Timetable Zanzibar Archipelago: time difference and opening hours

To see / To do Zanzibar Archipelago

There are very few museums, all in Stone Town, and they are generally open from 8am to 6pm every day. On the other hand, we do offer tours outside the city. The Dolphin Tour usually takes place very early in the morning, while the Prison Island Tour, the Spice Tour and the Jozani Forest Tour can be done during the day. Sea excursions depend on the tides, which shift every day by 30 to 45 minutes, so it's best to find out the exact time the day before.

Enjoying yourself Zanzibar Archipelago

In Zanzibar, we eat mainly in hotel restaurants, even if it means trying out those outside the resort where we're staying, unless we're on a full-board or all-inclusive package (more common on some of the island's isolated coasts). Restaurants are generally open from morning to night, every day. Breakfast service usually stops at 10:30 a.m., lunch service from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner service from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.. But some of the more luxurious hotels offer continuous service, with a menu of lighter snacks outside mealtimes.

In Stone Town, Nungwi and Pajé/Jambiani, restaurant addresses are opening up more and more, encouraged by the proliferation of Airbnb rentals that offer potential guests without a restaurant where they are staying. Deli restaurants with sandwiches, wraps, salads and burgers, as well as local Swahili cuisine tables open at regular hours, have seized the opportunity to position themselves in this niche in Stone Town, Nungwi and Pajé mainly. But the trend is growing everywhere.

Take a break Zanzibar Archipelago

Cafés are open during the day, usually until 6.30pm, but there aren't many of them, while bars are generally open from 6pm to 11pm, or longer depending on the location and the day.

(To) please yourself Zanzibar Archipelago

Stores are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day in towns and villages alike, with some opening a little later in the more central shopping streets, to attract tourists returning from excursions and looking to buy souvenirs.

Get out Zanzibar Archipelago

There are very few clubs in Zanzibar, and you don't come here to party the night away. However, there are a few in Stone Town (Tatu and Bwawani Nightclub) that close in the early hours. There's also the electro-oriented B4 club in Pajé, which hosts one or two parties that go on until 4 a.m. on Saturdays (and Tuesdays in season), and the Jambo Club, next door, on Fridays. But with the locals living right next to the beaches, there's no heavy bass until the morning. The Masai Mara in Jambiani also organizes parties until very late, as it's isolated at the end of the coast. Kendwa Rocks holds a monthly full moon party that goes on until very late.