White sand that squeaks underfoot. Dhows tacking against a flat horizon. Zanzibar sits three degrees south of the equator, and right now you can fly there and back from Milan for €395.
✈️ The deal
- From: Milan, Italy
- To: Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Airline: Air Cairo
- Stops: 1 stop
- Price: €395–€450 return
- When: October 2026 to March 2027
Example dates:
31/10/2026 – 14/11/2026
07/11/2026 – 14/11/2026
07/11/2026 – 21/11/2026
07/11/2026 – 28/11/2026
14/11/2026 – 21/11/2026
14/11/2026 – 28/11/2026
05/12/2026 – 12/12/2026
23/01/2027 – 06/02/2027
27/02/2027 – 13/03/2027
Check dates on Trip.com
💰 How far does your money go?
Zanzibar runs cheap the moment you leave the resort gate. Grilled octopus and a plate of pilau at the Forodhani night market in Stone Town costs about €4. A cold Safari or Kilimanjaro lager at a local bar is €1.80, less than a quarter of a spritz on the Navigli. A dala-dala across the island costs €0.30 against the €2.20 you hand over for a single metro ride in Milan. Cocktails at a beach bar start around €7. Budget travellers get by on €45 to €70 a day here, snorkelling trips on top.
There is a $50 visa on arrival, plus $44 compulsory travel insurance and a small nightly hotel tax. Build it into the sum.
☀️ The weather
October is the tail of the long dry season. Days hit 30°C, nights stay around 22°C, and rain is rare. November and December bring the short rains: still 30°C, more humid, with heavy showers that pass in an hour rather than settling in for the day. January and February are hot and dry again, close to 32°C, the best beach weather of the lot. By mid-March the long rains build, so the late-February dates catch the island at its driest and brightest.
🏨 Where to stay
Nungwi in the north for reef and nightlife, Paje on the east coast for kitesurfing and quiet.
Langi Langi Beach Bungalows — 8.5/10 · From €75/night Simple sea-view rooms above a good restaurant, a short walk from Nungwi's bars.
Nungwi Beach Resort — 8.7/10 · From €190/night Wide beachfront lawn, big pool and a dive centre on site. Mid-range done well.
Zuri Zanzibar — 9.1/10 · From €480/night Design-led bungalows in a botanical garden on the quiet Kendwa sand.
🎯 What to do
Reef first, history second. Zanzibar does both without a long drive.
Stone Town walking tour — UNESCO-listed lanes, the old slave market, the House of Wonders and Freddie Mercury's birthplace in two hours on foot.
Spice farm tour — Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla straight off the plant on a working farm outside Stone Town, the trade the island was built on.
Mnemba Atoll snorkelling — A boat from Nungwi to the reef drop-off, turtles and dolphins in clear water over coral gardens.
Forodhani night market — Grilled seafood, Zanzibar pizza and sugarcane juice at stalls along the Stone Town seafront, the best-value meal on the island.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Zanzibar is an archipelago and a launch pad, not a single beach.
Prison Island — Aldabra giant tortoises over a century old, a 30-minute boat from Stone Town.
Jozani Forest — The endemic red colobus monkey and mangrove boardwalks, 45 minutes by road from Stone Town.
Pemba Island — Steep reef walls and almost no crowds, a 30-minute flight north.
Mafia Island — Whale sharks from October to March and a protected marine park, a short flight south.
Nyerere National Park — Lions and wild dogs on the mainland, a ferry to Dar es Salaam then a light aircraft in.
€395 for spice markets, giant tortoises and a reef 20 minutes offshore. Read the [INTERNAL LINK: Zanzibar travel guide] first, then lock in the late-February dates before they go.
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