.
- Reef-safe sunscreen and rash vest
- Reef shoes for the tidal flats
- Light long clothing for Stone Town
- Cash in shillings for markets and taxis
- Dry bag for dhow days
What explorers ask before Zanzibar.
June to September and December to March, with the most consistent wind at Paje.
Hugely on the east coast — the lagoon empties for hours. North coast beaches swim at any tide.
Present year-round. Prophylaxis and nets are recommended.
Yes — this is the standard northern-circuit finish, a 90-minute flight from Arusha.
What the brochures leave out.
- Tides dictate east-coast swimming — check the table before booking.
- Dress modestly outside beach resorts.
- Carry USD cash for park and atoll fees.