Day trip
About $110 a person reported, not published online
Boat
10am from Jungle Paradise, Mbweni, check in 9.30am
Levy
$25 a foreign adult per day, on Chumbe's rates page
Overnight
$280 to $360 a person, full board, 7 bungalows
In the water
Guided snorkelling, about 1 hour, no scuba
Booking
Direct only, reply within 24 hours
Chumbe Island day trip: how it works
Chumbe Island Coral Park is a privately managed nature reserve covering the island and the reef along its western shore, south west of Stone Town. You can visit it for the day or sleep there, but only on Chumbe's own boats: other companies are not allowed to land and private moorings are not permitted, which is why you will not find it in the usual tour menus.
The day starts at the Jungle Paradise Resort & Spa in Mbweni, about ten minutes' drive south of Stone Town. Check in at the restaurant at 9.30am; the boat leaves at 10am. On the island, rangers run a guided snorkel over the reef, a walk through the forest and, depending on the tide, along the shore. Lunch is a Swahili buffet, and everything except alcohol is included, from the snorkelling gear to reef shoes and reef-safe sun cream.
The programme is not fixed. Rangers decide each day when to snorkel and which walk to run according to the weather and the tide, so ask the team on arrival rather than expecting a timetable. Tour operators who sell the trip with a hotel pickup generally bring guests back to Mbweni in the late afternoon.
Chumbe Island price in 2026: rate, levy and transfers
Chumbe publishes its lodge rates but not its day trip rate. Visitors and booking sites reported about $110 a person in 2025 and 2026; operators who add a private transfer from Nungwi or Paje charge from about $180 to over $250. Add the levy, and ask Chumbe for the exact figure when they answer your request. The government set the other marine areas at $10 a day in September 2025, but Chumbe, a private reserve that collects the levy itself, still lists $25 per foreign adult per day: budget for that.
| What | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Day trip | About $110 a person (reported) | Boat, guided snorkel, forest walk, Swahili lunch buffet, soft drinks. Ask for the current rate. |
| Garden bungalow | $280 a person a night | Full board, all activities and gear, scheduled boat transfers, VAT |
| Seaview bungalow | $340 a person a night | Same inclusions |
| Seafront bungalow | $360 a person a night | Same inclusions |
| Blue Economy Levy | $25 a foreign adult a day | Ages 5 to 15: $10. Under 5: free. Day trip and overnight |
| Infrastructure charge | $10 a person a night | Overnight guests only |
| Taxi to Jungle Paradise | $15 a vehicle (7 seats) | From Stone Town or the airport. $60 from a beach hotel |
| Late boat | $75 a boat, one way | Between 10am and 4pm, if you miss the 10am departure |
Lodge rates, levy, taxi and late boat: chumbeisland.com, checked on 11 November 2026.
Which levy applies
Chumbe's rates page, checked on 11 November 2026, still lists the Blue Economy Levy introduced in August 2024 at $25 a foreign adult per day. Zanzibar revised its marine conservation fees in September 2025 to $10 an adult on Mnemba, Menai Bay and Changuu, as our budget page explains. Ask Chumbe which figure it collects when you book.Snorkelling trips from Stone Town if Chumbe is full
Chumbe is not sold on GetYourGuide, because only its own boats land there. If the island is full on your dates, these leave from Stone Town: Prison Island and the Nakupenda sandbank by boat, or the full day Safari Blue in Menai Bay, with snorkelling and a seafood lunch.
Prison Island & Nakupenda Sandbank Boat Tour +BBQ
From Stone Town to Prison Island's giant tortoises, then the Nakupenda sandbank with a barbecue, at low tide.
- 2 to 9 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.5(855 reviews)
from$17per person
Check prices & availability
Zanzibar Stone Town Tour, Prison Island & Nakupenda with BBQ
Stone Town first, then Prison Island and the Nakupenda sandbank, the old town and the water in one booking.
- 7 to 7.5 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.4(603 reviews)
from$42per person
Check prices & availability
Safari Blue Lagoon Trip with Snorkeling and Lunch
If Chumbe is full, Safari Blue in Menai Bay, with a dhow, snorkelling, a sandbank and a seafood lunch.
- 7 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.6(682 reviews)
from$90per person
Check prices & availabilityAll activities in Stone Town
Chumbe Island snorkelling: the reef sanctuary
The western reef was closed to fishing and boat traffic in 1992, and before that the island sat in a military zone, which kept fishermen away. The result is a reef that the park describes as the best shallow reef snorkelling in Zanzibar. Surveys have recorded more than 400 fish species around Chumbe and at least 90 per cent of East Africa's hard coral species. Green and hawksbill turtles feed on the reef, and humpback, spinner and bottlenose dolphins have been seen offshore.
A snorkel lasts about an hour, always with a ranger, who follows the UNEP and Green Fins code of conduct: no touching, no standing on coral, no feeding. The park lends masks, fins, snorkels, lycra suits, life jackets and children's gear. Overnight guests can also join a morning, sunset or night snorkel when conditions allow. The water is shallow, so this suits beginners who swim confidently far better than the open water of a Mnemba snorkelling trip.
Can you dive at Chumbe Island?
No scuba diving is allowed inside the marine protected area, and kitesurfing and windsurfing are banned too. Divers who want the coral of the south west dive the Menai Bay sites outside the reserve instead: see our guide to diving in Zanzibar for the centres and depths.
Coconut crabs on Chumbe Island
Chumbe's forest grows on coral rag, bare fossil coral with little soil, and it shelters one of the island's best known residents: the coconut crab (Birgus latro), the largest land arthropod in the world. Adults reach around 45 cm, according to the park, and the species is classed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Researchers counted the Chumbe population in 2017 and 2018.
The crabs come out after dark, and the coconut crab walk is an evening activity for lodge guests, led by the rangers with torches. On a day trip you may spot one tucked into a rock crevice on the forest walk, but there is no guarantee. If the crabs are the reason you are going, book a night.
Chumbe Island eco-lodge: staying overnight
The lodge has seven eco-bungalows under makuti thatch, running on solar power, collected rainwater and composting toilets. They are open to the breeze and the sound of the sea. Rates are per person per night, full board: $280 for a garden bungalow, $340 with a sea view and $360 on the seafront, with 10 per cent off in low season.
The price covers meals, soft drinks, tea and coffee, every activity and its gear, the scheduled boat transfers and VAT. Alcohol is extra, and so are the $10 infrastructure charge per night and the daily levy. The morning boat back leaves the island at 9am and reaches Jungle Paradise at about 9.45am, which works for a midday flight.
Chumbe Island with children
Children are welcome and pay half price from 2 to 12; from 13 they pay the adult rate. Cots are available on request. The park is frank about the limits: the ground is rocky, the bungalows are open, sound carries, and there is no babysitting. For the levy, children aged 5 to 15 pay $10 a day and under fives nothing.
Chumbe Island Coral Park: the history of the reserve
The company behind the park, Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd, was set up in 1991. The reef was closed the following year, and in 1994 the island and its waters were declared the Chumbe Island Coral Park, often described as Tanzania's first marine park. It won the UNEP Global 500 award in 2000, and its reefs count among the most resilient to bleaching in the western Indian Ocean.
On land, the visit passes the lighthouse, built in the early twentieth century, whose 132 steps lead to a view over the reef and the Zanzibar channel, and a small mosque from the same period that the team opens on request. There is also a bird hide and a visitor centre with the restaurant and a craft shop. The park also runs an education programme for Zanzibari schoolchildren.
How to get to Chumbe Island from Stone Town
Everything goes through Jungle Paradise Resort in Mbweni, south of Stone Town on the road to the airport. Chumbe can book you a taxi at $15 a vehicle of seven seats from Stone Town or the airport, or $60 from a beach hotel anywhere on the island. From the north or east coast that means an early start, so the 10am boat is easiest if you spend the night before in Stone Town.
Missed the boat, or landing mid morning? Chumbe runs late transfers between 10am and 4pm at $75 a boat, one way, arranged through its reservations team.
Chumbe Island and the tide
The tide shapes the day more than the clock. The full walk around the island on the reef flat is only possible at spring tides, around new and full moon; most low tides allow a shorter intertidal walk. Leave long trousers at home, because you will walk through shallow water. Our Zanzibar tide guide shows how the cycle works.
How to book Chumbe Island
Book directly with Chumbe, through the booking form on chumbeisland.com or by calling the reservations team on +255 777 41 32 32. They say they answer within 24 hours. Give your dates, the number of adults and children with their ages, and whether you need the taxi. The island takes few visitors a day, so send the request as soon as your dates are firm.
If you travel in April or May
Chumbe, Mnemba or Prison Island: which reef trip to choose
The three are often compared, but they do not sell the same thing. Chumbe is the protected reef and a quiet day; Mnemba is the turtle and dolphin trip for people staying in the north; Prison Island is a half day of history and giant tortoises a short boat ride from Stone Town.
| Trip | Leaves from | In the water | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chumbe Island | Mbweni, 10 minutes south of Stone Town | Shallow reef closed to fishing since 1992, guided snorkel only | Coral quality, a quiet day, a night in an eco-lodge |
| Mnemba Atoll | Matemwe, Nungwi or Kendwa on the north and east coasts | Open water around the atoll, many boats at peak hours | Turtles and dolphins if you are staying in the north |
| Prison Island | Stone Town seafront, short boat ride | Snorkelling is a side activity, the reef is less protected | Giant tortoises, a half day from Stone Town |
Questions people ask about Chumbe Island
Can I go on a day trip to Chumbe Island?
Yes. The boat leaves at 10am from the Jungle Paradise Resort in Mbweni, about ten minutes' drive south of Stone Town, with check in at 9.30am. The day includes guided snorkelling, a forest walk and a Swahili lunch buffet. Places are limited because the island takes few visitors, so book directly with Chumbe a few days ahead.
Can you stay on Chumbe Island?
Yes, in one of seven eco-bungalows built with solar power, rainwater collection and composting toilets. Rates are per person per night and full board: $280 for a garden bungalow, $340 for seaview and $360 for seafront, with 10 per cent off in low season and half price for children aged 2 to 12. Alcohol and the government levies are extra.
How do I get to Chumbe Island?
Only on Chumbe's own boats. Other boat companies are not allowed to land and private moorings are not permitted. Get to the Jungle Paradise Resort in Mbweni for 9.30am: Chumbe can arrange a taxi for $15 per seven seat vehicle from Stone Town or the airport, or $60 from a beach hotel.
How much does Chumbe Island cost?
Chumbe does not publish its day trip rate online. Visitors and booking sites reported about $110 a person in 2025 and 2026, plus the Blue Economy Levy, which Chumbe's rates page lists at $25 per foreign adult per day. Overnight stays cost $280 to $360 a person a night, plus a $10 infrastructure charge per night.
Can you scuba dive at Chumbe Island?
No. Scuba diving is not allowed inside the marine protected area, nor are kitesurfing and windsurfing. You snorkel with a ranger for about an hour over the shallow reef, using masks, fins, snorkels, lycra suits and life jackets provided by the park.
Will I see coconut crabs on a Chumbe day trip?
Probably not. The coconut crab walk takes place in the evening with the rangers and is listed as an activity for lodge guests. The crabs hide in the coral rag forest during the day, so if seeing them matters to you, book a night.
Is Chumbe Island worth it?
Yes if your priority is healthy coral and a calm day without the boat traffic of Mnemba or Prison Island. It costs several times more than a standard snorkelling tour, and the money pays for the rangers and the education programme. If you only want a quick swim off a sandbank, a Stone Town boat trip does that for far less.
Header photo: Chumbe Island lighthouse from the sea, 1985. mwanasimba, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
