Zanzibar Travel Guide
Zanzibar in August
Quick answer
August is dry and clear, with the coolest sea of the year.
Zanzibar in August is dry, clear and busy. Days reach 29.4°C, nights fall to 21.1°C, the sea is 25.8°C, its coolest of the year, and 38 mm of rain falls on about 6 days. The south-east trade wind, the Kusi, is still at its peak and the open east coast has swell. At Boutique Hotel Matlai August is high season: 16 Jun to 15 Oct in 2026.
| Air, day and night | 29.4°C / 21.1°C |
| Sea | 25.8°C on average: the coolest of the year |
| Rain | 38 mm on 6 days; 4 to 105 mm in 30 years |
| Wind | Kusi (south-east), still at its peak |
| Rate season | High: 16 Jun to 15 Oct (2026) |
| Crowds | Peak: book early |
| Last verified | 26 October 2026 |
The numbers
What is the weather in Zanzibar in August?
The table shows July and September beside August, because the three months are nearly one season. Air averages 29.4°C by day and 21.1°C at night, 3.8°C cooler by day than February. The sea holds 25.8°C, with a coolest reading of 25.0°C in the record. A rainy day in the table means 1 mm or more; August has about 6 of them, a little more than July, and fewer than one day with 10 mm.
| Month | Day / night air °C | Rain (mm) and rainy days | Sea °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| July | 29.0 / 22.1 | 31 mm, 4.3 days | 26.2 |
| August | 29.4 / 21.1 | 38 mm, 6.0 days | 25.8 |
| September | 30.4 / 21.0 | 37 mm, 5.1 days | 26.1 |
Air and rain: WMO Climate Normals 1991-2020, Zanzibar (station 63870), published by NOAA, averages for 1991 to 2020. Sea: NOAA Coral Reef Watch 5 km daily sea surface temperature, mean of daily readings 2017 to 2025 for the 5 km cell off Michamvi Pingwe. Typical values, not a forecast.
A word on the source. The air and rain numbers belong to the Zanzibar airport station, which stands on the island's west side, roughly 35 km from our beach as the crow flies. It is the closest long official record there is, but it is not a reading from our own sand. In the 30 years it covers, August rain went from 3.8 mm to 105 mm; the soggiest August still came in below the average November.
The wind and the sea
Is the sea rough in August, and how cool is it?
August belongs to the Kusi, the south-east trade wind that blows roughly from May to October. Air stays dry, humidity stays low and the water holds the best visibility of the year. The price is on the exposed side of the reef: in the middle of the peak the swell is up, boat trips are the first thing to move, and the early hours are the gentle ones. Fishing for reef species is at its best from June to September; the big offshore fish come later, from October.
The sea is at its coolest, 25.8°C, and the villa pools sit near 25°C, which feels fresh rather than warm. September's sea is only 0.3°C warmer. Whatever the month, the tide runs the day: swim from the sand in the 2 to 4 hours around high water, and at low water swim the channel out to the Mchanga sandbank. Each day the tide arrives about 50 minutes later, and the spring tides at full and new moon reach furthest. Seaweed is uncommon now and turns up more between December and March. The tides and swimming guide explains the cycle, and the tide table is in every room.
Price and crowds
What does August cost, and how early should you book?
Our rate sheet puts all of August in high season, which runs 16 Jun to 15 Oct in 2026 and 15 Jun to 31 Oct in 2027. An Asili House double is US$620 a night in 2026 and US$670 in 2027, per room, half board and tax included, with the government's US$4 per person per night infrastructure tax on top. Low season in 2026 costs US$535 for the same room, which is the size of the August premium. Rooms and rates has the whole grid.
From July to September the island is as full as it gets. With six rooms we can lose an entire date band to one party, so August weeks go first. If a few weeks of slack are possible, September gives you the same dry weather and a thinner beach.
What to do
What is August good for, and what is it less good for?
Dry air and clear water decide what August is good for: snorkelling and diving, long days on the sand, and kitesurfing at Paje, where the Kusi is exactly what the lagoon needs (kitesurfing in Zanzibar). It also suits a safari that ends on the coast, since dry weather is when the game gathers. Check the Great Migration calendar first, because where the herds are sets the safari dates and the coast follows.
Where August falls short: a glassy sea, a warm pool and a quiet beach. February and the other Kaskazi months do the first two better; September and October do the third. The best time to visit Zanzibar page lines up all twelve months, with July before this page and September after it. To pick a hotel, read the best hotels in Zanzibar; to pick a coast, where to stay in Zanzibar. This page belongs to the Zanzibar travel guide.
Where these facts come from
Official sources
- NOAA and the World Meteorological Organization: Climate Normals 1991-2020, Zanzibar (station 63870): The monthly air temperature, rainfall and rainy-day averages for 1991 to 2020 at the Zanzibar airport station, which is on the west side of the island.
- NOAA Coral Reef Watch: daily 5 km sea surface temperature: The daily satellite sea temperature for the cell off Michamvi, averaged by month for 2017 to 2025 (2016 and 2022 not retrieved)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Tanzania safety and security: The rainy seasons (end of March to May, October to mid-December) and what heavy rain does to travel.
- Tanzania Meteorological Authority: The official forecasts for Unguja (Zanzibar) and the seasonal rainfall outlooks.
Checked on 26 October 2026. We link to the bodies that set the rules, not to summaries of them. Rules change: check the page itself before you travel.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
What guests ask before booking August, answered with the sourced numbers in the table.
Is August a good time to visit Zanzibar?
Yes, it is one of the two best months for dry weather: 38 mm of rain on 6 days, 29.4°C days and clear water. The costs are a livelier sea on the open east coast, a sea that is at its coolest of the year, and the highest prices and busiest dates of the year.
Is August hotter or cooler than July in Zanzibar?
About the same. Days average 29.4°C in August against 29.0°C in July, and nights 21.1°C against 22.1°C. August has slightly more rain (38 mm against 31 mm) but is still one of the driest months.
Does it rain in Zanzibar in August?
Not much. Over 30 years the weather station has logged 38 mm in an average August, spread over about 6 days that reach 1 mm, and a day with a proper downpour (10 mm) comes less than once a month. The driest August saw 3.8 mm and the wettest 105 mm.
How warm is the sea in Zanzibar in August?
About 25.8°C on average off Michamvi Pingwe, between 25.0 and 26.6°C in the daily satellite readings of 2017 to 2025. It is the coolest sea of the year, still comfortable for swimming, and the villa pools are around 25°C, refreshing rather than warm.
Is the sea rough in August?
It can be lively outside the reef. August is the second month of the Kusi peak, so the swell on the open side sometimes pushes a boat trip to another day. Early morning is the calm part of the day, and the water inside the reef barely moves. None of it stops you swimming off the beach; the tide table does that job.
Is August high season at Matlai?
August is inside our high season: 16 Jun to 15 Oct in 2026, 15 Jun to 31 Oct in 2027. For an Asili House double that means US$620 a night in 2026 and US$670 in 2027, per room with half board, tax included.
Should I choose August or September?
September has almost the same weather (37 mm of rain, 30.4°C days) with a sea that is 0.3°C warmer and fewer people. Choose August only if your dates are fixed by school holidays or a safari. If you can move, early September gives you the same dry season and a quieter beach.
Your stay at Matlai
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Why guests book Matlai
- A team of butlers on call, 07:00 to 22:00. One message and it is arranged.
- Half board with a chef’s menu that changes daily: three courses, plus two à la carte kitchens at every table, Zatiny (Indian Ocean fusion) and Duyên (Vietnamese).
- Dine where you like: in the restaurant, in the garden or on your own balcony. A private table by the beach or a candlelight dinner can be arranged at an extra charge.
- Six rooms in two villas, a pool for each villa, shared by its rooms, and every room facing the sunrise over the ocean.
- Bustani, the garden spa; the sandbank in front of the hotel at low tide; a quiet beach lined with small, family-owned hotels.
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