Zanzibar Spice Farm Tour
A working farm, not a showpiece
- Location Spice farms outside Stone Town, Unguja
- Duration Half day, approximately 3 to 4 hours
- Tour type Private or shared
- Availability Daily, morning and afternoon departures
Price on request Send the form and we reply with a firm quote, usually within a few hours.
Overview
Zanzibar has been called the Spice Island for two centuries, and a morning on a working farm shows you why. Families here have grown spices for generations, and the plots outside town still produce cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, lemongrass and turmeric alongside jackfruit, papaya, coconut and citrus.
This is a walking tour rather than a museum visit. Your guide, who grew up on this land, pulls a root, scrapes a bark or splits a pod and hands it to you. You smell each spice before you are told its name. You learn which plants go into the local dishes you have been eating, which go into herbal remedies still used across the island, and which appear in weddings and ceremonies.
Along the way the farm team demonstrates coconut climbing and weaving, and lays out a tasting of seasonal tropical fruit. Most guests leave with a small bag of spices bought directly from the growers, at farm prices rather than market prices.
The farm sits a short drive from Stone Town, so this excursion combines easily with a Stone Town walk, Prison Island or Jozani Forest to make a full day.
Highlights
- Walk a working spice farm with a guide who grew up on it
- Smell and taste cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper
- Learn how each spice is used in Zanzibari cooking, medicine and ceremony
- Seasonal tropical fruit tasting
- Coconut climbing and weaving demonstration
- Buy spices at farm prices directly from the growers
Itinerary
- 09:00
Hotel pickup
Collection from your hotel and a short drive into the countryside north of Stone Town.
- 10:00
Guided farm walk
A two-hour walk through the plantation. Your guide handles the plants as you go, so you smell and taste each spice at the source.
- 11:30
Fruit tasting and demonstrations
Seasonal fruit is cut and served. The farm team demonstrates coconut climbing and palm weaving.
- 12:15
Spice shop and return
Time at the farm shop, then the drive back to your hotel.
What is included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- English-speaking guide
- All farm entrance fees and taxes
- Spice and fruit tasting
- Bottled water
Not included
- Lunch and drinks, where not listed as included
- Personal shopping and souvenirs
- Gratuities for your guide and driver
- Travel insurance
- Anything not named under what is included
- Spices bought at the farm shop
Pickup and meeting point
Pickup time: Around 09:00 for morning departures and 14:00 for afternoon departures.
Meeting point: Hotel reception.
We collect from these areas:
- Stone Town
- Zanzibar City
- Maungani
- Nungwi
- Kendwa
- Matemwe
- Kiwengwa
- Pwani Mchangani
- Uroa
- Pongwe
- Chwaka
- Michamvi
- Paje
- Jambiani
- Makunduchi
- Kizimkazi
- Fumba
- Mangapwani
What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes or sandals
- Sun cream, hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Small notes in Tanzanian shillings or US dollars
- Camera or phone
- Light rain jacket in the wet season
- Insect repellent
Important information
- Paths on the farm are earth and grass. Closed shoes are more comfortable than sandals.
- Which spices and fruits are ripe depends on the season, so no two visits are identical.
- Tell us about food allergies before the tasting.
- A traditional Zanzibari lunch on the farm is available as an extra. Ask when you book.
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
Is the farm a tourist attraction or a real plantation?
We use working family farms. The crops are grown for sale, and the guides are from the farming families.
Are we able to buy spices?
Yes. There is a farm shop at the end of the walk with spices, oils and soaps at farm prices. Bring small notes.
Does this suit children?
Very well. Children usually enjoy the smelling and tasting, and the coconut climbing demonstration is a highlight.
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