Best time to visit Zanzibar, Tanzania

Our verdict

The best time to visit Zanzibar is June-September

Based on all the essential things any traveller needs to know about visiting Zanzibar such as the cost of travel, weather, peak travel seasons and many more, June-September is the best time of year to go.

During the warmer months, temperatures in Zanzibar can rise to a maximum of 32℃ (90℉). The weather in the winter, especially around July, can reach a minimum of 23℃ (73℉).

If you’re a sun-chaser and want to visit Zanzibar when the days are longest, you should visit in November. You don’t want to get wet on your holiday, do you? Well if you’re trying to avoid the rain, then steer clear of Zanzibar in April. Head over there in September instead if you want to increase your chances of not being rained on.

To learn everything you need to know (and none of the stuff you don’t) about when to visit Zanzibar, keep reading below. Plus, you’ll find tools to help you get the best deals on travel and hotels too!

Warmest month

March

Least rainfall

September

Most daylight

November

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Zanzibar seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Zanzibar as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Zanzibar is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer December to February
Autumn/fall March to May
Winter June to August
Spring September to November

Average temperatures in Zanzibar

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Zanzibar for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Zanzibar climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Zanzibar for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Zanzibar in January

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 8 days
  • Average rainfall: 56mm (2") over 17 days
8 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in January, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in February

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 30℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average humidity: 77%
  • Average sunny days: 8 days
  • Average rainfall: 42mm (2") over 14 days
8 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in February, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in March

  • Average temperature: 29℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 30℃ (86℉)
  • Average low temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 5 days
  • Average rainfall: 111mm (4") over 24 days
5 days
of pure sunshine
24 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in March, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Zanzibar in April

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 2 days
  • Average rainfall: 296mm (12") over 28 days
2 days
of pure sunshine
28 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in April, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in May

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average low temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 3 days
  • Average rainfall: 217mm (9") over 26 days
3 days
of pure sunshine
26 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in May, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in June

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 5 days
  • Average rainfall: 39mm (2") over 21 days
5 days
of pure sunshine
21 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in June, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in July

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 4 days
  • Average rainfall: 33mm (1") over 22 days
4 days
of pure sunshine
22 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in July, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in August

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 4 days
  • Average rainfall: 35mm (1") over 20 days
4 days
of pure sunshine
20 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in August, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in September

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 6 days
  • Average rainfall: 31mm (1") over 17 days
6 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in September, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.

Zanzibar in October

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average low temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average humidity: 77%
  • Average sunny days: 7 days
  • Average rainfall: 79mm (3") over 18 days
7 days
of pure sunshine
18 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in October, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in November

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average low temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 5 days
  • Average rainfall: 106mm (4") over 21 days
5 days
of pure sunshine
21 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in November, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Zanzibar in December

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average humidity: 77%
  • Average sunny days: 3 days
  • Average rainfall: 114mm (4") over 26 days
3 days
of pure sunshine
26 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Zanzibar in December, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Zanzibar is usually March, where temperatures tend to rise to around 30℃ (86℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Zanzibar is generally around September. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in September first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Zanzibar is generally around April, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of April too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Zanzibar, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in November are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Zanzibar map

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