What to Do in Zanzibar: The Best Things to See & Do
If you are wondering what to do in Zanzibar, don’t plan your holiday around the beach alone.
Zanzibar is one of those destinations where what you do depends heavily on where you stay, how many days you have and the kind of holiday you want.
You can explore the historic streets of Stone Town, visit a working spice farm, see Zanzibar’s red colobus monkeys around Jozani, sail through the Menai Bay area, visit Prison Island, experience local villages, spend time on some of Zanzibar’s best beaches, snorkel in clear Indian Ocean waters or simply slow down and enjoy island life.
The biggest mistake is trying to do everything.
If you are staying for five to seven nights, we normally recommend choosing two or three major excursions and leaving enough time to enjoy your hotel and beach. For longer stays, you can explore different parts of the island at a much easier pace.
What Are the Best Things to Do in Zanzibar?
For a first visit to Zanzibar, some of the experiences worth considering are:
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Visit a Zanzibar spice farm
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Take a boat trip to Prison Island
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Visit Jozani Forest
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Spend a day on the Safari Blue experience
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Snorkel and explore Zanzibar’s marine environment
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Visit local villages and communities
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Spend time around Nungwi and Kendwa
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Explore Paje and Jambiani
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Experience Zanzibar’s food and Swahili culture
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Watch the sunset from Zanzibar’s north or west coast
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Combine two nearby attractions into one full-day excursion
But there isn’t one list that works for everyone.
A couple staying in Nungwi for four nights should plan their days differently from a family spending a week in Paje or someone staying in Stone Town for two nights before moving to a beach resort.
Here is how we would approach it.
1. Explore Stone Town
If you want to understand Zanzibar rather than simply holiday on its beaches, start with Stone Town.
Stone Town is Zanzibar’s historic and cultural centre. It is best explored on foot with someone who understands the stories behind the buildings, streets and communities.
A guided Stone Town tour can take you through the maze of narrow streets while introducing you to places such as the Old Fort, Forodhani area, Darajani Market, the Old Dispensary and the former slave market area.
But the real value of a good walking tour isn’t ticking buildings off a list.
It is understanding how African, Arab, Indian and European influences helped shape Zanzibar and the Swahili culture you experience today.
Local Tip: Do Stone Town on Your Arrival Day
If you have an early flight into Zanzibar and your beach hotel is outside Stone Town, your arrival day can be one of the smartest times to take a Stone Town tour.
Instead of transferring directly across the island and then paying for another long return transfer later in your holiday, you can explore Stone Town after arriving and continue to your beach hotel afterwards.
It doesn’t work for every flight schedule, but when it does, it can save both time and unnecessary transport costs.
2. Take a Zanzibar Spice Tour
Zanzibar’s reputation as the Spice Island is an important part of its history.
A spice tour takes you beyond the resorts to see and learn about spices, tropical plants and fruits grown on the island.
Rather than simply seeing packaged spices, you get an opportunity to understand what some familiar ingredients actually look and smell like before they reach your kitchen.
A Spice Tour works particularly well with Stone Town because the two experiences complement each other.
If you have limited time, consider a Stone Town & Spice Tour as a full-day excursion rather than using two separate holiday days.
3. Visit Prison Island
Prison Island, also known as Changuu Island, is a popular half-day boat excursion from the Stone Town side of Zanzibar.
The island is particularly associated with its giant tortoises, while the boat journey gives you a completely different perspective of Stone Town and Zanzibar’s coastline.
Depending on conditions and the excursion arrangement, the experience can also include time around the water and snorkelling.
Prison Island is easy to combine with Stone Town if you want to make better use of one day.
A Stone Town & Prison Island Tour is therefore particularly useful for travellers who have limited time in Zanzibar.
4. Visit Jozani Forest
Jozani is one of Zanzibar’s most important nature experiences and offers a complete contrast to the beaches.
The area is particularly known for the Zanzibar red colobus monkey, one of the island’s most distinctive wildlife attractions.
Jozani works especially well if you are staying on Zanzibar’s south or southeast coast because you are already much closer to it than guests staying in the far north.
This is an important point when planning Zanzibar excursions: don’t just ask what you want to see—ask what makes geographical sense from your hotel.
For travellers wanting a fuller sightseeing day, Jozani can also be combined with other experiences rather than making separate journeys across the island.
5. Spend a Day on Safari Blue
For travellers who want one major sea-based excursion during their Zanzibar holiday, Safari Blue is one of the options to consider.
It is a full-day experience and provides a very different day from Stone Town, Jozani or a Spice Tour.
The excursion combines time on the water with the wider coastal and marine experience, making it particularly appealing to travellers who came to Zanzibar partly for the Indian Ocean.
If you already have several beach days planned, we would normally balance Safari Blue with a cultural or nature excursion rather than filling every day with boat trips.
6. Discover Zanzibar Beyond the Main Tourist Sites
Stone Town, Jozani, Prison Island and the spice farms receive much of the attention, but they aren’t the only ways to experience Zanzibar.
Travellers interested in seeing more of local life can consider experiences such as:
Muyuni Village – an opportunity to experience a different side of Zanzibar beyond hotels and beaches.
Uzi Island – suited to travellers wanting to explore further away from Zanzibar’s most heavily visited areas.
Swahili food experiences – useful for travellers who want to understand Zanzibar through its cuisine rather than sightseeing alone.
Traditions and people experiences – better suited to travellers who place culture and local interaction high on their list.
These experiences aren’t necessarily for everyone. But if this is your second visit to Zanzibar, or you prefer cultural travel to conventional sightseeing, they can become some of the more interesting days of your holiday.
7. Spend Time in Nungwi
If you are asking what to do in Nungwi Zanzibar, don’t feel that you need to leave the area every day.
Nungwi is in the north of the island and is one of Zanzibar’s best-known beach areas.
Days here can revolve around swimming, beach time, watersports, boat experiences and enjoying the northern coastline.
The north is also particularly attractive around sunset.
If your Zanzibar holiday is primarily about relaxing by the sea but you still want restaurants, activities and a more active holiday atmosphere, Nungwi is one of the areas to consider staying.
8. Enjoy Kendwa
Kendwa sits on Zanzibar’s northwest coast and is another excellent choice for travellers prioritising beach time.
One of the advantages of staying around the northern side of Zanzibar is that you don’t necessarily need an organised excursion every day.
Some of your best days may simply involve a late breakfast, several hours on the beach, swimming and staying for sunset.
This is worth remembering when deciding what to do in Zanzibar.
Not every day needs a tour.
9. Explore Paje
Paje offers a very different Zanzibar experience from Nungwi and Kendwa.
Located on the southeast coast, it is particularly associated with kitesurfing, long beaches, noticeable tides and a more active independent-travel atmosphere.
If you’re staying in Paje, consider combining organised excursions with days spent exploring the immediate southeast coast.
The tidal changes are part of the character of this side of Zanzibar. At low tide the sea can retreat considerably, changing both the appearance of the beach and what you can comfortably do in the water.
10. Slow Down in Jambiani
Just down the southeast coast from Paje, Jambiani offers a more relaxed coastal experience.
If you’re wondering what to do in Jambiani Zanzibar, our first recommendation is not to over-plan it.
Walk the beach, watch how dramatically the coastline changes with the tides, enjoy local restaurants and use Jambiani as a base for selected excursions around southern and eastern Zanzibar.
Jambiani is particularly suited to travellers who want their Zanzibar holiday to actually feel like an island holiday rather than a seven-day sightseeing programme.
11. Experience Zanzibar’s Marine Life
The Indian Ocean is a major part of the Zanzibar experience.
Depending on where you’re staying and current sea conditions, your holiday can include snorkelling, sailing, reef experiences and other boat trips.
The right departure point matters.
If you’re staying in the north, it rarely makes sense to repeatedly cross the whole island for activities when good experiences are available closer to you. The same principle applies if you’re staying around Paje, Jambiani or the east coast.
This is why we recommend planning excursions after choosing your hotel, not before.
12. Eat Your Way Around Zanzibar
Zanzibar’s food tells part of the island’s story.
Expect influences from Swahili coastal cooking alongside centuries of interaction between Africa, Arabia, India and other Indian Ocean cultures.
Try local dishes and seafood, visit markets and don’t spend your entire holiday eating only from an international resort buffet.
Stone Town is particularly good for adding a food element to your sightseeing.
For travellers especially interested in food, a dedicated Swahili food experience can make more sense than another conventional sightseeing excursion.
13. Watch a Zanzibar Sunset
Sometimes one of the best things to do in Zanzibar costs nothing.
The western and northern sides of Zanzibar are particularly good for sunsets over the Indian Ocean.
If you’re staying around Kendwa or Nungwi, leave at least one evening completely free.
Don’t book a full programme every day and then realise that you never actually sat on the beach and watched the sun disappear over the ocean.
What to Do in Stone Town Zanzibar
If you are spending one or two nights in Stone Town, prioritise experiences that benefit from being based there.
Consider:
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A guided Stone Town walking tour
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Darajani Market
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The Old Fort
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The Forodhani waterfront area
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Prison Island
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A Spice Tour
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Local food experiences
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Shopping through Stone Town’s narrow streets
If you are staying at a beach resort afterwards, Stone Town also works extremely well at the beginning of your holiday.
What to Do in Zanzibar at Night
Zanzibar evenings depend heavily on where you are staying.
Stone Town is good for an evening walk, dinner and the waterfront atmosphere around Forodhani.
Nungwi and Paje generally offer more opportunities for travellers looking for restaurants, bars and a livelier beach atmosphere.
Quieter resort areas are different. There, evenings are more likely to revolve around sunset, dinner, entertainment at your hotel and relaxing by the ocean.
Choose your hotel location partly according to the evenings you want—not just how the beach looks in photographs.
What to Do in Zanzibar With Kids
Zanzibar can work very well for families, but don’t overload children with long sightseeing days.
Depending on their ages and interests, consider:
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Beach days
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Short snorkelling experiences
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Prison Island
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Jozani Forest
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Spice farms
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Stone Town in manageable sections
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Selected boat excursions
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Resort activities and swimming
Alternate excursion days with free days where possible.
Young children often get much more from a relaxed morning on the beach and one interesting afternoon activity than from being driven around the island from morning until evening.
What to Do in Zanzibar When It Rains
Rain doesn’t necessarily mean losing an entire holiday day.
If showers are intermittent, you may still be able to continue with planned activities depending on local conditions.
Stone Town, cultural experiences, food experiences and a Spice Tour may be alternatives to spending the whole day around your resort swimming pool.
Boat and ocean activities are different. Sea and weather conditions should always determine whether an excursion operates safely.
If you visit during Zanzibar’s wetter periods, keep some flexibility in your itinerary rather than assigning every activity to an immovable day.
What to Do in Zanzibar for Different Trip Lengths
What to Do in Zanzibar for 1 Day
If you only have one day, don’t try to see the entire island.
If you’re around Stone Town, consider:
Stone Town + Spice Tour
or
Stone Town + Prison Island
Both give you more than one Zanzibar experience without wasting most of your limited time driving around the island.
What to Do in Zanzibar for 2 Days
With two days, combine culture with either nature or the ocean.
Day 1: Stone Town + Spice Tour
Day 2: Safari Blue, Jozani or a beach day
Choose Day 2 according to what interests you most.
What to Do in Zanzibar for 3 Days
Three days gives you enough time for a good introduction without trying to cover everything.
Day 1: Stone Town + Spice Tour
Day 2: Safari Blue or another ocean experience
Day 3: Beach day or Jozani Forest
If Zanzibar is the relaxing part of a longer Tanzania safari holiday, we would favour the beach day.
What to Do in Zanzibar for 4 Days
For four days, try:
Day 1: Stone Town
Day 2: Spice Tour + another compatible attraction
Day 3: Safari Blue or marine excursion
Day 4: Beach and resort day
You can switch one excursion for Jozani depending on your interests and hotel location.
What to Do in Zanzibar for 5 Days
Five days is where Zanzibar starts to become much easier to balance.
A good framework is:
Day 1: Arrival + Stone Town where practical
Day 2: Beach
Day 3: Major excursion
Day 4: Jozani, cultural experience or another local activity
Day 5: Beach and sunset
The exact order should depend on your flight times and hotel location.
What to Do in Zanzibar for a Week
Seven days gives you time to experience Zanzibar properly without rushing.
We generally wouldn’t recommend seven consecutive days of organised excursions.
Instead, consider three excursion days and three or four slower days.
For example:
Day 1: Arrival + Stone Town
Day 2: Beach
Day 3: Spice Tour / Prison Island combination
Day 4: Beach
Day 5: Safari Blue or another marine excursion
Day 6: Explore your local area
Day 7: Relax
If you’re interested in culture, replace one beach day with Jozani, Muyuni, Uzi Island or another locally focused experience.
What to Do in Zanzibar for 10 Days
With ten days, consider splitting your stay between two parts of Zanzibar.
For example, combine Stone Town + beach, or spend time in two coastal areas if you want contrasting experiences.
Ten days gives you enough time for several excursions without sacrificing the slow pace that makes Zanzibar special.
What to Do in Zanzibar in February
February generally lends itself well to a beach-focused Zanzibar holiday.
Plan a mixture of water activities, cultural sightseeing and downtime, but remember that tropical weather can vary from day to day.
Avoid planning your entire holiday around a rigid timetable.
What to Do in Zanzibar in March
March can still offer excellent Zanzibar experiences, although conditions can become more humid as the island moves towards its wetter period.
Build flexibility into your plans, particularly for ocean activities.
Stone Town, food, culture and land-based excursions give you alternatives when conditions aren’t ideal for a boat day.
What to Do in Zanzibar in April
April is generally within Zanzibar’s main rainy period.
That doesn’t mean there is nothing to do, but this is a time when flexibility becomes particularly important.
Don’t build your entire itinerary around boat excursions.
Mix beach time when conditions allow with Stone Town, Spice Tours, cultural experiences and other land-based activities.
What to Do in Zanzibar in October
October is a good time to mix beach days with sightseeing and ocean activities.
Stone Town, Jozani, spice farms, northern beaches and marine excursions can all form part of the itinerary.
If you have a week, resist the temptation to book an excursion every day.
What to Do in Zanzibar in November
November can bring periods of rain associated with the shorter rains, but conditions vary.
Keep your itinerary flexible and make final decisions on weather-dependent marine excursions with local conditions in mind.
There is still plenty to experience on land, including Stone Town, spice farms, Jozani and cultural activities.
What Not to Do in Zanzibar
Knowing what not to do in Zanzibar can improve your holiday just as much as knowing what to book.
Don’t book an excursion every day. Zanzibar is also about slowing down.
Don’t ignore your hotel location. A cheap excursion can become inefficient once long transfers across the island are involved.
Don’t underestimate the tides. They have a major influence on the experience of many east and southeast coast beaches.
Don’t treat Stone Town as just a photo stop. Take time to understand its history and culture.
Don’t assume every beach offers the same swimming conditions. Zanzibar’s coasts are very different.
Don’t leave all your planning until you arrive. Popular experiences and private arrangements are easier to organise when incorporated into your holiday beforehand.
Don’t disrespect local customs. Zanzibar has a predominantly Muslim population. Beachwear is normal at resorts and beaches, but more modest clothing is appropriate when visiting towns, villages and cultural sites.
Don’t forget that weather and sea conditions matter. Be prepared for boat activities to change when conditions aren’t suitable.
How to Choose What to Do in Zanzibar
Instead of asking, “What are the top 10 things to do in Zanzibar?”, start with four questions:
Where are you staying?
This determines travelling time and which excursions make geographical sense.
How many nights do you have?
Three nights and ten nights require completely different approaches.
What interests you?
History, beaches, food, culture, nature, snorkelling and local communities don’t need to carry equal weight.
How much downtime do you want?
If you booked a beautiful Zanzibar beach resort, give yourself enough time to enjoy it.
That is the difference between simply collecting Zanzibar attractions and actually planning a good Zanzibar holiday.
Our Recommended Zanzibar Experiences
Depending on your hotel location and interests, we can arrange:
Historic Stone Town Tour
A guided introduction to Zanzibar’s historic and cultural heart.
Zanzibar Spice Tour
Discover why Zanzibar became famous around the world as the Spice Island.
Prison Island Tour
Take a boat from the Stone Town side and visit the island known for its giant tortoises.
Jozani Forest
Discover Zanzibar’s forest environment and look for its famous red colobus monkeys.
Safari Blue Zanzibar
Spend a full day experiencing Zanzibar from the water.
Stone Town & Spice Tour
A practical full-day combination for travellers wanting history and Zanzibar’s spice heritage.
Stone Town & Prison Island
Combine two of the most popular experiences around Zanzibar City into one day.
Stone Town & Jozani Forest
Combine Zanzibar’s historic centre with one of its major nature attractions.
Spice Tour & Jozani Forest
A useful combination if you want to experience two very different sides of the island.
Uzi Island & Muyuni Village
Go beyond Zanzibar’s mainstream tourist attractions and experience another side of island life.
Swahili Food Experience
Discover Zanzibar through its food and culinary traditions.
There are other combinations available, and the best choice depends on where your hotel is located.
A Local Approach to Planning Zanzibar Activities
One of the most important things we can tell you about planning what to do in Zanzibar is this:
Start with the map.
Zanzibar may look small, but repeatedly travelling from one end of the island to another wastes valuable holiday time and increases your excursion costs.
If you stay in Stone Town, certain experiences are naturally easier.
If you stay in Nungwi or Kendwa, organise your itinerary around the north.
If you stay in Paje or Jambiani, take advantage of being on the southeast coast.
And if an attraction can be visited en route between the airport or Stone Town and your beach hotel, that can sometimes be much more efficient than making a separate return journey later.
That is why we don’t believe the best Zanzibar itinerary is simply a list of the island’s most popular attractions.
The best itinerary is the one that fits your hotel, your interests, your available time and the part of Zanzibar you actually want to experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About What to Do in Zanzibar
What is there to do in Zanzibar?
Zanzibar offers beaches, Stone Town sightseeing, spice farms, Jozani Forest, Prison Island, snorkelling, sailing and marine excursions, local food, cultural experiences and visits to communities around the island.
What are the top things to do in Zanzibar for a first-time visitor?
For a first visit, we would prioritise Stone Town, a Spice Tour, one marine or boat experience, and enough free time to enjoy Zanzibar’s beaches. Add Jozani if wildlife and nature interest you.
How many excursions should I book in Zanzibar?
For a seven-night beach holiday, around two to four organised excursion days is normally enough for most travellers. The rest of your time can be spent enjoying your beach, resort and surrounding area.
Is Stone Town worth visiting?
Yes, particularly if you want to understand Zanzibar beyond its beaches. A guided walking tour helps put the island’s architecture, trade, culture and history into context.
Is Jozani Forest worth visiting?
Jozani is worth considering if you are interested in Zanzibar’s natural environment and red colobus monkeys. It is especially convenient for travellers staying around the south and southeast.
Is Prison Island worth visiting?
Prison Island works particularly well as a half-day trip from the Stone Town area or combined with a Stone Town tour.
Should I do a Spice Tour in Zanzibar?
For a first visit, a Spice Tour is one of the easiest ways to understand an important part of Zanzibar’s history and identity. It combines particularly well with Stone Town.
What can I do in Zanzibar besides the beach?
Visit Stone Town, explore a spice farm, see Jozani Forest, visit Prison Island, experience Swahili food, explore villages, take a marine excursion or spend time discovering a different part of the island.
What can couples do in Zanzibar?
Couples can combine relaxed beach days with sunset experiences, private excursions, Stone Town, snorkelling, sailing, good food and selected cultural experiences. Zanzibar is particularly well suited to honeymoons when the itinerary isn’t overloaded.
What can families do in Zanzibar?
Families can consider beach days, Jozani Forest, Prison Island, Spice Tours, snorkelling and selected boat excursions. The best choices depend on the children’s ages and how comfortable they are with longer days.
Do I need to book Zanzibar excursions in advance?
You don’t need to schedule every hour before arriving, but arranging your main excursions in advance makes it easier to build them around your hotel location, transfers and available days.
Can I combine Zanzibar tours?
Yes. Stone Town can be combined with Spice Tour, Prison Island or Jozani, while other combinations are possible depending on your starting location. Combining compatible attractions can reduce unnecessary travelling.
What is the best thing to do in Zanzibar?
There isn’t one best activity for everybody. For history choose Stone Town; for nature consider Jozani; for the ocean consider a marine excursion; for culture consider a Spice Tour or local experience; and for relaxation, give yourself an uninterrupted day on the beach.
What should I do if I only have three days in Zanzibar?
Prioritise one cultural day, one ocean or nature experience and one beach day. Trying to see the entire island in three days usually means spending too much of your holiday travelling.
Is Zanzibar only a beach destination?
No. Zanzibar’s beaches are a major attraction, but its history, Swahili culture, spice heritage, food, communities, forests and marine environment are important parts of the destination too.
Ready to Decide What to Do in Zanzibar?
Tell us where you are staying, how many days you have and what you enjoy doing.
We can help you choose Zanzibar excursions that make sense geographically instead of simply selling you a list of tours.
Whether you are staying in Stone Town, Nungwi, Kendwa, Kiwengwa, Paje, Jambiani or elsewhere on the island, we can help you build your days around your starting point and the Zanzibar experiences that are actually worth including in your holiday.
Plan your Zanzibar experiences with local East African experts who understand the island, the distances and how to put the right activities together.
