Tanzania
Zanzibar in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonWarm, humid and very wet.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 7.6What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.0
- ✓Warm (31°C highs / 23°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.3°C)
- !Wet: ~262 mm rain, ~8 heavy-rain days
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~5 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards9.5
- !Flood: ~8 heavy-rain days in an average May
- Safety baseline6.5
- ·Increased caution
| May | Jul | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.6 Very good | 9.0 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 31° / 23° | 29° / 21° |
| Rain | 262 mm | 45 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 23° | dew pt 21° |
| PM2.5 | 5 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Zanzibar City weather-station normals. Rainfall: Zanzibar City weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Eid al-Adha 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: International Workers' Day (1 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore ZanzibarEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyAn archipelago off Tanzania known for the historic Stone Town, spice plantations and white-sand beaches on the Indian Ocean.
Long rainsDate variesUsually March to May
Heaviest rain of the year.
Why go: Some hotels close.
Where: Island-wide
Coming up later
Zanzibar Revolution DayEvery year12 January every year
Public holiday marking the 1964 revolution, with official ceremonies.
Why go: Government offices and some businesses close.
Where: Across the islands
Stone Town
A UNESCO-listed old town of Swahili, Arab, Indian and European architecture.
Spice tours
Plantation tours to see cloves, nutmeg and other spices.
Prison Island (Changuu)
An island with giant Aldabra tortoises.
Jozani Forest
Home to the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey.
Nungwi and Kendwa beaches
Beaches in the north where the tide goes out less than on the east coast.
Mnemba Atoll
A protected reef off the north-east coast used for snorkelling and diving.
Zanzibar pizza
A stuffed, folded crepe-like snack.
💡 Forodhani Gardens night market
Urojo
A tangy, slightly spicy soup with bhajias and potatoes, also called Zanzibar mix.
💡 Street stalls
Biryani and pilau
Spiced rice dishes.
💡 Local restaurants
Seafood
Grilled fish and octopus.
💡 Forodhani Gardens
Spices
Cloves, vanilla and cinnamon.
💡 Darajani Market
Kanga
Printed cloth with Swahili sayings.
💡 Stone Town shops
Zanzibar doors replicas
Small carved wooden items inspired by Zanzibar's ornate studded doors.
💡 Craft shops