Zanzibar travel guide
Tanzania
An island of spice farms and white-sand coast, with Stone Town at its heart: a maze of carved wooden doors, coral-stone houses and Swahili, Arab and Indian history. Most travellers split their time between town and beach.
Essentials
- Language
- Swahili; English is widely spoken in hotels, dive shops and tourist areas
- Currency
- Tanzanian shilling (TZS); US dollars are widely accepted for hotels and tours
- Plugs
- Types D and G, 230 V
- Emergency number
- 112
- Tipping
- Not expected at local eateries; around 10% is appreciated in tourist restaurants, and guides and boat crews are usually tipped.
Rough daily budget
Approximate spend per person per day, in US dollars:
- Backpacker: $35-55, with a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport.
- Mid-range: $90-160, with a private room and restaurant meals.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Where to stay in Zanzibar
- Stone Town: the old trading town, its alleys, markets and seafront Forodhani Gardens.
- Paje: a long east-coast beach and shallow lagoon known for kitesurfing.
- Nungwi: the northern tip, where the sea stays swimmable at low tide.
Getting around Zanzibar
Ferries link Stone Town with Dar es Salaam. On the island, dala-dala minibuses are cheap and slow, and shared or private taxis reach the beaches in about an hour.
Best time to visit Zanzibar
June to October and December to February; the long rains fall from March to May.
Top things to do in Zanzibar
- Wander Stone Town's lanes to the Old Fort and the Old Dispensary, admiring the carved doorways along the way
- Join a spice farm tour to taste cloves, nutmeg and cardamom straight from the plant
- Eat your way through the evening grills at Forodhani Gardens on the seafront
- Look for red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest, the island's national park
- Sail out on a wooden dhow at sunset from Stone Town or Nungwi
What to eat in Zanzibar
- Zanzibar pizza: a thin dough parcel filled with egg and meat or vegetables, or banana and chocolate, cooked on a griddle
- Urojo: a tangy, turmeric-yellow soup topped with bhajias, potato and chutneys, also called Zanzibar mix
- Pilau: rice cooked with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, often with meat
- Mishkaki: skewers of marinated grilled meat, sold from street stalls at night
Day trips from Zanzibar
- Prison Island: giant tortoises and snorkelling, about 30 minutes by boat from Stone Town
- Mnemba Atoll: clear water and reef snorkelling, reached by boat from the north-east coast
- Jozani Forest: red colobus monkeys and a mangrove boardwalk, under an hour's drive from Stone Town
Local etiquette
Greet people with "jambo" or "mambo" and ask before taking photographs. During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in town during daylight.
Staying connected
Tanzanian SIM cards from the main networks are sold in Stone Town and at the airport, registered against your passport, and most guesthouses have Wi-Fi, though it can be slow on the coast.
Staying safe
Bag snatching and petty theft happen in Stone Town's quieter alleys at night and on empty beaches, so walk in company after dark. Persistent touts and unofficial guides are common; decline politely and book trips through your accommodation.
A local tip
Zanzibar is largely Muslim, so cover shoulders and knees in Stone Town and the villages, keeping swimwear for the beach.
Visas:rules depend on your nationality and change often – check your own government's official travel advice before you go.
Meet people in Zanzibar on Waypacker
Waypacker is a free travel community: stay with ID-verified local hosts, join meetups and city groups, and ask people who live in Zanzibar for advice. We are new here, so if you live in Zanzibar, you could be one of the first hosts.
Questions about Zanzibar
- What currency is used in Zanzibar?
- Zanzibar uses the Tanzanian shilling (TZS); US dollars are widely accepted for hotels and tours.
- What is the emergency number in Zanzibar?
- In Zanzibar, call 112.
- When is the best time to visit Zanzibar?
- June to October and December to February; the long rains fall from March to May.
- How much does a day in Zanzibar cost?
- Roughly $35-55 a day in US dollars on a backpacker budget (a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport), and $90-160 mid-range (a private room and restaurants). These are broad estimates, last reviewed October 2026.
- Is Waypacker free to use in Zanzibar?
- Yes. Joining is free and stays with hosts carry no nightly rate or booking fee.
- Are Waypacker hosts ID-verified?
- Every host's ID and selfie are checked by hand by a real person before they can host. Nothing is sent to an AI service.
- Can I meet locals in Zanzibar without staying with anyone?
- Yes. You can join meetups and city groups, or ask locals for tips, without booking a stay.
- Will anyone see my exact location?
- No. Hosts and meetups appear as a neighbourhood-sized area about a kilometre wide, and exact addresses are never stored.