Zanzibar Cooking Class & Spice Farm: 5-Hour Private Tour

You'll harvest cassava leaves and climb a coconut tree before cooking lunch with the spices you picked.

A 5-hour private cooking class and spice farm tour in Zanzibar where you learn to grow, harvest and cook with fresh spices, tropical fruits and herbs. You'll meet Mama Africa to join a cassava leaf harvest, make coconut milk from scratch, practice Swahili cooking, and eat lunch at the farm. Private transportation from your hotel is included, and the guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and two additional languages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Spice farm visit and cooking class

• Visit organic spice farm
• Learn about spice cultivation
• Touch, smell, and taste spices
• Taste fresh tropical fruits
• Meet Mama Africa
• Join cassava leaf harvest
• Make coconut milk
• Practice cooking Swahili food
• Enjoy lunch at spice farm

The Experience

The tour starts with a guide walking you through an organic spice farm, showing you how cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla and cardamom grow on the islands that earned Zanzibar the name "Spice Islands." You'll touch, smell and taste the spices straight from the plants—fresher than anything you've encountered before. Along with the spice plants, you'll see and taste fresh tropical fruits growing on the farm. A coconut tree climber will pick young coconuts for you to try while you're there.

After the farm walk, you meet Mama Africa to start the cooking part. You'll join a cassava leaf harvest, make coconut milk by hand, and practice preparing Swahili dishes using the spices you've just seen growing. The class teaches you how spices work as both medicine and flavor in the food, so you're learning the reasoning behind each ingredient. Lunch is served at the spice farm when the cooking is done—you eat what you've made.

Private transportation picks you up from your hotel and brings you back, so you don't need a car or arrange your own way to the farm. The guide is live and speaks multiple languages, so you can book in English, Spanish, Italian, French or two other languages depending on your preference. Children from age 1 are welcome, and the farm is wheelchair accessible throughout.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel.
• a guided walk through the organic spice farm where you touch, smell and taste fresh spices and tropical fruits.
• a cassava leaf harvest and coconut milk-making session with Mama Africa.
• hands-on Swahili cooking instruction.
• lunch at the spice farm made from what you've prepared.
• and the chance to buy spices from the farm shop to take home.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by mango travel & tours ltd

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you're staying in Zanzibar without a car—the private pickup means you don't arrange transport yourself, and the 5-hour window lets you fit the farm visit and cooking class into a single morning or afternoon without rushing.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What spices will I actually see and taste on the farm?

The spice farm grows cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla, and cardamom among others. You'll touch, smell and taste them directly from the plants, and the guide explains how each one is used in Swahili cooking and traditional medicine.

Do I need cooking experience to join this class?

No—the class is designed for all levels. Mama Africa teaches you step-by-step how to make coconut milk and prepare Swahili dishes using the fresh spices from the farm, so beginners and experienced cooks both learn something new.

Is lunch included, and what will we eat?

Yes, lunch is included and served at the spice farm. You eat the Swahili dishes you've prepared during the cooking class, made with the spices and ingredients you've harvested and worked with that morning.

How does transportation work if I don't have a car?

Private transportation is included—the driver picks you up from your hotel and brings you back after the tour ends, so you don't need to arrange your own way to the farm or worry about finding a taxi.

Can I bring young children or babies on this tour?

Yes, children are welcome from age 1. Infants can sit on an adult's lap or use a specialized infant seat, and the farm is accessible for strollers and prams if you need one.

What languages does the guide speak?

The guide is live and speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and two additional languages, so you can book in whichever language works best for you.