Season guide · Zanzibar · Tanzania
Zanzibar in the short rains
November–early December: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
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
Brief afternoon showers and storms, with green landscapes, fewer visitors and good-value stays. Expect highs up to 31°C (88°F) and lows around 23°C (73°F), with about 21 rainy days across November–early December.
Key facts
- Months
- November–early December
- Temperatures
- 23°C (73°F) to 31°C (88°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 21
- Sea
- 28°C (82°F) to 28°C (82°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in the short rains
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 31°C (88°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 11 | 12.4 h | 2/5 |
| December | 31°C (88°F) | 24°C (75°F) | 10 | 12.5 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 31°C (88°F) against a yearly 30°C (86°F), and 21 of the year's roughly 103 rainy days fall in these 2 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
Good choices for the short rains
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
Day trips in the short rains
- Kizimkazi (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car) — A south-coast fishing village for dolphin-watching boat trips and one of East Africa's oldest mosques, with inscriptions from the early 12th century.
- Pemba Island (About 30 minutes by plane) — Zanzibar's greener, hillier and far less visited northern island has clove plantations, mangroves and some of the region's best wall diving; better as an overnight than a day trip.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is the short rains a good time to visit Zanzibar?
It is a trade-off: Brief afternoon showers and storms, with green landscapes, fewer visitors and good-value stays. The best months overall are January–February and June–September.
+What is the weather like in Zanzibar in the short rains?
Highs of up to 31°C (88°F) and lows around 23°C (73°F), with about 21 rainy days over the season.