What You Need to Know: Our spice farm tour costs US$105 per person, with children paying half (US$52.50). It is one of our guided excursion days: your guide, transport and pickup at your hotel are included. The visit takes about half a day from Stone Town and combines well with a Stone Town walk or a transfer to the beach.
Why Is Zanzibar Called the Spice Island?
In the 19th century, Omani rulers planted cloves across Zanzibar and the neighboring island of Pemba, and for a time the islands were among the world's largest producers. The trade made Stone Town rich, and it was built on the labor of enslaved people, a history our guides explain on the Stone Town tour. Cloves are still grown and exported today, alongside smaller crops of other spices for local cooking and visitors.
What Do You See on a Spice Farm Tour?
A local farm guide walks you through the plantation, picking leaves, bark and pods for you to smell and guess before telling you what they are:
- Cloves, the flower buds of a tall tree, picked by hand and dried in the sun
- Nutmeg, whose seed is wrapped in red mace
- Cinnamon, cut as bark from the tree, and its root, which smells of camphor
- Vanilla, an orchid vine whose flowers are pollinated by hand
- Black pepper, cardamom, turmeric, ginger and lemongrass
- Tropical fruit in season, such as jackfruit, rambutan, mango, starfruit and coconut, to taste at the end
Many farms finish with a farmer climbing a coconut palm, and the guides often weave hats and bracelets from palm leaves for you. You can buy spices, oils and soaps at the farm, but there is never any obligation.
How Long Is the Spice Farm Tour?
The farms are about 30 to 40 minutes' drive from Stone Town, and the walk itself takes about an hour and a half, so plan on three to four hours from your hotel. It fits a morning or an afternoon. Because the farms lie between Stone Town and the east and north coasts, we often include the visit on your transfer to the beach, as on our 8-day Zanzibar holiday, so you don't spend an extra day on the road.
How Much Does a Spice Farm Tour Cost?
Prices and what they include:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | US$105 per person |
| Children | Half price, US$52.50 |
| Included | Your guide, transport and pickup and drop-off at your hotel |
| Not included | Spices or souvenirs you buy, tips, lunch unless arranged, Zanzibar's inbound travel insurance |
Guided excursion days cost US$105 per person (children half) and include your guide, transport and pickup at your hotel. Activities run by other vendors are paid separately unless they are named in your itinerary. Every foreign visitor to Zanzibar needs the government's inbound travel insurance, US$44 per adult; if your trip starts on the mainland, the mainland policy covers Zanzibar too. See Zanzibar entry requirements.
Who Enjoys the Spice Farm Tour Most?
Families, cooks and anyone curious about where their food comes from. Children like the smelling game, the fruit and the palm climbing, which is why the tour is part of our 6-day Zanzibar family holiday. It is also one of the best things to do on a rainy day, because much of the walk is under the trees, and it is gentle enough for any fitness level.
| This safari suits you if… | Consider another trip if… |
|---|---|
| You enjoy food, plants and local life | You want time on the water: Safari Blue or Mnemba snorkeling |
| You're traveling with children | You'd rather see wildlife: the red colobus monkeys of Jozani Forest |
| You want a half day that fits a transfer | You want history above all: the Stone Town tour |
Combining the Spice Farm with Other Trips
The spice farm is easy to pair with another half day, so you see more without an extra early start:
- Stone Town and the spice farm: a guided walk in the morning, the farm after lunch
- Jozani Forest and the spice farm: monkeys in the morning, spices on the way back, as on our family holiday
- The spice farm on your beach transfer: on the way from Stone Town to the north or east coast
How to Book the Spice Farm Tour
Tell us your hotel, the date and how many adults and children are coming, through the form, on WhatsApp +255 678 992 599 or by email to jaynevytours@gmail.com. You get a written itinerary and price naming each place you sleep. Paying a 30% deposit secures the trip; the remainder is due on arrival, through Pesapal (card or mobile money) or a bank transfer in US dollars, and our booking terms set out what happens if you cancel.
Common Questions About the Spice Farm Tour
Short answers to the questions our guests ask us most often:
How much is a spice tour in Zanzibar?
With us, US$105 per person and US$52.50 for children, including your guide, transport and hotel pickup.
How long does a Zanzibar spice tour take?
About three to four hours from Stone Town, including the drive of 30 to 40 minutes each way and a walk of about an hour and a half.
Is the spice tour good for children?
Yes. Children enjoy smelling and guessing the spices, tasting fruit and watching the palm climbing, and they pay half price.
Do you have to buy spices at the farm?
No. Spices and oils are on sale at the end, but buying is entirely up to you.
Can we do the spice tour on a rainy day?
Yes. Much of the walk is under the trees, which makes it one of the better trips in light rain.
Should You Book the Spice Farm Tour?
Book it if you want a relaxed, hands-on half day that explains why Zanzibar became the Spice Island, for US$105 per person and half price for children. Pair it with Stone Town or Jozani Forest, or see our Zanzibar holidays, several of which include it.