7 days bicycle holiday
Exotic bicycle holiday all around Zanzibar
7 days around Zanzibar
This exotic bicycle holiday takes you from South to South all around the exotic paradise island Zanzibar. This is our prime trip carefully put together to share our personal Zanzibar favorite spots all around the island. You will smell, see and explore the real Zanzibar that tourists in general do not access.
Small and soulful lodges
Swaying palm trees, white sand and turquoise Ocean will welcome you by the end of every day. Afternoons and evening are enjoyed in by us carefully handpicked lodges that we love.
Real experiences
Every day is different from the other as you move around the island. Our experienced Zanzibari guides share their culture, nature, fruit and food with you along the way. We use boats when needed so that every transportation is an experience in itself. We have picked out the best of Stone Town, and our favorite family is doing the Spice tour on their farm. You will see many sunsets and countless of happy children along the way.
Add days anywhere you wish
Days can be added anywhere in the program should you want more days in a certain spot. Check out our more lazy 10 days around Zanzibar
Route
Jambiani/Kizimkazi/Stone Town/Chuini/ Nungwi/ Pongwe/Jambiani
Max distance per day
55 km
Min distance per day
9 km
Days on bike
5
Days off bike
2
For whom
Passionate bikers . Curious, culturally interested cyclist that has some km in their legs already
Highlights
Sailing with our traditional dhow Mimi the dhow
Breakfast overlooking the horizon from The Seyyida Hotel
Sunset from a Stone Town roof top
Try all fruit and spices in season at our favorite family Spice farm
Walk to Zanzibar’s northern tip in Nungwi
Best time
June-March
Clothing
Shorts and t-shirt. Bring scarf to cover shoulder in the villages and town
Travel companion
Private
Guide
English speaking guide
Price from:
1395 USD pp incl all in the itinerary described
From our gallery
Tour Plan
Day 1: Jambiani
Transfer ( 1 h 15 min) from airport to Jambiani. Before sunset briefing with guide and test and fitting of your bicycles.
In Jambiani village you will see how life is on the country side. Lots of happy children running around and returning from school, roaming cows and goats, women embroidering hats.
The beach here is stunning and its colors ever changing due to the various tides. The low tide allows for swimming in the river between the sandbanks and you can follow the beach life when the villagers comes down to pick mussels or grow seaweed.
Casa Beach Hotel has the perfect beach location on the beach and with the village just behind. It has a spacious pool and the lode is small enough to offer tranquility.
Casa Beach Hotel
Dinner, excl.drinks
Day 2: Kizimkazi
The fishing village Kizimkazi (23 km) is situated on the South west coast. This means a chance for stunning sunset over the Indian Ocean. On your way south you will pass through the lush and green Makunduchi and Mtende villages. Here you will experience the Zanzibar life behind the tourist scene, meet the people and try some exotic fruit in season. When arriving to Kizimkazi you have lunch and in the afternoon our traditional Mimi the dhow will take you out for a sunset sail and swim.
A cute fishing village
Kizimkazi is the fishing spot to catch tuna, marlin, sword fish and other of the big ones. If you are lucky there is a fish auction going on and you can se what they caught this day.
Tonight you sleep at Karamba Resort with all rooms, and the restaurant, facing the horizon and the sunset.
Karamba resort
Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Excl.drinks
Day 3: Stone Town
Today your legs will have to work! 56 km on different kind of roads: tar, village and off road. However the island is flat. In the mangrove village Unguja Ukuu, we catch a boat and cross the Indian Ocean over to the West coast- Fumba. On the boat, or by the Ocean on the other side, you have your lunch box as there are no restaurants in this area. Then you continue for another 2 hours before reaching Stone Town.
UNESCO World Heritage site
Stone Town is a very special place. That’s why it is an UNESCO world heritage site. Here African, Indian and Arabic cultures are mixed and live alongside each other in the narrow streets.
Children play, the women bake chapati and the men play bao- all on display in the swirling streets. And a mosque in every corners calls to pray five times a day.
Roof top dinner
18.00 Emerson Spice has one of the the best roof top with 270 degrees sea view. The hotel is full of antiquities and you can feel the soulful history when walking up the winding stairs. The 5 course cross kitchen dinner will be supplemented by the call for prayers reaching up the roof from all over town. Dinner starts at 19.00 but you will be there 18. 00 to enjoy the sunset. (drinks excl).
Emerson Spice
Breakfast with a view
Your night is spent in The Seyyida Hotel, Stone Town. Inspired by Zanzibar’s eclectic cultures, Seyyida Boutique Hotel & Spa blends modern comforts with African, Arabian, Indian and European influences. With striking views of the harbor , promenade, and turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean on one side and the mesmerizing narrow streets of the stone town on the other, Seyyida has the perfect location to explore Stone Town.
The Seyyida Hotel
Breakfast, lunchbox and dinner incl. Excl.drinks
Day 4: Chuini/Spice farm
To avoid the traffic and get a true Zanzibar experience we load bikes and yourselves on a local bus. After a 20 min bus ride you reach the Spice Farm area in Kianga. Some cycling in this beautiful farming area (about 3 km) before arriving to Abeids Family farm. There you will taste and smell a huge variety of fruits and spices in season: vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, lemon grass, cloves, ylang ylang, cumin, ginger, coriander, pepper, tamarind, chili, oregano and many others. The women in the family cook you a tasty local lunch using mostly the vegetables and fruit from the farm.
In the mangroves
A short downhill bike ride ( 6 km) later and you arrive to Chuini and your lodge for the night. Mangrove Lodge is a peaceful Eco-lodge surrounded by mangroves and a tropical garden. Coconut palms, big mango trees and the nearby ruin something to look forward to. As this is on the West coast there is another chance for a colourful sunset.
www.mangrovelodge.com
Breakfast, lunch at the farm and dinner. Excl.drinks
Day 5: Nungwi
Today another day when your leg will work hard. But no worries- you can always jump on a local bus if it gets to tiresome. You start early to reach Nungwi (53km) in the afternoon. As there are no on the way we bring a lunch box. And of course we stop many times for fruit and local treats.
On the way you pass Mkokotoni, an authentic fishing village where Haji our boat carpenter lives. Here is the harbor for the very local and usually very full boat to Tumbatu island. Try to spot it- it is often packed with goats and bikes.
Sunset over the Indian Ocean
Nungwi is the most tourism developed beach on Zanzibar but still nice. And there is a chance for an amazing sunset again. The roof top of Z-Hotel is a favorite sunset spot only a 10 min walk South from today’s hotel Flame Tree Cottages.
Flame Tree Cottages has a nice garden, a pool and private small cottages. The breakfast is served on your veranda, If you fancy some night life it is merely a 200 m away
www.flametreecottages.com
Breakfast, lunch box and dinner. Excl.drinks
Day 6: Pongwe
Today you travel in the middle of the island where lots of farming is being done. Very green all the way and some nice off road tracks. You will see both rice fields and sugar cane fields. You make a stop at Kinyasini – an authentic market with lots of things to try.
When arriving to Seasons Lodge you will have lunch. Then time to enjoy the amazing bungalows with private veranda and sea view. For the evening stroll you can walk on the beach, tide permitting, and take a nice picture of Pongwe Island If you appreciate quiet mornings and amazing light we recommend you to get up early.
www.seasonszanzibar.com
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 7: Jambiani
Starting time of the day depends on the tide as you want to reach Chwaka ( 13 km) in time to catch a boat. In Chwaka we put the bikes in the boat and cross Chwaka Bay to arrive in Michamvi- on the peninsula of the South East Coast.
After some 10 km bicycling we reach Paje- famous for its long white beach and kite surfers. We will have lunch at Mr Kahawa to enjoy the view of the Ocean and jumping kite surfers while we enjoy the tasty lunch.
After lunch we continue to Jambiani and return to Casa Beach Hotel- in time for a dip in the Ocean or the pool and maybe a sunset drink to celebrate you have biked all around Zanzibar.
Casa Beach Hotel has the perfect beach location on the beach and with the village just behind. It has a spacious pool and the lode is small enough to offer tranquility.
Casa Beach Hotel
Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Excl.drinks
Day 8: Departure
Gallery
