Best: Jan-Feb · Great: Mar, Jun-Sep
Two separate wet seasons shape the year here, roughly around April and November, with drier, more reliable stretches in between rather than one long wet or dry season. In January, expect highs around 32°C with rain on roughly 2 days of the month.
Stone Town's winding alleys, carved wooden doors, and former spice-trade architecture are a UNESCO World Heritage core worth a full day, ideally with a spice farm tour just outside town. The east coast beaches (Paje, Jambiani) are the classic postcard stretch, good for kitesurfing when the wind picks up, while Nungwi in the north has a livelier nightlife scene. A snorkeling or diving trip out to Mnemba Atoll is one of the better reef experiences in East Africa.
Try Zanzibar mix (a street-food seafood platter) and biryani, shaped by centuries of spice trade.
Daylight, sunrise, and sunset are calculated exactly from this region's latitude. Temperature and rainfall are modeled from its general climate type, not measured station data. Month summaries are generated from those modeled figures.
Expect hot days around 32°/24°C, with mostly dry conditions (~2 rainy days).
Expect hot days around 33°/24°C, with mostly dry conditions (~2 rainy days).
Expect hot days around 33°/25°C, with occasional rain (~6 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 30°/24°C, with very wet conditions (~20 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 28°/23°C, with very wet conditions (~18 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 28°/21°C, with occasional rain (~6 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 27°/20°C, with occasional rain (~5 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 27°/20°C, with occasional rain (~5 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 28°/21°C, with occasional rain (~5 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 29°/22°C, with frequent rain (~10 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 30°/23°C, with frequent rain (~12 rainy days).
Expect hot days around 31°/24°C, with occasional rain (~8 rainy days).