Plan your safari
Palms and a thatched beach bar reflected at sunset on Zanzibar

Luxury Zanzibar Beach Vacations

A Zanzibar vacation layers spice-island history, Stone Town and dreamy Indian Ocean beaches.

Plan your safari Highlights

Written and reviewed by NndeeAfrika · Reviewed August 2026 · Entry information checked August 2026 where shown

Travel update  ·  From 1 October 2026, eligible visitors entering Mainland Tanzania must hold Inbound Travel Insurance. Read the details →

Best time Jun–Oct
Getting there Fly into Zanzibar (ZNZ), a short hop from the Serengeti or Kilimanjaro
How we travel Private & bespoke

Zanzibar is the perfect end to a Tanzania safari (a short flight from the Serengeti to powder-white sand, turquoise water and centuries of Swahili, Arab and Indian history).

Wander the labyrinth of UNESCO-listed Stone Town, tour a spice farm, then unwind at a barefoot-luxury resort on the north and east coasts. In addition, we set out how Zanzibar fits after the Serengeti or the Mara, night by night, in our bush-and-beach planning notes.

Zanzibar beach vacation highlights

Stone Town

A UNESCO World Heritage maze of history, spice markets and carved doors. Tour it with a local guide.

The north coast

Nungwi and Kendwa: swimmable at all tides, with the best sunsets.

Spice farm tours

Walk the clove, vanilla and cinnamon plantations that gave the Spice Island its name.

Mnemba Atoll snorkeling

Zanzibar’s finest reef, with turtles, dolphins and coral gardens by traditional dhow or speedboat.

Sunset dhow cruises

Sail a hand-built wooden dhow into the sunset with champagne. It is the classic Zanzibar evening.

Jozani Forest & kitesurfing

Meet the endemic red colobus monkeys, then ride the trade winds at Paje, one of Africa’s best kite beaches.

Where you’ll stay in Zanzibar

We select where you stay privately around your journey. We recommend each camp, lodge or villa according to its location, season, guiding, privacy and suitability for the people traveling. You’ll see the places we suggest, and why, in your itinerary.

Plan your private safari

Practical details,
in one place

Money, health, connectivity and packing work the same way on every safari we plan, so they live in one place rather than on every page.

Know before you go

Flights, entry rules, health and money: the practical details we handle for you, all in one place. Requirements can change, so we confirm everything when you book.

Getting there from the USA

For example, Qatar, Turkish and KLM connect US cities to Zanzibar with one stop. You can also hop over from a Tanzania safari in about 90 minutes from Arusha.

Visas & entry

Also, US citizens need a Tanzania visa ($100, multiple entry). Apply online before travel. Tanzania also requires one applicable mandatory inbound insurance policy (USD 44), determined by your first point of entry: arriving in Zanzibar first, that is the Zanzibar (ZIC) policy, bought online before arrival.

Health

We recommend malaria prophylaxis. Stick to bottled water and you'll be fine, since the resorts are well run.

Money & tipping

US dollars are widely accepted at hotels and for tips (bills printed 2009 or later); carry some shillings for small purchases. Tipping is at your discretion. In general, about $20–25 per person per day for your guide and $10–15 for hotel staff is a generous benchmark, less at beach resorts.

What to do in Zanzibar

Spice-island culture on one side, barefoot Indian Ocean luxury on the other.

Stone Town with a historian

Carved doors, the old spice market, the Freddie Mercury house and the sobering slave-market memorial. Above all, walk it early, with someone who grew up here.

Best places

Stone Town

Best time

Early morning, any season

A private spice farm morning

Crush cloves, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg straight off the plant, then lunch under the palms with a Swahili cooking demonstration.

Best places

Central spice farms

Best time

Year-round

Sail a dhow at sunset

A traditional wooden dhow, a crew of two, and the Indian Ocean turning gold, with a sandbank picnic if the tide is kind.

Best places

West & north coasts

Best time

Calmest Oct–Feb

Snorkel and dive Mnemba Atoll

Turtles, dolphins and reef fish in impossible turquoise. In fact, this is the finest snorkeling in the archipelago, minutes from the northeast beaches.

Best places

Mnemba Atoll

Best time

Best visibility Oct–Mar

Palm grove above white sand on a Zanzibar beach under a clear blue sky
Where the safari ends: palms, white sand and nothing to do

Best time to visit Zanzibar

Jun–Oct

Cool, dry and sunny: the prime beach season.

Dec–Feb

Hot and dry, ideal for diving and watersports.

Planning & cost

Safari cost

Priced to your budget, and built around your camps, the season and how you like to travel. There are no fixed packages.

Getting there & entry

Fly into Zanzibar (ZNZ), a short hop from the Serengeti or Kilimanjaro. In addition, US travelers need Tanzania’s multiple-entry eVisa ($100, valid 12 months), applied for online.

How we travel

In short, we design every journey privately, with private guides and vehicles arranged where specified, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout. At fly-in camps, game drives may be shared unless a private vehicle is reserved.

Zanzibar FAQs

A short scheduled or light-aircraft flight links the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro directly to Zanzibar, so the safari-to-beach transfer is effortless.

June to October is cool, dry and ideal for the beach; by contrast, December to February is hot and dry and best for diving. Avoid the long rains of April–May.

Generally, three to five nights is ideal after a safari. That gives you time to explore Stone Town and a spice farm, then fully relax on the coast.

Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so the Tanzanian visa covers it. Most travelers apply online in advance (about $50, or $100 for US passports). Mainland-to-Zanzibar flights are domestic.

The northeast (Matemwe, Kiwengwa) has the most swimmable beaches with little tidal change; meanwhile, the east (Paje, Bwejuu) is wilder and tidal; the northwest (Nungwi, Kendwa) gives the best sunsets. So we match the coast to how you like your ocean.

It is the classic finish. A two-hour flight from the Serengeti and you trade dust for turquoise. Again, three to five nights is the sweet spot.

Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim; resort wear is fine on the beach, but shoulders and knees covered is respectful in Stone Town and the villages. As a result, your welcome will be warmer for it.

Tropical and warm year-round: mornings around 76°F (24°C), midday 84–88°F (29–31°C), and balmy evenings made for barefoot dinners. June–October is the coolest, driest, breeziest stretch; however, the long rains fall April–May. Meanwhile, the ocean stays 78–84°F (26–29°C) all year.

Indeed, it is the easiest possible finish to a first safari: a short flight from the Serengeti straight to the sand. Families do best on the northeast coast (Matemwe, Kiwengwa) where the tide barely moves and resorts have kids’ clubs and calm swimming; Stone Town works as a half-day with children rather than a stay.

Getting to Tanzania: flights, visas and health

Correct when we wrote it. Before you travel, we check every requirement for your exact route and tell you what to apply for and when.

AirportsKilimanjaro International (JRO) for the northern circuit, Julius Nyerere, Dar es Salaam (DAR) for the south, and Zanzibar (ZNZ) for the islands. Bush flights to the camps leave from Arusha Airport (ARK) and the park airstrips.
Getting thereNo nonstop from the US: connect once through Amsterdam (KLM), Doha (Qatar), Istanbul (Turkish) or Addis Ababa (Ethiopian). Plan on 18–24 hours door to door.
Visa: US citizensUS citizens need the multiple-entry e-visa (about $100), applied for online before travel. Allow two to four weeks. Apply only at the official portal: visa.immigration.go.tz.
HealthYellow fever certificate required only if you arrive from a country where the disease is present. A layover over twelve hours in one can count. Malaria prophylaxis is advised for all safari areas. Country guidance: CDC Travelers’ Health.
PassportSix months’ validity beyond your return date, with at least two blank pages. Travel insurance including medical evacuation is required on every journey we plan. Tanzania also requires one applicable mandatory inbound insurance policy (USD 44), determined by your first point of entry; see our inbound insurance guide.
Full flight guidePlan your safari

Plan your Zanzibar escape.

Ultimately, a Zanzibar beach vacation is the natural close to a Tanzanian journey.

Tell us how you like to travel and start with a complimentary consultation.

Plan your safari

For official visitor information, see the Tanzania Tourist Board.