Zanzibar is truly so gorgeous it’s actually sort of impossible to describe. It’s got incredible natural beauty, awesome cultural experiences, incredible food (it isn’t called Spice Island for nothing), and no matter what you do you’re going to love your trip to this beautiful island in Tanzania. But, packing for Zanzibar comes with its own considerations because while it’s the dream tropical island beach destination for many tourists, it’s part of a Muslim country where it’s important tourists respect local customs. So this Zanzibar packing list will have everything you need for your upcoming magical Zanzibar trip to make sure you enjoy your trip but are also thoughtful about it.
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What to Pack for Zanzibar, By Activity
So there’s lots of stuff to do in Zanzibar obviously, but overall Zanzibar is hot and humid. So even though you may have to pack things that are a little bit more modest for some of the activities away from your resort pool or the beaches, you’ll definitely want to make sure everything you pack for Zanzibar is light, breathable, and airy.
Also, I am 100% a carry-on travel girl and everything on this Zanzibar packing list can fit into my Away Bigger Carry-on and a backpack as my personal item. I use an Away Bigger Carry-On (use this link for $40 off your first Away luggage purchase) and this backpack on every trip and it hasn’t done me wrong yet.
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For Excursions: Cultural, Town, & Parks
You’re going to want to be comfortable on any excursions you do on Zanzibar, so this Zanzibar packing guide will contain additional comfortable clothes that will keep you cool while you’re in spots that you may not be able to dive into the water in 10 seconds notice. The next section of this Zanzibar packing list contains what I wore for daily adventures such as:
- Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park
- Spice tour
- Stone Town cultural tour
- Changuu (Prison Island)
Things to Do in Zanzibar:
Linen Shirts
This Zanzibar packing guide wouldn’t be complete without a comfy linen shirt to keep you cool.
Linen Pants/Longer Shorts
This Zanzibar packing guide wouldn’t be complete without some linen pants. They’re a perfect pant to wear in this tropical weather, and also act as a solid swim cover-up too. I’d recommend linen pants or capris for women and men can wear shorts so long as they’re not super short.
Comfortable Walking Shoes
In these tours you’re going to be walking around quite a bit, so a comfortable pair of walking shoes is a mandatory add to any Zanzibar packing list.
Day Pack
You’ll want to carry around all of your items in a comfortable day pack! These are some of my favorites:
For Beach & Pool Days
Zanzibar’s beaches are famous worldwide for how gorgeous they are and for good reason. So any Zanzibar packing list is incomplete without proper beach gear.
Cover Ups
Like I mentioned, when visiting Zanzibar it’s important to respect the local conservative customs, so you’ll want a good cover up or 2 for when you’re not actively in the pool or in the water at the beach.
Beach Bag &/or Dry Bag
You may not need both, but if you’re doing a lot of boating you might like this dry bag. However, the mesh bag below is THE perfect beach bag for the perfect beach vacation (which one could argue Zanzibar is up there in the rankings for). It’s perfect because it packs down into nothing in your luggage but holds so much.
Swimsuits
Bring whatever swimsuits you are comfortable in, but here are some of my favorites.
Hat
Protect that scalp! I always bring a hat with me on any tropical vacation and Zanzibar was no exception. So make sure you add a hat to your packing list, or buy one on arrival!
Sandals
When you ask “what to pack for Zanzibar?” OF COURSE some sandals are going to be on the list. So pack whatever your most comfortable sandals and flip flops are!
Accessories
Some other beach accessories I love that you might want to bring:
This loops through a bag handle and is a magnetic close that hooks your hat onto a bag so you have free hands. It’s kind of a life saver!
Bring whatever you have, but these Ray-Bans are my favorite because they’re cute and they have 100% UV protection for my sensitive eyes.
Electronics & Gear
There are lots of electronic items you’ll want to bring on safari with you and here are the items I suggest, and am including in my Tanzania safari packing guide because I personally used and loved them. Here are some items you’ll definitely want to pack:
- Plugin Adapter
- Handheld mini fan
- This little guy is a dream if you expect to be hot walking around. It’s a rechargeable fan and it will keep you cool.
- Digital luggage scale
- This thing is actually a godsend if you’re dealing with strict luggage weight limits based on your airlines. Plus it takes up so little space in your luggage!
- LARQ water bottle with filter
- Though the resorts and often your tours may have bottled water for you, I’m always prepared just in case of emergency so I bring a water bottle with a filter anyway. They have different types of filters to choose from:
Camera Equipment
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Here is what I’d recommend to pack for Zanzibar in regards to camera gear:
- Camera
- I have the Sony a7IV and I love it
- Lens(es)
- I think this Tamron 28 – 200 is perfect, it’s the only lens I used when in Zanzibar
- Drone
- Drone shots in Zanzibar are truuuuly gorgeous and I brought my DJI Mini 3 Pro
Health & Wellness
Lastly, you’ll want to consider a bunch of other items you’ll want to pack for Zanzibar that are around health and wellness. Take any/all of these with a grain of salt based on your individual needs, but you might love having these with you in Zanzibar!
- Any prescriptions you need to be taking
- Dramamine or a motion sick patch in case you get seasick or carsick
- Mosquito repellent wipes or bracelets will probably be the best bug prevention mechanism but truly, I never used mine. I bring them each time just in case though. But it’s likely your resort/lodging will have bug nets on the bed.
- Sunscreen – my favorite facial sunscreen is Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen which I always pack with me. Then, I will typically buy a big bottle of body sunscreen on arrival.
So there you go, the ultimate “what to pack for Zanzibar” guide that’ll have you covered for anything! As always, if you have any questions please reach out and have an absolute BLAST in Zanzibar. It’s beautiful and you’ll have a great time!
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