Most “things to do in Zanzibar” guides list everything. Sunrise yoga, dolphin tours, spice tours, Stone Town walks, kite lessons, dhow sails, henna evenings, cooking classes — all of it, all twenty items, all weighted the same.
⏱️ Reading time: 12 min
That isn’t very useful when you have five days.
This guide is different. It is ranked, honestly, by people who have lived and worked in Paje since 2014 and who have sent thousands of guests off on day trips and come back to listen to which ones they actually loved. Some of the most-recommended activities online are skippable. Some that nobody talks about are extraordinary. Here is our version.
The short list, in order
If you have 5–7 days in Zanzibar, do the top six. If you have 3 days, do the top three. If you have 2 days plus a beach holiday, just the top two.
1. Walk Stone Town for at least one full day. The single most cultural, historical, sensory thing you can do here. 2. Kitesurf, wing foil or just watch the lagoon at Paje. The world-class water sport scene that put this coast on the map. 3. Visit Jozani Forest for the Zanzibar red colobus monkey. Half a morning, big payoff. 4. Eat at Forodhani night market in Stone Town. Skip the daytime restaurants for one night and do this instead. 5. Take a spice tour at a working spice farm outside Stone Town. 6. Snorkel Mnemba Atoll for one calm-water morning if you dive or snorkel. 7. Beach yoga at sunrise, somewhere on the southeast coast. 8. Sunset dhow sail from any of the beach villages. 9. Cooking class in Stone Town or at your hotel. 10. Visit Mwaka Kogwa in late July (if you happen to be on the island then). 11. Drive to the north (Nungwi, Kendwa) for one day if you want a different coast. 12. Lunch at The Rock + drinks across the road at Duara. Iconic restaurant-on-a-rock at Pingwe, best at high tide when you arrive by boat. 13. Kuza Cave swim. A coral cave with a fresh-water swim near Jozani — quiet, a bit overpriced, but the pricing keeps the crowds away. 14. Visit a seaweed farm. A morning with the women’s cooperatives on the southeast coast — you can buy seaweed soap and take a piece of the village economy home.
Below, the reasoning — what each one is, when to do it, how long it takes, and how it slots into a typical Zanzibar week.
1. Walk Stone Town
Why it tops the list: Stone Town is a thousand-year-old Indian Ocean port city. UNESCO-listed since 2000. Persian, Omani, Indian, Portuguese, British and African layers visible on every building. There is no other place quite like it in East Africa.
Best for: every kind of traveller. Couples, families, solo, culture-curious, food-loving.
How long: one full day minimum; two days if you can. Walk slowly. Get lost.
Must-see: Forodhani Gardens (especially at night), the Old Fort, the House of Wonders exterior, the Anglican Cathedral on the site of the old slave market, the Darajani spice market, and the carved Swahili doors throughout the alleyways.
From Paje: 25 km, 60–75 minutes by road. See our full Stone Town day-trip guide for the practical detail — drivers, lunch spots, the suggested itinerary, and where to watch sunset.
2. Kitesurf (or wing foil, or just watch)
Why it’s so high: Paje’s lagoon is one of the three best flat-water kite spots in the world. The combination of consistent trade winds, side-onshore wind direction, knee-deep low-tide water and a protecting reef is genuinely rare. If you have ever wanted to learn, this is the place.
Best for: active travellers, anyone curious about board sports, people who like to learn new things on holiday.
How long: lessons are typically 2 hours per session; most beginners ride upwind after 6–10 hours of lessons over 3–5 days. Even watching the lagoon from a beach café in the afternoon is one of the most kinetic, colourful free experiences you can have here.
When: any month works, but the Kusini season (June–September) is the strong-wind peak and the Kaskazi (December–March) is the lighter-wind season.
From Paje: the school is on the beach. See our kitesurfing guide and the Kite & Stay package.
3. Jozani Forest
Why so high: the Zanzibar red colobus monkey lives only on this island. A few thousand individuals; one small protected forest. Watching a troop in the canopy from five metres away is the kind of experience you describe to friends for years.
Best for: wildlife travellers, families with kids, anyone who wants a half-day out of the beach rhythm.
How long: 3–4 hours including drive from Paje. Most travellers do it as a morning trip and are back to the beach by lunch.
From Paje: 25 minutes by road. See our Jozani Forest guide for entry fees, what to bring, and how to combine with Kuza Cave.
4. Forodhani night market
Why it’s separate from “Stone Town”: because if you only do Stone Town once, you should do it as a day visit (museums, alleyways, lunch at Lukmaan) — and then come back another evening, or stay overnight, specifically for Forodhani at peak.
What it is: from around 18:00, Forodhani Gardens transforms into Stone Town’s open-air seafood and street food market. Stall after stall of grilled fish, mishkaki skewers, lobster, octopus, Zanzibar pizza, fresh sugarcane juice. The atmosphere is the point.
Best for: food-loving travellers, anyone who has never done a proper open-air seafood market.
How long: 90 minutes at the market, plus travel. From Paje, this is most easily combined with an afternoon Stone Town walk and a late return.
Practical: stick to grills that are cooked to order; ask prices first; bring small US dollar notes or Tanzanian shillings.
5. Spice tour
Why it’s worth doing: Zanzibar’s old name is the Spice Island. The plantations are still here, still working, and walking through one with a guide is genuinely sensory. You smell, touch and taste your way through clove, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, lemongrass.
Best for: food-curious travellers, anyone who has ever wondered what cinnamon bark or a fresh vanilla pod actually looks like.
How long: half-day. Most include a Swahili lunch cooked on the farm.
From Paje: 90 minutes by road. See our spice tour guide for what to expect and how to book.
6. Mnemba Atoll snorkelling
Why it’s worth a long day: the reef around Mnemba Island is the best snorkelling in Zanzibar. Coral, parrotfish, turtles, occasional dolphins. The boats leave from the northeast coast and the day is long — but the underwater payoff is real.
Best for: snorkellers and divers. Less essential for non-water travellers.
How long: full day including the drive (1.5 hours each way from Paje) and the boat time.
When: the calmer months (February–March, September–October) give the clearest visibility. July–August is workable but the Kusini wind chops the surface.
From Paje: the operators we recommend are based in the northeast — we arrange the full day for guests.
7. Beach yoga at sunrise
Why it makes the list: Paje (and Bwejuu and Jambiani) face east into the Indian Ocean, which means dramatic sunrises directly over the water. Doing yoga on the beach as the sun comes up is one of those small experiences that costs nothing and is remembered for years.
Where: Mr. Kahawa’s spa offers a sunrise class most mornings. Several other Paje studios run drop-in classes.
Best for: any traveller, any month, any age.
How long: 60–75 minutes.
8. Sunset dhow sail
Why it makes the list: Dhows — the traditional triangular-sailed wooden boats — have plied this coast for centuries. Sailing one at sunset is touristy in the sense that almost everyone does it; it is also genuinely beautiful and supports a craft that is otherwise economically marginal.
Where: Paje, Bwejuu, Jambiani — every beach has at least one operator. Booking through your hotel is the easiest way.
Best for: couples (it photographs spectacularly), families with older children, slow travellers.
How long: 90–120 minutes.
9. Cooking class
Why it makes the list: Swahili cuisine is a fusion of African, Arab, Indian and Portuguese influences. Learning to make pilau, biryani, fish curry, chapati, ugali gives you a souvenir you take home in your head.
Where: several operators in Stone Town offer half-day classes. Some Paje hotels (including us) can arrange a class on request.
Best for: food-curious travellers, couples, returning visitors who already did Stone Town and want a second-layer experience.
How long: half-day.
10. Mwaka Kogwa (if you’re here in late July)
Why it makes the list: Mwaka Kogwa is the Shirazi New Year, celebrated in the village of Makunduchi at the southern tip of Unguja. Banana-stalk fights between men, dancing by women, traditional food, ritual fire. Not a tourist event; a genuine local festival.
When: late July; check the exact date each year as it follows the Shirazi calendar.
Best for: cultural travellers, anyone curious about non-tourist Tanzania.
From Paje: 30 minutes south.
11. Day trip to the north coast
Why it’s worth one day: Nungwi and Kendwa, on Zanzibar’s north tip, have a different beach character — white sand swimming beaches without the large tidal range of the southeast coast. The water is for swimming at all tides, the atmosphere is more developed and lively.
Best for: travellers who want to see a second coast for comparison, or families who specifically want a swim-friendly beach for a day.
How long: full day including 2-hour drive each way from Paje.
Honest note: if you have only 5–7 days, don’t do this. Paje + Stone Town + one day trip is plenty. The north is worth a future visit on its own.
12. The Rock at Pingwe (with a drink at Duara opposite)
Full disclosure first: Duara, across the road from The Rock, is our sister business — we cofounded it. So we’re biased on that second half. Here is the honest version anyway.
The Rock is a small restaurant built on a rock in the lagoon at Pingwe, about 25 minutes north of Paje. At low tide you can walk over the sand to it. At high tide you take a small boat across — which is what makes the trip special. Book lunch ahead, time your visit for high tide, and you get the proper version of the experience. Skip the low-tide walk-across version if you can; it’s the boat that gives the place its magic.
Then walk across the road to Duara, which faces the lagoon from the inland side. We do drinks, juices, coffee, ice cream — no food. The view of The Rock from the Duara terrace is, honestly, better than the view from inside The Rock. Lunch at The Rock, sundowner or ice cream at Duara afterwards: that’s the local sequence.
How long: half-day from Paje including lunch. 25 minutes’ drive each way.
13. Kuza Cave
Why it makes the list: a coral cave with a fresh-water swim pool inside, about 15 minutes south of Paje and an easy add-on to a Jozani Forest morning. The cave is genuinely nice — the still fresh water in a coral chamber is something most travellers haven’t seen before.
Honest note: it’s a bit overpriced for what it is. The flip side is that the price keeps it quiet — most days you’ll have the cave to yourselves or near it, which is exactly the point if you want a private cool-water swim in the middle of a beach holiday.
Best for: families with kids who like a small adventure, couples wanting a private swim spot, travellers already doing Jozani in the morning.
How long: 60–90 minutes at the cave; combine with Jozani for a half-day.
14. Visit a seaweed farm
Why it makes the list: seaweed farming, mostly done by women on the southeast coast (Paje, Bwejuu, Jambiani), is one of the most visible parts of the local village economy. A short morning visit at low tide — when the women are out in the lagoon tying and harvesting — is a quiet, honest look at the work and a chance to buy the seaweed soap, scrub and oil products the cooperatives now make for export.
Honest note: this is one we don’t book for guests as often as Stone Town or Jozani, so we won’t oversell our expertise. Most cooperatives welcome visitors who turn up respectfully at low tide. The products are sold in small village shops and at some Paje hotel boutiques — worth taking home.
Best for: travellers curious about local economies, anyone who likes a souvenir with a real story behind it.
How long: 60–90 minutes plus walking time from your hotel.
What we don’t recommend
A few activities we usually steer guests away from, with reasons:
- Safari Blue. A boat day from Fumba with snorkelling and lunch on a sandbank. Touristy, large groups, mediocre snorkelling compared to Mnemba. Skip if you can.
- Prison Island (Changuu) day trips. The giant tortoises are old and interesting, but the day is expensive, crowded, and the snorkel around the island is mediocre. For most travellers already doing Stone Town and Jozani, this is one to skip.
- Henna painting at every beach bar. The artists are skilled and worth supporting, but treat it as a one-time experience, not something to repeat at every stop.
- Sunset cruises on motorised boats. Get on a dhow instead — the experience is genuinely different.
- “Walk with the Maasai” beach packages. Many of these are pure performance and not respectful to the Maasai community. If you want to learn about Maasai culture, the right place is a proper community visit on the mainland (e.g. near Arusha), not the beach.
How to fit it all into a week
A suggested 7-day itinerary for first-time Zanzibar travellers based in Paje:
| Day | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival, beach rest, sunset on the verandah | Easy day; airport transfer + settle in |
| 2 | Stone Town full day | Walking, Forodhani night market, drive back |
| 3 | Beach day or first kite lesson | Recovery from the city day |
| 4 | Jozani Forest morning + lazy afternoon | Half-day morning trip |
| 5 | Spice tour + Stone Town second visit | Or split: spice morning, Paje afternoon |
| 6 | Beach day, sunset dhow sail | Slow day |
| 7 | Final morning, transfer to airport |
That’s the top 6 done in a week, with plenty of beach. For 10 days, add Mnemba snorkelling and a second kite lesson day.
Plan your week with us
We have hosted travellers on every itinerary from “kite every day” to “I don’t want to leave the verandah”. Tell us how many days you have and what you came for — we’ll help you choose what fits and arrange the transport for the day trips.
Common questions
What are the top 3 things to do in Zanzibar?
Stone Town, kitesurfing (or watching), Jozani Forest. These three cover the cultural, active and natural sides of Unguja in a single week. Add the Forodhani night market and a spice tour and you have the core five.
Is Zanzibar worth visiting for non-kitesurfers?
Yes — emphatically. The kitesurfing scene is unique to Paje and a major draw, but Zanzibar’s appeal is broader: Stone Town’s history, the food, the spice trade, Jozani, the snorkelling, the Indian Ocean light. We see plenty of non-kiting partners and family members alongside the kite guests.
How many days do I need in Zanzibar?
5–7 days is the sweet spot for first-time travellers. 3 days is workable but rushed (Stone Town + one beach day + one activity). 10–14 days lets you slow down and add Mnemba, a north-coast day trip, and serious kite hours.
Are there things to do in Zanzibar tourist attractions like theme parks or zoos?
No. Zanzibar’s offer is genuine: a working old city, a working spice trade, an active fishing and seaweed-farming economy, a natural forest with endemic wildlife. There are no resorts-with-water-parks of the Mauritius or Maldives type. This is part of the appeal for most travellers.
What’s the best thing to do in Zanzibar with kids?
Jozani Forest for the monkeys. Kuza Cave for the fresh-water swim. The Mr. Kahawa pool when the wind is up. Beach time at low tide when the lagoon is knee-deep and safe for small swimmers. Most kids also love watching the kites from the beach.
What can I do in Zanzibar in one day?
If you only have one day on Unguja: Stone Town, in full. Arrive at 09:00, walk all day, eat at Forodhani in the evening, fly out the next morning. It’s the single most-rewarding day you can have here.
What’s free to do in Zanzibar?
Walking Stone Town. Watching the kites from Paje beach. Beach walks at low tide. Sunset on Mizingani Road in Stone Town. Friday evening prayer atmosphere outside the mosques (be respectful — observe from the street). The free things are some of the most memorable.
—
The list above is biased — twenty years on this island will do that. But it is honest. Tell us what kind of trip you want and we’ll help you choose.
Karibu sana — you are most welcome.
— The Mr. Kahawa team