Zanzibar tours compared: price, duration and departure point
Zanzibar tours are cheap, short and spread around the island, so the real cost is the drive. Pick by where you are staying, do two tours a day at most, and book the boat trips around the tide. The table gives the price per adult for each excursion, before transfers, and links to the full page for each one.
| Tour | Group price | Private | Duration | Leaves from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safari Blue | $85 (copies $45 to $65) | $70 a head plus $200 for the boat | Full day, about 7 hours on the water | Fumba, south west |
| Mnemba snorkelling | $35 to $70, plus $10 fee | From $150 | Half a day, from 7am | Matemwe, Nungwi or Kendwa |
| Prison Island | $30 to $60 | Boat hire, ask on the seafront | Half a day | Stone Town seafront |
| Nakupenda sandbank | $50 to $80 with Prison Island | Up to about $250 a boat for two | 3 to 7 hours, timed to low tide | Stone Town seafront |
| Stone Town walking tour | $20 to $30 | Same guides, set your own pace | 2 to 3 hours | Stone Town |
| Spice tour | $10 to $20, about $35 with lunch | Driver plus farm fee | 2 hours, or a morning with lunch | Kizimbani farms, 30 to 40 min from Stone Town |
| Jozani Forest | About $10 at the gate, guide included | $25 to $60 as a tour | 90 minutes to 2 hours | Jozani, 45 min from Stone Town |
| Dolphins at Kizimkazi | $25 to $50 | $80 to $150 | Half a day, from 6am | Kizimkazi, far south |
| Sunset dhow | $25 to $45 | From $150 | 2 to 2.5 hours | Stone Town, Nungwi, Kendwa |
| Kuza Cave | About $10 | Taxi from Paje | About an hour | Jambiani, 8 min from Paje |
| The Rock | $60 to $90 a head with drinks | Not a tour, a table | A long lunch | Pingwe, Michamvi peninsula |
Marine fees since 1 September 2025
Mnemba, Menai Bay (Safari Blue), Chumbe and Changuu (Prison Island) charge $10 an adult and $5 a child on top of the tour, often in cash on the day. Prison Island adds a small entry fee, so operators quote $14 to $22 in fees depending on what they bundle. Ask whether the price you are given includes them.Zanzibar tours and day trips to book online
The tours below are the ones most people end up doing, with pickup included. Ratings, prices and cancellation terms come from GetYourGuide and are refreshed regularly.
Safari Blue lagoon trip. The classic full day in Menai Bay: a dhow, snorkelling, a sandbank and a seafood lunch, with hotel pickup. It leaves on the tide, so confirm the departure time the evening before.
Stone Town, spice farm and Prison Island. Three sights in one day, with lunch: the old town, a spice farm and the boat to Prison Island. The one to book if you have a single day to spare before heading to the beach.
Stone Town, Prison Island and Nakupenda. Stone Town first, then the boat to Prison Island and the Nakupenda sandbank with a barbecue. A long day, but it covers the old town and the water together.
Mnemba boat trip from Kendwa. A boat from Kendwa Beach out to Mnemba atoll for snorkelling, with a chance of dolphins on the way. The shortest route to the atoll from the north west beaches.
Jozani and Salaam Cave, fees included. Jozani Forest and Salaam Cave in one half day, with pickup and entry fees in the price. Fees included is the useful part: some listings quote only the transport.
Private day: Jozani, spice farm, Stone Town. A private day by road through Jozani Forest, a spice farm and Stone Town, with pickup. It costs more than a group tour, and in return you set the pace.
Safari Blue Lagoon Trip with Snorkeling and Lunch
- 7 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.6(682 reviews)
from$90per person
Check prices & availability
Stone Town, Spice tour & Prison Island with Lunch
- 5 to 9 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.5(1,407 reviews)
from$55per person
Check prices & availability
Zanzibar Stone Town Tour, Prison Island & Nakupenda with BBQ
- 7 to 7.5 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.4(603 reviews)
from$42per person
Check prices & availability
From Kendwa: Mnemba Boat Trip and Dolphin Snorkel Adventure
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation
4.7(1,495 reviews)
from$55per person
Check prices & availability
Jozani Forest & Salaam Cave + Pickup & Entry fees
- 4.5 to 6.5 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.8(543 reviews)
from$80per person
Check prices & availability
Jozani Forest, Spice Farm, Stone Town Private Tour
- 9 to 9.5 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.8(137 reviews)
from$70per person
Check prices & availabilityAll activities in Zanzibar
Which Zanzibar excursions to combine in one day
Operators sell dozens of combos, and the good ones follow geography: sights that sit on the same road or the same stretch of water. A combo that crosses the island spends more time in the minibus than at the sights. These five work.
Stone Town, Prison Island and Nakupenda sandbank
The classic day from Stone Town. A morning walk through the old town, then a boat from the seafront: 20 to 30 minutes to Prison Island and its giant tortoises, then on to Nakupenda, a strip of white sand that only shows around low tide. Expect $50 to $80 for the boat part with a seafood lunch, and 3 to 7 hours depending on how long you stay on the sand. The order is set by the tide, not by the brochure: a good operator reaches the sandbank shortly before low water.
Spice farm and Jozani Forest on the way to the east coast
The spice farms around Kizimbani are 30 to 40 minutes from Stone Town, and Jozani Forest sits on the main road to Paje, 45 minutes from town and about 30 from the east coast. Put them together on the day you change hotels, from Stone Town to Paje or Jambiani, and the drive you had to make anyway becomes a tour. A spice tour costs $10 to $20 and Jozani about $10, guide included.
Jozani, Kuza Cave and The Rock from Paje or Jambiani
The south east day, for people already on that coast. Jozani in the morning while the monkeys are active, a swim at Kuza Cave, eight minutes from Paje, and a late lunch at The Rock in Pingwe. It is also the best use of a day when the tide is out on the east coast and the lagoon is too shallow to swim. Book The Rock ahead: it seats about thirty people and fills up over Christmas.
Dolphins at Kizimkazi and Salaam Cave
Both are in the far south, which is why the combo makes sense. The dolphin boats leave at 6am to 7am, so you are back on land by mid morning with time for Salaam Cave, where the turtles are, and often Jozani on the way back north. Choose an operator that does not chase the dolphins: the cheapest boats do, and it is the main complaint about this trip.
Mnemba in the morning and a sunset dhow in the evening
From Nungwi or Kendwa, the boat to Mnemba atoll takes 45 to 60 minutes and the best water is early, so a 7am start puts you back by lunch. Sleep in the afternoon, then take a sunset dhow from the same beach for $25 to $45. Two of the best things on the island, no road at all.
Zanzibar tour combinations that do not work
- Safari Blue plus anything else. It is a full day in Menai Bay, it leaves from Fumba on the tide, and you come back tired and salty.
- Mnemba and Kizimkazi dolphins on the same day. One is off the north east tip, the other at the southern end. Both want a dawn start.
- Nakupenda at high tide. Some cheap trips go at a fixed hour whatever the sea is doing. Ask the time of low water before you pay.
- Safari Blue from Nungwi or Kendwa. It is 1 hour 30 to Stone Town and about 40 minutes more to Fumba, each way. Do it on a Stone Town night.
Private vs group tours in Zanzibar
On a boat, private pricing is per boat and group pricing per head, so the answer is arithmetic. For a couple, group tours are almost always cheaper. From about four people, a private boat costs the same or less for Mnemba, the dolphins and the dhow, and you choose the time, which matters more here than anywhere because of the tide.
| Tour | Group | Private | When private pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins at Kizimkazi | $25 to $50 each | $80 to $150 the boat | Private pays from 3 people |
| Mnemba snorkelling | $35 to $70 each | From $150 the boat | Private pays from about 4 people |
| Sunset dhow | $25 to $45 each | From $150 the boat | Private pays from 4 to 6 people |
| Safari Blue | $85 each | $70 each plus $200 | Never cheaper below 14 people: you pay for space, not savings |
Safari Blue is the exception. The original operator runs a small private boat at $70 a head plus $200, which only beats the $85 shared rate for a group of fourteen or more. People who pay it are buying a boat to themselves on a trip where the big dhows carry a crowd.
By road, a private car and guide for six hours covering Jozani Forest and Prison Island starts at about $176 on reseller sites, for the car rather than per person. For a family of four that is close to four group tickets plus four pickups, and you leave when you want. For two people, the group minibus is the better deal.
Booking Zanzibar tours online, at your hotel or on the beach
The same boat often ends up sold through all three channels. What changes is the price, what is written down, and who you can turn to when the pickup does not come.
| Where you book | Price | What you get | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online (GetYourGuide, Viator) | Close to the operator's own rate | Reviews, a fixed list of what is included, often free cancellation | Conservation fees are sometimes extra, paid in cash on the day |
| Your hotel's tour desk | Usually above the online rate | Pickup from the door, someone to complain to | Ask which operator runs it, and whether it is shared or private |
| A seller on the beach | Anything from half to three times the fair rate | Can be cheapest, and some sellers are honest | No reviews, no receipt, no recourse once you have paid |
Book ahead for two things only: the sunset dhow, because the boats are small and sell out days ahead in high season, and Safari Blue in July, August and over Christmas. Everything else can wait until you land and see the weather.
Beach boys and Zanzibar tour scams: buying on the beach safely
The sellers who walk the beaches of Nungwi, Kendwa and Paje are called papaasi. Some work for real operators and sell at a fair price. Others quote two to three times the going rate, or sell a trip that turns out to be a different boat, without lunch or without the snorkelling gear. The problem is rarely the boat itself: it is paying in full before you have seen it, with nothing on paper.
If you buy on the beach
Zanzibar itineraries: 1, 2 and 3 days of tours
The plans below assume you spend the rest of the week on a beach, which is what most people come for. Each day stays on one side of the island.
One day of tours: Stone Town and the sandbank
If you only do one, make it the day that shows the island beyond the beach. A 2 to 3 hour guided walk in Stone Town in the morning, including the former slave market site, then the boat to Prison Island and Nakupenda for lunch on the sand. Back by late afternoon for Forodhani market. Staying on the north coast, the drive to Stone Town is 1 hour 30 each way: swap it for Mnemba in the morning and a dhow at sunset.
Two days of tours: add the sea
Day one as above. Day two is a full day on the water: Safari Blue from Fumba if you are still in Stone Town, 40 minutes away, or Mnemba from Nungwi, Kendwa or Matemwe if you have moved north. On the east coast, Mnemba is 1 hour 15 by road before the boat, so many people there take the dolphin and Salaam Cave morning in the south instead.
Three days of tours: one in Stone Town, one at sea, one in the south east
Day one, Stone Town, Prison Island and Nakupenda. Day two, Safari Blue or Mnemba. Day three, the spice farm and Jozani on the road to Paje or Jambiani, with Kuza Cave in the afternoon. That covers the old town, the best water, the forest and the spice history in three days, with no sight-seeing drive longer than an hour. Leave at least one beach day between days two and three: three early starts in a row is where most holidays here go wrong.
For the whole trip, including where to sleep between these days, see the Zanzibar planning guide and the full list of things to do.
Day trips from Zanzibar to the mainland
Search for Zanzibar day trips and half the results are not on the island. They are fly-in safaris to Mikumi or Nyerere (formerly Selous) in mainland Tanzania: a small plane at dawn, a game drive, lunch in the park, and back for dinner. They cost several hundred dollars a head, flights included, and are worth it only if a safari is not already part of the trip. If you have more than a day to spare, two or three nights on the mainland give far more. The options are compared in safari and Zanzibar.
When Zanzibar tours depend on the tide and the season
The tide decides more tours here than the clock. Nakupenda only exists around low tide, Safari Blue departure times move with it, and The Rock is reached on foot at low tide and by boat at high tide. Check the day in the Zanzibar tide guide before you book anything on the water.
The season matters for the sea. During the long rains, from March to May, boats are cancelled more often and visibility at Mnemba drops, so keep a spare day. The calm, clear months for snorkelling are covered in when to go to Zanzibar.
Questions people ask about Zanzibar tours
How much do Zanzibar tours cost?
Most cost between $10 and $90 per adult. Jozani Forest and Kuza Cave are about $10, a spice tour $10 to $20, a Stone Town walk $20 to $30, a sunset dhow $25 to $45, Mnemba snorkelling $35 to $70 plus a $10 marine fee, and Safari Blue $85 from the original operator in November 2026. Transfers to the start point are on top unless pickup is included.
What are the best tours in Zanzibar?
Mnemba for the reef, Safari Blue for a full day on a boat, a Stone Town walking tour to understand the island, and a sunset dhow for the cheapest good evening. Prison Island with Nakupenda sandbank is the best half day if you are staying in Stone Town.
Are guided tours in Zanzibar worth it?
For anything on the water, yes: you need a boat and a skipper who knows the tides. For Stone Town, a guide for two or three hours explains what you would otherwise walk past. Jozani includes a guide in the entry fee. Kuza Cave and the beaches need no guide at all.
How many days in Zanzibar is enough for tours?
Two or three days of tours covers the essentials: one day on the water, one day for Stone Town and Prison Island, and a half day for Jozani or a spice farm. Spread them over a week and keep the other days for the beach.
What are the best day trips from Zanzibar?
On the island, Safari Blue in Menai Bay and the Stone Town, Prison Island and Nakupenda day. Off the island, fly-in day safaris to Mikumi or Nyerere (Selous) on the mainland leave from Zanzibar airport early in the morning and cost several hundred dollars.
What are the best affordable things to do in Zanzibar?
Jozani Forest and Kuza Cave for about $10 each, a spice tour for $10 to $20, a group sunset dhow for $25 to $45, and Forodhani night market in Stone Town for about $5. Walking Stone Town on your own is free.
What are the best Zanzibar tours for couples?
A private sunset dhow, a private boat to Nakupenda sandbank at low tide, and lunch at The Rock at Pingwe. Private boats start around $150, and a private Nakupenda trip for two runs up to about $250.
What are the best Zanzibar tours for families?
Prison Island for the giant tortoises, Safari Blue (children aged 6 to 14 pay $45 with the original operator), Jozani for the red colobus monkeys and a spice tour, where children taste everything. Avoid the 6am dolphin boats with small children: long drive, early start, and the boats chase the animals.
Is it better to book Zanzibar tours online or when you arrive?
Book online for the sunset dhow and Safari Blue in high season, and for anything where you want reviews and a clear cancellation policy. The rest can be booked on arrival through your hotel or a registered operator. If you buy on the beach, pay a deposit at most and the rest on the boat.
