Our Zanzibar vacations & tours
You’ll find Zanzibar at a cultural crossroads, caught in the crossfire of the trade winds. There are Indian Ocean beaches, on which you can sit and eat Middle Eastern food. There’s the capital, Stone Town, where you’ll see the houses of Omani-Arab traders, yet hear Swahili lyrics in bongo flava (Tanzanian music). Our vacations endeavour to uncover every aspect of the islands – so beyond the diving and the divine beaches on Unguja and Pemba, you’ll find Jozani Forest, with its rare endemic red colobus monkeys, turtle sanctuaries that are protecting the coral reefs, and spice plantations where family-run tours reveal dark histories. Our choice of locally owned accommodation and homestays help you get to know the people who make the archipelago great, too.
Our top Zanzibar vacations
Luxury Masai Mara Safari & Zanzibar Honeymoon
From
£7357
14 days
ex flights
Luxury safari and beach trip that your honeymoon deserves.
Tailor made
Tanzania safari and Zanzibar beach vacation
From
US $11699
11 days
ex flights
Your tailor-made Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar Beach vacation!
Tailor made
Tanzania safari and Zanzibar beach vacation
From
US $5500
12 days
ex flights
Selous safari then relax on beautiful Zanzibar
Tailor made
Tanzania Nyerere safari vacation & Zanzibar
From
US $4799
10 days
ex flights
Off-the-beaten track safari experiences & paradise beaches
Tailor made
Zanzibar beach vacation
From
US $6399
7 days
ex flights
Exotic Sun, Sea & Sand in an African Paradise!
Tailor made
Tanzania tour with Kilimanjaro day trek
From
US $4500 to US $6270
12 days
ex flights
Kilimanjaro, 5 national parks and Zanzibar beach break
Tailor made
East Africa and Zanzibar vacation
From
£6555 to £8120
15 days
ex flights
Experience East Africa’s wildlife and Zanzibar’s beaches
Small group2026: 23 Aug, 13 Sep, 27 Sep, 4 Oct, 11 Oct, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 13 Dec, 2027: 10 Jan, 24 Jan, 7 Feb, 21 Feb, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 25 Apr, 16 May, 6 Jun, 13 Jun, 11 Jul, 25 Jul, 15 Aug, 22 Aug, 29 Aug, 5 Sep, 12 Sep, 19 Sep, 3 Oct, 17 Oct, 21 Nov, 28 Nov, 5 Dec, 12 Dec
Oman and Zanzibar beach vacation
From
£5750
12 days
inc UK flights
Muscat Souks followed by stunning Island relaxation
Tailor made
Kenya safari and Zanzibar beach vacation
From
US $7799
13 days
ex flights
Safari in the Masai Mara & paradise beaches on Zanzibar
Tailor made
See all our Zanzibar vacationsContact Us
Call us for a chat about our vacations. We are happy to discuss your vacation and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
1-866-821-6866
Call toll free
Calling from outside the USA
Zanzibar map & highlights
Only an hour’s light aircraft flight from Tanzania’s northern safari circuit or southern Selous National Park, or a two-hour ferry ride from Dar Es Salaam, the Zanzibar archipelago, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, offers a convenient post-safari escape, a gloriously perfect antidote to bumpy, dusty game drives. Most tourists head to the main island, Unguja, home of UNESCO-listed Stone Town and a swathe of breathtaking beaches, although other islands, includng Chumbe, Mnemba, Pemba and Mafia, all offer more secluded options. A Zanzibar add-on is a popular option on tailor-made tours, and while your total beach time is up to you, three days to a week in Zanzibar is the usual post-safari prescription.
Coral reefs
1. Coral reefs
You need to look underwater for some of Zanzibar’s most beautiful sights – lush coral gardens teeming with colourful fish, turtles and sharks. Visibility is exceptional, and the corals are in relatively good condition. However, these fragile reefs are extremely vulnerable and are starting to show signs of stress. Take care not to touch or damage the corals while snorkelling or diving and wear sea-safe sunscreen.
Jozani Forest
2. Jozani Forest
Wander the boardwalks in Jozani’s tangled forest and you might come across endangered red colobus monkeys swinging between the treetops. This shady, steamy forest in the south of Zanzibar’s main island is an easy day trip from Stone Town, and not only offers rare endemic primates but also nocturnal bush babies, duiker, tree hyrax, over 50 species of butterfly and vibrant birdlife.
Northeast coast
3. Northeast coast
Fringed by a coral reef that keeps the waters here placid and calm, Zanzibar’s pristine northeast coast is blessed with very little tidal variation and a swathe of powdery white sand backed by palm trees and boutique beach resorts. This is barefoot luxury at its finest, but don’t miss a wander into one of the small Swahili fishing villages that dot the coastline – tourism is a lifeline for tiny businesses here.
Pemba
4. Pemba
Technically Zanzibar refers to the whole Zanzibar Archipelago and Pemba is the northerly sister to the main island Unguja. It’s more lush, harder to reach, less developed and little visited. Its beaches are untouched and the diving is spectacular. Unlike Unguja, Pemba is still more reliant on agriculture than tourism, English isn’t widely spoken and its small, mainly Muslim Swahili communities are less exposed to the outside world and noticeably more conservative.
Spice plantations
5. Spice plantations
Once the source of immense wealth to Arab traders, Zanzibar’s exports of cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and black pepper to Europe and beyond may be in serious decline, but family run tours of the small, often subsistence spice plantations inland from Stone Town still provide an eye-opening, aromatic insight into this cornerstone of Zanzibari culture.
Stone Town
6. Stone Town
The crumbling stone walls of UNESCO-listed Stone Town glow amber in the evening sun. Wander its labyrinth of alleyways, where intricately-carved doors hide the once opulent courtyards of wealthy Omani-Arab traders, and you’ll discover the heart of East Africa’s spice and slave trades. Don’t miss a (somewhat harrowing) visit to the former slave market under Christ Church Cathedral, the old dhow port, the Sultan’s Palace and the House of Wonders.
Our Zanzibar vacations reviews
4.9
42Zanzibar vacations reviews
Phil Bevan30 Jun 2026
Wonderful. Saw so much wildlife at close quarters. 5 stars.read more
Lavinia Thompson11 Jun 2026
Absolutely amazing. Supported conservation on all points. 5 stars.read more
Jan Harfst22 Feb 2026
The game drives were all outstanding and the guides were very knowledgeable and excellent drivers. We saw tons of animals up close. The lodges were beautiful and very comfortable.read more
