Zanzibar - Tanzania
Are you planning to travel to Zanzibar? I understand you so much ! Between turquoise water, coconut palms and joyful life, this small country has nothing to envy to the Maldives !
I will show you in this article the itinerary that I recommend to not miss anything, with the possible options according to the length of your stay.
Karibu Zanzibar!
The different ways to go around the island
So anyway, there are 3 corners of the island that you shouldn't miss: Stone Town - Paje - Nungwi. + safari on main land?
The island is small, the journeys between each of these destinations do not generally take more than 1 hour / 1h30 ( it also depends on the mode of transport you use ).
You can therefore decide to stay in one place throughout your stay and go back and forth to visit the other corners.
Personally, I recommend that you stay in these 3 places because it is a time gain, the transport budget, and also because it is super cool to live in several places to really soak up in the different atmospheres.
There is no "typical" route, you can do these 3 places in any order you want , it doesn't matter. I'm telling you about my experience here.

What to do first?
You're going to land in Stone Town, so you can choose to start with the city, or go straight to the beach. Personally, I chose the beach haha!
Nungwi or Paje, take your pick!
My example: 1) Paje
2) Nungwi
3) Safari in Tanzania
4) Stone Town
Your itinerary will also depend on your desires. If you fancy going on a safari on the mainland, you will need to take an internal round trip flight zanzibar-tanzania as I did. (around 70 € Round trip checked baggage included)
Or take a flight Paris-Tanzania - take the safari - Tanzania-Zanzibar - Zanzibar-Paris
or vice versa if you want to go on safari at the end of your stay.
I had studied all the possibilities to find the cheapest option. On my dates, in January-February, it was better for me to take a Paris-Zanzibar return trip with an internal return flight
So it depends on you, your desires, availability and your budget!
I hope this itinerary can guide you. I want to say that this is MY experience and that there are plenty of ways to do it. In any case, 4 days per village "are enough" for the "imperatives" but according to your desires you can extend or shorten (I ended up staying 2 and a half months instead of 3 weeks !!!)
Example of my itinerary over 3 weeks to visit Zanzibar + safari
Day 1
Arrival at Stone Town airport at 9:30 am. Direction Paje.
Taxi zanzibar airport - Paje = 40 $
or dala dala (public transport) airport -> stone town -> mwanakwerekwe -> paje (approximately 2500 shillings 0,93€)

gipsystraveleverywhere.com
Days 1-2-3-4
Discovering Paje, Bwejuu, Michamvi, Jozani Forest ..
➳
To know more : 10 things to do during your stay in Paje

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com
Days 5-6-7-8
Discovering Nungwi, Kendwa, Mnemba island ..
➳
To know more : Nungwi: a little paradise on earth that you don't want to miss

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com
Day 9
Overnight in Stone Town before flying to mainland
Day 10
Flight to Arusha and overnight in Arusha to start the safari early the next morning

gipsystraveleverywhere.com
Days 11-12-13-14-15
Safari 5 days 4 nights in 4 parks: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and overnight in Arusha before flying back to Zanzibar.
➳
To know more : Low budget dream safari is possible in Tanzania

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com
Days 16-17-18-19
Discovery of Stone Town (blue safari option, nakupenda island, prison island)
➳
To know more : Stone Town: the essential things to do so that you don't miss a thing

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com

gipsystraveleverywhere.com
Day 20
It's time to fly back home after these 3 crazy weeks !
Hope this itinerary helps you plan your trip to Zanzibar so you can get the most out of it! Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need more information!