Zanzibar

Stone Town, then the north shore, where the tide decides the beach.

Zanzibar is a spice island with a stone town and a north coast of wide, tide-shaped sand. Nungwi and Kendwa are where the swimming is easiest. The east coast is beautiful and, at low tide, a long walk to the water. Stone Town is not optional color. It is the other half.

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Location

6.16° S, 39.19° EOpen in OpenStreetMap

Best time to visit

June–October, December–February

Trip planner

A Zanzibar itinerary

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Field guide

Give Stone Town real time, then move once to a beach. Hopping coasts every night is how the ferries and the taxis win.

When to go

June to October is dry, a bit breezier, and excellent in the north. December to February is hot and green. The long rains around April and May are the months to avoid if the beach is the point.

The beach

Nungwi and Kendwa hold their water at low tide, which is why they are the swimming beaches. The east coast, Paje and Jambiani, is stunning and can leave you a half-kilometer of sandflat at low tide. Tide charts are part of the packing list. The sand is pale and the villages are not a backdrop.

In the water

North-coast swimming is the easy kind. A snorkel trip toward Mnemba is the boat day and should be a small group. The east coast at high tide swims well and at low tide does not. Kite season there is a wind, not a bug.

Pack this in your notes

Ferries from Dar es Salaam and flights both exist. The ferry has a reputation. Choose deliberately.
Dress modestly in the villages. The beach is more relaxed and still a neighborhood.
Agree the taxi price, including the waiting, before a half-day.
Reef-safe sunscreen and a shirt. The equator is not subtle.

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Traveler reviews

Rate and review

Hannah B.

8/10

The water is the itinerary in Zanzibar

A dhow trip that is a sail, not a race. The east coast only if you have checked the tide. In Tanzania the color of the water does more work than any hotel list. Stone Town, then the north shore, where the tide decides the beach.

Mar 6, 2025

Priya S.

10/10

Zanzibar in June–October

Nungwi or Kendwa for a swim that is still there at low tide. Best window from where I sat: June–October, December–February. I would not trade this coast for a busier island.

Feb 5, 2025

James O.

10/10

The water is the itinerary in Zanzibar

Stone Town for a night or two before the beach. Nungwi or Kendwa for a swim that is still there at low tide. In Tanzania the color of the water does more work than any hotel list. Stone Town, then the north shore, where the tide decides the beach.

Jan 4, 2025