Zanzibar is where most of our travellers take their shoes off after a climb or a safari. The main island, Unguja, sits in the Indian Ocean off the Tanzanian coast, and it mixes two things you rarely get in one place: white-sand beaches on warm, shallow water, and Stone Town, an old trading port whose carved doors, narrow lanes and coral-stone houses are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can spend the morning on a market walk and the afternoon in the sea.

What to do

Stone Town: walk the lanes with a local guide, visit the old fort and the waterfront, and eat grilled seafood at the evening food market in Forodhani Gardens.
Spice farms: Zanzibar has long been known as the Spice Island. A farm visit lets you see and taste cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and pepper growing.
Jozani Forest: part of Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park and home to the Zanzibar red colobus, a monkey found only here.
On the water: snorkelling trips to the reefs off Mnemba, a sunset dhow sail, or a boat to Changuu (Prison Island) to meet the giant tortoises.
Doing very little: a few days on the beach is a perfectly good plan after a week of early starts.

Choosing your coast

The north around Nungwi and Kendwa has water you can swim in at most states of the tide and lively sunsets. The east coast, around Paje and Jambiani, is quieter, with a big tidal range that leaves wide sand flats at low tide, and steady winds that suit kitesurfing. The south-west is calmer still. We will help you pick the stretch that suits how you like to spend your days.

When to go

The driest and most settled months are roughly June to October and late December to February. The long rains usually fall from about March to May, when some places close and the sea can be rougher, though there are fewer people and showers often clear quickly. The short rains around November tend to be lighter. Our Tanzania weather guide sets out the seasons month by month.

Getting there

From Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha, a scheduled domestic flight to Zanzibar takes around one to one and a half hours. From Dar es Salaam you can fly in about 20 minutes or take the fast ferry, which takes roughly two hours. Many international airlines also fly straight to Zanzibar, so you can fly home from the island.

Where to stay

Stone Town has small hotels in restored merchant houses, ideal for one or two nights. On the coast you will find everything from simple beach bungalows to larger resorts and private villas. We match the place to your budget and the kind of quiet you are after.

How it fits your trip

This is the "sea" half of our summit-to-the-sea trips. After you come down from Kilimanjaro or finish a northern safari, we book your flight from Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport and you can be on the beach the same afternoon. Four to six nights is a common length; send us your dates and we will build it around you.