Zanzibar Packing List: What to Actually Bring

Most packing guides for Zanzibar treat it as a single-environment trip: beach, pool, repeat. That works for a week at Nungwi. But most visitors are not doing a single environment trip. They are combining Stone Town, east-coast beaches, possibly a mainland Tanzania safari, and a dive or two. Those are three completely different packing briefs, and getting them confused — showing up at the Forodhani Night Market in swimwear, or arriving at a Serengeti camp in a dark navy polo — is the kind of thing that could have been avoided.

I live at Michamvi Pingwe on Zanzibar’s east coast, and I travel between the beach, Stone Town, and the mainland regularly. The list is shorter than most people expect.

The Zanzibar packing logic: beach, town, and safari are three different environments

Start by mapping your itinerary. If your trip is beach only — Nungwi, Kendwa, Paje — your packing list is minimal. If you are going into Stone Town even for a single afternoon, you need at least one modest outfit that covers shoulders and knees. If you are combining with a Tanzania safari, neutral earth-tone clothing that you would not wear on the beach becomes essential.

Most Zanzibar visitors who struggle with packing have not separated these three contexts. They either over-pack for everything or under-pack for the town and safari leg. The solution is not to bring more — it is to be intentional about one outfit per environment.

On Zanzibar’s east coast, there is a fourth factor most guides miss: the tides. The east coast — Paje, Jambiani, Michamvi, Matemwe — has a large tidal range. At low tide, the sea can recede far enough to expose hundreds of metres of shallow lagoon or seagrass flat. If you plan to walk out to the water or explore the reef flat, you need sandals with grip, not flip-flops. This is not a minor detail when the alternative is a 20-minute walk over exposed coral on bare feet.

Clothes for the beach

Bring: 2–3 swimsuits (they dry slowly when humidity is high), a beach cover-up or sarong (also doubles as Stone Town cover for women), a wide-brimmed hat, a UV rash guard (SPF clothing reduces how much sunscreen you need), and sandals.

On footwear: Light sandals with grip matter more than most people expect on the east coast. Paje and Jambiani beaches are tide-dependent — at low tide you are walking on exposed seagrass or reef flat to reach the water. Hard-soled sandals (not cheap flip-flops) save your feet.

Sunscreen: Bring SPF 30 or higher; SPF 50+ is better if you are fair-skinned or spending extended time on the water. Reef-safe formulas are worth choosing — Zanzibar’s reefs are not healthy enough that you want to add to the damage. Sunscreen is available locally at tourist prices, so you don’t need to pack in large quantities, but bring enough for the first day or two.

One thing I leave out: Beach towels. Any hotel of any category provides them. Packing your own towel for Zanzibar wastes space.

Clothes for Stone Town

Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a genuinely conservative Muslim community. Approximately 99% of Zanzibar’s population is Muslim, and the social norms in town are real, not performative for tourists.

The rule: Shoulders and knees covered, for both men and women. Off the beach and outside of resort premises, swimwear and sleeveless tops cause offence.

What works practically: Light cotton or linen long trousers (they breathe in 30°C heat), a light button-down shirt or blouse, and flat sandals. Women also do fine in a maxi dress or long skirt. You do not need to cover your hair unless entering a mosque.

Why it matters beyond the rule: Stone Town works because tourists and residents coexist in the same narrow streets, markets, and restaurants. Dressing appropriately signals basic respect for the people who actually live there. It also means you are less likely to be followed, hassled for tours, or treated as someone who does not understand where they are.

During Ramadan — which moves approximately 11 days earlier each year — the expectation intensifies. Many local eateries close in the daytime, the pace slows, and alcohol is consumed discreetly. If you are travelling during Ramadan, do your research on dates before packing.

Clothes for a Tanzania safari (if combining)

Safari packing is its own brief. The practical rules:

• Wear neutral, earth-tone colours: Khaki, green, tan, brown. These are not fashion recommendations — they are functional. Dark colours, especially black and dark blue, attract tsetse flies. Avoid them.
• Layer for cool mornings: Early-morning game drives at Serengeti or Ngorongoro start before 6am, often at altitude. It can be genuinely cold. A fleece or lightweight down jacket is not excessive.
• Camouflage is strictly forbidden in Tanzania. Do not bring it. It is associated with military personnel and can cause legal issues. This applies even to camo patterns on children’s clothing.
• Weight limits apply: If you are connecting to a safari via light aircraft (Coastal Aviation and similar), bag weight limits are approximately 15 kg including carry-on, and soft-sided bags are required — hard-shell cases are not accepted in the cabin.

For a complete breakdown of safari preparation — including what to carry in the vehicle, photography gear, and safety considerations — see the Tanzania safari preparation guide.

Documents and essentials

The administrative items that matter most:

ZIC insurance (USD 44 per adult): Mandatory since 1 October 2024. Buy it before you fly at inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz — the QR code is checked at immigration on arrival. USD 22 for children aged 3–17; free under 3. This is in addition to your own travel insurance policy, not instead of it. Do not buy it from third-party sites charging above the official rate.

Tanzania e-Visa: USD 50 single-entry for most nationalities; USD 100 for US citizens (multiple-entry, 12 months). Apply at visa.immigration.go.tz. Visa on arrival remains available at ZNZ airport as of 2025.

Passport: 6 months validity beyond your intended stay, plus at least 1 blank page for the visa stamp.

Cash: Since the Bank of Tanzania Foreign Currency Regulations took effect in March 2025, local transactions must be priced and paid in Tanzanian shillings (TZS). ATMs in Zanzibar dispense TZS, though per-transaction limits can be low and fees apply. Bring clean, post-2013 USD bills for visa and ZIC insurance payments at the airport.

Emergency contacts: Your travel insurance emergency line, AMREF Flying Doctors if you have medevac cover, and the address of Aga Khan Dispensary in Zanzibar Town — Zanzibar’s best private clinic.

What to leave at home: plastic bags

Tanzania banned plastic carrier bags in 2019. Customs officers at Zanzibar International Airport enforce this actively — plastic bags found in your luggage can be confiscated. In some cases an on-the-spot fine of USD 13 applies.

This means: remove plastic shopping bags, plastic carrier bags, and single-use plastic bags from your luggage before you travel. Replace them with:

• Reusable tote bag (canvas or nylon — packs flat, takes no space)
• Packing cubes for organising clothes (they do the job plastic bags used to do inside your bag)
• A silicone or lightweight nylon dry bag for beach use

Note: Ziplock bags and plastic packaging around products (your toiletries, electronics accessories) are not the same as carrier bags and are generally not an issue at customs. The ban targets single-use plastic carriers.

I pack a cotton tote bag. I use it as a beach bag, a market bag in Stone Town, and a day bag. It weighs 80 grams and takes up no space.

Health and pharmacy items

Malaria prophylaxis (required): Zanzibar is below 1,800 metres and malaria is present year-round. Antimalarial tablets are strongly recommended for all visitors — no regimen is 100% effective, which is why you combine tablets with bite avoidance. The three standard options are Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone), Doxycycline, and Mefloquine. See a travel medicine clinic 4–6 weeks before departure. The Kusi season (June to October, driest) has fewer mosquitoes than the rainy season — but risk is never zero.

Insect repellent with DEET 20% or higher: Apply every evening, especially when dining outdoors. DEET 50% is not excessive if you are visiting Jozani Forest or spending time in mangrove or humid areas. Picaridin is a good alternative for those who find DEET irritating on skin.

Sunscreen SPF 30+: See the beach section above — bring enough for the first two days, available locally for the rest.

First-aid basics: Oral rehydration salts (essential in heat), antidiarrhoeal tablets, antiseptic wipes, plasters, and any prescription medication in original labelled packaging, carried in your hand luggage. A travel health clinic can advise on a short antibiotic course if you are going remote.

Permethrin for clothing: CDC recommends treating clothing and gear with permethrin for additional bite protection — particularly useful if you are doing a bush-walk safari or visiting Jozani Forest. Not essential for a beach-only trip.

Electronics and charging

Plug adapter: Tanzania uses the UK Type G plug — three square pins, 230V/50Hz. You need a Type G adapter from continental Europe, North America, Australia, or most of Asia. Most modern electronics (phones, laptops, cameras) handle 230V automatically — check the label before plugging in.

Powerbank: Highly recommended. Power cuts are common at basic guesthouses and smaller resorts. A 20,000 mAh powerbank lets you charge your phone and camera overnight without reliable mains power. It also means you arrive at a safari camp with full batteries without worrying about what your camp’s generator runs on.

Drone users: Drones are prohibited in Tanzania’s national parks and conservation areas without a permit. The permit process is not simple. If you plan to fly, research the TCAA (Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority) requirements before you travel — and be aware that Zanzibar has its own sensitivities around photography near military installations.

Camera gear: Carry it as hand luggage whenever possible. Checked baggage is more susceptible to mishandling and theft — this applies everywhere, but more so on domestic Tanzania legs where baggage handling standards vary.

Snorkeling and water sports

Snorkel and mask: Worth bringing your own. Hire gear from dive schools in Paje and Nungwi is serviceable but the fit is often poor, and shared masks are not always well-cleaned. A decent mask that fits your face makes a material difference to snorkeling quality — especially at Mnemba Atoll.

Fins: Bulky to pack and usually fine to hire locally. Skip them unless you have a specific preference.

Wetsuit: Not needed for surface snorkeling in Zanzibar’s warm waters (typically 26–29°C). If you are diving to depth at Pemba Channel or Mnemba in cooler months, dive schools in Paje and Nungwi rent wetsuits — no need to bring one.

Kitesurfers: Board rental is available in Paje from USD 15 per hour (half day around USD 30, full day around USD 40). Unless you have very specific equipment preferences or a board tuned to your exact riding style, there is no need to bring your own. Harnesses are also rentable locally. The main Zanzibar kitesurfing seasons are Kusi (June to October) and Kaskazi (December to mid-March).

Dry bag: A small roll-top dry bag (5–10L) is more useful on Zanzibar than a waterproof phone case. It protects your phone, wallet, and camera on boat trips to Mnemba or a dhow tour.

The one-bag rule: what Tim actually travels with

I travel between Michamvi Pingwe and the European mainland several times a year. My standard Zanzibar kit fits in a 40L carry-on, with room:

• 3 T-shirts (2 for beach, 1 for town)
• 1 linen shirt (town and evenings)
• 2 swimsuits
• 1 pair of lightweight linen trousers (town, evenings, safari flights)
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 lightweight fleece (safari mornings and long-haul flights)
• Sandals and one pair of closed shoes
• Sun hat
• Small personal first-aid kit
• Toiletries (minimal — most things available locally)
• 1 cotton tote bag

What I don’t bring: beach towel, heavy rain jacket (a light packable layer covers most rain events — Zanzibar rain is brief and warm), bulky camera equipment on beach trips, physical travel guidebooks.

The instinct to over-pack for Zanzibar is understandable — it feels exotic enough that people want contingencies. In practice, Zanzibar Town has a pharmacy, Stone Town has a supermarket, and most resort areas have everything tourists forget. You can buy sunscreen, insect repellent, a sarong, a USB cable, and basic medication locally. The only things you genuinely cannot get easily on arrival are your ZIC insurance QR code (buy it before you go), your prescription antimalarial tablets (prescribe before departure), and a correctly-sized mask for snorkeling if fit matters to you.

Pack for the beach. Add one outfit for town. Add neutral layers if safari. Then halve the rest.

Related guides

Zanzibar entry requirements — visa, ZIC insurance, what to expect at the airport · Zanzibar health guide — malaria, vaccinations, travel insurance · Best beaches in Zanzibar — tide times, what to expect by coast · Zanzibar budget guide — what things cost, how much to bring · All Zanzibar guides