Travel guide · Tanzania
Zanzibar travel guide
Stone Town's carved doors, spice farms and white-sand Indian Ocean beaches
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mbz1 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Zanzibar's main island, Unguja, lies about 35 km off the Tanzanian mainland and combines Stone Town — a UNESCO-listed Swahili trading town of coral-stone houses, carved wooden doors and narrow lanes — with a coastline of white-sand beaches and coral reefs. Most visitors spend two or three nights in Stone Town for its history, night food market and sunset dhow trips, then move to the beaches: Nungwi and Kendwa in the north for swimming at all tides, or Paje, Jambiani and Matemwe on the east coast for kitesurfing and tidal lagoons. Spice farms, Jozani Forest's red colobus monkeys and snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll fill the days in between. Plan 7 days for a first visit; the best months are January–February and June–September.
Key facts
- Country
- Tanzania
- Best time to visit
- January–February and June–September
- Ideal stay
- 7 days
- Main airports
- ZNZ
- Mid-range daily budget
- $120–$250 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Stone Town, Beaches, Spices and Carved doors
Why visit Zanzibar
- Stone Town's lanes hold some of East Africa's finest carved doors, Omani and Indian merchant houses and sites that tell the history of the Indian Ocean trade, including the slave trade.
- Beaches on the north and east coasts have powder-white sand and turquoise water, with reefs offshore for snorkelling and diving.
- Forodhani Gardens' evening food market serves Zanzibar pizza, grilled seafood and sugarcane juice on the Stone Town waterfront.
- Spice farm tours show where cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla grow on an island long known as the Spice Island.
- Zanzibar is an easy add-on to a mainland Tanzania or Kenya safari, linked by short flights and ferries.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 17 things to do.
Historic site · Stone Town
Stone Town
Listed by UNESCO in 2000, Stone Town is a densely built Swahili trading town of coral-stone houses with carved wooden doors, balconies and shaded lanes, shaped by Arab, Persian, Indian, African and European influences.
- Time needed
- A full day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Market · Stone Town
Forodhani Gardens night market
Every evening the waterfront gardens in front of the Old Fort fill with food stalls grilling seafood skewers, making Zanzibar pizza and pressing sugarcane juice with lime and ginger, while local boys dive off the sea wall at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Food
- After dark
- Kids
Experience · Central Unguja
Spice farm tour
Farms in the countryside north of Stone Town show cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, lemongrass and tropical fruit growing, with guides who explain their uses and often finish with a spiced lunch.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Food
- Nature
- Kids
Historic site · Stone Town
Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe)
Built by the Omanis around 1700 on the site of a Portuguese church, the fort's thick walls now enclose craft shops, a café and an open-air amphitheatre used for performances and festivals.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Shopping
Historic site · Stone Town
Former slave market and Christ Church
The Anglican Christ Church Cathedral was built in the 1870s on the site of Zanzibar's last open slave market, closed in 1873.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Market · Stone Town
Darajani Market
Stone Town's main market on Creek Road sells fish, meat, tropical fruit, vegetables and spices in a covered hall and surrounding streets, and is the terminus for many dala-dala minibuses.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Where to stay
Stone Town is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture, couples and food lovers
Stone Town
Coral-stone lanes, boutique hotels, rooftop restaurants and the island's history
$$$ · Best for beach, nightlife, first-timers and solo travellers
Nungwi
Northern tip with lively beach bars, dhow builders and swimmable water
$$$ · Best for beach, couples and families
Kendwa
A long west-facing beach with resorts and calm water
$$ · Best for solo travellers, budget, nightlife and beach
Paje
East-coast kitesurfing hub with a shallow lagoon and laid-back bars
What to eat
- Zanzibar pizza — A thin dough parcel filled with minced meat, egg, onion and cheese — or banana and chocolate for a sweet version — folded and fried on a griddle; nothing like Italian pizza.
- Urojo — A tangy, turmeric-yellow soup thickened with flour and mango, filled with bhajia fritters, potatoes, boiled egg, chutney and sometimes skewered meat.
- Pilau — Rice cooked with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and black pepper, usually with beef or chicken; a Swahili celebration dish with clear Indian Ocean influences.
- Biryani — Zanzibari biryani cooks the spiced meat sauce separately and serves it with fragrant rice, a legacy of the island's Indian communities.
- Samaki wa kupaka — Grilled fish brushed with a thick sauce of coconut milk, tamarind, garlic and chilli, then grilled again; one of the island's signature dishes.
- Octopus curry — Tender octopus simmered in coconut milk with spices; octopus is caught by fishermen and women on the reefs at low tide.
When to go
The best times to visit Zanzibar are June to October, when it is dry, breezy and slightly cooler, and January to February, when it is hot and calm with clear water for snorkelling. Avoid April and May, the heart of the long rains, when seas are rough and some hotels close. November brings shorter, usually brief rains and lower prices.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Long rains | March–May | Hot and humid March gives way to heavy rain in April and May, with rough seas, closed hotels and the lowest prices. |
| Dry season | June–October | Dry, sunny and breezy with pleasant temperatures; peak season in July and August and the best time for kitesurfing. |
| Short rains | November–early December | Brief afternoon showers and storms, with green landscapes, fewer visitors and good-value stays. |
| Hot dry season | Mid-December–February | Hot, humid and mostly dry, with calm, clear water for snorkelling and diving; busy over the holidays. |
Getting there and around
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport is about 6 km south-east of Stone Town, about 15–20 minutes by taxi. Transfers to Nungwi, Kendwa or Paje take about 1–1.5 hours; many hotels arrange pickups.
Stone Town is explored on foot, while the beaches are 1–1.5 hours away by road. Most visitors use private transfers or taxis between areas; dala-dala minibuses are the low-cost local option, and ferries link Stone Town with Dar es Salaam.
Plan your days
Four days allows two nights in Stone Town and two on a beach. A week lets you split the beach time between the north (Nungwi or Kendwa) and the east coast (Paje or Matemwe), with a spice tour, Jozani Forest and a snorkelling trip to Mnemba Atoll.
Practical information
- Currency
- TZS
- Language
- Swahili and English
- Plugs
- Type G (British three-pin) sockets are most common, with some Type D; 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water, which most hotels provide.
- Emergency number
- 112 (police and emergency services)
- Tipping
- Tips are appreciated: about 10% in restaurants if no service charge is added, and tips for guides, boat crews and drivers at the end of a trip.
Check your own government's travel advice before travel. Common issues are persistent beach vendors and unofficial guides, petty theft from bags left on the beach, and sea urchins and strong currents on the reefs; avoid walking alone on unlit beaches at night, and seek medical advice on malaria prevention before you go.
Flights to Zanzibar
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Zanzibar?
Four days allows two nights in Stone Town and two on a beach. A week lets you split the beach time between the north (Nungwi or Kendwa) and the east coast (Paje or Matemwe), with a spice tour, Jozani Forest and a snorkelling trip to Mnemba Atoll. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Zanzibar?
The best times to visit Zanzibar are June to October, when it is dry, breezy and slightly cooler, and January to February, when it is hot and calm with clear water for snorkelling. Avoid April and May, the heart of the long rains, when seas are rough and some hotels close. November brings shorter, usually brief rains and lower prices.
+What is Zanzibar known for?
Stone Town, Beaches, Spices, Carved doors, Forodhani night market, Snorkelling and diving and Swahili culture. Stone Town's lanes hold some of East Africa's finest carved doors, Omani and Indian merchant houses and sites that tell the history of the Indian Ocean trade, including the slave trade.
+Is Zanzibar expensive?
Zanzibar is moderately priced for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $120–$250 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Zanzibar?
No. Taxis and hotel transfers are the easiest way between areas, and boat trips and tours include transport. A car is only worthwhile for travellers who want to explore independently and are comfortable with local driving.