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Beyond the yacht

Excursions, safari & diving in Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia

Add more to your charter: land excursions, a safari on the mainland or a dive straight from the catamaran. Every experience is private for your group and tailored to you – we fit it into your route and agree the pick-up point with you when you book.

  • Private for your groupNo shared buses, no crowds.
  • Fits your charterWe plan it around your route and anchorages.
  • Trusted local partnersGuides, dive centres and safari operators we know and trust.
  • Book aheadAt least 2 days in advance, 7 days for safari and diving. Short notice? Just ask.

On land

Excursions

Turtles, horses on the beach, monkeys in the forest, spices and the old town – the best of the islands on land, an easy add-on to a day trip, a cabin cruise or a week charter.

On Zanzibar

Pick-up point agreed when you book – it depends on where the yacht is at the time. Transfers are not included unless stated.

Guests swimming with sea turtles in a natural pool at a Zanzibar turtle sanctuary
  • Nungwi
  • Kizimkazi

Turtle sanctuary

Visit one of Zanzibar's turtle sanctuaries in Nungwi or Kizimkazi. These conservation centres protect and rehabilitate sea turtles: you see them up close, learn about their protection and swim with them in natural pools. A calm and meaningful experience for everyone.

Price

  • Nungwi: USD 25 per person, entrance fee and transport included
  • Kizimkazi: USD 25 per person, entrance fee and transport included
  • Duration: 2–3 hours
  • Group size: up to 9 guests
  • Included: entrance fee, transport and guide

We can also organise the trip from any other place on the island; the price is then quoted separately.

Ask about this trip
Swimming with a horse in the turquoise sea in Zanzibar
  • Mangapwani
  • Pwani Mchangani
  • Paje

Horse riding and swimming

Ride along Zanzibar's stunning beaches and swim with the horses in the ocean – an unforgettable way to end the day at sunset. Available in several places, for beginners and experienced riders alike. One horse per person.

Choose your ride – prices per person

  • Mangapwani: 45-minute swim – USD 80; 60-minute ride through a plantation, a golf course and the beach – USD 90; 90-minute ride – USD 120
  • Pwani Mchangani: 30-minute swim – USD 80; 45-minute beach ride – USD 100; 60-minute beach ride with swimming – USD 120; 90-minute ride – USD 150
  • Paje: 30-minute ride with swimming – USD 100; 1-hour ride with swimming – USD 180
  • Duration: 30–90 minutes, depending on the option
  • Group size: up to 10 riders
  • Riders: weight limit 95 kg per rider, no age limit
  • Included: horse and guide
  • Not included: transport

Add to this trip

  • Drone photo and video of your ride: 30 minutes – USD 80, 60 minutes – USD 130

Paje and Pwani Mchangani have limited anchoring, so we arrange land transport for your group there (extra cost).

Ask about this trip
Red colobus monkey with its baby in Jozani Forest
  • Jozani Forest

Jozani Forest

Zanzibar's largest remaining natural forest is home to the rare, endemic red colobus monkey. On a guided walk you watch these monkeys in their natural habitat and learn about the island's fauna and flora. Relaxed, educational and suitable for all ages.

Price

  • USD 40 per person
  • Duration: 3–4 hours
  • Group size: up to 9 guests
  • Included: entrance fees, private transport, guide

Add to this trip

  • Mtende Beach – +USD 10 per person
  • The Rock Restaurant – +USD 10 per person, meal not included
  • Maalum Cave – see below
  • or make it a full day: the “3 in 1” trip
Ask about this trip
Natural pool in Maalum Cave, Zanzibar
  • South-east Zanzibar

Maalum Cave

Swim in the clear natural pool of Maalum Cave, a coral cave in the south-east of Zanzibar – a different place from the turtle sanctuary in Kizimkazi. Easy to combine with Jozani Forest on the same day.

Price

  • USD 35 per person
  • Included: entrance fee and transport
Ask about this trip
Monkey on a branch in Jozani Forest
  • Jozani Forest
  • Mtende Beach
  • The Rock
  • Maalum Cave

3 in 1 in the south-east

The best of the south-east in one day: the red colobus monkeys of Jozani Forest, the beach at Mtende and a stop at The Rock, the famous restaurant on a rock in the sea. Prefer a swim in Maalum Cave? It can be one of the three stops.

Price

  • Jozani, Mtende and The Rock: USD 60 per person
  • With Maalum Cave as one of the stops: price on request
  • Duration: about 8 hours

Meals at The Rock are not included.

Ask about this trip
Busy market hall in Stone Town, Zanzibar
  • Stone Town

Stone Town guided tour

The soul of the island. A guided walking tour through the narrow streets of Stone Town, Zanzibar's historic old town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, past beautiful old buildings and into the heart of Zanzibar's culture and history. Freddie Mercury of Queen was born here in 1946.

Price

  • USD 15 per person (minimum 5 guests)
  • Duration: 90 minutes – 2 hours, depending on the pace of the group
  • Group size: up to 20 guests
  • Included: guide – our guides speak several languages
  • Not included: entrance fees, transport

Add to this trip

  • Freddie Mercury House – entrance fee USD 10
  • the former slave market – entrance fee USD 10
  • transport from your hotel or another place on the island – on request
Ask about this trip
Fresh nutmeg held open in two hands at a Zanzibar spice farm
  • Spice farm

Spice farm tour

Discover the aromas and flavours of the Spice Island on a guided tour of a traditional spice farm: cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cardamom, plus many tropical fruits and plants. Smell, taste and learn how they are grown and used. Fun and educational for all ages.

Price

  • USD 35 per person
  • Included: guide, private transport, lunch at the spice farm

Add to this trip

  • Combine it with the Stone Town tour – see “2 in 1”
Ask about this trip
Historic interior of an old house in Stone Town
  • Spice farm
  • Stone Town

2 in 1: Spice farm and Stone Town

The spice farm tour and the guided walk through Stone Town in one day, with lunch at the spice farm.

Price

  • USD 50 per person
  • Included: lunch at the spice farm
Ask about this trip

On Pemba and Mafia

Available only on cruises that sail to Pemba or Mafia.

Traditional village houses among banana trees on Pemba
  • Pemba Island

Pemba Island

Pemba is wilder, greener and much less developed than Zanzibar – an untouched experience of Africa. Its forests are home to the Pemba flying fox, vervet monkeys and the Zanzibar red colobus.

Choose your experience

  • Ngezi jungle experience + Vumawimbi Beach – 4–5 hours, private transport and guide included, up to 9 guests – USD 30 per person
  • Traditional ngalawa sunset cruise – 1 hour from Safe Harbour, up to 4 guests per ngalawa – USD 100 per ngalawa
  • Available: only on cabin cruises and week charters that sail to Pemba
Ask about this trip
Snorkellers swimming next to a whale shark
  • Mafia Island

Mafia Island

South of Zanzibar, Mafia is a small, peaceful island with beautiful beaches and rich marine life – quiet, authentic and away from the crowds. Here you have the chance to swim with whale sharks, the biggest fish in the ocean.

Choose your experience

  • Guided snorkelling with whale sharks – 3 hours; guide, motorboat, snorkelling sets, fruit and drinks included – USD 120 per person
  • Mafia Island tour – prices on request, we send a personal quote
  • Available: only on cruises that sail to Mafia, such as our Christmas and New Year cruise

Wild animals: sightings are never guaranteed.

Ask about this trip

Mainland Tanzania

Safari

Zanzibar is the only yachting destination where you can combine a yacht charter with a safari. Choose a safari by yacht in Saadani, a day by plane to Mikumi or Nyerere, a few days in Nyerere or the Serengeti – or let us tailor a safari to you. Our safari plans are usually all-inclusive: transport, meals and the 4x4 safari jeep are part of the price.

Giraffe in the bush on a Tanzanian safari
  • Saadani National Park

Saadani – safari by yacht

The only national park in Tanzania on the shore of the Indian Ocean, where the bush meets the beach. You sail there on our catamaran – about 25 nautical miles across the channel from Azam Marina – anchor off the beach and explore the park with a local guide.

Price

  • Adults and children 12+: USD 300 per person
  • Children 0–11: USD 200 per child
  • Duration: full day, from early morning until 3:30 pm or 5:30 pm
  • Getting there: on our catamaran
  • When: one day during your cruise
  • Included: entrance fees, guide, meals and drinks, 4x4 safari jeep
Ask about this trip
Zebras grazing on a Tanzanian safari
  • Mikumi National Park

Mikumi – day safari by plane

Fly from Zanzibar to Mikumi for a full day of game drives and be back the same day. It fits easily on your check-out day, or on any day before, during or after the cruise. Mikumi is a day trip only – for a safari of several days we recommend Nyerere.

Price

  • Full day (early morning – 4 pm): USD 520 per person
  • Included: return flights, airport transfers, entrance fees, guide, meals and drinks, 4x4 safari jeep
Ask about this trip
Safari jeep by a river with hippos in the water
  • Nyerere National Park

Nyerere – 1 to 3 days by plane

Our recommended park for a safari of several days. Fly from Zanzibar to Nyerere National Park in the morning for a full day of game drives and be back the same afternoon – or stay for one or two nights at a safari lodge.

Choose your safari

  • Full day (early morning – 4 pm): USD 550 per person
  • 2 days / 1 night: USD 940 per person
  • 3 days / 2 nights: USD 1,110 per person
  • Full day includes: flights, meals and the 4x4 safari jeep; full list in your offer
  • 2 and 3 days include: transfers, safari game drives, all park fees, flights from and to Zanzibar, accommodation, full board and other activities as described in the itinerary
Ask about this trip
Safari tent lodge among trees in the savannah
  • Serengeti National Park

Serengeti – 3 days or longer

The classic Tanzanian safari in the world-famous Serengeti, before or after your cruise. A typical 3-day plan: fly from Zanzibar to Seronera and start with a game drive on the way to your lodge; a full day of game drives on day 2; a last morning game drive before the flight back to Zanzibar. Full board throughout. The Serengeti is a very large park, so trips shorter than 2 nights are not recommended.

Indicative prices*

  • 3 days / 2 nights, 2 guests: USD 2,150 per person
  • 3 days / 2 nights, 4 guests (with hot-air balloon): USD 2,100 per person
  • 3 days / 2 nights, groups of 5+: USD 1,800 per person

Longer itineraries on request.

*Prices are indicative and depend on the season, group size, itinerary and accommodation standard.

  • Includes: transfers, safari game drives, all park fees, flights from and to Zanzibar, accommodation, full board and other activities as described in the itinerary
Ask about this trip
View of the savannah from a safari tent veranda
  • Nyerere
  • Serengeti
  • any park in Tanzania

Tailor-made safari

Every safari is planned around your preferences, travel style and budget – from simple to luxury, from a day trip to several days, in any national park in Tanzania.

Prices on request – we send a personal quote

  • Duration: from 1 day
  • Multi-day safaris usually include: transfers, safari game drives, all park fees, flights from and to Zanzibar, accommodation, full board and other activities as described in the itinerary
Ask about this trip

Safari prices are separate from the charter price. We confirm the full programme and what is included in your personal offer.

Under water

Diving

Dive straight from the catamaran with our partner dive centres. We bring the equipment and dive masters to the yacht, for certified divers and complete beginners.

Scuba diver swimming over a coral reef with fish
  • Mnemba Atoll

Diving at Mnemba Atoll

Mnemba is known for vibrant coral reefs, colourful fish and frequent turtle sightings. We arrange your dives straight from the catamaran – for certified divers and beginners.

Price per person, 2 dives

  • Certified divers: USD 160
  • Without a certificate: USD 140
  • Dives: 2 dives of about 45 minutes
  • Included: diving equipment, transport of the equipment and a divemaster on the catamaran
Ask about this trip
Scuba diver swimming down over the sea floor
  • Menai Bay

Diving in Menai Bay

Dive the protected Menai Bay in the south-west of Zanzibar, arranged straight from the catamaran during your day trip or cruise.

Price per person, 2 dives

  • Certified divers: USD 145
  • Without a certificate: USD 165
  • Dives: 2 dives of about 45 minutes
  • Included: diving equipment, transport of the equipment and a divemaster on the catamaran
Ask about this trip
Whale shark and a diver in blue water
  • Pemba
  • Mafia

Pemba and Mafia

Remote reefs away from the crowds around Pemba and Mafia; off Mafia you may also meet whale sharks.

Prices on request – we send a personal quote

  • Available: only on cruises that sail to Pemba or Mafia
  • Programme: on request
Ask about this trip
Diver over a coral reef
  • Courses
  • Dive charters

Diving courses and dive charters

We organise certified diving courses, and for dive charters we create a custom plan with 15 or more dives in a week at different sites.

Prices on request – we send a personal quote

  • Programme: tailor-made
Ask about this trip

Included in diving: equipment, a divemaster and transport of the equipment to the catamaran. Snorkelling is possible almost everywhere we sail.

All prices are in USD. Where no price is shown, we send you a personal quote.

Book your trip

How to book in 3 easy steps

  1. 1Choose your excursion.
  2. 2Message us on WhatsApp – we check availability and suggest what fits your itinerary.
  3. 3Confirm and receive all the details.

Plan your excursions

Tell us what you would like to add

Send us your dates and your yacht or trip, and we will put together your excursions, safari or diving with a personal quote.

WojciechSales – charters & excursionsWhatsApp +48 698 101 198
VictoriaOn-site manager, ZanzibarWhatsApp +255 673 458 837

or e-mail office@phillipyachtsuncharter.com

See also: Day trips · Cabin cruises · Our yachts · FAQ: safari, diving & excursions