Jozani Forest Spice Tour: Red Colobus Monkeys & Boardwalk

Explore Zanzibar’s hidden spice scents and local flavors with a guide who speaks your language.

A private tour of Zanzibar's spice farms and Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park with a professional guide in your chosen language, hotel pickup included. You walk through the forest to see red colobus monkeys and cross the mangrove boardwalk, then visit a working spice farm to learn how cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom are grown and harvested. The tour includes bottled water and a taste of local Zanzibar cuisine. About eight hours total, with roughly two hours spent in the forest and on the boardwalk.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore spices and Jozani forest

• Meet professional licensed driver
• Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle
• Visit spice farm and learn about spices
• Taste local Zanzibar cuisine
• Visit Jozani forest and see big trees
• Observe red colobus monkeys
• Walk mangrove boardwalk
• Return trip to start point

The experience

If you've just landed in Zanzibar or have a free afternoon, this tour fits the day without requiring you to arrange transport or navigate on your own. A professional driver picks you up from your hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle and takes you to the spice farm first, where your guide walks you through the plants growing there (cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and others), and explains how each one is grown, harvested and used. The guide speaks your language (English, Spanish, Italian, French or several others), so you get the details as you move through the rows.

The second part is Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park, where the red colobus monkeys live. These monkeys are found nowhere else on earth, and your guide will point out their unique features as they move through the canopy. You walk a mangrove boardwalk that cuts through the forest floor, giving you a close view without disturbing the habitat. The boardwalk is the main reason people come here. It's the best place to see the monkeys and the only way to move through the mangroves without wading.

Bottled water is included throughout the day. At some point you'll taste local Zanzibar cuisine, which gives you a sense of how the spices you saw earlier actually flavor the food people eat here. The whole outing takes about eight hours from pickup to drop-off, with the forest and boardwalk taking roughly two hours of that time.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• professional tour guide in your chosen language.
• entrance to Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park.
• mangrove boardwalk access.
• spice farm tour with explanations of growing and harvesting.
• local Zanzibar cuisine tasting.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (14 to 95 years) · Child (5 to 13 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 14 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by ZAN DREAMLAND TOURS

Is this one for you?The eight-hour commitment leaves room for an early start and an evening in town, or a late breakfast before pickup. It's built as a full-day outing, so plan accordingly if you want to add another activity afterward.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 13 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are red colobus monkeys and why are they only in Jozani Forest?

Red colobus monkeys are a species found nowhere else on earth except Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park in Zanzibar. Your guide will explain their unique features and behavior as you walk the mangrove boardwalk where they're most visible.

Do I need to be fit to walk the forest and mangrove boardwalk?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The mangrove boardwalk is a raised walkway through the forest, so you're not hiking rough terrain. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller if needed.

Which spices will I see on the farm?

The spice farm grows cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and other spices. Your guide explains how each one is grown, harvested and used in cooking and traditional medicine.

Is lunch included in the tour?

The tour includes a taste of local Zanzibar cuisine so you experience how the spices you saw are used in the food. Bottled water is provided throughout the day.

How long does the tour take and what time does it start?

The tour runs about eight hours total, with roughly two hours spent in Jozani Forest and on the mangrove boardwalk. Your driver picks you up from your hotel on time and returns you there at the end of the day.