Zanzibar • Activities • Culture

Zanzibar Spice Tour: What to Expect & Is It Worth It?

A Zanzibar spice tour is a relaxed, two- to three-hour walk through a working spice farm, where you'll see, smell and taste cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and more, straight from the plant. It is one of the best ways to understand why Zanzibar is called the Spice Island, and it fits easily into a morning or afternoon from Stone Town.

Why is Zanzibar called the Spice Island?

Spices have shaped Zanzibar's story for centuries. Traders arrived on the monsoon winds from Arabia, Persia and India, and in the 19th century, under the Omani sultans, Zanzibar became one of the world's leading producers of cloves. Today, spices are still grown on small farms across the island and remain part of daily life, from cooking to traditional medicine.

What happens on a Zanzibar spice tour?

Your guide leads you along shaded farm paths, stopping at plant after plant. They'll pick a leaf, peel back some bark or crack open a pod and ask you to guess what it is before you smell or taste it. It is interactive, playful and surprisingly educational.

Along the way, you'll learn how each spice is grown and harvested, how it is used in Swahili cooking, and how some are used in traditional remedies. Many tours end with fresh tropical fruit tastings, and some include a delicious local lunch cooked with the spices you've just seen.

Look out for: a farm worker climbing a coconut palm and singing as they go. Guides often make crowns, rings and bags from palm leaves for you on the spot.

Spices you'll see and taste

A crushed clove bud between your fingers, cinnamon bark under your nose, a sip of lemongrass tea in the shade. Few experiences engage every sense quite like the Spice Island.

Is the Zanzibar spice tour worth it?

Yes, especially if you enjoy food, culture or simply a gentle break from the beach. It is relaxed rather than strenuous, suitable for all ages, and gives you a real sense of the island beyond its resorts. Families love it, and couples enjoy the slow, sensory pace.

It is also a great way to buy authentic spices to take home at their freshest. Many farms sell small packets, as well as spice oils and soaps.

What to bring

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent
• Water
• Small cash for spices, palm-leaf crafts and tips
• Clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, out of respect for local customs

Combine your spice tour with more of Zanzibar

Most spice tours are half-day trips from Stone Town, so they combine perfectly with a Stone Town walking tour. Read our Stone Town guide. You could also end the day with a sunset dhow cruise.

A spice tour features on Day 4 of our 7-day romantic Zanzibar itinerary. For more ideas, see our full list of things to do in Zanzibar.