Zanzibar suits couples for a reason that is easy to miss in the photographs. It is beautiful, but it is also small, so you can have reefs, a thousand-year-old town, a forest and a sandbank in one week without a single long travel day.
This is what we would actually book for a honeymoon, what we would skip, and the two or three places where paying for a private boat changes the day rather than just the price.
Sunset from a dhow
If there is one evening worth planning the week around, this is it. Two hours or so on the water in the late afternoon, sails up, the light going gold and then pink over the Indian Ocean. It asks nothing of you, which after a wedding is most of the appeal.
Take it private. A shared sunset cruise is pleasant and a private one is the thing people describe afterwards, and the difference in cost is smaller than most couples expect. Departure moves through the year with the sunset, so we confirm the time the day before. See the sunset dhow cruise.
A sandbank with nobody on it
Nakupenda is white sand in the middle of shallow turquoise water, close to Stone Town, with lunch brought out to you. In the middle of the day it can have several group boats on it. Early or late, on your own boat, it can be close to empty.
Mnemba, for the water
The reefs off the north-east coast hold the clearest water on the island, with big numbers of fish and a fair chance of turtles. Most trips pair the snorkelling with a stop on a sandbank.
One thing worth knowing before you book: Mnemba Island itself is private and day visitors do not land on it. What you are buying is the water around it, which is the part worth having. See the Mnemba atoll tour, or read our full guide to what the day is like.
The three couples book most
EveningSunset Dhow Cruise
Sail a traditional dhow into the sunset. The classic romantic evening on the water.
Half dayNakupenda Sandbank
A sandbank in the middle of crystal-clear water. Swim, sunbathe and a fresh seafood lunch on the sand.
Half dayMnemba Sandbank & Atoll
One of the island's best snorkelling spots: turquoise water, coral reefs and tropical fish.
Stone Town, late in the afternoon
The old town is the best few hours on the island that do not involve a boat. Narrow lanes, carved doors, coral-stone houses and centuries of African, Arab, Indian and European history stacked on top of each other. Go at four or five, when the heat drops and the town comes back to life, and stay for Forodhani gardens on the seafront as the evening food market sets up.
This is one where a group tour loses nothing. Save the private budget for the boats. See the Stone Town tour.
One day inland
After two days of salt water, the forest and a spice farm are a genuine relief. Jozani has the Zanzibar red colobus, a monkey found nowhere else, and a shaded mangrove boardwalk. A spice farm is the most sensory couple of hours here and the tour nobody expects to enjoy as much as they do. See Jozani Forest.
Where the private upgrade is worth it
Every tour we run comes both ways, and the honest answer is that private matters enormously on some days and barely at all on others.
| Day | Private worth it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset cruise | Yes | The whole point is having the boat quiet |
| Sandbank | Yes | You choose the hour, so you get it near-empty |
| Mnemba snorkelling | Often | You leave when the light and tide are right |
| Safari Blue | Sometimes | Long day, and you control when it ends |
| Stone Town | No | A group walk is just as good |
| Spice farm | No | Same tour either way |
| Jozani Forest | No | The monkeys do not care |
Put the money into the two or three days where it changes the experience, and take the group option everywhere else. That is what we would do.
Where to stay as a couple
- Kendwa, in the north: wide sand, calm water at any tide, and the best sunsets on the island.
- Matemwe, north-east: quieter, and the closest base to the Mnemba reefs.
- Michamvi, on the eastern peninsula: the most private of the popular areas.
- Jambiani: village life along a long quiet coast, good for a slow week.
- Stone Town: two or three nights at the start, then move to the coast.
How long to stay
- Five days: the sunset, the reefs, a sandbank and one day of nothing.
- Seven days: the above plus Stone Town and one inland day, with three days left empty. This is the one we would book.
- Ten to fourteen: add a mainland safari to the front of the trip and finish on the island.
We have written the seven-day version out day by day as a honeymoon itinerary, including which days to leave alone.
Small things that make a difference
- 1Say it is your honeymoon when you book, to us and to the hotel. Most hotels do something about it, and almost none of them can at check-in.
- 2Do not book anything on your arrival day.
- 3Leave the evening after a full-day boat trip free. Safari Blue in particular runs until late afternoon.
- 4For photographs, the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are the only two that flatter anybody. Midday on white sand does not.
- 5Ask your hotel about a private dinner directly. They arrange these well and it is easier than going through a third party.
- 6Dress modestly in town and in villages, shoulders and knees covered away from the beach.
On the wildlife
Dolphins live along this coast and you may well see them. Chasing a pod at speed, boxing it in with boats or dropping swimmers on top of it is common here and it is not something we do, on a honeymoon or any other day. Sightings are never guaranteed, and a pod behaving normally beside a quiet boat is worth more than one being hounded for a photograph.
Tell us what you want it to feel like
Not which tours you want. Whether you want the week slow or full, whether you would rather have one big day on the water or two short ones, and what you are celebrating. Send us that with your dates and hotel and we will come back with an order that fits, not a package.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zanzibar good for a honeymoon?
Yes, particularly for couples who want more than a resort. Reefs, a historic town, forest and sandbanks are all within an hour or two of each other, so the week has variety without long travel days.
How many days should a Zanzibar honeymoon be?
Seven is the sweet spot. Five works if you keep it to the sunset, the reefs and a sandbank. Ten or more if you want to add a mainland safari first.
What is the most romantic thing to do in Zanzibar?
A private dhow at sunset, comfortably first. A sandbank on your own boat is second. Both depend on the hour rather than the date, which is why we pick the departure time.
Are private tours worth it for a honeymoon?
On the sunset cruise and the sandbank, yes, because being alone is most of what you are paying for. On Stone Town, the spice farm and Jozani, a group tour costs less and loses nothing.
Can we visit Mnemba Island on our honeymoon?
You can snorkel the reefs around the atoll, which is the best water on the island. Mnemba Island itself is private and standard excursions do not land on it, so be careful of any tour sold as island access.
Can we arrange a private beach dinner?
Most hotels arrange these directly and do them well, so ask yours first. If you would rather we built something around one of your tour days, tell us and we will see what we can do.
Can we combine a Zanzibar honeymoon with a safari?
Yes, and we would do the mainland parks first and finish on the island. Coming off early game drives into a beach week is the right order. Send us your dates and we will join the two halves.
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.
