Things to do in Zanzibar

Things to do in Zanzibar can be confusing, there are so many options and lots of vendors. Zanzibar is a destination full of not only beautiful beach locations but an interesting and eclectic history. We loved exploring this island and can’t wait to return. This is what we recommend to do in Zanzibar and which tours to book.

All our blog posts contain affiliate links that help us keep our blog running at no extra cost to you! When you click on our links to book accommodation, activities or transport we earn a very small commission. Clicking on our links to book your accommodation or activities costs no extra to you but helps to keep our blog online!

#1 Visit Stone Town

Did you know? Zanzibar was once the capital of Oman! You can see the connection in the architecture and culture most predominantly in its cultural and historical heart, Stone Town. Stone Town is the capital of Zanzibar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site it is located on the western coast of the island. Zanzibar has been shaped by centuries of diverse cultural influences and Stone Town is a living testament to this history. Its history is deeply tied to the Indian Ocean trade, bringing with it influences of Arab, Persian, Indian, and European cultures.

We stayed 3 days in Stone Town, falling in love with the architecture, narrow winding streets, and historic buildings reflecting the rich tapestry of Zanzibar’s culture. There is a lot to see and do in Stone Town check out everything we recommend for a 3 day Stone Town itinerary. Check out this tour of Stone Town which also includes the Slave Market ticket or you can combine a tour of Stone Town with Prison Island and a spice farm.

#2 Take a Cooking Class with Locals

With influences from African, Arab, Indian, and European cusines Zanzibari food is a journey into the heart of the island. Truly a celebration of flavours, aromas, and spices and taking a cooking class with locals is the best way to understand and appreciate it. Often a cooking class here begins with a guided tour through local markets to gather the fresh produce and spices. The actual cooking is a fun adventure of learning about food and culture as well as enjoying your efforts and the company of locals. We love this cooking class but also highly recommend this cooking class with the Mamas of Zanzibar for a truly unique local experience!

#3 Enjoy the local vibes and kitesurfing at Paje Beach

We went to Paje Beach and stayed at a beautiful hotel right on the sand! Paje is full of local vibes and it’s a fun place to stay. Head out to the beach to take a kitesurfing lesson, it’s one of the premiere destinations for the sport or just enjoy watching the colourful kits and clever tricks being attempted.

You’ll meet loads of the Masai boys walking the beach selling their bracelets and wares. Buy a bracelet or two (you can usually get 2 thin bracelets for 5000TZS or a 6 strong bracelet for 6000TZS), have a chat and take a picture with them. They’re friendly and fun, we spent ages chatting with our regular guys that would drop past each day to say hi. Look out for David in our picture below, he sells t-shirts and is really lovely. Paying between 25-30,000TZS is a fair price for both you and the seller.

There’s a huge souvenir market just behind the beach and it’s a good place to shop, especially if you don’t have a lot of time in Stone Town. While there are tons of restaurants in Paje and along the beach we loved cocktails and snacking at Mr Kahawa with our feet in the sand!

#4 Take a spice tour

A Spice Tour is one of the top things to do in Zanzibar. It’s a captivating experience. Here you’ll learn about the island’s renowned spice industry. While your guide takes you through the plantations you’ll notice the scent of exotic spices in the air. With the opportunity to touch and taste the spices the appreciation for these seemingly simple yet important staples.

We recommend booking this spice tour which includes a tour of Stone Town, booking online which really helps as there are many tour guides on the island and it’s hard to choose when there. Alternatively this Swahili Experience Tour takes you to the Spice farm to learn about the spices then to a cliff side spot to enjoy the flavours! It is so well loved for a reason. If you want to combine a Stone Town Tour with a spice farm and Prison Island then this is the tour for you. They are our top three spice tours on Zanzibar.

#5 Clear Kayaking

Clear kayaking is such a beautiful way to enjoy the beach that you’re staying at. You can organise to hire a kayak at any of the beaches, I love how seamless it looks with the transparent kayak. You can also book a clear kayak with a photo shoot or drone shoot, we saw many of these happening. There are other water-sports such as jet skis, cars adn

#6 Swim in the most perfect beach at Kendwa

In my opinion the best stretch of beach in Zanzibar (that we have found so far!) is in Kendwa. It’s a short walk up the beach and is situated right in front of the Zuri Zanzibar. You could choose to stay at the Zuri, which is beyond stunning, or try to grab a spot on the white sand of the beach and swim in the perfect turquoise water.

The only caveat is the security guards who patrol the beach front of the hotel and make sure that nobody sits on the beach too close to the hotel. Stay near the waterline and the clump of trees in the middle and you’re generally fine! We stayed here for a good few hours and loved it! Definitely looking at staying at the Zuri next time around. When you’ve had your fill of sun sand and sea head to Sunset Kendwa hotel for happy hour, they do great cocktails!

#7 Snorkeling Tour at Memba Island

This tour is another of the big things to do in Zanzibar. It includes snorkelling and some snacks. There are a lot of people selling these tours everywhere and it is really popular. Check out the Memba Island Tour (although I don’t recommend chasing the dolphins or encouraging the boat captain to chase them as it’s stressful for them). Or this tour is run by a great local that we used to drive us around.

#8 Sunset Jump Spot

Head to the waterfront at sunset while in Stone Town to catch the men jumping off the end of the stone walls! For a fee they’ll make videos with you and then race to the edge and launch themselves into the water doing the craziest flips and dives. It’s a full event and we watched for hours.

#9 Shop in Darajani Market

While in Stone Town head to Darajani Market to not only watch the bustling action of daily life but try your hand at bargaining yourself. Make sure to remain polite and friendly as the locals are very welcoming. This historic marketplace is a sensory experience of sight, smell and sound! Buy spices or baskets and get an authentic glimpse of daily life. This tour takes you through the market here and the night market and both are worth checking out!

#10 Swim in Maalum Cave

Swimming in this natural cave (similar to a cenote in Mexcio) is high on my prorities next time I am in Zanzibar. It looks so beautiful and serene. You do need to book a time slot and there is a spa and restaurant there to enjoy also. This tour combines Jozani forest, Maalum Cave, & Mtende Beach Tour which is great as Mtende Beach looks incredible!

#11 The Rock Restaurant

We didn’t do The Rock but I felt like I had to add it here as it is such an iconic thing to do in Zanzibar. You do need to book a table and try to time it for high tide as the views are better. At high tide you will take a boat across and at low tide you can walk across. It does look really cool, prices are a little steep but worth it for the experience if you are keen. You can also combine a tour with the turtles and The Rock.

#12 Take a Sunset Dhow Boat Cruise

A dhow boat tour is an absolute must! This tour is best done for sunset so the sky turns beautiful shades of gold and pink before the sun sinks into the sea. Drifting along on a traditional wooden show boat is a dream like moment, which will let you get a glimpse in to the history of Zanzibar. There are lots of them on offer and you can do them from most beaches, check out this boat tour from Nungwi.

#13 Jozani Forest

Jozani Forest is an interesting part of Zanzibar. It is located in the centre of the island it’s quite large and is known for being the home to the red colobus monkey. It also houses butterflies, birds, and lots of interesting flora. There’s mangroves and the fauna that lives within them. Take a tour here as the guides know a lot about these monkeys and you can combine a tour of Jozani Forest with the sea turtles, or combine Jozani Forest tour with a Spice Tour!

#14 Horse Riding on the Beach

Riding along the beach is surely a wonderful experience and I wished we had done this! As I watched people riding along, particularly in the quiet of the early morning I was so jealous. It’s high on my list for our next visit! Check it out on this horse riding tour.

#15 Prison Island and Nakupenda Boat Trip

This is another one of the iconic things in Zanzibar a trip to Nakupenda is a must and Prison Island is really interesting, you can check it out here.

#16 Book a Flying Dress or beach Photoshoot

We watched a few of these flying dress photoshoots and they were extensive! After drone shots there’s hours of photos on the beach. The staff are really adept in positioning and stay with you helping you with your dress and posing. The results look stunning! They also do lots or regular beach photoshoots as well.

#17 Chat to and buy from the Masai Boys

These guys are as much an icon of the islands as the turquoise water. Watching the Masai cruise up and down the sand chatting, playing soccer or selling bracelets is priceless. Coming from our safari it seemed so out of place to see them on a beach. It’s definitely a cool experience, get chatting to them and buy a bracelet, we learnt a lot about their lifestyle this way.

#18 Swim in Kuza Cave

Kuza Cave is a hidden oasis catering to snorkelers, divers, and nature enthusiasts, located in Jambiani. Hidden in a small jungle, cross a bridge to the sinkhole and descending the staircase, to the clear pool. This water oasis is an escape, perfect for cooling off on hot days. You can combine a tour here with a visit to the turtles!

#19 Take a Day Safari to Selous National Park

If you haven’t planned a safari in Tanzania on the mainland then taking a day safari to Selous Game Reserve from Zanzibar is very popular. This will give you a chance to see some of the big animals that Africa is so well known for. This Selous Game Reserve tour starts in the morning where you will fly out to an airstrip near Selous. Spend the day on a game drive and enjoy lunch while looking for animals. Afterwards you will be flown back to Zanzibar.

Note: We did not do this safari day trip, because we had previously used this company to do a safari in Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater directly before our trip to Zanzibar. You can check that out on our Safari blog. We loved our safari so much if you don’t have the time to do an extended one then I would take this opportunity at Selous as it is an incredible moment seeing the animals up close! Alternatively this safari with the company we used is one where you can fly from Zanzibar to the Serengeti and end in Arusha and fly out from there. It could be added to the end of a Zanzibar trip!

#20 Getting around Zanzibar

If you are looking for transfers from the airport, between towns or a private guide or driver for a day or week book with Beka. We used him on a couple of occasions and honestly couldn’t recommend him more highly. He is a friendly and helpful local who will strive to make sure you are happy and provide lots of helpful information. He can be trusted to get you where you need to go, his car is great and his prices are very fair.

Are You Booking a Trip Soon? These are the sites we trust!

These are the sites we use to book, they are our affiliate links and by clicking through you will help us earn a few cents to keep our website up online. We really appreciate it!

1. Book Your Flights

We will always check and book through Booking or Trip.com they have great deals!

2. Book Your Accommodations

We always check Booking.com, Expedia, Klook and Trip.com. They all have great deals and sometimes are better in different continents, for example we almost used Trip and Klook exclusively in Asia and Booking.com always in Europe!

3. Buy your E-sim!

E-sims have changed the game in communication while travelling. They are cheap and easy to use, we never go without them. Our current favourite is Yesim!

4. Book Your Tours & Experiences

I usually use and recommend Get Your Guide, Klook and Viator to book tours and activities. THey also have shuttle options to and from airports which is great. I love the real reviews you can check and we have never had a problem with them!

5. Book Your Rental Car

Self-driving is my favourite way to explore most destinations, we use Rental Cars.

6. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a must, Mike travelled for years without it but now we see that was a little crazy! We feel so much better knowing we have a backstop for cancelled flights, delayed luggage, sickness on the road and wouldn’t be without it! Safety Wing is great, especially for frequent travellers.

7. Airport Lounge Access is a must!

Use Priority Pass to access to 1,400+ VIP lounges and airport experiences worldwide.