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Zanzibar Cruises & boat tours

Our most recommended Zanzibar Cruises & boat tours

Zanzibar: Prison Island Tour with Lunch on the Sandbank

1. Zanzibar: Prison Island Tour with Lunch on the Sandbank

Your Zanzibar adventure begins with a visit to Prison Island, purchased in 1893 by Lloyd Mathews, the British First Minister of Zanzibar at the time. Mathews constructed a prison complex on the island which is still visible today, however no prisoners were ever housed on the island and instead it became a quarantine station for yellow fever sufferers. On the island, spend some time exploring the area and discover the collection of over 50 tortoises that live here, some of which are more than 100 years old. Learn about why the tortoises call the island their home, as well as taking photos and feeding them too. The island is also home to peacocks and small antelope too. Once you’ve explored the island, enjoy the opportunity to cool off from the hot weather with a refreshing dip in the surrounding crystal clear waters. Spend some time snorkeling in the water just off the island and search for colorful tropical fish and vibrant coral reef. After you’ve worked up an appetite from swimming, relax on the sandbank with a delicious lunch including a seafood BBQ, Swahili cuisine, cheese, tropical fruit, and more.

Stone Town: Stone Town and Prison Island Private Day Trip

2. Stone Town: Stone Town and Prison Island Private Day Trip

See the National Museum of Zanzibar (rebuilt in 1883) and the Arab fort while passing along bazaar streets towards the famous Freddie Mercury house. See the old slave market, fruit market, and spice market — don’t miss the classic Zanzibar curved doors decorating the stone town.  After you have explored Stone Town, you’ll have an opportunity to take a short break before heading to Prison Island. Prison Island is also known as Changuu Island, the nickname came from the island being used by some sultans of Zanzibar to detain enslaved people. While you are on this island, you can swim and take pictures with giant tortoises. 

Zanzibar: Scuba Diving Course for Beginners with Lunch

3. Zanzibar: Scuba Diving Course for Beginners with Lunch

Meet us at the meeting point at 08.00 in the morning in Matemwe, in the North-East of Zanzibar. This excursion will start with a course in the swimming pool, so that you can learn all the basic necessities you need to know about diving. After the course we will go on the boat and sail into the open water of the Indian Ocean for two open water dives at two different locations, guided by highly skilled PADI dive instructors and experienced dive masters. Explore the beauty of the underwater world and admire all the colorful fishes swimming around you. During break-time you will enjoy a nice light lunch with fresh fruits. During the whole excursion mineral water is available. This excursion will end around 14.00.

Nungwi Village Tour with Lunch and Optional Sunset Cruise

4. Nungwi Village Tour with Lunch and Optional Sunset Cruise

Discover Nungwi Village and its natural beauty at the northern end of the Tanzanian island of Unguja, familiarly known as Zanzibar. Immerse yourself in the history and culture of the people wth a local guide and learn about what the village is doing for nature conservation. Start the tour with being picked up from your hotel and make your way to your first stop, Mnarani Aquarium. See green and hawksbill sea turtles, sheltered in the tidal lagoon of the Mnarani Marine Turtle Conservation Pond. Off the coast, there are coral reefs teeming with colorful fish including Hunga and Leven Bank. Then, take in the beauty of the wide, palm-lined Nungwi Beach. Visit a nearby boat-building yard where traditional dhow boats are built. See how these local boats are made from scratch. For lunch, sit down to a delicious Swahili meal and try local flavors. Choose the sunset cruise option to experience riding in a traditional dhow. End your day tour with sailing out from Kendwa and see the unmissable Zanzibar sunset.

Zanzibar: Ethical Dolphin Tour with Island Picnic

5. Zanzibar: Ethical Dolphin Tour with Island Picnic

Go on an ethical dolphin tour with boat captains who are specially trained to operate sustainably and respectfully towards the dolphins. As well as dolphin watching, enjoy a full day of fun activities by including a picnic on the Invisible Island and snorkeling in the nearby coral reefs. Get an early start in the morning with pickup from your hotel in Stone Town. Then, drive for around 30 minutes to thefishing village, Kizimkazi, whose shores are home to several pods of humpback and bottlenose dolphins. Experience the once-in-a-lifetime chance of spotting dolphins in the protected Menai Bay Conservation Area. Conditions permitting, you will also have the chance to swim with the dolphins.  Rest and enjoy a picnic lunch on the Invisible Island. Go for a swim, snorkel, or gaze out at the beauty of the Indian Ocean.

Zanzibar: Full-Day Protected Chumbe Island Tour w. Lunch

6. Zanzibar: Full-Day Protected Chumbe Island Tour w. Lunch

Snorkel in the most colorful underwater world with a huge variety of fish, corals, turtles and other fascinating sea creatures. Learn about the marine life, forest, and nature reserve from professional guides. Enjoy a tour of one of the eco-bungalows available for overnight guests, and taste the delicious Swahili cuisine for lunch. The Chumbe Island Coral Park is an award-winning private nature reserve and one of the last pristine coral islands around. It is the home of many rare and endangered animals that are protected here. The park includes a fully protected coral reef sanctuary and forest reserve, a visitor and education center, nature trails, historical ruins, and eco-bungalows for overnight guests. Snorkeling gear and wetsuits are available to borrow before your experienced guide and a professional marine biologist take you on the most beautiful snorkeling tour you may have ever experienced. The almost untouched reef includes over 400 species of fish, more than 200 species of corals, turtles, friendly sharks, and many more. After you return, a delicious buffet with dessert is served. The rest of the day you can relax at the beach, enjoy the many sitting areas at the education center and around the island, or you can go on a guided nature trail walk. As a Marine Protected Area, the number of guests on the island is limited to 14 persons. Day trip bookings can only be made if there is availability in the lodge. This means that we can only take advance bookings for overnight stays and not for day trips (which can be booked a couple of days beforehand).

Zanzibar City: Sunset Sailing Tour with Snacks and Drinks

7. Zanzibar City: Sunset Sailing Tour with Snacks and Drinks

Sunset tour" will take a place from 5:00 and get on boat starting sunset tour including all snakes that will be delicious bits and make tour amazing captain boat will drive/sailing all together very friendly calm waters along the ocean close to the nice waves and beaches along the tour tourists can see beautiful colourful birds. The activity cost all inclusive meals, fruits, drinks, soft drinks, sweets, snacks, boat, transport from hotel to the beach and return.

Zanzibar Full-Day Cruise on the Sandbank and Island

8. Zanzibar Full-Day Cruise on the Sandbank and Island

Arrive by car at Fumba village and continue with a wooden boat cruise to Sandbank. The crew will set up your tent while you chill on the sandbank paradise. Enjoy a glass of Tanzania cold white wine, soft drinks, and exotic fruits. Head to Kwale island, where you will get to your seafood barbeque table under the shade for a delicious lunch. Go swimming, snorkeling, or relax on the shore. Take a short walk on the other side of the island to enjoy the lagoon and the 500 years old baobab tree before taking a traditional Dhow sailing vessel to return to the main island.

Zanzibar: Mnemba Island Tour & Nungwi Turtle Aquarium Ticket

9. Zanzibar: Mnemba Island Tour & Nungwi Turtle Aquarium Ticket

Enjoy a beautiful day snorkelling around Mnemba island seeing fish like zebrafish, spotted boxfish, spotted pufferfish, clownfish, Dorry, powder blue surgeonfish, Emperor angelfish, Picasso triggerfish, Moorish idol, stingray, lionfish, porcupines fish and turtles swimming around shallow. After you have had your exploring time the captain will be ready to bring you back to shore and your transfers will arrive. The next stop is the Nungwi Aquarium where you will be able to see turtles swimming in their rock pools. Mnarani aquarium, Mnarani meaning, place of the lighthouse’ in Swahili, is located at the northern tip of Zanzibar Island in the small village of Nungwi near the lighthouse that marks this landmark. The pond is a large, natural tidal pool in the coral rock behind the beach. It was originally set up to rehabilitate and study marine turtles that had been caught in fishing nets, and the project was developed to ensure that local baby turtles were also protected.

Zanzibar: Nungwi Turtle Aquarium

10. Zanzibar: Nungwi Turtle Aquarium

Mnarani aquarium, Mnarani meaning, the place of the lighthouse’ in Swahili, is located at the northern tip of Zanzibar Island in the small village of Nungwi near the lighthouse that marks this landmark. The pond is a large, natural tidal pool in the coral rock behind the beach. It was originally set up to rehabilitate and study marine turtles that had been caught in fishing nets, and the project was developed to ensure that local baby turtles were also protected.

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What people are saying about Zanzibar

Overall rating

4.3 / 5

based on 13 reviews

This tour is really recommended! We had a wonderful day on prison island feeding the turtles that live there. That was really a highlight for us. Our guide Simba made the whole thing perfect again and made sure that we didn't miss anything. Eating together with Simba on the beach bench was really great - here you had the opportunity to exchange ideas and experience what life in Zanzibar is like. Simply great. An experience that you will always look back on.

We had the most incredible experience, every part of the trip was amazing, people, food, information and the snorkelling!! Highly recommended

Guide was friendly and knowledgeable. He went the extra mile to make sure we saw as much as we could during our tour.

We had a very nice experience. Our guide was attentive, smiling and competent.

Very nice activity. Great guide, her name is Aziza and driver Jumy.