Zanzibar offers a perfect blend: cultural tours in historic Stone Town (a World Heritage Site) and lazy beach life. Explore unspoiled coastlines, vibrant marine life, and enjoy activities like swimming with dolphins, diving, and snorkeling.
Travel to Zanzibar and you arrive at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Zanzibar has long been at the centre of the Indian Ocean experience and its name evokes images of spice markets, golden beaches and white-sailed dhows on a clear turquoise sea. Happily, even today this is still true. Much of the coast is unspoilt, its scattered islands are havens for marine life and you can mix cultural tours with the lazy beach life and still have time for water sports and swimming with dolphins.
A Zanzibar holiday is a sensory one: you can go on spice tours, taste local cuisine and walk the cobbled streets of Stone Town, a World Heritage Site complete with colourful markets and local flavours. And then there are the beaches, ideal for luxurious beach vacations but also home to some of Africa’s best dive sites as well as easy snorkelling reefs and a wide range of water sports.
There’s plenty of accommodation too. One of the world’s classic romantic travel destinations, Zanzibar specialises in luxury beachfront cottages and exclusive boutique hotels for honeymooners and discerning couples. Families on the other hand will be tempted by Zanzibar’s range of family-friendly hotels with baby sitters, kids’ activities and safe-swimming beaches.
Accessible from travel hubs Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar combines easily with East Africa’s top safari destinations such as the Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. You can even reward yourself with a few days on the beach after a wet and muddy gorilla trek in the rainforests of Uganda or Rwanda.
Although Zanzibar can be a stand-alone holiday, we’d recommend that it’s part of a larger safari itinerary. Browse our tried-and-tested tours and our recommended accommodation or simply contact us for assistance with planning the perfect Zanzibar travel experience.
With average daily temperatures not changing much between 29°C and 32°C (84°F and 89°F) throughout the year, the question of when to go to Zanzibar largely depends on what else you want to combine it with and how much rain you are prepared to risk.
The best time to visit Zanzibar is during the cooler, dry months June to October as well as from December to February when it’s hot and mostly dry. The best times to scuba dive in Zanzibar are generally considered to be in July and August and again in February and March. Rain is heaviest in April, May and November.
If you want to see the wildebeest migration, then timing is important: the herds are in the Masai Mara from June to October and in the Serengeti between November and June.
Zanzibar accommodation ranges from five-star hotels and exclusive boutique establishments to fully inclusive resorts and family-friendly lodges. Most are situated on the island’s famous beaches but several wonderful hotels lie in heart of Stone Town, Zanzibar’s historical capital. These are recommended for travellers who want to see the more cultural side of Zanzibar, perhaps in combination with a beachside resort.
There is plenty to do at our Zanzibar accommodations: many offer diving or snorkelling straight from their beach. You can swim with dolphins, go on a Spice Tour, enjoy a range of water sports or simply laze in a hammock on the beach. For more exclusive accommodation, try one of the lodges on Zanzibar’s neighbouring atolls: Pemba Island, Mafia Island and private Mnemba Island all offer luxurious and intimate accommodation, simply made for honeymooners and romantic travellers.
Browse our selected Zanzibar accommodation below or simply contact us for advice on the most suitable lodge or hotel for you.
Z hotel is the original boutique hotel on Zanzibar; opening in 2010, it brings casual relaxation blended with contemporary London–inspired design to the beaches of Zanzibar providing the 21st century traveller with a fresh and original beach-holiday experience.
andBeyond Mnemba Island is an award-winning bare-foot beach paradise just off the northeast coast of Zanzibar. Be among just 20 guests at this romantic, private hideaway where ten beachside bandas overlook a pristine coral reef teeming with an abundance of tropical marine life.
Pemba Island offers a more off-the-beaten-path experience compared to its popular neighbour, Zanzibar Island. With fewer crowds and a slower pace of life, it is an ideal destination for those seeking a more authentic and relaxed island getaway.
The Palms is a sanctuary for those in search of tranquility…a place to stimulate the senses and experience the very best of the Island of Zanzibar. This collection of six beautifully designed villas offers luxurious comforts and amenities with personal attention throughout your stay.
Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar is the ultimate romantic destination, the perfect place to enjoy the harmony of the ocean and spend time with the one you love. Set in a picturesque tropical garden with its secluded beachfront, the luxurious Pavilion suites embrace wide-arched glassless windows affording spectacular views over the Indian Ocean.
Zanzibar has long been popular as a stand-alone vacation destination but our travellers to the ‘Spice Island’ usually take advantage of their location by adding an East African safari onto their Zanzibar holiday.
The Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti are a short flight or two away. Home to the seasonal wildebeest migration, they offer a magical safari experience and there are many more nearby destinations to add to the wildlife experience such as the Ngorongoro Crater. And thanks to improved air logistics, it’s now possible to combine gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda with a Zanzibar holiday, making for an unforgettable tour.
Browse our range of recommended tours below, each including a Zanzibar holiday. If you’d like a more personalised itinerary, simply contact us with your requirements and we’ll create the right tour for you.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
Zanzibar is usually part of a bigger East African safari itinerary featuring other top destinations such as Kenya’s Masai Mara, Tanzania’s Serengeti and even Uganda and Rwanda’s gorilla trekking destinations. You’ll access the island via Zanzibar International Airport, located in Stone Town and served by flights from Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. Once you have arrived, take a taxi to your accommodation or enjoy the services of your hotel’s shuttle bus.
