Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Zanzibar: Stone Town and the North Coast
5 days on Zanzibar: two nights in Stone Town with an early walk, a spice farm and a sunset dhow sail, then two nights on the beach at Nungwi with a Mnemba Atoll snorkel trip.
5 days · Round trip from Zanzibar Airport · up to 12 guests
A dhow at sunset off Stone Town, Zanzibar Photo: Winky from Oxford, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dhow_in_sunset.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 5 days, 4 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Zanzibar Airport
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
About 2 to 3 hours on foot in Stone Town on narrow, uneven lanes, a short walk around a spice farm, and a morning on a boat with snorkelling in calm reef water; you can stay on the boat and watch instead of swimming.
- Meals included
- 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 260 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to October and December to February
Highlights
Why this trip
- Stone Town's carved doors and alleys at 7:30 am, before the heat and the day visitors
- The Anglican cathedral on the site of the last open slave market, with a guide who tells the island's harder history
- A sunset sail in a wooden dhow off the Stone Town seafront
- Cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon on a spice farm, with lunch cooked there
- The Mangapwani slave chamber on the road north
- A morning snorkelling the reef of Mnemba Atoll, with lunch included
- Two nights on the west-facing beach at Nungwi, with the sun setting over the water
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 260 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Stone Town
Zanzibar airport (ZNZ) to your hotel in Stone Town
- Dinner
- Stay in Stone Town
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), from Arusha or the Serengeti if you are coming off a safari, or through Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Doha or Dubai from further away. Your See Sight Tours guide meets you in arrivals for the drive of about 20 minutes to your hotel inside Stone Town, the old trading quarter of Zanzibar City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Rest, or step out into the lanes on your own.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon your guide walks the group to Forodhani Gardens on the seafront, which faces west across the harbour, for a short briefing as the light drops: how the days run, what to wear in town and what to bring on the boat.
Evening
Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner of Swahili dishes, coconut curries and grilled fish at a restaurant in the old town.
Included
- Pick-up at Zanzibar airport (ZNZ)
- Sunset walk to Forodhani Gardens and welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Stone Town
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon briefing
Activity: Land by about 3 pm to join the briefing; later arrivals are met and brought straight to dinner.
Stone Town on foot, a dhow at sunset
A morning walk through Stone Town, then a sunset sail from the seafront
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Stone Town
- By boat
Morning
We start at about 7:30, while the lanes are cool and the day visitors are still at breakfast. A licensed local guide leads the group through alleys too narrow for cars, past carved wooden doors, some studded with brass, to the Old Fort, built by Omani Arabs at the end of the 17th century, and the House of Wonders, the sultan's palace of 1883, now under restoration after part of it collapsed in 2020. Beside it is the walled cemetery of Sultan Said bin Sultan, who moved his court here from Muscat. At the Anglican cathedral, built on the site of the last open slave market, closed in 1873, your guide tells the harder history of the island.
Afternoon
We end in Darajani market among the fish, fruit and spice stalls, then sit down to lunch. The afternoon is free. At about five we board a wooden dhow for two hours on the water as the sun sets behind the harbour.
Included
- Early Stone Town walk with a licensed local guide: the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the royal cemetery and Darajani market
- The Anglican cathedral and the slave market memorial
- Sit-down lunch in Stone Town
- Sunset dhow sail of about 2 hours, with soft drinks and fruit
Easier option: Join the walk for the first hour and a half, then go back to the hotel before the market.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free; dinner is your choice, at the Forodhani food stalls or in the old town
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot on narrow, uneven lanes. Cover shoulders and knees.
A spice farm, Mangapwani and the north coast
Stone Town to a spice farm, then the Mangapwani slave chamber and Nungwi
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Nungwi
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
We leave Stone Town after breakfast for a spice farm about half an hour inland, in the Kizimbani and Kidichi area where the sultans planted cloves in the 19th century. A farmer walks you through the trees to rub, sniff and try what grows here: cloves, nutmeg with its red mace, cinnamon bark, vanilla vines, pepper, lemongrass and turmeric, with fruit cut fresh to try.
Afternoon
Lunch is cooked at the farm, usually a pilau or a coconut curry with the same spices. On the way north we stop at Mangapwani on the west coast, where a chamber cut into the coral rock was used to hide enslaved people after the trade was banned in 1873; your guide explains how. From there it is about an hour to Nungwi, at the northern tip of the island. You reach the beach by mid-afternoon, with time to swim before the sun sets over the water.
Included
- Guided spice farm visit with lunch cooked at the farm
- The Mangapwani slave chamber with your guide
- Transfer to Nungwi
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free on the beach
Activity: About 2 hours of driving in three short legs.
Mnemba Atoll by boat, a beach afternoon
Nungwi to Mnemba Atoll by boat and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Nungwi
- By boat
We go out early, when the sea is usually calmest and the water clearest. The boat runs down the north-east coast to Mnemba Atoll, a protected marine conservation area around a small private island where guests cannot land. Our licensed snorkel guide gets into the water with you over coral gardens a few metres deep, where you can expect parrotfish, angelfish, starfish and, on some days, green turtles. Dolphins are sometimes seen on the crossing, but we do not chase them or promise them. Life jackets and masks are on board, and you can stay on the boat and watch if you prefer.
Afternoon
We have lunch on a beach or on board, then head back to Nungwi by early afternoon. The rest of the day is yours: swim, sleep under the palms, or walk along the sand to Kendwa.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner by the sea.
Included
- Morning boat trip to Mnemba Atoll with a licensed snorkel guide, equipment and the marine conservation fee
- Lunch on the boat trip
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Stay on the boat and watch from deck, or skip the trip for a full beach day at the hotel.
More active option: A second snorkel stop, or a try-dive with a licensed dive centre, booked locally.
Free time: Afternoon free on the beach
Activity: About an hour each way on the boat; the crossing can be bumpy when the wind is up. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and a top to snorkel in.
A last swim, then the airport
Nungwi to Zanzibar airport (ZNZ)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A slow last morning. Take an early swim while the beach is empty, or walk to the end of the Nungwi peninsula where the fishermen pull up their boats and the dhow builders work on the sand. We drive about an hour and a half down the island to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ). Your guide comes with you and sees the group to check-in. If you are flying home, most long-haul connections run through Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Doha, Dubai or Istanbul, so leave enough time to connect.
Evening
Book a flight leaving after about 2 pm; if yours leaves in the evening, we ask the hotel for a late check-out. If you would like to stay on, we can add more nights on the north coast or back in Stone Town.
Included
- Drop-off at Zanzibar airport (ZNZ)
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 2 pm.
- Zanzibar Airportstart
- Stone Town2 nights
- Nungwi2 nights
- Zanzibar Airportend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June to October is dry and a little cooler with a steady breeze; December to February is hot and mostly dry. The long rains fall from about March to May, when many beach hotels close, and the short rains come in November.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers ending a Tanzania or Kenya safari who want the beach without planning it
- A first short visit to Zanzibar with Stone Town done properly
- People who want a guide on hand but plenty of free afternoons
- Solo travellers who want company on a beach break
Not for you if you want
- A long beach holiday: this is two beach nights; ask us to add more
- Nightlife and parties every night
- Step-free access: Stone Town lanes are narrow and uneven, and boats are boarded from the beach
- Travellers who want the east coast lagoons of Paje or Jambiani
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
4 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Stone Town2 nights
- Nungwi2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 4 nights: 2 at a hotel inside Stone Town, 2 at a beach hotel at Nungwi or Kendwa
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Zanzibar airport (ZNZ)
- An air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group
- The sunset dhow sail from Stone Town
- The boat to Mnemba Atoll and back
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with a licensed local guide in Stone Town and a licensed snorkel guide at Mnemba
Activities
- Stone Town walking tour: the Old Fort, the House of Wonders, the royal cemetery and Darajani market
- The Anglican cathedral and the slave market memorial, Stone Town
- Sunset dhow sail, Stone Town
- Spice farm visit, Kizimbani and Kidichi area
- The Mangapwani slave chamber
- Mnemba Atoll snorkel trip with equipment and the marine conservation fee
Meals
- 4 breakfasts
- 3 lunches: Stone Town, the spice farm and the Mnemba trip
- 2 dinners: welcome and farewell
Not included
- International and domestic flights to and from Zanzibar
- Tanzanian visa
- Travel insurance, including Zanzibar's compulsory inbound insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks, except soft drinks on the dhow
- Tips
- Optional activities such as diving
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 260 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Four nights in hotels in Stone Town and on the north coast, 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers, a vehicle and driver for the group, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, the Stone Town walk and cathedral, the spice farm, the Mangapwani slave chamber, a sunset dhow sail and the Mnemba Atoll snorkel trip with its conservation fee.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to share one dhow and one boat, to hear the guide in narrow Stone Town lanes, and to sit at one table for the welcome and farewell dinners.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide meets you at the airport and stays with the group until you leave. In Stone Town a licensed local guide leads the walk, and at Mnemba a licensed snorkel guide goes into the water with you. This differs from most Zanzibar short breaks, which run with no leader.
Can I add this to my safari?
Yes, it is designed for that. Fly from Arusha or the Serengeti to Zanzibar on day 1 and we meet you at the airport. It follows our Tanzania safari, whose own Zanzibar days are on the east coast, so you see a different side of the island.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. The Stone Town walk is 2 to 3 hours on narrow, uneven lanes, and the spice farm is a short, flat walk. Snorkelling at Mnemba is in calm reef water with life jackets on board, and you can stay on the boat and watch if you prefer.
I am travelling solo. What will it cost?
Book on your own and pay a single supplement of about CAD 260 for a room to yourself, shown before you book with no surprises later. Every activity, boat seat and meal is the same as for guests who share.
When is the best time to go?
June to October is dry and a little cooler, with a breeze on the coast. December to February is hot and mostly dry, with calm, clear water. We do not run in April and May, the heart of the long rains, when many beach hotels close.
Do I need a visa for Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so most visitors, including Canadians, need a Tanzanian visa; apply for the eVisa before you fly. Zanzibar also asks visitors to buy its own inbound travel insurance before arrival. We confirm the current rules and costs when you book.
What should I wear in Stone Town?
Light clothes that cover shoulders and knees. Zanzibar is mostly Muslim, and covering up in town and in the villages is respectful and expected. Swimwear is fine on the beach and at the hotel. During Ramadan, avoid eating or drinking in the street by day.
Can I travel on my own dates?
Yes. Book the private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicle and boat. If you would rather travel independently without a guide, send us an inquiry and we will quote the same hotels and boat trips.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 1,495 for the small group.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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