Swahili Stone Town, spice farms and white-sand beaches on the Indian Ocean: the natural finish to an East African safari.
Zanzibar is a short flight from the Serengeti, Nairobi or Dar es Salaam, which makes it the easiest beach to add to an East African safari. The island mixes Swahili history in Stone Town with long beaches, coral reefs and a relaxed pace that suits tired safari legs.
Choosing the coast is the key decision. The east coast, around Matemwe, Paje and Michamvi, has a huge tidal range, so the sea can retreat hundreds of metres at low tide. The north, at Nungwi and Kendwa, stays swimmable at all tides but is busier. Private islands such as Mnemba offer seclusion at a price.
The caveats: some beaches have seaweed at certain times of year, parts of the coast are developing fast, and Zanzibar is a malaria area.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Stone Town is a UNESCO-listed maze of coral-stone houses, carved doors, mosques and markets. Walk it with a guide in the morning, visit the Old Dispensary and the former slave market site, then watch the sun set over the harbour from a rooftop. Dress modestly away from the beach.
Mnemba Atoll, off the north-east coast, is a marine conservation area with clear water, turtles and reef fish, and dolphins are often seen on the way out. Go early from Matemwe, before the boats from the north arrive. Diving here is gentle and suits beginners.
Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park protects the Zanzibar red colobus, a monkey found only here. A short guided walk finds troops feeding in the trees, followed by a boardwalk through the mangroves. It fits into a morning from the east coast.
Zanzibar's spice farms grow cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. A guided visit, ideally with lunch in a family home, explains how the trade shaped the island. Children love tasting everything straight from the plant. Combine it with Stone Town for a full day.
Wooden dhows with lateen sails still fish off the coast. A sunset sail from Nungwi or Matemwe, with fresh fruit and a swim stop on a sandbank, is the simplest pleasure on the island. Private dhows can be arranged for couples.
Paje, on the south-east coast, has shallow, flat lagoon water and steady trade winds, which make it an easy place to learn to kitesurf. The windiest months are roughly December to February and June to September. Lessons run at most tides.
Decide on the tide first. The north suits swimmers and families who want to be in the water all day; the east is quieter but tidal. Private islands give you seclusion, at a price. We usually add two nights in a Stone Town boutique hotel for history and food.
We match each trip in Zanzibar to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsSample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
Five nights in a private conservancy on the edge of the Maasai Mara, then a short hop to the Indian Ocean for five nights on Zanzibar's quieter north-east coast. A night in Nairobi on arrival breaks the long flight.
A northern Tanzania safari paced for families with children aged eight and over: baobabs and elephants near Tarangire, a crater rim lodge above Ngorongoro, a mobile camp in the Serengeti, then four nights on a Zanzibar beach.
Zanzibar is warm all year, so the calendar is really about rain and wind. The long rains fall from about late March to May, and the short rains in November. The rest of the year is broadly dry, with the hottest, calmest seas from December to February and cooler, breezier days from June to October.
That lines up neatly with safari: January and February pair with calving season in the Serengeti, July to October with the Mara River crossings. Ramadan makes Stone Town quieter by day and lively after sunset.
Two nights in Stone Town, three on the north-east coast facing Mnemba and three on the south-east near Jozani Forest, with short road transfers. 8 nights.
Fly in via Nairobi or straight from a safari. Walk the old town with a guide, visit a spice farm and eat at the Forodhani Gardens night market.
Drive an hour to Matemwe for snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll, a sunset dhow sail and long walks at low tide.
Move south to the lagoon coast for kitesurfing lessons, a morning with the red colobus in Jozani and seafood in Michamvi.
After a last swim, transfer to the airport for the flight home via Nairobi or Doha.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Zanzibar (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from the UK. Connect in Nairobi or Doha for Zanzibar, or fly in from the Serengeti or Dar es Salaam after a safari.
Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so UK visitors need a Tanzanian visa. All visitors must also hold Zanzibar's mandatory inbound travel insurance. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book and again before you fly.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Zanzibar (opens in a new tab)
Zanzibar is a malaria area. Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) well before you go. The equatorial sun is strong, and reef shoes help on the east coast flats.
The currency is the Tanzanian shilling, but US dollars are widely used in hotels and for excursions. Carry small notes for tips and markets.
Local SIM cards from operators such as Vodacom are easy to buy. Hotels have wifi, though speeds vary on the more remote beaches.
Tipping is customary for guides, boat crews and hotel staff, and many hotels have a shared staff box. We include current guidance with your documents.
It depends on how you like the sea. The north, around Nungwi and Kendwa, is swimmable at all tides and faces the sunset, but it is busier. The east coast, from Matemwe to Paje, is quieter and wilder, with a big tidal range that leaves the sea far out at low tide. For honeymoons we often choose the north-east.
Four or five nights is about right: enough to recover from early game drives and see Stone Town, without the island feeling small. Add two more if you want to split between Stone Town and a beach, or between two coasts.
Yes, with the right hotel. Choose the north coast for all-day swimming, or an east coast hotel with a pool so tides do not matter. Spice farms, Jozani's monkeys, dhow trips and snorkelling keep children busy. Remember the malaria risk when planning for young children.
Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim. On the beach and at resorts, swimwear is fine. In Stone Town and villages, cover shoulders and knees, and be particularly respectful during Ramadan. Always ask before photographing people, especially in villages and markets. A light scarf or sarong in your day bag makes this easy.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: January, February and July to September.
The Serengeti migration in every season, the Ngorongoro Crater and Kilimanjaro, then an easy hop to the beaches of Zanzibar.
The Masai Mara's private conservancies, rhino country in Laikipia and a Swahili coast, a single overnight flight from London.
Granite boulders, forested peaks and islands you can hop between by ferry: the Indian Ocean for people who like to explore.
One island with lagoon beaches, forest gorges and Creole cooking, where the coast you choose matters as much as the hotel.
