The Ultimate 5-Day Zanzibar Itinerary: A Perfect Trip Guide

White sand beaches, turquoise water, and days with endless sunshine spent the ‘hakuna matata’ way

That was the only thing on my mind after almost a week of adventurous but undeniably dusty game drives in Kenya. A quick 90-minutes flight away from Nairobi, Zanzibar perfectly fit the description to wash off the safari fatigue and do nothing but soak in the ocean views.

But this island surprised us. It wasn’t just another island to relax, but a vibrant mix of history and culture with quite possibly the coolest folks to hang out. It was also the most economical and logical addition to our trip, as flying to Zanzibar directly from India could have been expensive and logistically challenging.

While many travellers recommend setting aside a full week to do justice to this paradise, we crafted the perfect 5 day Zanzibar itinerary to experience the best of the island. And here is my complete guide to experience the best of Zanzibar from its culture, beaches and food to the best places to stay without ending up feeling like you need another vacation to recover from this one.

Quick Navigation

• Zanzibar Itinerary Overview
• Navigating Zanzibar: How to Get Around
• 2 Days in Nungwi
• Day-trip to Stone Town
• 3 Days in Paje

Zanzibar Itinerary Overview (TL;DR)

Here’s a quick rundown of how to plan your 5 day Zanzibar itinerary:

Day 1-2: Nungwi

• Arrive at Zanzibar and drive to Nungwi to set camp for the first two nights.
• Must-do: Swim with the dolphins in Mnemba, swim at Kendwa Beach, and sunset dhow cruise.
• Eat: Hanoi House Nungwi, Pizza Gourmet by Makofi, and MAHI MAHI Beach Bar.

Day 3-5: Paje

• Check-out from Nungwi and take a detour to Stone Town.
• Must-do: Stone Town guided history walk and food tour, Forodhani Gardens and Freddie Mercury Museum (optional)
• Check-in at your next stay at Paje or Jambiani.
• Must-do: Feed the turles at Salaam Caves, sunset at Kizimkazi, kite-surfing, spice-farm tour (optional), and Kuza Cave Cultural Centre (optional)
• Eat: al Casbah, Hello Capitano, and BaraBara Eat&Sleep

Navigating Zanzibar: How to Get Around

Getting around the island is entirely doable, but if you are arriving with expectations of the seamless, ultra-cheap transit networks of Thailand or Bali, it might take you a minute to adjust. Zanzibar operates on its own rhythm, and transport here is a bit more rugged than typical Southeast Asian hubs.

We used a mix of all available modes of transport to move between towns and visit attractions. Here is what you need to know:

• Taxi Services: The most comfortable and flexible way to handle long transfers, like moving from the airport to Nungwi or from Stone Town to Paje. However, you must negotiate and agree on a fare before you get in the car.
  Expect to pay between $30 to $40 USD for a 1-to-1.5 hour cross-island trip.
  Contact the Taxi Service provider that helped us with all the transfers in Zanzibar with a stopover at Stone Town: Disam (+255 717 733 064)
  Or book your transfers using Booking.com for the most economical pricing.
  
• Public Transport: Tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis, or Boda-Bodas, are a common mode of transport for short trips within a village. Easily available in areas like Nungwi, Stone Town, and Paje, most hotels and resorts are happy to hail a ride for you.
  We also noticed shared minibuses operating on fixed routes commonly referred to as Dala-Dala. Despite being an economical option, we only spotted the locals using them.
  
• Guided Tours: One of the simplest ways to check out the attractions in Zanzibar is to hop on a guided tour. These tours offer hotel pick-up and drop-off service which makes travelling around on the island convenient. We booked all our guided tours via GetYourGuide.
  
• Renting a Car or a Scooter: If you enjoy total independence like us, this will be the most sought-after option. It is undeniably the most freeing way to explore the island but it comes with a small challenge.
  We hired a scooter for two days in Paje from Jambiani Scooter Car Rental (+255 699 226 713) who dropped and picked-up the vehicle from our stay. He also helped us sort the mandatory driving permit.

⚠️ Pro Tip: You cannot simply rent a scooter with your Indian or International Driving Permit. You are required by law to have a Zanzibar Driving Permit.
Most rental companies will arrange this temporary piece of paper for you for an extra $10-15. Do not skip this! Police checkpoints are very common on the island, and driving without the specific Zanzibar permit will result in a hefty fine.

2 Days Nungwi: Sand, Sunsets and Adventure

Nungwi is the vibrant, northernmost tip of Zanzibar and undeniably the island’s most popular playground.

If you have seen postcards of Zanzibar with blindingly white sands and turquoise water, they were likely taken here. It is the perfect place to bury your toes in the powder-soft beach or hop on island tours while locals wander by offering fresh coconut water or a chilled Kilimanjaro beer. Beyond the relaxation, Nungwi is also the strategic jumping-off point for the famous Mnemba Atoll dolphin expeditions.

Our Journey: A taxi ride of approximately 90 minutes from the Airport brought us to this bustling edge of the island, where we checked into Ay Villas. Since flight options from Nairobi can be limited, we arrived late in the day, too tired to venture out. The next morning, we split our time between two major highlights: a boat trip to Mnemba Island and a lazy afternoon at Kendwa Beach. While a little touristy, Mnemba Island boat-trip was undoubtedly a lot of fun. We swam in the middle of the ocean, walked on sandbars and also ate fresh tropical fruits. However, the highlight was Kendwa Beach. With its strikingly soft white sand and swimmable water, we caught ourselves wishing to spend more time there.

Most of the travellers prefer spending the first day of their Zanzibar trip in Stone Town due to its proximity to the airport and the ferry port.

Things to Do in Nungwi and Kendwa

• Wander around in Nungwi Village: This small walkable town is dotted with small cafes, souvenir stalls and has an overall laid-back atmosphere. You can walk all the way to the cost to see the lots of fishing boats bobbing in the sea.
• Mnemba Atoll Boat Trip: Undoubtedly the region’s most excursion, this will be a 3-hour boat trip to the Mnemba Island and an unforgettable chance to swim with the dolphins. The water here is some of the clearest and perfect for snorkelling or walking on the sandbar. Book the boat trip tour here.
• Horse Riding in the Ocean: Zanzibar Horse Club offers a unique “Swim with Horses” experience. Wjile you don’t technically swim, you ride bareback into the ocean as the horses wade through the waist-deep turquoise water.
• Lazy Day at Kendwa Beach: Kendwa is pure bliss. Spend the day basking on the wide white sands, sipping a cold Safari lager, and swimming in water that stays deep enough even at low tide. It is arguably the best beach in Zanzibar for swimming and sunsets. If you would like to jet ski at Kendwa Beach like the locals, book the experience here.
• Sunset Dhow Cruise: One of the best ways to enjoy the sunset at Kendwa Beach is to set sail while the sun prepares to paint the sky orange. Book the traditional sail-boat sunset experience here.
• The Full Moon Party at Kendwa Rocks: If your dates align, the Kendwa Rocks Hotel hosts the island’s legendary Full Moon Party. Think fire eaters, acrobats, and DJs spinning Afro-beats until sunrise – the perfect spot if you’re in mood for a night-out.

Pro Tip: Pick a morning Mnemba Island tour to increase your chances at spotting the dolphins. While they are not uncommon, we were not amongst the lucky ones to spot them due to the high tide and windy weather.

💡 Pro Tip: Book the earliest morning slot for your Mnemba Island Tour. The ocean is generally calmer in the morning, which significantly increases your chances os spotting the dolphins. While dolphin sightings are very common here, nature offers no guarantees. We were unfortunately not among the lucky ones; high tides and choppy, windy weather made spotting them difficult.

Where to Eat

• JF KILI Coffee House – perfect for coffee and breakfast
• Malkia Emmy Restaurant – best for seafood and sandwiches
• Hanoi House Nungwi – must-visit for Vietnamese cuisine
• Pizza Gourmet by Makofi – wood-fired pizza and chilled beer
• Sexy Fish – recommended for seafood and sunset
• MAHI MAHI Beach Bar – highly recommended as the best beach bar in Nungwi

3 Days in Paje: Culture with a side of Tropical Paradise

Palm trees, azure skies, and an ocean dotted with colorful kite surfers.

Paje is what happens when someone hits “pause” on a tropical paradise. It is the perfect blend of stunning beachside resorts, high-energy water sports, and laid-back cafes serving global cuisine. If you are an Indian traveler, the vibe here might beautifully remind you of what Goa’s Morjim or Ashwem beaches used to feel like 20 years ago. It is pristine, soulful, and effortlessly cool.

While Nungwi and Kendwa were spectacular in their own right, the southeast coast, specially Paje and Jambiani, truly stole my heart. It was exactly the energy I had come looking for. The moment I got my first look at the turquoise water from our stay at the stunning Be Zanzibar in Jambiani, my heart sang. I knew all I wanted to do for the next three days was absolutely nothing but soak it all in with endless pool dips.

Our Journey: The Stone Town Detour 

Since we were heading from the far north in Nungwi to the southeast to Jambiani, which is just a couple of kilometres south of Paje, we decided to take the cultural route. To optimise our 5-day itinerary, we used our transit drive to spend half a day exploring the historic labyrinth of Stone Town.

While many travelers prefer to book a hotel in Stone Town for their first night to acclimate, we found that a well-planned day-trip was perfectly adequate to see the highlights without sacrificing our precious beach time.

Read my complete, step-by-step guide here:

On a brilliantly hot and humid day, our time in Stone Town looked exactly like this:

• Sipping authentic Tanzanian brew at the rooftop of Zanzibar Coffee House, which was also the perfect rooftop coffee stopover to beat the heat.
• Walking around the Freddie Mercury Museum and discovering his Indian roots.
• Wandering the alleys to spot the famous, intricately carved Indian and Omani wooden doors.
• Grabbing a quick lunch at Yeoyum.

From there, we made the final drive down to Jambiani, checked in, and fully committed to our only agenda for the next leg of the trip: pure relaxation.

The most efficient way to maximise a 5 day Zanzibar itinerary is to use your transit day between North and SouthEast coast is to check out Stone Town. Since the capital is located on the west coast, it forms a perfect, time-saving triangle route.

Our experience: The Jambiani Dream

The most exciting leg of our 5 day Zanzibar itinerary was undoubtedly our stay in Jambiani. We were partially hosted by Be Zanzibar, and it proved to be one of the best beachfront properties that we’ve ever stayed at.

The beauty about staying at Be was that there were endless activities available to each guest to balance pure luxury and authentic local culture. We spent our days between soaking in the pool catching up on some reading, trying our hands at traditional pottery taught by local Zanzibari women, and setting sail on the Indian Ocean in a classic wooden dhow boat. The vibe was so relaxing that we only pulled ourselves away from the resort for two quick excursions: a trip to swim with the sea turtles at the famous Salaam Cave, and a boat ride from the nearby coastal village of Kizimkazi.

While this was plenty to fill our appetite for travelling in Zanzibar, there are quite a few things to do on the SouthEast Coast.

Things to Do in Paje

While the absolute best thing to do in Paje is to simply unwind and walking for miles along the wide sandbars during the dramatic low tide, or sipping BYOB champagne by the pool, the area is also a major hub for thrill-seekers.

Paje is actually world-renowned for its water sports. From watching the sea fill with colourful sails during a kite-surfing lesson to zipping across the waves on a jet ski, the energy here is infectious. From dining at the famous Rock Restaurant to joining locals for a fresh, toes-in-the-sand seafood barbecue at sunset, days on the Southeast Coast rarely have a dull moment.

Read my complete, step-by-step guide on how to spend an unforgettable time in Paje/Jambiani.

Final Thoughts

This strikingly beautiful archipelago off the coast of Tanzania is home to some of the most pristine beaches we have ever visited.

Were there moments when we wished to be left alone by the relentless tour providers pitching boat rides and spice excursions? Undeniably. But the occasional hustle was hardly enough to tarnish the magic of the trip. Zanzibar is a true tropical paradise. It is the kind with so much soul and culture that it has completely inspired us to explore more African islands in the future.

If you are dreaming of turquoise waters and Swahili sunsets, this 5 day Zanzibar itinerary is the perfect starting point to kickstart your plans.

Planning the logistics? Read our Complete Zanzibar Trip Planning Guide for all the crucial details on the new visa and insurance process, safety concerns, and expert budgeting tips.

Have you ever been to Zanzibar, or is it on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments below!