Lead-in price per person, based on two sharing. Tap any month and we’ll confirm live availability and the best price for your dates.
From prices are per person, based on two people sharing. What you pay depends on your travel dates, how many nights you want, your departure airport and anything you add — tell us what you need and a UK specialist will confirm your price. ATOL 10713 protected.
A holiday to Zanzibar costs from £1,399 per person, based on two people sharing. That covers 7 or 10 nights and return flights from London. October 2026 is the cheapest departure currently on sale. Secure it with £99pp and pay the balance nearer the time. Every holiday we sell is ATOL 10713 protected.
Seven or ten nights at the Sandies Baobab Beach or similar 4★. That covers return flights from London, private transfers from the airport to the resort, and ATOL protection under licence 10713, held with a £99 per person deposit. Regional UK departures are available at a supplement confirmed at enquiry. The Tanzanian visa, the compulsory Zanzibar travel insurance described below, tours and excursions are not included, and the board arrangement is confirmed in writing before you pay. It suits couples, families and beach travellers who want an island with history and somewhere to go, rather than a resort and nothing else.
This is the single most missable requirement on any holiday we sell, so it goes near the top rather than buried in the small print.
Every visitor to Zanzibar must hold Inbound Travel Insurance bought from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, covering the whole stay, up to 92 days. No international travel insurance policy is accepted in its place — not your annual multi-trip policy, not the cover attached to your bank account, and not a comprehensive single-trip policy bought in the UK. It must come from ZIC specifically.
That does not replace ordinary travel insurance; you should still hold your own for cancellation, medical repatriation and everything else. It is an additional, compulsory purchase, and it is checked. We flag it at the point of booking rather than leaving you to find out at the airport.
Tanzania also requires an actual visa, which most Indian Ocean beach destinations do not — see the entry section below.
| Factor | Zanzibar | Maldives |
|---|---|---|
| What surrounds the beach | An island with towns, spice farms, history | A resort, and the sea |
| Getting out | Drive anywhere on the island | Boat or seaplane, at a cost |
| Paperwork | Visa, plus compulsory ZIC insurance | Free visa on arrival, online declaration |
| Best for | Travellers who want somewhere to go | Honeymoons and doing nothing |
Zanzibar is the more interesting island and the cheaper one. The Maldives is the better beach and the simpler trip. If Stone Town, spice farms and the chance to actually see where you are matter to you, Zanzibar wins comfortably.
Stone Town is the reason Zanzibar is not simply a beach. A UNESCO World Heritage site of carved doors, narrow lanes and a layered Omani, Indian and African history, including a serious and properly presented account of the island’s role in the East African slave trade. It deserves a full day, and the Forodhani night market is the way to end it.
The beaches vary more than people expect. The east coast around Paje and Jambiani has the widest sand and the biggest tidal range — at low tide the sea walks out a long way, which some visitors love and others find frustrating. The north around Nungwi and Kendwa has less tidal movement and swimmable water throughout the day.
The excursions are the other half of the island: spice farms, which sound like a tourist trap and are usually not; Jozani Forest and its red colobus monkeys; and boat trips out to the sandbanks and Mnemba atoll for snorkelling.
Seven nights is a proper beach week with one day in Stone Town and one excursion. It is the standard choice and it works.
Ten nights is the better trip on this island specifically, because Zanzibar has enough to do that a week means choosing between Stone Town, the forest, the spice farms and the boats. At ten you stop choosing.
The flight is long and not direct, taking most of a day in each direction, which argues against anything shorter than seven.
June is the cheapest month, and it also sits in the long dry season, which runs roughly June to October. That combination — lowest price, reliable weather — is unusual and it is the single most useful thing to know after the insurance rule.
December is the most expensive per person and sits at the start of the short rains. August is higher again dry but busier.
| Month | Notes |
|---|---|
| June | Cheapest, and the start of the dry season |
| May | End of the long rains |
| July, September | Dry season, reliable |
| October | Dry, warming up |
| August, February | Dry but busier |
| January | Hot, between the rains |
| December | Dearest, short rains beginning |
All quoted at enquiry against your dates.
Flights are from London with a connection; there is no direct service. Regional UK departures are available at a supplement confirmed at enquiry. Zanzibar is three hours ahead of the UK in winter and two during British Summer Time, so jet lag is mild despite the journey length.
Private transfers are included, which matters here — the drive from the airport to the east coast takes around an hour and the roads are not somewhere to be negotiating a taxi fare after a long flight.
On the coasts: the east at Paje and Jambiani has the widest beaches and the biggest tides. The north at Nungwi and Kendwa has swimmable water all day and more to walk to. The east is quieter and better for kitesurfing; the north is busier and easier.
Checked against GOV.UK foreign travel advice on 17 September 2026. We re-confirm before you travel.
Tanzania requires a visa. You can apply for an e-visa before travelling, or get one on arrival at the main ports of entry — though only a single-entry visa is available on arrival. It is no longer possible to obtain one from the Tanzanian High Commission in London. GOV.UK does not state the fee, so we will not quote one; we confirm the current position when you book.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you arrive and have at least one blank page, and you should be ready to show a return or onward ticket at border control.
And, again, because it is the one people miss: Inbound Travel Insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation is mandatory for the whole of your stay, and no other policy is accepted.
Our Zanzibar holidays guide sets out the entry rules, the insurance requirement and each month’s weather in one place.
Your booking is covered by our ATOL licence 10713 and we hold IATA accreditation 91285611. It is held with a deposit of £99 per person, with the balance due before travel.
Prices are per person, based on two people sharing. June dates go early, being both the cheapest and squarely in the dry season, and we will raise the visa and ZIC insurance requirements with you at the point of booking rather than leaving them to the week before you fly.
From £1,249 per person for seven or ten nights, reduced from £1,600, including return flights from London, private transfers and your resort stay. June is the cheapest month and December the dearest. Your exact figure depends on your dates and is confirmed at enquiry.
Yes, and this is the requirement people miss. Every visitor must hold Inbound Travel Insurance bought from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, covering the whole stay up to 92 days. No international policy is accepted — not an annual multi-trip, not bank account cover, not a UK single-trip policy. It must come from ZIC.
No. It is an additional compulsory purchase, not a substitute. You should still hold your own travel insurance for cancellation, medical repatriation and everything else it normally covers. The ZIC policy is a condition of entry that is checked, and it sits alongside your usual cover rather than instead of it.
Yes. Tanzania requires a tourist visa, obtained as an e-visa before travel or on arrival at main ports of entry, where only single entry is available. It can no longer be obtained from the High Commission in London. GOV.UK does not state the fee, so we confirm the current position at booking rather than quote a figure.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you arrive in Tanzania and have at least one blank page. You should also be ready to show a return or onward ticket at border control. Checked against GOV.UK foreign travel advice on 17 September 2026.
June, which is both the cheapest month here per person and the start of the long dry season running roughly June to October. That pairing of lowest price and most reliable weather is unusual, and it is the most useful thing to know about timing this trip.
For a different traveller. Zanzibar is £1,249 per person against £1,369 for our Maldives package and gives you Stone Town, spice farms, forest and the ability to drive anywhere on the island. The Maldives gives you a better beach and a simpler trip with far less paperwork.
The north at Nungwi or Kendwa has swimmable water throughout the day and more within walking distance. The east at Paje and Jambiani has wider beaches and a much bigger tidal range — at low tide the sea walks a long way out. The east is quieter and better for kitesurfing.
It is a genuine consideration rather than a problem. The tidal range on the east coast is large, so for part of each day the water is a long walk from the sand. Some visitors enjoy walking out across the flats; others find it frustrating. If swimming at any hour matters, ask for the north coast.
Yes, and it is what separates Zanzibar from a resort-only beach holiday. A UNESCO World Heritage site of carved doors and narrow lanes, with a layered Omani, Indian and African history and a serious account of the island's role in the East African slave trade. Give it a full day and end at the Forodhani night market.
Ten, on this island specifically. Zanzibar has enough to do that a week means choosing between Stone Town, Jozani Forest, the spice farms and the boat trips. At ten nights you stop choosing. Seven is a proper beach week with one day in Stone Town and one excursion, and it does work.
Spice farms, which sound like a tourist trap and generally are not. Jozani Forest for the red colobus monkeys, found nowhere else. And boat trips to the sandbanks and Mnemba atoll, which is the snorkelling most people come back talking about. None is included in the package price.
We confirm it in writing before you pay, so you know exactly what is covered at mealtimes.
Yes, private transfers are included. That matters more here than on many beach holidays — the drive from the airport to the east coast takes around an hour, and arriving after a long connecting flight is not the moment to be negotiating a taxi fare at the terminal door.
No, so the journey involves a connection and takes most of a day in each direction. The compensation is the time difference: Zanzibar is only three hours ahead of the UK in winter and two during British Summer Time, so jet lag is mild despite the length of the journey.
Yes, particularly on the north coast where the water is swimmable throughout the day. The island has enough variety to fill days beyond the pool, and the mild time difference helps with younger children. The connecting flight and the visa and insurance paperwork are the main friction.
Yes, and it is a natural pairing — a Tanzanian safari before the beach is one of the classic combinations. It changes the shape and the price of the trip considerably, so we build and quote it against your dates rather than offering it as a standard add-on.
Sandies Baobab Beach or similar, at 4★. Alternative resorts on both coasts are available, including north-coast properties at Nungwi and Kendwa and five-star options, all quoted individually against your dates rather than sold at a standard supplement.
The price is quoted from London. Regional UK departures are available at a supplement that varies by airport, airline and date, so we confirm the exact figure for your dates. All routings involve at least one connection, as there is no direct service from the UK.
Ninety-nine pounds per person, with the balance due before travel. The holiday is ATOL 10713 protected and we hold IATA accreditation 91285611. Prices are per person, based on two people sharing.
It is the most expensive month per person and coincides with the start of the short rains. It is not a washout, but you are paying the highest price of the year for less reliable weather than June through October delivers.
Early for June, because it is both the cheapest month and the start of the dry season, so those dates go first. There is also paperwork to arrange — the visa and the compulsory ZIC insurance — which is easier done with weeks in hand than days.
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