7 days in Zanzibar
The classic first week. Town, reefs, forest and one long day on a dhow, ordered so you are never crossing the island twice in a day.
A week is the sweet spot for Zanzibar. Long enough to see the town, the reefs, the forest and the farms, short enough that you still spend real time doing nothing.
The order below matters more than it looks. Zanzibar is small, but crossing it takes an hour or two each way, and the boat trips are tied to the tide. This plan groups the days by geography so you are not driving back and forth, and it leaves the first and last days deliberately empty.
The week at a glance
| Day | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Your hotel | Arrive, settle, first sunset |
| Day 2 | Stone Town | Old town on foot, Forodhani in the evening |
| Day 3 | Stone Town coast | Prison Island and the Nakupenda sandbank |
| Day 4 | North-east | Mnemba atoll snorkelling |
| Day 5 | Centre and south | Spice farm and Jozani Forest |
| Day 6 | South-west | Safari Blue, full day |
| Day 7 | Your hotel | Beach, sunset dhow, or fly home |
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive and do nothing
Airport transfer, check in, and that is the day. Most flights land tired and the island runs slower than you do. Have the first swim, eat seafood, watch the sun go down and start properly tomorrow.
- Airport transfer to your hotel
- First swim and a slow afternoon
- Sunset over the water
Day 2
Stone Town on foot
The old town from mid-afternoon, when the heat drops and the lanes wake back up. The fort, the market, the carved doors, the seafront and everything in between. Stay for Forodhani gardens in the evening, when the waterfront turns into a street-food market.
- Guided walk through the old town
- Darajani market and the carved doors
- Forodhani night market on the seafront
Day 3
Prison Island and the Nakupenda sandbank
Both leave from the same water in front of Stone Town, so they make one easy day. Giant Aldabra tortoises and the old ruins on Changuu in the morning, then the sandbank and a seafood lunch on the sand as the tide allows. If you would rather have all three in one go, the combined day folds Stone Town in as well.
- Boat to Changuu, the tortoises and the ruins
- Snorkelling off the island
- Nakupenda sandbank and lunch on the sand
Half dayPrison Island (Changuu)
Giant Aldabra tortoises and the old prison ruins, with swimming and snorkelling around the island.
$50–$70 per personDetails
Half dayNakupenda Sandbank
A sandbank in the middle of crystal-clear water. Swim, sunbathe and a fresh seafood lunch on the sand.
$60–$90 per personDetailsDay 4
Mnemba atoll
An early start for the clearest water of the week. Snorkelling on the reefs around the atoll, a sandbank stop, and a decent chance of turtles. Dolphins pass through this water too, though nothing about wild animals is a promise.
- Early boat out to the atoll
- Snorkelling the reefs
- Sandbank stop in turquoise water
Day 5
Spice farm and Jozani Forest
The inland day, and a welcome change of pace after two days on boats. A spice farm in the morning while it is cool, then Jozani in the afternoon for the red colobus monkeys and the mangrove boardwalk.
- Cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and the fruit
- Red colobus monkeys in the forest
- Mangrove boardwalk
Day 6
Safari Blue
The full-day dhow trip out of the south-west. Sailing, snorkelling, swimming in the lagoon, a sandbank, and a long seafood lunch on the beach. It runs until late afternoon, so keep the evening free.
- Traditional dhow through Menai Bay
- Snorkelling and lagoon swimming
- Sandbank and seafood lunch
Day 7
Beach, then home
Leave the last day loose. A morning swim, a last walk, some shopping, and the transfer back to the airport with time to spare. If your flight is late, a sunset dhow cruise is a good way to finish.
- Slow morning at the hotel
- Optional sunset dhow cruise
- Airport transfer
How to adapt it
If you only have three days
Keep days 2, 3 and 4: Stone Town, Prison Island with the sandbank, and Mnemba. That gives you the town, the history and the best water on the island.
If you have five
Add the spice farm and Jozani day, and swap one of the half-day boat trips for Safari Blue if you would rather have one long day on the water than two short ones.
If you are travelling with children
Prison Island, the spice farm, Jozani and the sea turtles in the north are the easiest days. Safari Blue is long, so judge it by how your children handle a full day on a boat.
If you want to add a mainland safari
Fly to the mainland for the parks first and finish on the island, rather than the other way round. Message us with your dates and we will put the two halves together.
Practical notes
- Tides decide the boat days. Sandbanks appear and disappear, and departure times move accordingly, so we confirm the day before rather than weeks ahead.
- Distances look small and take longer than you expect. Stone Town to the north coast is about an hour and a half.
- Dress modestly in town and in villages. Shoulders and knees covered away from the beach.
- Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and something waterproof for your phone. Shade is scarce on a sandbank.
- Cash in Tanzanian shillings is useful for markets and small stalls, though US dollars are widely accepted for tours.
- Book the airport transfer for both ends. It removes the only genuinely stressful part of the trip.
When to come
Zanzibar works most of the year. The long rains fall around April and May and the short rains around November, and the driest, most reliable stretches are roughly June to October and December to February. For the boat days the weather on the day matters far more than the month, which is why we keep the schedule flexible.
Ramadan moves through the calendar each year and changes the rhythm in town, with many local restaurants closed during daylight. It is still a good time to visit, just worth knowing before you arrive.
Book it as one package
Ultimate Zanzibar Paradise Experience
Most of this plan already exists as a fixed package: 4 days / 3 nights, the transfers, boats and guiding bundled into one price instead of booking each day separately.
$500 per person
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days enough for Zanzibar?
It is close to ideal. A week covers Stone Town, the reefs, the forest, the spice farms and a full day on a dhow, and still leaves you a couple of slow days on the beach.
Where should I stay for this itinerary?
You can run all of it from one base. Staying near Stone Town for the first two or three nights and moving north or east afterwards cuts the driving, and we can arrange the transfer between them.
Do I need to book the tours before I arrive?
It helps for the popular days, particularly Safari Blue and Mnemba in high season. Send us your dates and we will hold the days and confirm the exact times closer to the trip.
How much does a week like this cost?
It depends on group size and whether you go private or join a group. Every tour page shows its price, and we quote the whole week in one go if you send us your plan.
Can I change the order of the days?
Yes, and we often do. The order here minimises driving and works around the tides, but it flexes around your arrival day, your hotel and the weather.
What if the weather turns?
Boat days depend on the sea. If conditions are unsafe we move the day rather than run it, and we plan the week so there is room to swap things around.
Have us build your week
Send your dates, your hotel and how many of you there are. We will come back with the days in the right order and a firm price.
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