Zanzibar Spice Tour and Cooking Class: Traditional Dishes

Cook what grows: from spice farm to your plate in one morning

A 5-hour cooking class in Zanzibar City combines a guided tour of spice farms with hands-on instruction from a local cook, where you prepare 3–5 traditional Swahili dishes and eat them as lunch. Transport from your hotel and all meals are included. The guide speaks English or French.

The experience

The day starts at the spice farms, where your guide walks you through how the plants grow, how they're harvested, and which ones go into which dishes: about two hours of learning the raw material before you touch it. Then you move to the cooking space, where a local experienced cook teaches you to prepare multiple traditional dishes: pilau rice with vegetables and coconut sauce takes roughly an hour, plantain cooked in coconut milk about thirty minutes, and you'll make two or three more. You're not watching a demonstration. You're doing the work with the cook's hands-on guidance the whole time.

After three hours of cooking, you sit down and eat everything you've made. The round-trip transport picks you up from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle and brings you back when it's done, so you don't arrange your own way there.

What’s included

• Round-trip hotel pickup and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• instruction from a local experienced cook.
• lunch (the dishes you prepare).
• spice farm tour with guide explanation.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (15 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 14 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 15 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 5 days ago

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by ZANZIBAR GUIDE - FRANCOPHONE ANGLOPHONE

Is this one for you?Five hours is long enough to see the farms and cook multiple dishes without rushing, but it leaves most of your afternoon free for other plans in the city. If you have only a half-day available, this won't fit. If you want to spend a full day on food and farming, you'll have time to explore on your own afterward.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 14 years); Infant (under 6): 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.

How long does the spice farm part of the tour take?

The spice farm visit lasts about two hours, where your guide explains how each plant grows, the harvesting methods, and how the spices are used in traditional cooking.

What dishes do I actually cook during this class?

You prepare 3–5 traditional Swahili dishes, including pilau rice served with vegetables and coconut sauce (about one hour) and plantain cooked with coconut milk (about thirty minutes), plus additional dishes the cook teaches you.

Is lunch included, or do I need to eat separately?

Lunch is included: you eat the dishes you've cooked during the class as your meal at the end.

Does the tour include pickup from my hotel?

Yes, round-trip transport from and to your hotel is included, and the vehicle is air-conditioned.