How Many Days In Zanzibar Is Enough In 2024?

First time planning a trip to Zanzibar? You are most likely wondering how many days in Zanzibar is enough.

Zanzibar is one of my favorite places in East Africa and recommend it to anyone visiting the region.

The beautiful Unguja island is located east of mainland Tanzania and is easily accessible by ferry and plane. You can plan a trip solely to Zanzibar Island or combine it with a visit to mainland Tanzania. With its own unique culture and history, you’ll want to spend enough time to enjoy every bit it has to offer.

So to help you enjoy every bit of the island, I’ve written a complete guide on how many days to spend in Zanzibar.

Let’s dive into it!

How Many Days In Zanzibar Is Enough?

How many days in Zanzibar is enough will vary from one person to the other. Depending on what you enjoy most, your budget, and your overall plans in the country.

If only visiting Zanzibar for the entire trip and planning to explore every side of the island, then 7 – 10 days are enough.

For travelers only interested in the islands’ history, culture, and nature, and maybe a few other activities, then 4- 5 days is enough time to experience Zanzibar.

On the other hand, if you want to explore Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania you’ll need at least 10 days. You can do this in two ways:

The first option: fly into Tanzania and start with the mainland safaris then head to Zanzibar for relaxation or vice versa.

Tanzania is a large country and so are the national parks. Meaning you’ll spend a whole day traveling to and from and exploring the parks. Long hours on the road can be very exhausting but on the bright side, you get to see the different sides of Tanzania. With this in mind, you can either choose to start with safari or Zanzibar beaches.

The second option: fly to Zanzibar and spend the most time on the island, then do a day safari trip from Zanzibar to mainland Tanzania. This is the most convenient way to do a safari and still enjoy Zanzibar when you have limited time.

The day safari trips include a roundtrip flight, pick up and drop off at your hotel, drinks, lunch, entry fees, shared game drives, and a guide.

Whether visiting Zanzibar only or combining it with mainland Tanzania, I recommend staying for at least 4 full days. If you have time you can spend up to two weeks in Zanzibar exploring the different sides of the island.

Suggested read: 7 Best Zanzibar Luxury Resorts for a Lavish Stay in 2024

What to do in Zanzibar

To help you decide how many days you need in Zanzibar, I’ve compiled a list of things to see and do on the island. These are just a few must-do things for first-time visitors.

There are many more activities including seasonal activities such as kite surfing and whale watching. You can easily spend up to two weeks in Zanzibar and still have many things to do.

1. Explore Stone Town: Zanzibar is widely known for its history. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, Stone Town is the best place to begin your island exploration. With lots of historical landmarks to explore such as the Slave Trade Market, the Old Fort, Freddie Mercury House, the Sultan’s Palace, and the Anglican Cathedral among many others. Stone Town is a must-visit for all visitors.

While you can explore Stone Town alone a guided tour helps you fully understand its historical significance. From the town’s architecture to the unique Zanzibar doors and all other historical landmarks.

2. Go shopping at Darajani market: The best and largest market in Zanzibar is located in Stone Town. Whether you are looking for spices, African fabrics, souvenirs, or paintings you’ll find it all here.

Locals also shop here so you’ll find everything including food products. Markets are a good place to understand the local cuisine and get a glimpse of everyday life.

3. Visit a spice farm: Nicknamed the spice island, visiting a spice farm is a must-do activity in Zanzibar. A spice farm tour takes you through a historical spice journey in Zanzibar. Farming methods and you also get a chance to see, touch, smell, feel, and even taste spices in their whole form.

Some of the top spices produced on the island include cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, and black pepper among others. The spice farms also grow tropical fruits which visitors can enjoy.

4. Take a cooking class: Some spice tours have a cooking class included if you are interested in recreating traditional dishes using spices from the farms.

If you are not a big cooking fan but love some authentic Zanzibari food, you can book a spice tour that includes lunch.

5. Visit Jozani Forest: Home to the Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkeys and a unique ecosystem, Jozani forest is a must-visit. A cool environment away from the heat of Zanzibar with lots of interesting wild animals to spot. In addition, you can also take leisure walks in the mangroves, bird watch as well as learn about the medicinal plants in the forest.

A Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey hanging on a tree branch in Jozani forest

6. Go snorkeling and scuba diving: Zanzibar coral reefs are truly colorful and rich in marine life. One of the best places to go snorkeling is at Mneemba Reef. The marine life is so vibrant and the clear waters make it even more fun. Some animals you’ll see include fishes, whales, sharks, dolphins, and manta rays among others.

7. Interact with animals at Cheetah’s Rock: A unique conservation for wild animals including cheetahs, lemurs, bushbabies, Zebras, lions, and tortoises among others. Animals needing rehabilitation are brought here, cared for, and released back into the wild when ready.

What makes this reserve unique is that visitors are allowed to interact with the animals. You can feed, touch, and take pictures with the animals in rehabilitation. Tourist visits contribute to conservation efforts at Cheetah’s Rock.

8. Enjoy the white sandy beaches: Zanzibar offers picturesque white beaches as seen on the internet. The north and southern parts of the island offer the most beautiful beaches we all crave and imagine walking on. As a tropical island, the water is warm all year round making it perfect for swimming.

9. Visit Nakupenda Sandbank: One of the most Instagram-able beaches in Zanzibar. Located in the middle of the ocean northwest of Stone Town is another great spot for snorkeling. Often combined with Prison Island day trip tours, if visiting in high season, I recommend visiting early in the day.

A woman sunbathing at Nakupenda Sandbank

10. Swim with sea turtles: Looking for a unique activity in Zanzibar, go swimming with sea turtles. This experience is only offered at Baraka Natural Aquarium and Mnarani Marine Turtles Conservation Ponds. Swimming with turtles doesn’t harm them and they are friendly to humans.

11. Enjoy some street food: Stone Town has a thriving street food culture. You can grab small bites of seafood skewers, Zanzibar pizza, and kebabs among other street food varieties. The Forodhani Gardens night market is the best for all your street food cravings.

How to spend 4 days in Zanzibar

My recommendation is to spend at least 4 days in Zanzibar for first-time visitors. So I’ve put a quick guide on how to spend 4 days on Zanzibar Island. You can change it around to fit your preferences of things you want to do.

Day 1: Stone Town & Spice Tour
Day 2: Island hopping, snorkeling, & other water activities
Day 3: Jozani Forest, Kuza cave & Blue lagoon
Day 4: Cheetahs rock & beach time

Day Trips From Zanzibar

Zanzibar Island is relatively small and you can travel from the north to the southern point in a few hours. From Stone Town to the east side of the island only takes about an hour.

While you can’t explore the entire island or the Zanzibar archipelago in a single day, all activities on the island can be considered day trips. Attractions and things to do are spread out across the island.

The only day trips taking you away from Zanzibar to mainland Tanzania are day safari trips. As mentioned earlier these include roundtrip flights and meals.

How many days in Zanzibar: FAQs

Below are some questions related to how many days in Zanzibar is enough along with my answers to each.

How many days should I spend in Zanzibar?

You need at least 4 days in Zanzibar to experience most of what the island has to offer. In 4 days, you can experience the history, culture, nature, cuisine, and the pristine beaches of Zanzibar.

Is 3 days enough for Zanzibar?

3 days is enough for a quick stopover and introduction to the island. You can explore the historical Stone Town, take a one-day trip to the smaller islands, visit the Jozani forest, and maybe enjoy some beach time.

Is 5 days in Zanzibar enough?

Yes, 5 days in Zanzibar is enough especially if working with a tight budget and a short time to spare. You will have enough time to explore the island without feeling rushed making your stay more enjoyable.

Is 10 days in Zanzibar too much?

No, 10 days in Zanzibar is not too much. This is within the most recommended time to spend on the island. With 10 days you can spend two or more days on each side of the island taking in the beauty each has to offer. In 10 days you can even go on a day safari to Tanzania.

Is 2 days enough in Zanzibar?

2 days is not enough in Zanzibar. You can only do a few activities and it will feel very rushed. However, if it’s all you have I highly recommend using a tour company to plan your activities, 2 days is better than none right?

Conclusion

There you have it, a complete guide to how many days in Zanzibar is enough.

My recommendation to anyone visiting Zanzibar is to spend at least 4 days. This is enough time to get introduced to the island, you can always visit again.

There is always something fun to do in Zanzibar throughout the year. Each side of the island offers a unique experience and caters to different styles of travel.

Happy holidays!