Zanzibar is small enough to cross in a couple of hours and varied enough to fill a fortnight. Coral reefs on one side, a thousand-year-old trading town on the other, spice farms and rainforest in between.
This is our list of the fifteen things worth your time, with what each one is actually like rather than what a brochure says. We arrange all of them, so if something here sounds like your kind of day, the tour page is one click away.
1. Walk Stone Town with someone who knows it
Stone Town is the historic heart of the island and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Narrow lanes, carved wooden doors, coral-stone houses, and centuries of African, Arab, Indian and European history layered on top of each other. Freddie Mercury was born here, and the old fort, the market and the seafront are all within a short walk of one another.
It is a place that rewards a guide. The lanes are a maze, half the doorways have a story, and the interesting corners are not signposted. Late afternoon is the best time to walk it, when the heat drops and the town wakes back up. See the Stone Town tour.
2. Snorkel the Mnemba atoll
The water around Mnemba, off the north-east coast, is the clearest most people will see on the island. The reefs there hold big numbers of fish, and turtles and dolphins pass through. Most trips combine snorkelling with a stop on a sandbank in bright turquoise water.
Visibility depends on the weather and the tide rather than the calendar, which is why we pick the departure time rather than sticking to a fixed slot. See the Mnemba atoll tour or the general snorkelling tour if you would rather we choose the reef on the day.
3. Spend an afternoon on the Nakupenda sandbank
Nakupenda means "I love you" in Swahili. It is a strip of white sand in the middle of shallow turquoise water, close enough to Stone Town for a half day, with a fresh seafood lunch laid out on the sand.
A sandbank is made by the tide, so its size and shape change through the day and it disappears entirely at high water. That is normal, and it is why timing matters more here than almost anywhere else. See the Nakupenda sandbank tour.
4. Meet the giant tortoises on Prison Island
Changuu, known to everyone as Prison Island, is a short boat ride from Stone Town. The prison was built but barely used, and the island is now known for its colony of giant Aldabra tortoises, some well over a hundred years old. You can walk among them, look around the old buildings, then swim and snorkel off the island.
It is one of the easiest half days on the island and works well for families. See the Prison Island tour, or the combined Stone Town, Prison Island and Nakupenda day.
The classic first-timer days
Half dayStone Town Tour
The historic heart of Zanzibar: carved doors, markets, narrow lanes and old landmarks.
Half dayMnemba Sandbank & Atoll
One of the island's best snorkelling spots: turquoise water, coral reefs and tropical fish.
Half dayNakupenda Sandbank
A sandbank in the middle of crystal-clear water. Swim, sunbathe and a fresh seafood lunch on the sand.
5. Visit a spice farm
Zanzibar has been called the Spice Island for a reason, and a farm visit is the one tour that engages every sense. Cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, turmeric, lemongrass and a run of tropical fruit, most of which you smell, taste and handle as you walk.
Go in the morning while it is cooler. It pairs naturally with either Stone Town or Jozani. See the spice farm tour and the Stone Town and spice farm day.
6. Look for red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest
Jozani is the island's protected forest and the home of the Zanzibar red colobus, a monkey found nowhere else on earth. A guided walk takes you through the forest and out along the mangrove boardwalk, and the monkeys are usually easy to find near the road.
Keep your distance, do not feed them, and follow the guide. See the Jozani Forest tour.
7. See the sea turtles in the north
There is a turtle conservation site in the north of the island where rescued and rehabilitated green turtles are kept in a natural tidal pool. It is a short, easy visit, good with children, and the staff explain the work rather than just charging admission.
Follow the site's own rules about handling and feeding. See the sea turtles visit.
8. Take a full day on Safari Blue
Safari Blue is the big ocean day out, sailing a traditional dhow through the Menai Bay lagoon in the south. Snorkelling, swimming in the lagoon, a sandbank stop, and a long seafood and tropical fruit lunch on the beach.
It runs from morning to late afternoon, so it is a whole day rather than an excursion you slot around something else. It is the single most popular trip we arrange. See Safari Blue.
9. Watch the sun go down from a dhow
A sunset dhow cruise is the opposite of a full-day excursion. Two hours or so on the water in the late afternoon, sails up, the light going gold and then pink over the water. It is the easiest evening on the island and the one couples ask for most.
Departure time moves through the year with the sunset, so we confirm it the day before. See the sunset dhow cruise.
10. Pick the right beach
The coast changes character completely depending on where you stand.
- Nungwi, in the north: swimming at any tide, busy, plenty of restaurants and dive centres.
- Kendwa, just around the corner: wide sand, calmer, the best sunsets on the island.
- Paje, on the south-east: wind, kite surfers, a young crowd and a long shallow lagoon.
- Jambiani: quieter village life along the same coast, good for a slow week.
- Matemwe, on the north-east: the closest base to Mnemba and its reefs.
11. Get on the water some other way
Beyond snorkelling, the island runs on water sports. Kite surfing in Paje, jet skis and parasailing in the north, diving off Mnemba, and clear-bottomed kayaks over the shallows. We also run a drone and clear kayak session if you want the aerial footage to go with it, and a private yacht charter for a day at your own pace.
Inland there is Kuza Cave, a natural coral cavern with a freshwater pool you can swim in, which is a good hour out of the sun.
12. Go big game fishing
Offshore, the Pemba channel holds tuna, wahoo, kingfish, sailfish and marlin depending on the season. Boats leave early and go out for a half or full day. Nothing is guaranteed, which is fishing. See big game fishing.
13. Eat at Forodhani in the evening
As the light goes, the gardens on the Stone Town seafront turn into a food market: Zanzibar pizza, grilled seafood, sugarcane juice, cassava, urojo soup. It is as much about the atmosphere as the food, with half the town out on the wall watching the boys jump off the sea wall.
Agree prices before you order. If you are unsure what to try, ask your guide which stalls they use.
14. Look for dolphins, properly
Pods move along the coast and on a calm morning you can watch them from the boat and, when they are settled and the conditions allow, get in the water nearby.
15. Eat and talk your way through the island
The most underrated thing to do in Zanzibar costs nothing. Swahili food is its own cuisine: pilau, biryani, urojo, octopus curry, coconut in everything, and fruit you will not have tasted at home. Markets, fishing villages, boatyards and spice farms are all part of ordinary life here, not attractions.
Dress modestly away from the beach and outside the resorts. Zanzibar is a Muslim island and covering shoulders and knees in villages and town is both expected and appreciated.
So which of these should you actually do?
If it is your first trip and you have a few days, the six that give you the broadest picture are Stone Town, Mnemba, the spice farm, Safari Blue, Nakupenda and Prison Island. Add Jozani if you want a break from the water and a sunset cruise if you want one easy evening.
For a day-by-day plan, take our 7-day Zanzibar itinerary. If you are deciding between two similar boat trips, we compare them head to head in choosing your Zanzibar excursions.
Popular right now
Full daySafari Blue
A full-day ocean adventure: snorkelling, sandbanks, lagoon swimming and a seafood lunch.
Half dayPrison Island (Changuu)
Giant Aldabra tortoises and the old prison ruins, with swimming and snorkelling around the island.
EveningSunset Dhow Cruise
Sail a traditional dhow into the sunset. The classic romantic evening on the water.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zanzibar best known for?
White-sand beaches and clear water, Stone Town and its history, spices, dhow sailing and the reefs offshore. Most trips end up being a mix of all of them.
How many days do you need in Zanzibar?
Three days covers the highlights, five gives you a proper mix of ocean, culture and nature, and seven lets you do all of it without rushing. Ten or more if you want to combine the island with a mainland safari.
Is Zanzibar good for a first-time visitor?
Yes. It is compact, English is widely spoken in tourism, and the main experiences are all within an hour or two of each other. Having one team arrange your days removes most of the friction.
Can you see dolphins in Zanzibar?
Yes, mainly off the north-east and the south coast, but they are wild and sightings can never be guaranteed. We would rather show you a pod behaving normally than chase one for a photo.
What is the best beach in Zanzibar?
It depends what you want. Nungwi and Kendwa in the north for swimming at any tide, Paje for wind and watersports, Jambiani for quiet, Matemwe for reef access.
Can I combine Zanzibar with a safari?
Yes, most people who do fly to the mainland for the parks first and finish on the island. Message us with your dates and we will put the two halves together.
Have us plan the days for you
Send your dates and what you would like to see. We are a local team in Stone Town and we reply ourselves.
