An 8-day Zanzibar itinerary.

• Day 1 — Arrival — Stone Town

  Settle in the old quarter. Walk the alleys at dusk when doors open and the heat fades. Dinner on a rooftop.

• Day 2 — Stone Town & Forodhani

  Slow morning. Visit the Old Fort and the House of Wonders area. Spice walk in the afternoon. Forodhani night market for grilled fish.

• Day 3 — Sunset dhow

  Wooden dhow off Stone Town when the wind allows. Two to three hours on the water as the light goes.

• Day 4 — Move east — Paje or Matemwe

  Drive across the island. Settle into a beach base. Long lunch, swim with the tide.

• Day 5 — Reef day — Mnemba or south reefs

  Snorkel or dive depending on season. Visibility is best in Kaskazi (Dec–Feb). Slow afternoon back at the lodge.

• Day 6 — Open day — beach, kite, or sandbank

  An unscheduled day. Tide-permitting sandbank picnic, a second dive, a kite session in Kuzi, or simply a long swim and a longer lunch.

• Day 7 — Saadani safari

  Fly across to Saadani National Park on the mainland for the day — the only park where the bush meets the ocean. Return by sunset.

• Day 8 — Inland & departure

  Jozani forest for red colobus monkeys, or a quiet morning at the estate. Lunch, then back to the airport.

Adjusting for season

In Kaskazi (Dec–Feb), prioritise reef days early in the week. In Kuzi (Jun–Oct), move the kitesurfing-friendly days to Paje. In Masika (Mar–May) lean into Stone Town, the estate, and slow indoor afternoons.

This itinerary sits inside the broader Zanzibar reference. See also when to visit, things to do, weather by month, and 2026 events.