City Tours · Zanzibar
Zanzibar Spice Farm Tour
Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, picked and crushed in your hand.
- Duration
- Half day (approximately 4 hours)
- City
- Zanzibar
- Travel style
- Private
- Price
- On request
- Itemised quotation — no hidden costs.
Spices have shaped Zanzibar for two centuries. Cloves in particular were planted across the islands in the nineteenth century and became the mainstay of the economy, grown on plantations whose labour was, for much of that period, enslaved. Today production is smaller and much of it is in the hands of smallholders, but the trees are still everywhere and the smell of drying cloves is part of the island.
A spice farm visit is a simple, sensory couple of hours rather than a lecture. You walk shaded paths while your guide points out and opens things up: the clove buds picked before they flower, nutmeg in its red mace, cinnamon bark scraped from a cut branch, a vanilla vine hand-pollinated flower by flower, lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and black pepper. Fruit is picked and cut as it ripens, so what you taste depends on the season. Most farms offer a Swahili lunch and a chance to buy spices directly, which we will confirm when we quote.
Highlights
- A guided walk through a working spice farm, touching, smelling and tasting as you go
- Cloves, nutmeg and mace, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric and ginger
- A vanilla vine, and an explanation of why vanilla is expensive
- Seasonal tropical fruit tasting — jackfruit, custard apple, passion fruit and more, depending on the month
- A Swahili lunch at the farm, where it is offered
- Spices and oils to buy directly from the growers
The day
Where we’ll stop
- 1
Drive out of Stone Town
Typically around 30 to 45 minutes to the spice-growing area north and east of the town, through villages and plantation country.
- 2
The spice walk
A slow, shaded walk with a farm guide who picks and crushes as you go. Expect to be handed leaves, bark, roots and buds and asked to guess — most people get fewer right than they expect.
- 3
Cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon
The three that built the island’s trade, seen growing and explained from tree to drying yard. Cloves are harvested seasonally, so whether you see picking in progress depends on the month.
- 4
Fruit tasting
Whatever is ripe that week, cut and shared: jackfruit, custard apple, star fruit, passion fruit, coconut. Tell us in advance about any allergies.
- 5
Swahili lunch
Rice cooked with the farm’s own spices, coconut curry and vegetables, served at the farm where it is on offer. Vegetarian options are usually straightforward here.
- 6
The farm shop
Spices, oils and soaps sold directly. Prices are modest and buying here supports the farm, but there is no obligation.
Included
- Private vehicle with a professional driver-guide
- Spice farm entrance and the farm guide, where stated in your quotation
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Stone Town, or transfer from beach hotels where agreed
Not included
- Tips for your guide and the farm guide
- Meals and drinks, unless stated in your quotation
- Spices, oils and souvenirs bought at the farm
- Camera fees, where the farm charges them
Request a quote
Book this tour
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We’ll send an itemised price — what’s included, what isn’t, and nothing hidden.
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