Best Time to Visit Zanzibar: Weather Month by Month

Q: What is the best time to visit Zanzibar?

July is the best month with 28.0°C highs, 23.0°C lows, 7.1h of sunshine and 18.0% rainy days. The months of July & August offer comparable conditions.

Q: How many hours of sunshine does Zanzibar get in July?

Zanzibar averages 7.1 sunshine hours per day in July. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 8.2/10.

Q: What is the rainiest month in Zanzibar?

April is the most unfavourable month with April has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

Q: What are the temperatures at night in Zanzibar in July?

In July, overnight lows reach 23.0°C, while afternoon highs average 28.0°C.

Q: Is Zanzibar good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Zanzibar scores 5.3/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains July with a score of 8.2/10.

Q: When should you avoid Zanzibar?

April is the most difficult month to visit Zanzibar, with April has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.

Decide

When to visit Zanzibar?

The decision rests on several criteria. Climate score, tourist crowds and feasible activities.

Verdict: In Zanzibar, July and June clearly stand out. April concentrates the least favourable conditions.

Top & avoid

🏆 July · 8.6 June · 8.5 August · 8.5 September · 5.7 ⚠️ April · 4.7

5.4

Jan

5.5

Feb

5.2

Mar

4.7

Apr

5.6

May

8.5

Jun

8.6

Jul

8.5

Aug

5.7

Sep

5.6

Oct

5.3

Nov

5.4

Dec

Best period · ≥ 7 Decent period · 4 – 7 Tough conditions · < 4

What you grasp in 5 seconds

Zanzibar offers 3 comfortable months, without any month really to avoid. The gap stays moderate: 8.6 in July vs 4.7 in April.

What to check next

Your tolerance for crowds and budget. The best months concentrate tourist saturation and higher prices. Shoulder seasons offer a good compromise.

Next action

Scroll down to the detailed table to compare month by month, then open the page of the month that interests you.

Compare the 12 months By your project

How we calculate the score

The score combines 4 weighted criteria using 10 years of real climate data (ERA5).

Source : ERA5 · Open-Meteo · 10 years (2016–2025) · Full methodology →

Understand

Compare all 12 months

Month-by-month details: temperature, rain, sunshine, score and verdict.

✅ 3 comfortable months (Jun · Jul · Aug)

Month	T° min	T° max	Rain %	mm/day	Sun	Score	Verdict
🌥️ January →	26°C	32°C	17%	2.1mm	7.7h	5.4/10	Decent period
🌥️ February →	26°C	32°C	15%	1.4mm	7.7h	5.5/10	Decent period
🌥️ March →	26°C	32°C	26%	3.4mm	6.8h	5.2/10	Decent period
🌥️ April →	25°C	29°C	62%	12.3mm	5.2h	4.7/10	Decent period
🌥️ May →	24°C	28°C	33%	6.0mm	6.4h	5.6/10	Decent period
☀️ June →	23°C	28°C	22%	2.1mm	6.9h	8.5/10	Best period
☀️ July →	23°C	28°C	18%	1.4mm	7.1h	8.6/10	Best period
☀️ August →	22°C	28°C	18%	1.3mm	7.1h	8.5/10	Best period
🌥️ September →	22°C	30°C	18%	1.4mm	7.2h	5.7/10	Decent period
🌥️ October →	23°C	30°C	25%	3.1mm	7.1h	5.6/10	Decent period
🌥️ November →	24°C	30°C	36%	4.3mm	6.5h	5.3/10	Decent period
🌥️ December →	25°C	31°C	29%	3.4mm	6.8h	5.4/10	Decent period

Rain %17%

Decent period

Rain %15%

Decent period

Rain %26%

Decent period

Rain %62%

Decent period

Rain %33%

Decent period

Rain %22%

Best period

Rain %18%

Best period

Rain %18%

Best period

Rain %18%

Decent period

Rain %25%

Decent period

Rain %36%

Decent period

Rain %29%

Decent period

📊 Quick read

Optimal window

Jun → Aug

Good transition

May · Sep

Tough period

none

🌡️ Detailed conditions (July)

🌡️ Feel

Warm

☀️ UV

7.3 · Moderate-Strong

💧 Humidity feel

20°C · Humid

☔ Rain

18% · 1.4 mm/day

🌅 Sunshine

7.1h/day

Week by week

Zanzibar week by week: your odds of avoiding rain

For each week of the year: in how many years out of 10 it was mostly dry (at most 2 rainy days), 2016 to 2025.

Safest week: Jul 23 to Jul 29, mostly dry in 10 years out of 10 (0.5 rainy day(s) on average).

Most exposed: Apr 9 to Apr 15, mostly dry in 0 years out of 10 (5.1 rainy days on average).

Number = years out of 10 with at most 2 rainy days in the week. Source: ERA5 reanalysis (ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, daily data 2016-2025. Rainy day = at least 1 mm, as everywhere on the site.
Jan	Jan 16/1031°C	Jan 88/1031°C	Jan 159/1032°C	Jan 229/1032°C	Jan 298/1032°C
Feb	Feb 59/1032°C	Feb 129/1033°C	Feb 199/1033°C	Feb 267/1033°C
Mar	Mar 58/1033°C	Mar 126/1033°C	Mar 197/1031°C	Mar 264/1031°C
Apr	Apr 23/1029°C	Apr 90/1029°C	Apr 162/1028°C	Apr 232/1028°C	Apr 303/1028°C
May	May 73/1028°C	May 148/1028°C	May 217/1028°C	May 287/1028°C
Jun	Jun 47/1028°C	Jun 119/1028°C	Jun 188/1028°C	Jun 258/1027°C
Jul	Jul 26/1027°C	Jul 98/1027°C	Jul 168/1027°C	Jul 2310/1028°C	Jul 308/1028°C
Aug	Aug 69/1028°C	Aug 139/1028°C	Aug 208/1029°C	Aug 278/1029°C
Sep	Sep 39/1029°C	Sep 109/1030°C	Sep 178/1030°C	Sep 247/1030°C
Oct	Oct 18/1030°C	Oct 88/1030°C	Oct 157/1030°C	Oct 226/1030°C	Oct 297/1030°C
Nov	Nov 56/1030°C	Nov 126/1030°C	Nov 195/1030°C	Nov 264/1030°C
Dec	Dec 35/1030°C	Dec 108/1031°C	Dec 178/1031°C	Dec 246/1031°C

A specific date? The app computes the same figure day by day.

10-year trend

Annual temperatures — Zanzibar

Min/max temperature curves observed over the past 10 years (ERA5). Shows climate stability and trend.

Tailor

For your trip

A few angles depending on what kind of trip you are planning.

🌞 Dry season🏖️ Beaches🌊 Surf

Book

Plan your trip

Hotels at their lowest outside peak season, highest on comfortable months. Shoulder seasons offer a good price/climate compromise.

🏨

Stay

Hotels & rentals · Zanzibar

Expedia →

🎟️

Activities

Tours, tickets, experiences

See ↓

✈️

Flights

Multi-airline comparator

Kiwi →

🎟️ Activities & tours · Zanzibar

GetYourGuide selection · free cancellation

See all →

Affiliate link · GetYourGuide

Practical info

What you need to know before you go

Three angles: the country (language, currency, safety, budget), the year-round climate, and the specifics of a tropical stay.

Country · Tanzania

🗣️LanguageSwahili

💶CurrencyShilling tanzanien (TSh)

🚗DrivingLeft-hand

🛡️Safety ⓘVery safe · 1/5

💰Cost of living ⓘVery cheap · 1/5

🌡️ Climate

🌍Climate typeEquatorial tropical

📈Climate trend ⓘStable

🔥Hottest monthJanuary · 32°C

❄️Coolest monthMay · 28°C

🌧️Rainiest month ⓘApril · 62%

🏝️ Tropical stay

🌞Dry season ⓘMay → Sep

🌧️Wet season ⓘDec → Mar

🌀Cyclones ⓘNone (equator)

Explore

Related destinations & guides

If this destination doesn't fit your dates, here are alternatives and guides.

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Tanzania · Tanzania→

Nearby destinations

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Moshi · Tanzania374 km →

Arusha · Tanzania417 km →

Guides & rankings

World ranking 2026See →

Best summer destinationsSee →

Winter sunSee →

Where to go in JulySee →

🗺️ Climate map of 754 destinations

Location

Where is Zanzibar ?

Global position + regional geographic context.

🌍 World

🔍 Geographic context

Equatorial tropical climate with a 8.6 → 4.7 gap between best and worst month. 10 years of ERA5 data to choose by project.

6.16°S · 39.20°E

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Zanzibar?

July is the best month with 28.0°C highs, 23.0°C lows, 7.1h of sunshine and 18.0% rainy days. The months of July & August offer comparable conditions.

How many hours of sunshine does Zanzibar get in July?

Zanzibar averages 7.1 sunshine hours per day in July. It is the sunniest month with a climate score of 8.2/10.

What is the rainiest month in Zanzibar?

April is the most unfavourable month with April has the lowest climate score of the year and the lowest climate score of the year.

What are the temperatures at night in Zanzibar in July?

In July, overnight lows reach 23.0°C, while afternoon highs average 28.0°C.

Is Zanzibar good in winter?

In winter (December-February), Zanzibar scores 5.3/10 on average — Difficult period — prefer the peak season.. The best month overall remains July with a score of 8.2/10.

When should you avoid Zanzibar?

April is the most difficult month to visit Zanzibar, with April has the lowest climate score of the year. Climate conditions are at their lowest of the year during this period.