Solo travel · Zanzibar · Tanzania
Solo travel in Zanzibar
How to enjoy Zanzibar at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Zanzibar is popular with solo travellers, especially in Paje and Nungwi, where hostels, dive schools and kite schools make it easy to meet people. Stone Town's walking tours and night market are sociable too. Many solo travellers base themselves in Nungwi.
Key facts
- Base
- Nungwi
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 (police and emergency services)
- Language
- Swahili and English
Solo travel tips
- Paje and Nungwi have the most hostels and social guesthouses.
- Join group snorkelling or spice tours to share costs.
- Politely but firmly decline beach vendors and unofficial guides; book trips through your accommodation.
- Avoid walking alone on unlit beaches or roads at night.
- Carry enough cash before heading to the beaches, where ATMs are scarce.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for beach, nightlife, first-timers and solo travellers
Nungwi
Nungwi, at the island's northern tip, has beaches that are less affected by tides than the east coast, so swimming is possible most of the day. The village is known for dhow building and sunsets over the sea, and a strip of hotels, dive centres and beach bars lines the shore. Boat trips to Mnemba Atoll leave from here.
- Good
- Swimming at most tides; Sunsets over the ocean; Dive centres and boat trips
- Watch out
- Busier and more developed; Beach vendors can be persistent
- Nearby
- Mnarani turtle aquarium, Kendwa, Mnemba Atoll
Great on your own
Historic site · Stone Town
Stone Town
Explore early in the morning before the heat and the tour groups; getting lost is part of the experience, and the waterfront is never far.
- Time needed
- A full day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Historic site · Stone Town
Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe)
Climb the walls for a view over the waterfront, and check whether a music or dance event is on in the amphitheatre.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Shopping
Historic site · Stone Town
Former slave market and Christ Church
Take the guided visit to understand the site's history; allow time to reflect.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Island · Off Stone Town
Prison Island (Changuu)
Combine it with the Nakupenda sandbank on a half-day boat trip from the Stone Town waterfront.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- History
- Outdoors
Experience · Michamvi Peninsula
The Rock restaurant
Book well ahead and ask about the tide at your booking time.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Couples
- Food
- Photo spot
- Views
Neighbourhood · Southern Unguja
Kizimkazi
Choose a dolphin operator that does not chase or crowd the animals, and do not jump in on top of a pod.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- History
- Outdoors
Meeting people
- Forodhani evening — Watch sunset from the waterfront, then graze the night market for Zanzibar pizza, mishkaki and sugarcane juice.
- Swahili cooking class — Village cooking classes in Stone Town and on the east coast start at the market and teach coconut curries, pilau and chapati.
- Kendwa and Nungwi — Beach bars and the monthly full-moon party at Kendwa, the island's biggest night out.
- Paje — Beach bars and parties popular with kitesurfers and backpackers.
Sensible precautions
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.
- Emergency number
- 112 (police and emergency services)
- Staying connected
- Tanzanian SIM cards and eSIMs give good coverage in Stone Town and most beach villages; hotel Wi-Fi can be slow.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Zanzibar good for solo travellers?
Zanzibar is popular with solo travellers, especially in Paje and Nungwi, where hostels, dive schools and kite schools make it easy to meet people. Stone Town's walking tours and night market are sociable too.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Zanzibar?
Nungwi: Northern tip with lively beach bars, dhow builders and swimmable water.