6-Day Zanzibar Tour: Stone Town, Spices & Dolphins

Six days moving through Stone Town's layers, then out to the island's wildlife and waters.

A 6-day private-guided tour of Zanzibar based in Stone Town and a beach resort, with daily excursions to the UNESCO heritage old city, spice farms, Kizimkazi fishing village for dolphin spotting, and Jozani Forest. All transport, accommodation on bed & breakfast or half board, meals, and activities are exclusive to your group. No joining other travelers. A professional English-speaking guide leads each day, and you choose your hotel tier at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to hotel

• Arrive at Zanzibar Airport
• Receive cold coconut drink and towel
• Briefing with guide
• Transfer to Stone Town hotel
• Overnight stay

Day 2: Stone Town tour and spice farm

• Breakfast at hotel
• Guided walking tour of Stone Town
• Lunch with Zanzibari specialties
• Visit spice plantation
• Drive to beach hotel
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 3: Leisure day at beach resort

• Relax at beach resort
• Swim in Indian Ocean
• Optional snorkeling trip
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 4: Dolphins and Jozani Forest

• Early start to Kizimkazi village
• Boat trip to see dolphins
• Visit 12th century mosque
• Lunch with local Swahili food
• Tour Jozani Forest and boardwalk
• Return to resort
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 5: Sunset cruise and dinner

• Return to Stone Town
• Board traditional wooden dhow
• Enjoy romantic sunset cruise
• Dinner at rooftop restaurant
• Overnight stay in hotel

Day 6: Departure transfer

• Transfer to airport
• Depart Zanzibar

The experience

The tour opens with arrival at Zanzibar Airport, where you're met with a cold coconut drink and a fresh face towel before transfer to your Stone Town hotel. Day two takes you into Stone Town itself: the old city's winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses layered with African, Arab, Indian and European architecture built over more than a thousand years. After a guided walking tour and lunch with Zanzibari specialties, your guide and driver drive you inland to a spice plantation where you see, smell and taste vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon, many used for medical purposes as well as cooking. You return to your beach resort for the evening.

Day three is entirely yours: swim in the Indian Ocean, take a snorkeling trip from the hotel, or rest on your sunbed. Day four starts early for the drive south to Kizimkazi fishing village, where a short boat trip brings you face-to-face with bottle-nosed and humpback dolphins. The village also holds the oldest mosque in East Africa, dating to the 12th century. After a local Swahili lunch, you move into Jozani Forest to spot the rare Red Colobus monkeys, Syke's monkeys, bush pigs and the nocturnal Zanzibar leopard, walking the boardwalk through mangrove forest where the mangrove kingfisher nests. Day five returns you to Stone Town for a sunset cruise on a traditional wooden dhow, watching the sun set over the coastline before a special dinner in a rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. On day six, transfer to the airport for your onward journey.

All accommodation sits at the beach. You choose between Classic, Superior or Luxury tiers at checkout, each offering the same location and quality. Breakfast is included every morning, lunch and dinner each day except the leisure day, and all ground transport (the minibus, the boat to the dolphins, the walks through Stone Town and forest) is arranged for you alone. Your guide speaks English and is available throughout.

What’s included

• Excursions by air-conditioned minibus to Stone Town, the spice plantation, Kizimkazi fishing village and Jozani Forest.
• guided walking tours through Stone Town and the mangrove boardwalk.
• a boat trip to spot dolphins.
• 2 nights accommodation in Stone Town on bed & breakfast basis and 3 nights at a beach resort on half board basis.
• breakfast every morning, lunch and dinner each day except day three.
• services of a professional English-speaking driver guide.
• all transport mentioned in the itinerary.
• government taxes and levies.

Options for this experience

3 options

ClassicGuide in 5 languages · No fixed timeStays are in comfortable 3-star hotels and resorts

SuperiorGuide in 5 languages · No fixed timeStays are in luxury 4-star boutique hotels and resorts

LuxuryGuide in 5 languages · No fixed timeStays are in top-end luxury hotels, boutique hotels and resorts

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayLast departure this season: 18 Dec

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Zama Tours & Safaris

Is this one for you?Choose the hotel tier that fits your budget: Classic, Superior or Luxury all sit at the beach with the same access to the guide, the excursions and the meals, so the difference is comfort level, not experience. A minimum of two people per booking keeps the group small and the guide's attention focused.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What is Stone Town and why does it matter on this tour?

Stone Town is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar, a UNESCO World Heritage site built over more than a thousand years with winding alleys, bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses that blend African, Arab, Indian and European architecture. You spend a full guided day walking through it on day two, then return for the sunset cruise and final dinner on day five.

Will I see dolphins and monkeys, and where?

Yes. On day four you take a short boat trip from Kizimkazi fishing village in the south to spot bottle-nosed and humpback dolphins, then move to Jozani Forest where you walk the boardwalk through mangroves to see the rare Red Colobus monkeys, Syke's monkeys, bush pigs and nocturnal Zanzibar leopards.

What spices will I encounter on the plantation visit?

The spice plantation on day two lets you see, smell and taste vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon, along with guava and mangoes. Many are used for both cooking and traditional medicine.

How much free time do I have to relax at the beach?

Day three is a full day of leisure at your beach resort. You can swim, snorkel from the hotel or simply rest. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, and you set your own pace.

Are all meals and transport included, or do I pay extra?

All transport in an air-conditioned minibus, all excursions, breakfast every day, and lunch and dinner each day except the leisure day are included in your booking. Optional activities beyond the itinerary, tips for your guide and hotel staff, and international flights are separate.