Private Spice Tour in Zanzibar with hotel pickup

Walk through spice farms and taste the island's aromatic treasures

A private spice tour in Zanzibar City takes you through working spice farms at Kizimbani or Kidichi, where you walk among cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom and other plants, taste fresh fruits, and learn how the island became a world leader in spice production during the 19th century. Hotel pickup is included, and the tour runs two to three hours with a professional guide who speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Zanzibar spice farm

• Visit spice farm gardens
• Learn about medicinal spices
• Taste various spices and fruits
• Walk through spice farms with guide
• Smell and taste spice plants

The experience

Zanzibar earned its name as the Spice Island for a reason: the farms here grow the ingredients that fill a kitchen spice rack. On this tour, you walk through the gardens at Kizimbani or Kidichi and pick leaves, fruits and twigs directly from the plants, then smell or taste them to identify what they are. Your guide explains the history (how Zanzibar dominated global spice trade in the 1800s), and points out which plants have medicinal properties that locals still use. Beyond the common spices, you'll encounter rarer plants like henna, perfume tree and lipstick tree, grown for cosmetics.

The tour includes tastings of fresh fruits grown on the farm, from rose apple to guava, and samples of spices like black pepper, turmeric, ginger and chilies. You can buy spices in powder form at the farm shop to take home. Water and local food are provided, and the entrance fees and transport are covered in the price.

Hotel pickup is arranged for you, so there's no need to arrange your own transport to the farms. The guide is a professional who speaks multiple languages and can answer questions throughout the walk, which takes two to three hours depending on how much time you spend at each stop.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return transport.
• entrance fees to the spice farms.
• professional guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or one additional language.
• water and local food.
• tastings of fresh fruits and spices.
• access to the farm shop to purchase spices.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Under 13: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 42 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Abdi Zanzi Guide & Driver

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or directions to find the farms. Your guide collects you and handles the transport, which matters if you're staying in the city without a rental.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

What spices will I actually get to taste on the tour?

You'll taste and smell cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla, black pepper, cloves, turmeric, ginger and chilies directly from the plants, and also sample fresh fruits like rose apple and guava grown on the farm.

How does the tour work? Do I just walk around and look, or do I get to pick things?

You walk through the gardens and pick bunches of leaves, fruits and twigs from the plants yourself, then smell or taste them to guess what they are before your guide tells you. It's a hands-on experience, not a demonstration.

Will I learn about Zanzibar's history as the Spice Island?

Yes. Your guide explains how Zanzibar became one of the world's leading spice producers in the 19th century and why the island earned its reputation.

Is hotel pickup really included, or do I need to arrange my own transport?

Hotel pickup is included in the price, so your guide will collect you from your accommodation and bring you back after the tour ends.

Can I buy spices to take home?

Yes. The farm has a spice shop where you can buy spices in powder form to use at home after the tour.