Zanzibar is where most Tanzanian safaris come to rest. The main island, Unguja, lies in the Indian Ocean off the coast of mainland Tanzania, a short flight from Arusha and the Serengeti airstrips. Its old capital, Stone Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage site — carved doors, coral-stone merchants' houses and centuries of Swahili, Omani, Indian and European trade — and beyond it the coast runs out to white sand, dhow harbours and reefs.
Most guests give it four or five nights: one or two in Stone Town, then the rest on the coast.
SHARED TRANSFERS
Joining Zanzibar
Per guest, from:
$1,310
$262 per night
MOST REQUESTED
Bush & Beach: Serengeti to Zanzibar
Per guest, from:
$5,440
$544 per night
FOR TWO
Honeymoon: Serengeti & the Ocean
Per guest, from:
$5,570
$619 per night
SIXTEEN NIGHTS
The Grand Tanzania
Per guest, from:
$10,690
$668 per night
The most reliable weather of the year and the natural end to a dry-season safari: sunny days, steady sea breezes and calm evenings in Stone Town.
Hot, humid days and warm, clear water. The best months for diving and snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll, and a favourite window for honeymoons.
Heavy downpours and rougher seas. Many hotels reduce their rates or close for these months, and some boat trips do not run.
Beyond the Beach
Wooden dhows still sail from the island's harbours and fishing villages, and at low tide sandbanks such as Nakupenda rise out of the turquoise water. Off the north-east coast the reefs of Mnemba Atoll give the island its best snorkelling. Inland, Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park protects the Zanzibar red colobus, a monkey found nowhere else on earth.
DISCOVER OUR SAFARIS →
From a restored merchant's house in Stone Town to beachfront villas on the east coast — the hotels we use on our bush-and-beach journeys.
A guided walk through the lanes of the old town: carved doors, the Old Fort, the former slave market beneath the Anglican cathedral, and the Forodhani night food market as the sun goes down.
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Walk the forest trails of Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park among the endemic red colobus, then visit a spice farm to see cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla growing, and taste them fresh.
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Sail a traditional dhow out to a sandbank at low tide, snorkel the reefs of Mnemba Atoll or take a sunset cruise off Stone Town. Slow days on the water are what Zanzibar does best.
Enquire →Zanzibar is the classic end to a northern-circuit safari.
GOOD TO KNOW
The things our guests ask most before they travel. Still unsure? Speak to a safari specialist — we reply within 24 hours.
Four to five nights is the sweet spot after a safari — one or two in Stone Town for the history and the food, then three or four on the coast to properly unwind. Fewer than three nights and the transfers eat most of your time; more than a week and most guests are ready to move on.
The north — Nungwi and Kendwa — has the widest beaches and the least tidal variation, so you can swim at any hour. The east coast, Paje and Jambiani, has dramatic tides and is the centre for kitesurfing. The south-east, Michamvi and Kizimkazi, is the quietest. We match the coast to how you want to spend your days.
June to October is dry, breezy and reliable — and conveniently coincides with peak safari season. December to February is hotter and very good for diving. The long rains from mid-March to May bring heavy downpours and many hotels reduce rates or close.
Zanzibar's east coast has a very large tidal range — at low tide the sea can retreat several hundred metres, exposing seagrass flats. This is normal and part of the island's character, but if uninterrupted swimming matters to you, choose the north coast at Nungwi or Kendwa where the tidal effect is minimal.
From around USD 120 per person per night at simple beach guesthouses to USD 1,200+ at the finest private villas and boutique resorts. The mid-range of USD 250-450 covers excellent boutique hotels. Flights from Arusha or the Serengeti are typically USD 250-350 per person.
Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim and conservative outside the resorts. Beachwear is fine on hotel beaches but cover shoulders and knees in Stone Town and villages. During Ramadan, avoid eating and drinking in public during daylight. A little respect here is noticed and appreciated.
Yes — it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the historic heart of the Swahili coast, a maze of alleys, carved doors, former sultans' palaces and the sobering former slave market. One or two nights is enough. The Forodhani night food market is the highlight for most guests.
Spice plantation tours, Jozani Forest to see the endemic red colobus monkey, dhow sunset cruises, snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll, swimming with dolphins at Kizimkazi, and the sandbank at Nakupenda. Diving and kitesurfing are both world-class.
Yes. Daily light aircraft connect the Serengeti airstrips to Zanzibar, usually with a brief stop in Arusha, taking two to three hours in total. It is by far the most popular way to end a Tanzanian safari and we build it into most bush-and-beach itineraries.
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