7 Days in Tanzania

This week suits first-timers to East Africa, beach lovers and anyone who wants Swahili coast history without a single long bus ride. The pace is relaxed, with three bases, short hops between them and plenty of time in the water. Once you land in Tanzania, you only need Zanzibar’s dala-dalas (shared minibuses) and the occasional shared taxi.

Days 1-3: Stone Town, Zanzibar

The airport in Zanzibar is only 15 to 20 minutes from Stone Town, and the old city deserves two full nights. Start at the Old Slave Market & Anglican Cathedral, where the altar stands on the site of the former whipping post and you can step down into the cramped underground holding chambers with a site guide. Then walk the seafront to the Palace Museum, the former sultans’ residence, which still holds its 19th-century furniture. Next door, the House of Wonders has been under restoration since part of it collapsed in 2020, so you can only admire its clock tower and iron columns from the street. The Old Fort beside it has … read more 👉

This week suits first-timers to East Africa, beach lovers and anyone who wants Swahili coast history without a single long bus ride. The pace is relaxed, with three bases, short hops between them and plenty of time in the water. Once you land in Tanzania, you only need Zanzibar’s dala-dalas (shared minibuses) and the occasional shared taxi.

Days 1-3: Stone Town, Zanzibar

The airport in Zanzibar is only 15 to 20 minutes from Stone Town, and the old city deserves two full nights. Start at the Old Slave Market & Anglican Cathedral, where the altar stands on the site of the former whipping post and you can step down into the cramped underground holding chambers with a site guide. Then walk the seafront to the Palace Museum, the former sultans’ residence, which still holds its 19th-century furniture. Next door, the House of Wonders has been under restoration since part of it collapsed in 2020, so you can only admire its clock tower and iron columns from the street. The Old Fort beside it has a courtyard of craft stalls. On the second morning, visit the Hamamni Persian Baths, a bathhouse built for Sultan Barghash in the late 19th century. Afterward, catch a dala-dala a few kilometers north toward Bububu to see the crumbling Maruhubi Palace Ruins and the Mtoni Palace Ruins by the shore. In the evening, head to the Forodhani Gardens stalls, where grilled seafood and Zanzibar pizza cost TSh 3,000 to 10,000 (US$1.20 to 4).

Days 3-5: Nungwi and Kendwa

Dala-dala 116 leaves from Darajani and reaches Nungwi Beach in 1.5 to 2 hours for TSh 2,500 to 3,000 (about US$1). The northern tip is the place to swim at any time of day, because the tide here does not pull the sea back hundreds of meters as it does on the east coast. On the sand near the village, you can watch boatbuilders shaping dhows by hand. At low tide, walk south along the shore for about 45 minutes to Kendwa Beach, which is quieter and better for sunset.

Days 5-7: Paje and Jambiani

No dala-dala crosses the island directly, so either return through Stone Town (two rides, about half a day) or split a shared taxi for US$40 to 60. Paje Beach is the kitesurfing center of East Africa, with a shallow lagoon that becomes ideal for lessons at low tide. Bike or walk about 6 km south to Jambiani Beach, where women tend seaweed farms on the tidal flats and the village is quieter. On day 7, the airport is about an hour away by taxi.

On the way south, stop in Kizimkazi to see its small mosque, which holds a Kufic inscription from the early 12th century, one of the oldest on the East African coast.