The 13 Best Cruises & Boat Tours in Tanzania

1.Mnemba Boat Trip and Dolphin Snorkel Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,043 reviews · 4 hours · from $50Our pick

Swim with dolphins, snorkel Mnemba Atoll, and enjoy fresh fruit on a four-hour boat trip from Kendwa for $50.

“The tour was simply amazing. We swam with many dolphins, and it was an unforgettable experience. What we really appreciated was that the dolphins were not chased. Sometimes we were completely alone with them in the open sea, which felt very special and respectful. The driver and the guide were incredibly kind and friendly. We also enjoyed delicious fresh fruit on the sandbank. There was enough time for snorkeling around Mnemba Island, and we never felt rushed. We highly recommend this tour!”

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2.Prison Island and Nakupenda Boat Trip with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 882 reviews · 6 - 9 hours · from $39

Review of Zanzibar’s Prison Island and Nakupenda boat trip, with giant tortoises, snorkeling, seafood barbecue, and practical booking advice.

“Fun day exploring and our guide Milano made it lots of fun”

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3.Prison Island & Nakupenda Boat Tour with BBQ Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 554 reviews · 3 - 8 hours · from $35

Sail from Stone Town to Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank for giant tortoises, snorkeling, seafood BBQ, and tropical fruit.

“Amazing experience! And please keep singing Jambo Bwana at the end of the trip, it really adds authenticity to the overall experience”

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4.Mnemba Island Dolphin & Snorkeling Boat Trip

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

A practical review of Matemwe’s Mnemba Island boat trip, with snorkeling, dolphin spotting, fresh fruit, hotel pickup, and honest value advice.

“10/10. Would recommend Mr Abdul. He was very fun and knowledgeable. Very good experience. Would book again because of Mr Abdul”

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5.Sunset Dhow Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 141 reviews · 3 - 4 hours · from $19Best value

Watch Zanzibar’s sunset from a wooden dhow with live drumming, fresh fruit, swimming, hotel pickup, and a $19 price tag.

“The drummers and staff were the highlight. Was a good length of time on the sea. If you get seasick easily then I do not advise. The provided fruit and drinks. Just wished the people on my boat were happier. Great value for money”

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6.Mnemba island Snorkeling & Boat Tour with Lunch

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

Review of Zanzibar’s Mnemba Island snorkeling tour, with boat time, coral reefs, seafood lunch, hotel pickup, value, and practical tips.

“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.Sunset party cruise in Zanzibar with BoomBoom Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 76 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $25

Review of BoomBoom Boat’s $25 Zanzibar sunset party cruise, with music, swimming, fruit, and views along Nungwi and Kendwa.

“Loved it! Great fun but chilled party vibes. Met some great people too! Music was awesome!”

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8.Mnemba Boat Trip and Dolphin Snorkel Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 39 reviews · 4 hours · from $50

Review of the Nungwi to Mnemba boat trip, with dolphin spotting, reef snorkeling, a sandbank stop, practical tips, and honest value advice.

“Overall, 3/5 is fair. Dolphin snorkelling - a group of 10-15 boats were in the same area, and as soon as dolphins were spotted, all raced towards it. If you weren’t in the first boat, the dolphins were scared away by the time you got there. Still, the thrill of racing towards dolphins and jumping out of a moving boat felt like something out of a Mission Impossible movie, an expected adrenaline rush. The Mnemba Boat Trip - truly beautiful. Unfortunately, the journey from the dolphins to the island took an unexpectedly long time, but when we arrived, we were treated to some time on a sandbank where we were…”

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9.Nungwi Sunset Dhow Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 39 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $19

Sail from Nungwi on a traditional dhow for sunset views, tropical fruit, local drumming, dancing, and an optional swim for $19.

“Lovely experience. Drummers and singers are loud if you sit near the front of the boat, so sit near the back if you have sensitive ears.”

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10.Full-Day Blue Lagoon and Sandbank Boat Tour from Zanzibar ( Safari blue)

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 35 reviews · from $100

Review the Zanzibar Safari Blue tour, with dhow sailing, Kwale Island, snorkeling, sandbanks, seafood lunch, costs, and practical tips.

“A nice trip , where we seen beautiful places . The sea food was very nice too. Our Gide was very nice & professional.”

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11.Maasai village Tour with Sunset Dhow Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 32 reviews · 3 - 5.5 hours · from $52

Visit Maasai World Village, wear traditional attire, then sail Zanzibar’s coast on a shared dhow cruise with sunset views and fruit.

“It’s was very nice tour ever , we experience a lot of culture from Masai and the sunset was amazing! I really recommend it”

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12.Private Sail to Pungume Sandbank with BBQ Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · 4 - 6 hours · from $85

Sail from Zanzibar to Pungume Sandbank for dolphin spotting, snorkeling, a seafood BBQ, and a private half-day on clear southern waters.

“Superbe activité, le guide était savant. Il connaissait la biodiversité, l’histoire du pays… la croisière était calme privée et surtout plaisante. Merci beaucoup à notre guide.”

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13.Sunset Dhow Cruise Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 22 reviews · from $39

Review of Stone Town's $39 sunset dhow cruise, with coastal views, local snacks, music, timing, meeting point tips, and honest value advice.

“Really enjoyable time, but it lasted about 1 hour and 20 minutes, not 2 hours as advertised”

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