5 days · Zanzibar
Zanzibar Beach Escape
Four nights on the Indian Ocean, arranged as the natural second half of a safari or a climb. We match the coast to how you actually want to spend the days.
Is this trip for you?
Trip type
Private departure
Transfers, guiding and rooms are booked for your party alone. The island days themselves are yours — we would rather leave them open than fill them with things you did not ask for.
Ages
All ages
Zanzibar is the easiest part of Tanzania to travel with small children: short transfers, shallow water at most of the east-coast beaches, and no early starts unless you want them.
Fitness
No fitness requirement
Stone Town is walked rather than driven, on uneven lanes and in real heat. Everything else is optional.
Group size: Private transfers and a private guide in Stone Town
Day by day.
-
1
Arrival in Zanzibar
We meet your flight and transfer you to the coast. The rest of the day is yours.
- Overnight
- Zanzibar east coast
- Where
- None — arrival day
- Driving
- 1 to 1.5 hours from the airport
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
2
Stone Town and spice farm
A guided morning walk through Stone Town — carved doors, the old market and the former slave market site — and a spice farm in the afternoon.
- Overnight
- Zanzibar east coast
- Where
- Stone Town and a spice farm
- Driving
- About 1 hour each way
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
3
At leisure
Nothing scheduled. Snorkelling at Mnemba, diving, kitesurfing and dhow trips can all be arranged on the day.
- Overnight
- Zanzibar east coast
- Where
- At leisure
- Driving
- Nothing scheduled
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
4
At leisure
A second free day. Jozani Forest and its red colobus monkeys are a good half-day if you want one.
- Overnight
- Zanzibar east coast
- Where
- At leisure
- Driving
- Nothing scheduled
- Meals
- Breakfast
-
5
Departure
A transfer to Zanzibar airport for your onward flight.
- Overnight
- You fly home
- Where
- None — departure day
- Driving
- 1 to 1.5 hours to the airport
- Meals
- Breakfast
Where you sleep.
Comfort
Guesthouses in Stone Town and small beach hotels on the east coast. Air conditioning, hot water, breakfast, and a short walk to the sea.
Classic
Mid-range beach hotels with a pool and a restaurant, and the better-restored Stone Town houses with a roof terrace.
Premium
Small luxury properties on the quieter stretches of coast, and the historic Stone Town hotels. Fewer rooms, more space, and a beach that stays empty.
We book against availability for your dates rather than naming a property we may not be able to get you into. Your written quotation names every lodge and camp before you pay anything.
What is included
- All park entrance and administrative fees
- All meals while on safari
- 1.5 litres of drinking water per person per day
- Transfers from and to your hotel
- 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof while on safari
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Staff fees
- Accommodation where noted in the itinerary
- A walking tour in those protected areas that allow one
Not included
- International airfares and departure taxes
- Visa fees
- All items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities for hotel and lodge staff, camp staff, your driver and guides
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
- Laundry services
When to go.
June to October and January to February — dry
The reliable months. Hot, dry and busy, with calm water on the east coast and the best diving and snorkelling visibility of the year.
November and December — short rains
Short afternoon showers between long sunny stretches. Quieter and cheaper, and the sea is at its warmest.
March to May — long rains
The wettest and most humid months. Many of the smaller beach hotels close for part of this window; the ones that stay open are excellent value.
Questions about this trip.
Does the tide really matter?
On the east coast, yes. The lagoon empties a long way out at low tide, which is beautiful to walk on and no good for swimming. Hotels with pools solve it, and we will tell you what your dates look like.
Is anything scheduled after day two?
Nothing at all, on purpose. Diving, kitesurfing, a dhow sunset or a day doing none of it are all arranged locally once you are there.
Can we combine this with a safari?
That is the twelve-day trip on this site, and it is the combination we sell most.
On this route
Where you will be.
Compare
Other zanzibar journeys.
Stone Town & Spice Short Break
A short, history-led break in Stone Town for travellers who want the island's story rather than a week on a beach.
- UNESCO-listed Stone Town
- Former slave market and cathedral
- Spice farm and tasting
Pricing on request View itinerary
Plan it with us
Make this itinerary yours.
Add days, drop a park, change the pace. This is a starting point, not a fixed departure.