Best Things to Do in Zanzibar: Our Favourites After 17 Nights
I loved Zanzibar for the days that had a little bit of everything. A swim somewhere beautiful, a really good lunch, then sitting by the beach while football and acrobatics were happening on the sand. It was not a trip where we needed a huge activity booked every morning!
Daniel and I spent 17 nights here, with 13 around Paje and four in Nungwi, in July and early August. We had time for boat trips, Stone Town and a few outings along the southeast coast, but also time to find the places we wanted to go back to.
These are the things to do in Zanzibar I would build a trip around, based on that visit. Some cost money, some are as simple as going down to the beach at the right time. The important part is choosing a few that suit you, rather than spending your whole holiday travelling between them.
Best things to do in Zanzibar: my quick shortlist
If I were choosing just three outings, I would start with Maalum, Stone Town with an early Prison Island visit, and a carefully chosen Mnemba boat trip. Then I would leave plenty of room for Paje beach afternoons, food and Nungwi sunsets.
Scroll to see the full table →
| What you feel like doing | My pick | Where I would fit it |
|---|---|---|
| A beautiful swim away from the sea | Maalum natural pool | A morning while based in Paje |
| Streets, markets and a change from the beach | Stone Town | Combine with an early Prison Island boat trip |
| A day out on turquoise water | Snorkelling near Mnemba | During the Nungwi part of the trip |
| Beach life without a big booking | Paje in the afternoon | Keep an afternoon free, then stay for dinner |
| A quieter southeast-coast outing | Jambiani and lunch at Jiwe's | While staying around Paje |
| An evening by the sea | Nungwi sunset and dinner | During a north-coast stay |
Those are my priorities, not a promise that you need to do everything. If you are still deciding whether the island suits you, our honest Zanzibar verdict explains what we loved and what surprised us.
Choose a base near the things you want to do
Paje worked well for our longer stay, with cafés, restaurants and southeast-coast outings. Nungwi gave us a different beach, sunset dinners and our starting point for Mnemba. I would choose the base before booking a string of tours with long pickups.
For Paje, Mahali Zanzibar is one I would compare if you want to be right by the beach with a pool. Up north, Siri Beach Lodge was our four-night base, with a spacious room and an easy walk to the beach. Check your exact dates and room category rather than comparing the lowest headline prices.
Mahali Zanzibar
This is one I would compare for a beach base with a pool and air-conditioned rooms. Check the room category if you want an ocean view.
Siri Beach Lodge
A spacious room and a short walk to Nungwi beach. This is the base we used for exploring the town and heading out for meals.
Our Paje or Nungwi accommodation comparison includes the other places we stayed and more options. You do not need to move hotels for every activity on this list.
1. Swim at Maalum near Paje
Maalum was one of my favourite outings. You go from the beach-town surroundings into this natural pool with trees overhead and clear blue water. It felt completely different from a morning in the sea!
We booked the 9:30am slot and happened to have it to ourselves. I would not promise you the same, but I would choose a morning again. We had tried to book an earlier day and it was full, so this is one I would arrange before turning up.
How I would plan it: book your swim directly with Maalum, then keep the rest of the morning easy. We paid US$20 each for a 90-minute slot in July 2026; check the current rate when booking. The Maalum Cave guide has the direct booking link, what was included and the details I would check before going.
Maalum is the natural-pool swim we did. Do not confuse it with a turtle-swimming attraction when comparing listings.
2. Wander through Stone Town
Stone Town is the outing I would include even on a beach-focused holiday. We walked through narrow streets and markets, stopped for breakfast, and spent time talking about spices at a stall. It gave the trip a different pace and a different setting.
The market was busy and interesting, with spice stalls, clothes, fish and food. Parts reminded me of wandering in Marrakech. It was also a place where people offered guiding quite persistently, so I would be clear about whether you want a guide before setting off with anyone.
We had breakfast at Yeoyum, with pita, a savoury doughnut and potatoes with a curry-style dip. That is the sort of stop I enjoy making part of a day out, instead of trying to see every landmark without sitting down.
How I would plan it: give Stone Town more than a rushed drive-through. Dress respectfully away from the beach, take comfortable shoes and leave space to wander. If you want someone to explain what you are seeing, compare Stone Town walking tours here. Check the meeting point, length and what is included.
3. Add an early boat trip to Prison Island
We combined Prison Island with Stone Town, which made sense as one day out. We arrived on the island at about 8:40am and it was quiet; more people were coming in by the time we left.
The giant tortoises were the main draw for us, but I would also walk through the museum. My honest feeling was that there was less to explore in the buildings than I had expected. I enjoyed the visit, but I would not build an entire day around the island alone.
How I would plan it: an early boat, time on the island, then Stone Town afterwards. Our taxi driver arranged our private outing. If you prefer booking ahead, compare Prison Island tours here, checking entrance fees, transport and the actual time on the island. GetYourGuide lists it as Changuu Island, so do not worry if you see that name.
Our Stone Town and Prison Island guide covers the day in more detail. Give the tortoises space rather than treating them as photo props.
4. Get out on the water near Mnemba
The water near Mnemba was such a beautiful colour, even on our cloudy day. We went out by boat, snorkelled and had fresh fruit afterwards. I remember spotting red bananas at the fruit stop, which was a new one for me!
We did this while staying in Nungwi, with a 6am pickup and roughly a 45-minute drive to the boat. That early start is worth factoring in when you compare tours from different parts of the island.
How I would plan it: choose the operator and route carefully, not just the prettiest promotional photo. Ask about group size, pickup, snorkelling time and their approach to wildlife. I would avoid an outing that chases dolphins or promises an encounter with a wild animal. Seeing them is never something to guarantee.
This is a boat outing near Mnemba, not permission to walk around the private island. The sandbank also depends on the tide; it was underwater on our visit. Those two details can make the real day feel quite different from a listing if you have not checked them.
We booked our trip through Instagram. You can compare Mnemba trips here, and our Mnemba tour guide explains the experience and our recorded per-person cost.
5. Leave an afternoon free for Paje beach
This sounds almost too simple to put on a list, but it is one of the things I would most want to repeat. Paje had such a lovely beach atmosphere in the afternoon, with kites out, football on the sand and people doing acrobatics.
We watched the kite surfers rather than taking lessons ourselves. You can enjoy that whole scene without booking a water sport. Find somewhere for a drink or a late lunch, then see how the afternoon unfolds.
We liked sitting by the water at places such as Mr Kahawa and Hello Capitano. At Shanga, our early dinner turned into curries and beers while watching everything happening on the beach. I loved that!
How I would plan it: keep it unstructured, but check the tide if swimming matters to you. The water goes a very long way out around Paje. Our Paje guide has the cafés and restaurants we went to, while the Zanzibar beach comparison helps with the swimming differences.
6. Spend some time in Jambiani
Jambiani was a lovely change of scene from Paje. We went down the coast and had lunch at Jiwe's Swahili Kitchen, where I ordered chicken biryani and Daniel had fish curry. My meal was a ten out of ten!
Horse riding on the beach was another experience we had at Jambiani. The photographs from that day are some of my favourites from the trip, with the horses along the sand and in the water.
How I would plan it: make Jambiani a relaxed southeast-coast outing rather than adding a long list of distant stops. If you are considering riding, check the operator, riding experience required and how the horses are cared for. Do not assume every listing offers the same ride, or that a general Jambiani tour includes horses.
For me, a good lunch and time by the beach already made it worthwhile. You do not need to turn every place you visit into a full-day paid excursion.
7. Make time for the food in Paje
Al Casbah is one of the places I would send a friend. We came across it, met Sharif, and ended up with homemade bread, beef tagine and banana cake with banana sauce. I loved the open kitchen and how much he cared about the food he was sharing.
We also went to Basil twice. There were satay sticks, nasi goreng, pad krapow and mochi across our meals there. Finding a place you want to return to is one of the nicest parts of staying longer, and we had that here.
How I would plan it: leave some meals open instead of booking every dinner into a tour or hotel package. A few of our best memories were simply going out to eat. The food section in our Paje guide is where I have kept the full list, so you can choose somewhere near you.
8. Enjoy a Nungwi beach day and sunset dinner
Nungwi gave us a different version of Zanzibar. We spent four nights there, went out for food and coffee, and had evenings with the sun going down over the water. It was a lovely contrast to our longer Paje stay.
Maisha was one of our sunset-meal spots. Hanoi House was another place we enjoyed, with coconut coffee and a café stop that became part of our Nungwi memories. These are the smaller things that make me want more than one rushed night somewhere.
How I would plan it: if you are staying in the north, leave an evening for the beach and dinner rather than scheduling a late return from the other end of the island. Swimming was easier to fit into our Nungwi days than our Paje days, but I would still check the local conditions before getting in.
Our Nungwi guide covers where we ate, stayed and spent our time. I would not make a long cross-island journey just to tick off a café; enjoy these places when the north is already part of your route.
What I would plan differently
Check the tide before travelling for a beach. We drove about 45 minutes each way to Mtende, arrived at low tide and left before the water returned. I would still consider it, but I would time it more carefully. That is a better lesson than calling every beach an essential stop regardless of conditions.
Choose a few outings, not a packed daily schedule. With a week, I would choose one coast and build around it. With around ten days, I would consider both Paje and Nungwi. We had 17 nights because our travel includes work, routines and slower days, not because every visitor needs that long.
Be selective about animal experiences. At Mtende, a man told us the starfish he was showing visitors had been brought from another beach. I did not want to support that. I would not pay for handling or moving animals for photographs, and I would ask questions before booking wildlife-focused trips.
Count transport in the activity budget. A low tour price can look different after a long pickup or separate transfers. Ask what the total includes. Our Zanzibar costs article uses our actual per-person spending, and this is the Wise card I use for travel.
For the route, arrival arrangements and what to book first, use our Zanzibar planning guide. This page is the shortlist I would use to decide what belongs in that plan.
Watch what we did in Zanzibar
The first vlog covers Paje and the southeast coast, including Maalum and our food stops. The second takes you through Stone Town, Prison Island, Nungwi and Mnemba. They will give you a much better feel for the days than a list alone!
Watch our Paje and southeast-coast vlog on YouTube.
Watch our north Zanzibar vlog on YouTube, or visit Ell's Passport on YouTube.
FAQs about things to do in Zanzibar
What are the best things to do in Zanzibar for a first visit?
My priorities would be Maalum, Stone Town with an early Prison Island outing, a carefully chosen Mnemba boat trip and relaxed beach time. Paje afternoons and Nungwi sunsets were favourites too. Choose activities around your base rather than crossing the island every day.
Can you enjoy Zanzibar without booking lots of tours?
Yes. Beach afternoons, cafés and going out for meals were a big part of what we loved. We mixed paid outings with slower days instead of booking an excursion every morning.
What can you do in Zanzibar besides beaches?
We enjoyed Stone Town's streets and markets, the Prison Island visit, swimming at Maalum and eating around Paje and Jambiani. Those gave our trip variety without needing a different hotel for every outing.
Should you book Zanzibar activities in advance?
I would reserve activities with a specific time slot, such as Maalum, and compare boat operators before committing. We found Maalum full on an earlier day we wanted. Leave some flexibility for weather and tide-dependent plans.
How many days do you need for these Zanzibar activities?
I would allow a week for one coast and a few outings, or around ten days if you want both Paje and Nungwi. You do not need to fit every suggestion into one visit. Our own 17 nights included work and slower days.
