The island of Zanzibar may be small, but there are many ways to get lost here: amongst the ancient, cobble-stoned streets of Stone Town; in the colourful history of the people that call this paradise home; or amid the coral reefs that rival the best snorkelling destinations in the world. Take your pick, but after a day in this hidden paradise, we can promise you won’t want to be found!
Departing | Trip name | Days | From USD | |
---|---|---|---|---|
5 May 2018Gorillas, Game Parks & Beaches |
Nairobi to Stone Town | 28 |
$4,256
|
View Trip |
5 May 2018Best of East Africa |
Nairobi to Stone Town | 21 |
$3,103
|
View Trip |
6 May 2018Vic Falls to Stone Town |
Victoria Falls to Zanzibar | 16 |
$1,436
|
View Trip |
6 May 2018Vic Falls to Zanzibar |
Victoria Falls to Stone Town | 19 |
$1,671
|
View Trip |
6 May 2018Vic Falls to Kenya |
Victoria Falls to Nairobi | 28 |
$3,315
|
View Trip |
13 May 2018Kenya to Vic Falls |
Nairobi to Victoria Falls | 27 |
$3,396
|
View Trip |
20 May 2018Road to Zanzibar |
Nairobi to Stone Town | 13 |
$2,087
|
View Trip |
20 May 2018Road to Zanzibar & Spice Islands Sailing Adventure |
Nairobi to Zanzibar North Coast | 19 |
$2,923
|
View Trip |
21 May 2018Zanzibar to Nairobi |
Stone Town to Nairobi | 13 |
$1,908
|
View Trip |
22 May 2018Zanzibar to Vic Falls |
Stone Town to Victoria Falls | 18 |
$1,764
|
View Trip |
Experience the beauty of the Serengeti before taking to the Usambara Mountains and then...
Get closer to Africa’s incredible wildlife on this journey through Kenya, Uganda,...
Get closer to Africa’s incredible wildlife on this journey through Kenya, Uganda,...
Step out onto the Serengeti and keep your eyes out for rhinos, lions, leopards and a...
Hop aboard a sailing adventure across the spectacular Zanzibar archipelago, with visits...
Explore the wilds of Africa on this action-packed adventure from the busy streets of...
Explore Africa as you travel from Kenya to Cape Town through Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi...
Explore the best of south and east Africa with this adventure from the spicy beaches of...
Travel from thundering Victoria Falls to the fragrant spice plantations of Zanzibar...
Experience the exhilarating wild of Africa as you travel from Victoria Falls through...
See Africa encompassed on a tour through Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe,...
With the Usambara Mountains, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Zanzibar some of the many...
Experience the best of East Africa on this road adventure. From Zanzibar to Nairobi,...
Take an epic East African adventure from Kenya to Zimbabwe. Safari in the Serengeti, go...
Explore Africa as you wind your way up from South Africa, through Namibia, Botswana,...
Explore Africa on this wildlife-rich adventure from Tanzania to South Africa. Explore...
See Africa on this incredible overland adventure from South Africa to Tanzania. Soak up...
Experience Africa travelling through the waterways of Botswana, the beaches of Zanzibar...
Experience Africa travelling through the waterways of Botswana, the beaches of Zanzibar...
Travel through Botswana to the thundering Victoria Falls and on to to the fragrant...
The pristine beaches of Zanzibar, the lush slopes of the Usambara Mountains, and the...
Jump aboard this epic tour from Cape Town to Nairobi. From safaris in Tanzania and...
This East Africa adventure tour travels from Zimbabwe to Kenya. Visit Zanzibar beaches,...
Take a relaxing break on the island of Zanzibar. Swim, snorkel or dive into azure...
Spot a host wildlife at the Luangwa River, gape at the mighty Victoria Falls, explore...
Travel to Africa and visit the Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. From Nairobi in...
Our Zanzibar trips score an average of 4.82 out of 5 based on 399 reviews in the last year.
This was a fantastic trip. A great combo of animal safari, culture, people, history and beach. We had the most fabulous crew. Martin, our guide was always cheerful and helpful and has great local knowledge. Albert, our chef, cooked the best food, including fish and chips in the Serengeti, was hilarious with his lion noises and I enjoyed my hug each morning. Becky, our driver, got us up some amazing roads, always made us feel safe and is a pretty amazing dancer. The trip was also made special by everyone in our team, we worked well together and had heaps of laughs. There were lots of highlights but the camping with no fences in the Serengeti was very cool. We saw a large number of animals and birds on our safari trips. I’d be happy to recommend this trip to anyone.
Review submitted 19 Apr 2018
Nairobi to Zanzibar is a great trip if you wants to see animals, culture, mountains and beaches. It’s got it all!
Review submitted 19 Apr 2018
Before I travelled to Tanzania for the first time in 2009, I was a little...
From Zanzibar's beautiful beaches, to music and dancing at Rio Carnival. Here's...
With world-class beaches on dreamy Zanzibar and wildlife to wow the likes of David...
Zanzibar's beaches are right up there with the best I have seen, but I found so...
It's time to follow the trade winds and make tracks to the spice island of...
Even the name 'Zanzibar' sounds exotic. Add in the phase 'spice islands' and the...
The best experiences in travel are those that shred your expectations. And that is...
An African family safari is on the once-in-a-lifetime end of the holiday spectrum....
Picking the world’s best beach is a bit like arguing why your favourite colour...
The beach is the salty engine that drives global tourism. But why? What draws us...
Find the house where Freddie Mercury grew up or sample a delicious, world-famous Zanzibar pizza at the Forodhani night market.
Visit one of the spice farms that put Zanzibar on the trade route map.
Laze the day away where the sand can’t get any whiter or the water any clearer.
Take a dhow ride out to one of the many reefs bursting with sea life.
Explore some the 40 islands that make up the Zanzibar archipelago.
Intrepid believes half the fun of experiencing a new country is getting there, and getting around once there! Where possible, Intrepid uses local transport options and traditional modes of transport - which usually carry less of an environmental impact, support small local operators and are heaps more fun.
Depending on which trip you're on while in Zanzibar, you may find yourself travelling by:
Ferry
Take in views of the stunning East African coast while travelling to or from Dar el Salaam to Zanzibar aboard a ferry.
Dhow
Iconic and widespread on the shores of the island, nothing says ‘Zanzibar’ more than the traditional dhow: a wooden boat favoured by the locals.
Catamaran
Is there anything more luxurious than skipping along blue waters in a catamaran? Choose to explore Zanzibar on one of our sailing adventures and you’ll be doing just that.
Travelling with Intrepid is a little bit different. We endeavour to provide travellers with an authentic experience to remember, so we try to keep accommodation as unique and traditional as possible.
When travelling with us in Zanzibar you may find yourself staying in a:
Roll out of bed and on to some of the best beaches in the world. Our beachside accommodation offers pristine views and the Indian Ocean breeze in your hair, bringing the best of Zanzibar right to your doorstep.
Yes. A visa is required for most nationalities for Tanzania. Be sure to check the latest requirements with your closest Tanzania Embassy or Consulate.
It is recommended you purchase visas in advance at any Diplomatic or Consulate Mission of the United Republic of Tanzania abroad. The cost is approximately USD 100 depending on nationality. At the present time you do not require a multi entry visa to visit Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda due to an agreement between the three countries (i.e. if you exit Kenya to Tanzania you can re-enter Kenya on the same visa). However, if your trip returns to Tanzania after a visit to a country other than those listed above, you may need to purchase two visas.
It is also possible to obtain a tourist visa for a single entry at any one of the following main entry points to Tanzania, subject to the fulfilment of all immigration and health requirements and approximately USD 50 fee.
Tipping isn’t mandatory in Zanzibar but a little generosity will be received positively, especially when considering the low wages that service workers are typically paid in Zanzibar. Setting aside a small amount for porters, guides and drivers is wise, as is leaving spare change or rounding up the bill at restaurants.
Internet access is widespread throughout the main islands of Zanzibar. However, if visiting smaller islands there will be limited to no access available.
Mobile phone coverage is good on Zanzibar’s larger islands, but less so on smaller islands. Ensure you have global roaming activated before leaving home if you wish to use your mobile phone.
Western-style flushable toilets are generally available in most hotels, tourist attractions and other modern buildings in Zanzibar. However, in rural areas squat/pit toilets are the general standard for local amenities. Carry your own supply of soap and toilet paper as these are rarely provided.
Street snack = US 0.45
Bottle of beer = US 0.90
Plate of food from a local eatery = US 1.35
Dinner in an international restaurant = US 4.50 – US 9
Drinking tap water isn't recommended in Zanzibar. For environmental reasons, try to avoid buying bottled water. Instead, fill a reusable water bottle or canteen with filtered water. Ask your leader where filtered water can be found; some hotels we stay in may have drinking water available. It's also advisable to avoid ice in drinks and peel fruit and vegetables before eating.
Credit cards are usually accepted by large hotels and Western-style restaurants but not by smaller vendors. Ensure you have adequate cash to cover purchases not able to be made on credit.
ATMs are easily found in urban centres such as Stone Town but are rarer in rural areas and villages. Be sure to have other payment methods available when venturing out of the built up areas as ATMs aren't always an option.
Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.
For more information on insurance, please go to: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/booking-resources/our-services
o 1 Jan: New Year's Day
o 12 Jan: Zanzibar Revolutionary Day
o 7 Apr: Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume Day
o 14 Apr: Good Friday
o 17 Apr: Easter Monday
o 26 Apr: Union Day
o 1 May: Labour Day
o 25 Jun: Iddi El Fitry / End of Ramadan
o 26 Jun: Iddi El Fitry Holiday
o 7 Jul: Maonyesho ya Saba Saba
o 8 Aug: Wakulima ya Nane Nane / Peasants' Day
o 1 Sep: Iddi El Haji / Feast of Sacrifice
o 14 Oct: Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Day
o 30 Nov: The Prophet's Birthday
o 9 Dec: Republic Day
o 25 Dec: Christmas Day
o 26 Dec: Boxing Day
For a current list of public holidays in Tanzania/Zanzibar go to: https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/tanzania/public-holidays
Tanzania is a conservative country and homosexuality is still officially illegal, including in Zanzibar. While prosecutions might be rare, penalties can be severe with potential imprisonment as punishment. For this reason, public displays of affection (even between members of the opposite sex) is considered taboo and not advised.
For more detailed and up-to-date advice, we recommend visiting Equaldex or Smartraveller before you travel.
Intrepid is committed to travelling in a way that is respectful of local people, their culture, local economies and the environment. It's important to remember that what may be acceptable behaviour, dress and language in your own country, may not be appropriate in another. Please keep this in mind while travelling.
• Be considerate of Zanzibar’s customs, traditions, religions and culture.
• Dress modestly and respectfully. Shoulders to knees should be covered, especially when entering places of worship.
• Help protect endangered species by choosing not to buy ivory, coral or animal products.
• For environmental reasons, try to avoid buying bottled water. Fill a reusable water bottle or canteen with filtered water instead.
• Always dispose of litter thoughtfully, including cigarette butts.
• When bargaining at markets, stay calm, be reasonable and keep a smile on your face. It's meant to be fun!
• Learn some local language and don't be afraid to use it - simple greetings will help break the ice.
• Shop for locally made products. Supporting local artisans helps keep traditional crafts alive.
• Refrain from supporting businesses that exploit or abuse endangered animals.
• Please ask and receive permission before taking photos of people, including children.
• When on community visits or homestays, refrain from giving gifts or money to locals.