Trip highlights
- 1Stone Town UNESCO Old City
- 2Spice farm tour
- 3Nungwi or Kendwa beach
- 4Prison Island and giant tortoises
- 5Jozani Forest red colobus monkeys
Daily spend
Where you're going
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In pictures
Photos: Unsplash
Language preparation
15 min/day for 8 weeks ≈ 672 useful words and phrases
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Day-by-day plan
Arrival & Stone Town
Friday, July 2
Est. spend
$140
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ)
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
Taxis reach Stone Town in about 15-20 minutes — agree the fare before departure, as meters are uncommon.
Most hotels can arrange airport pickup in advance — a simpler option than negotiating with airport taxi drivers on arrival.
☀️ Afternoon
Stone Town walking tour
Stone Town, Zanzibar
A UNESCO World Heritage old town with narrow winding streets, ornately carved wooden doors, and a genuine blend of Swahili, Arab, Persian, Indian, and European architectural influences reflecting centuries as a trading hub.
Hire a local guide for at least the first walk — Stone Town's maze-like layout is genuinely easy to get lost in, and a guide adds rich historical context.
🌙 Evening
Forodhani Gardens night food market
Forodhani Gardens, Stone Town
A beloved waterfront market that comes alive each evening with grilled seafood, Zanzibar pizza (a unique stuffed flatbread), and sugarcane juice — a genuinely vibrant local food experience.
Try Zanzibar pizza, a savoury stuffed flatbread unique to the island, alongside grilled octopus and king fish skewers.
🍽️ Meals
Airport or hotel breakfast
Tanzanian/Swahili · $10
Stone Town café lunch
Swahili · $14
Forodhani Gardens dinner
Swahili street food · $20
Spice Farm & Prison Island
Saturday, July 3
Est. spend
$155
per person
🌅 Morning
Spice farm tour
Spice farms near Stone Town
Zanzibar earned the nickname 'Spice Island' for its historic clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla production — a guided farm tour lets you smell, touch, and taste spices straight from the source.
Most tours include a tasting of fresh tropical fruit and a demonstration of traditional spice uses in local medicine — genuinely informative beyond just the spices themselves.
☀️ Afternoon
Prison Island (Changuu) boat trip
Prison Island, Zanzibar
A short boat ride to a small island originally intended as a prison (never used for that purpose), now home to a sanctuary of giant Aldabra tortoises, some over 100 years old, alongside good snorkelling.
The tortoises are remarkably approachable — keepers can show you how to gently interact with them respectfully.
🌙 Evening
Dinner in Stone Town
Stone Town, Zanzibar
A relaxed evening back in Stone Town, with several excellent rooftop restaurants offering views over the old town and harbour.
🍽️ Meals
Spice farm breakfast
Tanzanian · $10
Prison Island lunch
Swahili · $18
Stone Town rooftop dinner
Swahili/International · $40
Nungwi Beach
Sunday, July 4
Est. spend
$180
per person
🌅 Morning
Drive to Nungwi or Kendwa Beach
Nungwi, Zanzibar
About an hour north of Stone Town, Nungwi and Kendwa have some of the best white-sand beaches in Zanzibar, with calm, clear, swimmable water largely unaffected by the island's significant tidal swings elsewhere.
Nungwi and Kendwa are among the few Zanzibar beaches with consistently swimmable water regardless of tide — many east coast beaches become unswimmable at low tide.
☀️ Afternoon
Beach relaxation and snorkelling
Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar
A full afternoon on the beach, with optional snorkelling trips to nearby reefs — genuinely some of the most beautiful, calm tropical water available anywhere.
🌙 Evening
Sunset dinner on the beach
Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar
Beachfront restaurants in Nungwi offer dramatic sunset views over the Indian Ocean — a relaxed, memorable evening.
🍽️ Meals
Travel breakfast
Tanzanian · $10
Beach café lunch
Swahili/seafood · $20
Sunset beach dinner
Swahili (seafood) · $45
Jozani Forest & Departure
Monday, July 5
Est. spend
$105
per person
🌅 Morning
Jozani Forest
Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park
Zanzibar's only national park, home to the endangered red colobus monkey, found nowhere else in the world — a guided forest walk offers a strong chance of close sightings.
The mangrove boardwalk section adds a different ecosystem to the visit beyond the monkey forest itself.
☀️ Afternoon
Final shopping in Stone Town
Stone Town, Zanzibar
A final lunch and shopping for spices, Tingatinga paintings, or Zanzibari chests before departure.
🌙 Evening
Transfer to Zanzibar Airport
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
Allow at least 2.5 hours before an international flight. Taxis from Stone Town take about 20 minutes.
🍽️ Meals
Hotel breakfast
Tanzanian · $10
Stone Town lunch
Swahili · $18
Airport food
Tanzanian/International · $14
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
June–October (dry season) offers the best beach weather. November–December and March–May see more rain, with March-May being the long rainy season and generally the least favourable time to visit.
🛂 Visas
Most nationalities can obtain a Tanzania visa on arrival or via e-Visa application in advance — apply online ahead of travel where possible to save time at immigration.
💱 Currency
Tanzanian Shilling (TZS), though US Dollars are widely accepted, especially for tours and at hotels. Cards are accepted at larger hotels; cash is essential for markets, taxis, and smaller vendors.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 112
ambulance: 112
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- Nungwi and Kendwa beaches have consistently swimmable water regardless of tide — many east coast beaches become unswimmable at low tide due to Zanzibar's significant tidal swings.
- Dress modestly in Stone Town and rural areas — Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim, and covered shoulders and knees are appropriate, especially away from beach resorts.
- Hire a local guide for your first Stone Town walk — the old town's maze-like layout is genuinely easy to get lost in, and guides add valuable historical context.
- Zanzibar pizza, a unique savoury stuffed flatbread, is found at the Forodhani Gardens night market and is worth trying at least once.
- Jozani Forest's red colobus monkeys are found nowhere else in the world — a genuinely unique wildlife encounter worth prioritising even on a short visit.
One thing worth not skipping
A 4-day trip to Zanzibar, Tanzania without insurance is a gamble. Medical emergencies, cancelled flights, lost luggage — cover yourself before you leave.
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