The best time to visit Zanzibar from South Africa
For weather, the best time to visit Zanzibar is June to September: dry, sunny and slightly cooler, with days of about 29°C to 30°C. January and February are hot and fairly dry too. Avoid April and May, the long rains: April averages more than 400 mm. November and December bring the short rains.
When is the best time to visit Zanzibar?
We suggest June to September. It's Zanzibar's dry season, with rain on only four to six days a month on average, days of 29°C to 30°C and nights of 21°C to 23°C. It also lines up with the South African winter school holiday.
The right month depends on who's travelling:
- Best weather: June to September.
- Heat-seekers: January and February, the hottest months, at about 33°C, and among the driest.
- Families tied to school holidays: the June/July holiday has the best weather of the four. The spring holiday at the end of September is good too. December is in the short rains, and Easter in the long rains.
- Couples who want it quiet: February, or September before the school holiday, both dry and outside the public school calendar.
- Least suited: April and May, the long rains.
Zanzibar weather month by month
Zanzibar is hot all year: average daytime highs run from 29°C in July to 33°C in February, and average nights stay at 21°C or above. What changes is the rain. In an average year it falls on 4 days in July and on 17 or 18 days in April.
Average daytime high and night-time low, monthly rainfall and days with rain:
| Month | Day / night | Rain | Rain days | Our view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33° / 25° | 74 mm | 6 | Hot, fairly dry |
| Feb | 33° / 24° | 51 mm | 4 | Hot, among the driest |
| Mar | 33° / 25° | 177 mm | 11 | Long rains begin |
| Apr | 31° / 25° | 409 mm | 18 | The wettest month: avoid |
| May | 30° / 24° | 298 mm | 14 | Long rains: avoid |
| Jun | 29° / 23° | 52 mm | 5 | Dry: our pick |
| Jul | 29° / 22° | 31 mm | 4 | The driest month: our pick |
| Aug | 29° / 21° | 38 mm | 6 | Dry: our pick |
| Sep | 30° / 21° | 37 mm | 5 | Dry: our pick |
| Oct | 31° / 22° | 116 mm | 7 | Short rains begin |
| Nov | 31° / 23° | 201 mm | 14 | The wettest of the short rains |
| Dec | 32° / 24° | 168 mm | 12 | Short rains, easing |
Averages for 1991-2020 from the Tanzania Meteorological Authority's weather station at Kisauni, near Zanzibar Town, rounded to the nearest degree, millimetre and day. Rain days are days with 1 mm or more.
- January: hot (33°C by day, 25°C at night) and fairly dry, with rain on about 6 days. Schools reopen on 13 January 2027.
- February: the hottest month and one of the driest, with rain on about 4 days. Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February 2027.
- March: the long rains begin, with 177 mm over 11 days. Ramadan is expected to end around 8 March 2027, and Stone Town's Sauti za Busara music festival runs from 19 to 21 March. The Easter school holiday starts on 20 March 2027.
- April: the wettest month, with 409 mm over about 18 days. The Easter holiday runs to 5 April 2027.
- May: still wet: 298 mm over 14 days.
- June: the dry season starts: 52 mm, 29°C by day. The school holiday starts on 26 June 2027.
- July: the driest month, with 31 mm over 4 days, and the coolest days, at about 29°C. The school holiday runs to 19 July 2027.
- August: dry, with cool nights of about 21°C. Women's Day falls on Monday 9 August 2027, a long weekend.
- September: dry (37 mm over 5 days) and warming to 30°C. The spring school holiday starts on 23 September 2027.
- October: the short rains start, but in an average October rain falls on only about 7 days. The school holiday runs to 4 October 2027.
- November: the wettest month of the short rains: 201 mm over about 14 days.
- December: still the short rains, with 168 mm over about 12 days, and hot. School holidays start on 10 December 2026 and 9 December 2027.
The long rains and the short rains
Zanzibar has two rainy seasons, not a summer and a winter. The long rains (masika) run from March to May and are the heavier, peaking in April. The short rains (vuli) run from October to December, peaking in November. January and February are relatively dry, and June to September dry.
This year's short rains are expected to be heavier than usual. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority's outlook for Zanzibar is normal to above-normal rain, heaviest in November, and continuing into January 2027. If you're booking December 2026 or January 2027, expect some wet days and plan the beach around them.
December: our clients' favourite month, in the short rains
December is by far the most popular month for our Zanzibar clients, because of the school holidays and the festive season. It's hot, and the short rains are easing, but an average December still has rain on about 12 days. We still book plenty of happy December holidays. Go for the sun and the warm sea, not for guaranteed dry days.
Does Zanzibar get cyclones?
Very rarely. Tanzania's weather service recorded Cyclone Hidaya, which made landfall on Mafia Island in May 2024, as only the third cyclone or depression to reach land anywhere in Tanzania, after 1952 and 2002. Storms passing further out can still bring rain and wind.
That's a real difference from Mauritius, where the official cyclone season runs from November to mid-May. See Mauritius or Zanzibar.
The tide: the other thing that shapes your beach day
Zanzibar has two high and two low tides a day, and the difference is big: more than 4 m between high and low at spring tides, against about 1 m to 2 m at neap tides. The biggest spring tides come around March.
What that means on the beach:
- North (Nungwi and Kendwa): you can swim at most states of the tide. Gold Zanzibar calls Kendwa's beach tideless, and the Sandies hotels in Nungwi say you can swim at any hour.
- East and south-east (Matemwe, Kiwengwa, Uroa, Paje, Jambiani, Michamvi): the reef lies well offshore, and at low tide the sea retreats a long way across a wide lagoon. TUI Blue Bahari, on the north-east coast, advises swimming at high tide. Some resorts work around it: Karafuu, at Michamvi, has a natural pool for swimming at low tide.
The tide doesn't follow the seasons, so it matters in every month. Ask at reception for the day's tide times and plan your swims, snorkelling and reef walks around them. Our Zanzibar destination guide compares the coasts.
Ramadan and dress
Ramadan changes the feel of Stone Town and the villages. In 2027 it's expected to run from about 8 February to 8 March, depending on the sighting of the moon.
- At the resorts, little changes: meals and drinks are served as usual.
- In Stone Town and the villages, many restaurants close in the day and life moves to the evening. We suggest you don't eat, drink or smoke in the street in daylight.
- Dress modestly away from the beach all year: cover shoulders and knees in Stone Town and the villages. The UK government's travel advice warns that Zanzibar's authorities can fine visitors USD 700 or more for clothing they consider inappropriate in public.
South African school holidays 2026-2027 and the Zanzibar weather
In 2026 and 2027 all public schools follow one national calendar, published by the Department of Basic Education. Here are the holidays, and what Zanzibar is like in each.
| School holiday | Dates | Zanzibar weather | Our advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2026 | Schools close 9 Dec 2026, reopen 13 Jan 2027 | Hot, in the short rains; this year's outlook is wetter than usual | Our clients' favourite month. Book early: festive flights and rooms go first |
| Easter 2027 | Schools close 19 Mar, reopen 6 Apr 2027 (Good Friday 26 Mar, Family Day 29 Mar) | The start of the long rains; April is the wettest month | Not our pick. Mauritius is drier then on its west coast |
| Winter 2027 | Schools close 25 Jun, reopen 20 Jul 2027 | Dry, sunny, 29°C by day | Our pick of the four. Book early |
| Spring 2027 | Schools close 22 Sep, reopen 5 Oct 2027 (Heritage Day 24 Sep) | Dry at first, the short rains starting in October | A good second choice |
| December 2027 | Schools close 8 Dec 2027 | As December 2026 | The 2028 calendar isn't final yet, so the reopening date isn't known |
Two more points:
- A short break: schools close on Monday 26 April 2027 (a special school holiday) and Tuesday 27 April (Freedom Day), a four-day weekend from 24 to 27 April. The flight from Johannesburg is only about 3 hours 35 minutes, but April is the wettest month, so we'd keep that weekend for somewhere else.
- Private schools set their own dates. Check yours before you book.
For what each season does to the price, see what a Zanzibar holiday costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit Zanzibar?
July, closely followed by June, August and September. July is the driest month, with about 31 mm of rain over 4 days, and days of about 29°C. For more heat, February is also dry, at about 33°C.
When is the rainy season in Zanzibar?
There are two. The long rains run from March to May and peak in April, the wettest month, at about 409 mm. The short rains run from October to December and peak in November, at about 201 mm.
Is December a good time to go to Zanzibar?
It's hot and festive, and our clients' favourite month, but it's in the short rains: an average December has rain on about 12 days. This year the weather service expects the short rains to be heavier than usual and to run into January 2027. Book early, and plan for some wet days.
Is Zanzibar good in July?
Yes. July is the driest month and one of the coolest: about 29°C by day, 22°C at night, and rain on about 4 days. It's also the South African winter school holiday, so book early.
Does Zanzibar get cyclones?
Very rarely. Tanzania's weather service records only three cyclones or depressions making landfall anywhere in Tanzania, the latest on Mafia Island in May 2024. Passing storms can bring rain and wind.
What is the weather like in Zanzibar in April?
Wet. April is the wettest month, with about 409 mm of rain over about 18 days, though it stays warm at about 31°C. We don't recommend it for a beach holiday.
When is Ramadan in Zanzibar in 2027?
It's expected to run from about 8 February to 8 March 2027, depending on the sighting of the moon. Resorts carry on as usual; in Stone Town and the villages, many restaurants close by day.
Can you swim at low tide in Zanzibar?
In the north, at Nungwi and Kendwa, yes, at most tides. On the east and south-east coasts the sea goes out a long way at low tide, so you swim at high tide or in the pool.