Snorkelling in Zanzibar: The 15 Best Reef Trips

1.Mnemba Island: Dolphin Swim & Snorkeling with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 591 reviews · 3.5 - 5 hours · from $21Our pick

Set out from Muyuni Beach, near Matemwe, for a half-day boat trip around Mnemba Island. You can watch or swim near wild dolphins, snorkel with tropical fish and turtles, then enjoy fruit and drinks. Guides such as Khamis, Ali, Ramadan, and Marco Polo are praised for keeping swimmers safe and helping with photos. Lunch and hotel pickup cost extra.

“We saw lots of dolphins but I didn’t like that the sandbank was full of people exploiting baby monkeys that were stolen from their mums for money. If you go please don’t pay these people for photos it only encourages more of this to happen.”

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2.Mnemba Island snorkeling and Swimming with Dolphin

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 412 reviews · from $55

Leave Mama Mia Beach or Zanzibar’s northern beaches for a small-group boat trip to dolphin waters, Mnemba’s coral gardens, and a sandbank that appears with the tide. Guides such as Hassan, Ludo, and Captain Barnaba focus on support and wildlife care. Pickup is offered, with snorkeling gear provided.

“Collected from the hotel on time. Collected a couple of other clients on the way to the first stop. Great scenery. Great snorkelling. Then followed the dolphins and was able to jump in and view them swimming with our snorkelling gear. Really well organised and friendly team. Thank you. 100% recommend.”

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3.Mnemba Island Dolphin and Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 352 reviews · 4.5 - 6 hours · from $40

From Nungwi or Muyuni, you’ll boat toward Mnemba Atoll to look for bottlenose and humpback dolphins, snorkel with a guide, and stop at shallow water or a sandbank for fresh fruit. Rasheed is a frequently praised guide, though sea conditions, crowds, and dolphin behavior can shape the day.

“Had a brilliant day , didn’t see much of the Dolphins but that’s nature , the snorkelling and the rest of the day was fantastic, highly recommended”

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4.Safari Blue Lagoon Trip with Snorkeling and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 336 reviews · 7 hours · from $90

Spend about seven hours sailing from Fumba to Kwale Sandbank, snorkeling among coral and fish, swimming in a tide-dependent mangrove lagoon, and eating seafood on Kwale Island. Guides such as Omar and Osman are known for lively, attentive hosting. Hotel pickup, equipment, fruit, soft drinks, and lunch are included.

“It was an amazing experience. Our guide Omar was the best. The lunch was rich. we had rice, fried potatoes, calamari, shrimp, octopus, lobster and others. Everything was perfect. we went snorkeling and we saw star fish. The water was amazing. Totally recommend.”

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5.Mnemba Island Dolphin & Snorkeling Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 152 reviews · 4 - 5 hours · from $35

From Matemwe, join a shared boat trip to Mnemba Island for dolphin watching, swimming, a sandbar stop, and snorkeling over coral and tropical fish. Guides such as Lava Lava, Abdul, Nasor, and Lil Nasr are praised for friendly service and help with photos. Expect a 4 to 5 hour outing, $35 plus a $10 island fee, and possible choppy seas.

“i loved the bright blue seas and the beautifull corals. got the opportunity to swim with dolphins and my guide called lavalava, was amazing and made sure i had a perfect experience”

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6.Mnemba island Snorkeling & Boat Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 132 reviews · 6 hours · from $47

You’ll leave your Zanzibar hotel for Mnemba Island with a driver, captain, and English-speaking snorkel instructor. You cannot enter the private island, but you can swim near its reefs, look for colorful fish and coral, and enjoy fresh fruit and an optional seafood lunch. Guides such as Abdul, Hassan, Tom, and Lava Lava have earned warm praise.

“Overall, we enjoyed the outing. It was fun and good value for money. A few things, though: Getting back into the boat from the water was VERY difficult for some of us. They really need a better ladder! Although our guide was friendly and eager, his English was poor. It was difficult to communicate and get relevant information.”

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7.Private Dolphin Tour and Snorkeling at Mnemba Island reef

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 104 reviews · from $104

This three-hour private trip from Zanzibar combines dolphin spotting, snorkeling at Mnemba Island Reef, and a calm sandbank swim. Hotel pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, boat transport, equipment, water, and fruit are included. Guides such as Ahmed and Msomali are praised for patience and personal attention, though timing and communication can vary.

“Excellent experience. Traveled with my mom who has some difficulty swimming. Ahmed and his staff were happy to help her snorkel and ensured we both enjoyed the beautiful underwater sea-life!”

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8.Snorkeling at Mnemba Atoll

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 97 reviews · from $95

Cruise from Zanzibar’s northeast coast to Mnemba Atoll on a private boat, then snorkel among coral, turtles, moray eels, lionfish, and tropical fish. Mody or Hassan may guide your group, with hotel pickup, gear, bottled water, fruit, a seafood lunch, and about five hours on the schedule. Confirm lunch details before booking.

“We were picked up at our hotel and returned complimentary. The things the tour stayed they included were not there —bottled water, seafood lunch was picked up on the way and in a gunnysacks, 3 broken life jackets for 7 of us, old wooden boat with rusty ladder, taken tRead more”

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9.From Paje/Jambian: Safari Blue Snorkelling with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 67 reviews · 8.5 hours · from $90

From Paje or Jambiani, you’ll travel to Fumba for an 8.5-hour dhow trip through Menai Bay. Expect a sandbank, one main snorkeling stop, lagoons, mangroves, uninhabited islands, and a seafood barbecue. Bring water shoes, sun protection, and patience for possible delays.

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10.Private/Sharing: Snorkeling with Dolphins Sandbank in Mnemba

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · from $120Top rated

Set out from Kendwa at 9:00 a.m. on a traditional dhow to snorkel near Mnemba, watch for dolphins, enjoy a seafood and chicken BBQ, and stop at a low-tide sandbank. Crew members may include Matthias, Mbwana, Yusef, or Musa. Water, soft drinks, fruit, gear, and fees are included. The boat returns at sunset.

“We enjoyed our trip to Mnemba with Dream Dhow. We were picked up on time and we did the private tour, which we were glad we did. We booked directly with dream dhow through WhatsApp which was easy and efficient. The communication was good which is always iRead more”

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11.From Nungwi; Mnemba Snorkeling AND Dolphin Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 49 reviews · 6 minutes - 6 hours · from $45

From Nungwi, you’ll take a boat toward Mnemba for reef snorkeling, a chance to see dolphins in the wild, fresh fruit, and time on a shallow-water sandbank. English, French, Italian, and German guides are available. Hotel pickup is optional, and private groups can be arranged.

“It was nice, didn't get to see the dolphins much, so many boats trying to catch the sight at least, it was a nice experience overall”

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12.5-Hour Snorkeling, Swimming with Dolphins and Sea Turtles Aquarium

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 48 reviews · from $60

Spend about five hours from Nungwi exploring Mnemba Atoll, snorkeling among reef fish, searching for dolphins, relaxing on a sandbank, and swimming with sea turtles at a natural lagoon. Suleiman and his small team may help arrange transport, while loaner gear, fruit, snacks, and soft drinks are included. Dolphin sightings are likely but not guaranteed.

“Swimming with the sea turtles one of the turtles bit him butt and he laughed and has not stopped talking about it.”

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13.Fullday trip to Pungume and Uzi Island for Snorkeling and more

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 42 reviews · from $189

From Kizimkazi, you’ll travel by boat to Pungume Reef for snorkeling, pause at a white sandbank for fruit and a seafood lunch, then visit Uzi Island when tides allow. Dolphins may appear along the route, and humpback whales are possible from June to October. Hotel transfers, equipment, drinks, and private transport are included.

“The tour started hour after schedule, the snorkeling spot was disaster which I can’t understand because Mnemba Island is recommended as the best one. Probably hundreds of boats go to the same reef where there is several fishes… Thw one positive aspect that we saw dolphins.”

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14.Snorkeling and swimming with dolphins in mnemba island

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 38 reviews · 4 - 5 hours · from $80

Set out from Muyuni Beach or Nungwi for Mnemba Atoll, where you search for wild dolphins, snorkel from the boat, and stop for fresh fruit and water. Equipment and an English, French, or German-speaking guide are included. Hotel pickup is optional, and private groups can be arranged.

“Amazing day overall, highly recommend. From the beginning we had a great driver, good music, good vibes. Our boat captain and his brothers were excellent, very knowledgeable and made us feel safe. The positive energy from the team was infectious. What a life they live swimming with Dolphins everyday. We saw multiple dolphin pods, got a bit of rain, got a bit of sunshine and we’ll be heading back with some iconic pictures and videos.”

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15.Mnemba Snorkeling, Kuza Cave, Blue Lagoon, Starfish Tour, The Rock Restaurant

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 34 reviews · from $140

Spend about 10 hours exploring Zanzibar by private air-conditioned vehicle, boat, and guide. Snorkel near Mnemba, look for dolphins, swim in Kuza Cave, visit Blue Lagoon and Starfish Beach, then stop at The Rock Restaurant. Guides including Mohammed, Juma, Abdullah, and Saleh have been praised for flexibility and care, but lunch and some snorkeling equipment may cost extra.

“Ausgezeichnete Tour. Unsere Guides Abdullah & Said sowie unsere Fahrer Sadik & Shazil sind auf all unsere Wünsche eingegangen und zeigten eine großartige Flexibilität (insbesondere als uns der Regen überraschte und wir vor der Weiterfahrt einen Stopp im Hotel einlegten). Ohne Einschränkung zu empfehlen! Danke!”

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