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Zanzibar Serena Hotel, Zanzibar

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Zanzibar

Updated 1 October 2026 · 13 things to do

Pictured: Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Zanzibar smells of cloves before you see it. For centuries this island off the coast of Tanzania was the hub of the Indian Ocean spice trade, and that history lives on in the carved doors of Stone Town, the minarets, the dhows in the harbour and the food. The beaches are the other half of the deal: white sand, warm water and a reef offshore.

So the smart plan splits the trip. Spend a night or two in Stone Town, wandering and eating, then head north or east for the beaches. Add a spice farm, a forest walk among red colobus monkeys and one day on a dhow, and you have covered the island well.

Don't miss

  1. 1Stone Town
  2. 2Forodhani Gardens
  3. 3Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park
  4. 4Nungwi and Kendwa
  5. 5Mnemba Atoll

Stone Town

A UNESCO-listed maze of alleys on the west coast.

  1. Stone Town

    Neighbourhood

    The Old Fort in Stone Town
    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Swahili, Arab, Indian and European influences meet in the old quarter, a warren of narrow lanes, whitewashed coral-stone houses and heavy carved wooden doors studded with brass. It's best explored on foot with no fixed plan, and you'll inevitably get lost.

    Freddie Mercury was born here, and the town makes much of it.

    Tip: Start early, when it is cooler and quieter, and take a local guide for the history.

  2. Forodhani Gardens

    Food

    Food stalls in Forodhani Gardens, Stone Town
    Photo: Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0

    On the Stone Town waterfront, a seafront garden transforms at dusk into a night food market. Stalls grill skewers of fish, octopus and prawns, flip Zanzibar pizzas and press sugar-cane juice. It's loud, smoky, fun and the best free show in town.

    Tip: Eat where the queues are, and go as the sun sets for the best atmosphere.

  3. The former slave market and Anglican Cathedral

    Landmark

    The facade of the Anglican Cathedral on the old slave market site in Stone Town
    Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Stone Town was once one of the main slave-trading ports of East Africa. The Anglican cathedral stands on the site of the old slave market, and a memorial and the underground chambers nearby are a sobering reminder of that history. A guided visit adds essential context.

  4. Darajani Market

    Market

    Darajani Market in Stone Town
    Photo: Erasmus Kamugisha, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The town's everyday market, a noisy, colourful hall of spices, fruit, fish and meat, with stalls of fabric and household goods on the streets around it. It's a good place for a sensory introduction to local life and to buy spices to take home.

    Tip: Go in the morning, when the fish and produce are freshest.

Nature and wildlife

  1. Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park

    Wildlife

    A Zanzibar red colobus monkey in Jozani forest
    Photo: DjordjeMarkovic, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Zanzibar's only national park protects forest, mangroves and the island's endemic red colobus monkeys, which are rare elsewhere and used to people on the forest paths. A boardwalk crosses the mangrove swamp, and guides explain the forest ecology.

    Tip: Keep a respectful distance from the monkeys and never feed them.

  2. A spice farm tour

    Activity

    A spice farm in Zanzibar
    Photo: Irene, CC BY 2.0

    Zanzibar is nicknamed the Spice Island, and a half-day tour of a farm shows why. Guides pick cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper and lemongrass straight off the plants for you to sniff and taste, and often finish with a fruit platter and fresh coconut.

  3. Prison Island

    Day trip

    A short boat ride from Stone Town, Changuu, or Prison Island, is a small island with a sanctuary of giant Aldabra tortoises, some of them over a century old. A beach and reef alongside make it an easy morning for a swim and a snorkel.

Beaches and sea

  1. Nungwi and Kendwa

    Beach

    The white sand beach at Nungwi in northern Zanzibar
    Photo: ObonyoML, CC BY-SA 4.0

    At the northern tip of the island, the sand is white, the sea is clear and, unusually for Zanzibar, the tide barely matters, so you can swim at any hour. Nungwi is livelier, with dhow builders at the north end. Kendwa, just around the corner, is calmer and has some of the island's best sunsets.

  2. Paje and Jambiani

    Beach

    Paje beach at low tide
    Photo: Matt Kieffer from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0

    The east coast is wilder, with long beaches, seaweed farms and a tide that goes out a long way, leaving shallow sandbars and sea-floor pools. Paje has steady winds and is a hub for kitesurfing, while Jambiani is a quiet fishing village with a laid-back feel.

    Tip: Check tide times. At low tide the sea can be a long walk from the beach.

  3. Mnemba Atoll

    Activity

    Diving at Mnemba Atoll
    Photo: I've Got It On Film!, CC BY 2.0

    A small, protected island off the north-east coast, ringed by a coral reef that's among the best places to snorkel and dive around Zanzibar. Boats leave from Nungwi and Matemwe, and the water is warm and clear.

    Tip: Book a morning trip, when conditions are calmer and the light is best underwater.

  4. The Rock restaurant

    Food

    The Rock restaurant standing on its rock off Michamvi
    Photo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0

    A small restaurant perched on a rock just offshore at Michamvi Pingwe, on the south-east coast. At low tide you can walk to it, and at high tide a boat takes you across. It's one of the most famous restaurants in East Africa, and it's about the setting as much as the seafood.

    Tip: Book ahead, as space is limited and it is very popular.

Eat and drink

  1. Zanzibar pizza

    Food

    Not a pizza in the Italian sense but a thin dough stretched, filled with minced meat, egg, vegetables and cheese, folded into a parcel and fried on a griddle. Sweet versions come with banana and chocolate. It's a Forodhani speciality and a cheap, filling supper.

  2. Urojo

    Food

    Often called Zanzibar mix, urojo is a tangy, spicy soup-like street dish made with potato, crispy bhajia fritters, boiled egg and chutney in a turmeric-yellow broth. Find it at lunchtime from stalls around Stone Town.

Where to stay in Zanzibar

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Zanzibar →

Getting around

Transfers from the airport and between beaches are usually by taxi or pre-booked minibus, and the island is small enough that most journeys take under two hours. Stone Town is walkable. Ferries and short flights link Zanzibar with Dar es Salaam on the mainland.

When to go

The driest and sunniest months are roughly June to October, with another dry spell from around December to February. The long rains fall from about March to May, when some hotels close or drop their rates, and a shorter rainy spell arrives in November.

Questions about visiting Zanzibar

What is Zanzibar best known for?
The historic old quarter of Stone Town, spices, white-sand beaches, turquoise water, and a Swahili culture that blends African, Arab and Indian influences.
Is Zanzibar worth visiting?
Yes. It combines culture, history and some of the best beaches in East Africa, and it pairs well with a safari on the Tanzanian mainland.
What is there to do in Zanzibar besides the beach?
Explore Stone Town, take a spice tour, see the red colobus monkeys at Jozani, snorkel at Mnemba Atoll, and eat at the Forodhani night market.
How many days do you need in Zanzibar?
Five to seven nights works well: a couple in Stone Town and the rest on the beach. Add more if you want to see both the north and the east coast.

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