3-Day Stone Town, Prison Island, Salaam Cave & Nungwi Beach — Zanzibar

This 3-day package is our most varied short stay: history, three very different animal encounters and a beach day. Day 1 combines a Stone Town walking tour with a boat trip to Prison Island to meet the giant tortoises, with lunch included. On Day 2 you swim with sea turtles at Salaam Cave in Kizimkazi, then walk in Jozani Forest among the red colobus monkeys. Day 3 is a free beach day at Nungwi or Kendwa. You spend two nights in our private villa with breakfast. Prices run from $320 per person for groups of four or more to $590 for a solo traveller.

The Stone Town walk takes about 2–2.5 hours, and the boat to Prison Island (Changuu) takes about 15–20 minutes from the waterfront. You spend about 1.5–2 hours on the island with the Aldabra giant tortoises, which were first brought from the Seychelles in 1919.

It suits families and first-time visitors who want variety. It builds on our 2-day Stone Town, Prison Island and beach package by adding the turtle swim, Jozani and a second villa night.

Salaam Cave is a natural cave at Kizimkazi, a fishing village on Zanzibar's south coast, with a pool of clear turquoise water. Its highlight is swimming with sea turtles: you swim and snorkel alongside them and tropical fish, then explore the cave's rock formations. It is one of the most memorable wildlife experiences on the island, and families and photographers especially enjoy it.

Few 3-day trips anywhere combine three such different animals. Each is seen in its own setting, and each has simple rules that keep the animals safe.

Read more about the island and its history on our Stone Town and Prison Island tour page.

Day 3 is spent on the north coast, at Nungwi or Kendwa. Both beaches are on the north-west tip of the island, about an hour's drive from Stone Town, and both have a small tidal range, so the sea stays close enough to swim at almost any time of day.

After breakfast your driver takes you to the beach, and the day is yours until your departure transfer. Water sports, boat trips and meals on the beach are paid locally. Our Zanzibar beach guide compares every coast.

Pack light: your luggage stays at the villa for both nights, so you only need a day bag on the excursion days. Day 2 is a swimming day, so keep swimwear and a towel to hand.

• Light clothing that covers your shoulders and knees for Stone Town
• Comfortable walking shoes, plus closed shoes for the Jozani trail
• Swimwear and a towel for Prison Island, Salaam Cave and the beach
• Reef-safe sunscreen, a sun hat and sunglasses
• A dry bag or waterproof pouch for your phone on the boat
• Some cash in US dollars or Tanzanian shillings for snorkel hire, Day 2 lunch, beach meals and tips

Good to Know

• Don't touch, chase or hold the turtles at Salaam Cave, or feed or touch the monkeys in Jozani
• Swimwear is for the beach, the cave pool and the villa; cover up in villages and towns
• Ask before photographing people, and during Ramadan avoid eating or drinking in the street in daylight

The package runs all year. June to October is cooler and drier, which is ideal for the Stone Town walk, the boat crossing and the forest trail. December to February is hot, with calm seas and excellent swimming. In the long rains of April and May showers are common, and if the sea is too rough for the Prison Island boat, your guide adjusts the plan on the day.

Our Zanzibar travel guide covers the seasons month by month.

All four of our 3-day packages include two nights in our private villa with breakfast, swimming with turtles at Salaam Cave and a free beach day on Day 3. They differ in the Day 1 excursion and in whether Day 2 continues to Jozani Forest or leaves the afternoon free.

The lower price applies to groups of four or more and the higher price to a solo traveller. Compare every option on our 3-day Zanzibar packages page, or see the shorter 2-day packages.