• Duration: 3 Nights / 4 Days
• Basis: Bed & Breakfast (Night 1) | Dinner, Bed & Breakfast (Nights 2 & 3)
• Destination: Zanzibar Island, Tanzania — Stone Town
• Starts: Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ) — transfer to Stone Town on arrival
• Ends: Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ) — transfer for onward international flights
• Included: Airport transfers, accommodation as listed, Stone Town & Spice Tour, Prison Island & Sandbank Picnic Tour
• Pricing: Please contact WWJ for full pricing and availability

ABOUT THIS EXTENSION

The safari is over. The dust of the plains is still on your boots. But there is one more thing that East Africa wants to show you — and it lies just off the Tanzanian coast, rising from the Indian Ocean in a fragrant haze of spice and history. Zanzibar.

This three-night extension is designed as the perfect counterpoint to the intensity of the safari. Where the bush is vast and untamed, Stone Town is layered and intimate — a labyrinth of narrow coral-stone alleyways, carved wooden doors, sultan’s palaces, Portuguese forts, and ancient dhow harbours that have been trading across the Indian Ocean for a thousand years. It is a place that smells of cloves and ocean, where the call to prayer echoes across rooftops at dawn, and where every street corner carries the weight of a history that shaped the entire East African coast.

Beyond Stone Town, the island reveals its other faces. Spice plantations where nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and the famous Zanzibari clove grow in extraordinary abundance. Prison Island, with its remarkable population of giant Aldabra tortoises — some over 190 years old — and coral waters so clear and alive that snorkelling here feels like drifting through an aquarium. And a sandbank picnic at sea, with a BBQ lunch laid out on a pristine bar of white sand surrounded by nothing but turquoise water and the distant sail of a passing dhow.

Zanzibar is not a detour. It is a destination in its own right — and the ideal final chapter of any East African journey.

EXTENSION HIGHLIGHTS

• Three nights in Stone Town at one of the island’s finest seafront hotels, set in a restored historic building combining Swahili, Arabic, and colonial architecture
• Guided Stone Town walking tour — exploring the UNESCO-listed old town through its carved doorways, historic slave market site, Old Fort, Palace Museum, and vibrant central bazaars
• Spice farm excursion into the Zanzibari countryside — walking through plantations of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper, and tropical fruits, learning the history of the island that once supplied the world’s spice trade
• Prison Island excursion by traditional dhow — visiting the island’s remarkable population of giant Aldabra tortoises, some estimated to be nearly two centuries old
• Snorkelling in the coral-rich waters around Prison Island — extraordinary marine life in some of the clearest water in the Indian Ocean
• Sandbank BBQ picnic — lunch served on a pristine sandbar in the open ocean, surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise water
• Sail back to Stone Town at sunset, watching the sky above the Indian Ocean turn from gold to deep red over the silhouetted rooftops of the old city
• Time at leisure in Stone Town — the old city rewards wandering: spice markets, curio shops, rooftop cafés, and the famous Mercury’s Restaurant on the waterfront
• All airport transfers included — arrival from your safari connection and departure for onward international flights

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

This extension connects directly from any WWJ Tanzania safari itinerary. Please contact WWJ to discuss connection options and dates.

Day 1  |  Arrival in Zanzibar  |  Stone Town

Arrive at Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ) off your connecting flight from the Serengeti or Arusha. A World Wildlife Journeys representative will meet you in arrivals and transfer you by road into Stone Town — a journey of around 20 minutes. Check in to your hotel, situated in a beautifully restored historic building on the Stone Town seafront, with views across the harbour and the Indian Ocean beyond. The first night is at leisure: rest after your journey, explore the immediate waterfront, or simply sit on the terrace with a cold drink and watch the dhows moving across the channel in the late afternoon light. Dinner on your own account this evening.

Day 2  |  Stone Town & Spice Tour

After breakfast, your guide collects you from the hotel for a full day combining two of Zanzibar’s finest experiences. The morning is devoted to Stone Town itself — a walking tour through the labyrinthine alleyways and historic squares of the UNESCO-listed old city. Your guide brings the history to life: the carved wooden doors that signal the wealth and status of their original owners; the Old Fort, built by Omani Arabs in the 17th century; the Palace Museum; the haunting site of the old slave market, where tens of thousands of people were sold before abolition in 1873; and the vibrant central bazaars where the mingled scents of spice, incense, and ocean salt fill the narrow streets.

After a lunch stop at a local Zanzibari restaurant — an opportunity to try the extraordinary Swahili-Arab-Indian fusion cuisine that is unique to these islands — the afternoon moves into the countryside for the Spice Tour. A thirty-minute drive brings you to the plantation farms of the interior, where cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper, turmeric, lemongrass, and a dozen other spices and tropical fruits grow in extraordinary abundance. Your guide explains the history, cultivation, and uses of each plant. The tour returns you to your hotel by late afternoon. Dinner included at the hotel.

Day 3  |  Prison Island & Sandbank Picnic

After breakfast, transfer to the Stone Town jetty for your morning excursion by traditional dhow to Prison Island — known locally as Changuu Island — lying just a few kilometres offshore. The island carries a fascinating history: originally built as a prison that was never used as such, it served for a time as a quarantine station before becoming the home of a remarkable population of giant Aldabra tortoises, brought from the Seychelles in the late 19th century. Some of these animals are estimated to be nearly two centuries old — living links to another era entirely. The surrounding waters are excellent for snorkelling: coral gardens, tropical fish, and the clarity of the Indian Ocean at its finest.

From Prison Island, the dhow continues to a pristine sandbank in open water for a BBQ picnic lunch — tables and chairs set up on a bar of pure white sand surrounded by nothing but turquoise sea. It is, in every sense, extraordinary. The afternoon sail back to Stone Town times perfectly for the sunset — the sky turning from gold to amber over the rooftops and minarets of the old city as you come into harbour. Dinner included at the hotel, and your last evening at leisure in Stone Town.

Day 4  |  Departure

After a leisurely final breakfast in Stone Town, check out of the hotel and meet your WWJ representative in the lobby for the road transfer to Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ). From here, connections are available to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi for onward international flights home. The extension ends here — but Stone Town’s particular spell, and the image of that sandbank in the open Indian Ocean, has a way of staying with you.

• International flights from Zanzibar to home countries
• Regional/connecting flight from mainland Tanzania or Kenya to Zanzibar — please contact WWJ for connection options from your safari itinerary
• Entry visa for Tanzania — most nationalities require a visa; available online or on arrival
• Yellow Fever vaccination certificate — COMPULSORY for entry into Tanzania; carry documentation at all times
• Travel insurance — strongly recommended
• Meals and drinks not specified in the inclusions above
• Laundry and items of a personal nature
• Gratuities for driver/guide, hotel staff, and porters
• Additional optional activities or excursions in Stone Town beyond those listed

IMPORTANT NOTES

• This extension is designed to follow any WWJ Tanzania safari itinerary — please contact WWJ to arrange the correct connecting flight from the Serengeti, Arusha, or your final safari destination
• A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is COMPULSORY for entry into Tanzania — carry your International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) at all times
• Zanzibar requires a separate visa from mainland Tanzania — most passport holders can obtain this on arrival or online in advance; please verify current requirements for your nationality
• Luggage for light aircraft transfers within Tanzania: 15 kg per person including hand luggage, soft hold-all type bags only — no hard suitcases or rigid-framed cases
• Single supplement applies — please contact WWJ for details
• All prices in USD and subject to change due to exchange rate fluctuations or unforeseen cost increases
• All payments by Electronic or Telegraphic Bank Transfer
• WWJ reserves the right to substitute alternative accommodation of equal or superior standard subject to availability

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Visas & Passports

Most passport holders require a visa for Tanzania, including Zanzibar. Visas can be obtained in advance through the Tanzania online e-visa portal, or on arrival at Zanzibar Airport. Requirements can change without notice; please verify current entry requirements for your nationality well in advance of travel. It is your responsibility to hold correct documentation. WWJ accepts no liability for failure to do so. Note that a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is COMPULSORY for entry and must be carried at all times.

Travel Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is STRONGLY recommended for all WWJ travellers. Your policy should cover trip cancellation due to illness or injury, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, personal accident and personal liability, loss of or damage to baggage, and travel and flight delays. Ensure your policy covers snorkelling and water-based activities. Do not travel without adequate cover.

Health & Vaccinations

A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is compulsory for entry into Tanzania and must be carried on your person at all times. Zanzibar is a malaria-risk area — please consult your physician or a specialist travel medicine clinic before departure for current advice on antimalarial prophylaxis. Additional recommended vaccinations include hepatitis A, typhoid, and tetanus. Check the latest health advisories for East Africa before travel.

Climate in February

February falls in the short dry season on Zanzibar — one of the finest times to visit. Expect warm, sunny days with temperatures between 26°C and 32°C, low humidity, calm seas, and excellent conditions for snorkelling and ocean excursions. Occasional short showers are possible but rarely disrupt activities. The Indian Ocean is warm and clear, and the coral visibility around Prison Island is at its best.

Clothing & Packing

Light, breathable clothing is ideal for Zanzibar — the island is warm year-round. Modest dress is important when exploring Stone Town, which is a predominantly Muslim community: shoulders and knees should be covered in the old city and at religious sites. Swimwear, reef shoes or sandals, and a light sun hat are essential for the ocean excursions. Good-quality sunscreen and sunglasses are strongly recommended. A light layer for evenings and air-conditioned spaces may be useful.

Currency

The Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) is the local currency, but US Dollars are widely accepted on Zanzibar and are the recommended currency for tips, market purchases, and personal spending. Bring USD notes in good condition — pre-2009 bills and damaged notes are often refused. Credit cards are accepted at the hotel and major establishments in Stone Town. ATMs are available in Stone Town but reliability can vary.

One of our experts will be in touch within 24 hours.