Quick Answer
Zanzibar’s spice tours run in the Kizimbani and Kindichi areas, half an hour from Stone Town, covering cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and ylang-ylang. A good tour walks the plots and includes a meal cooked with the spices; a weak one goes straight to a sales table.
Zanzibar earned the name Spice Island under Omani rule, when cloves reshaped the whole economy. The plantations are still working smallholdings, and a good tour is one of the most enjoyable half-days on the island.
What to Expect on a Zanzibar Spice Tour
1. Zanzibar, the Spice Island
Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper were planted here under Omani rule and reshaped the island’s economy entirely. The plantations north and east of Stone Town still work.
2. Kizimbani and Kindichi
The two areas where most spice tours run, half an hour from Stone Town, with smallholdings rather than estates.
3. Cloves — the island's signature
Zanzibar and Pemba were once the largest clove producers on earth. The buds are picked unopened and dried on mats by the roadside.
4. The lipstick tree
Annatto pods, whose seeds give a vivid red dye still used as a cosmetic and a food colouring. A standard and genuinely fun stop on every tour.
5. Ylang-ylang and lemongrass
Grown for oils rather than cooking, and the reason parts of the island smell the way they do.
6. Stone Town's markets
Darajani market for the everyday trade, and the lanes around it for spice blends sold to visitors — buy from the market, not the lanes.
7. What a good tour includes
Walking the plots, tasting fruit picked in front of you, and a meal cooked with the spices. The weakest tours skip straight to a sales table.
8. Zanzibar pizza and the night market
Forodhani Gardens on the seafront fills with food stalls each evening — touristy but genuinely enjoyable, and best approached with normal street-food caution.
9. Respectful dress
Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim and conservative outside the beach resorts. Cover shoulders and knees in Stone Town and villages.
10. Combining with the coast
Most visitors pair a spice tour with the east-coast beaches or a dhow trip — the island is small enough to do both easily.
Choosing a tour and buying well
Book through your accommodation or a licensed operator rather than a street tout, and ask two questions: does the tour walk the plantation, and does it include a meal? Those two things separate a genuine half-day from a shopping trip with a garden attached.
Go in the morning, when it is cooler and the plots are being worked. Wear closed shoes — the ground is uneven and often damp — and bring insect repellent, since the plantations are humid and shaded.
Buy spices at Darajani market in Stone Town rather than at the plantation sales table, where prices are set for visitors. Whole cloves and cinnamon quills travel well; loose blends are frequently padded with cheaper filler. And note that Zanzibar is conservative outside the resorts — modest dress is expected in town and in the villages you pass through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Zanzibar spice tours worth it?
Yes, if you choose one that walks the plantation and includes a meal. Avoid tours that go straight to a sales table.
What spices grow in Zanzibar?
Cloves above all, plus nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, vanilla and ylang-ylang.
How long does a spice tour take?
About half a day, including travel from Stone Town.
