Zanzibar Travel Guide
Zanzibar in December
Quick answer
December is two months: the quiet green start and the festive finish.
Zanzibar in December is hot, humid and wet in the first half. Days reach 31.8°C, nights stay at 24.0°C, the sea is 28.7°C and rain averages 168 mm over 12 days, then the festive weeks fill the island. The Kaskazi, the north-east wind, is blowing. At Boutique Hotel Matlai low season runs to 20 Dec in 2026 and festive rates start on 21 Dec.
| Air, day and night | 31.8°C / 24.0°C |
| Sea | 28.7°C on average |
| Rain | 168 mm on 12 days; 30 to 412 mm in 30 years |
| Wind | Kaskazi (north-east): warm and humid |
| Rate seasons (2026) | Low to 20 Dec, festive from 21 Dec |
| Crowds | Quiet until the festive weeks, then the busiest of the year |
| Last verified | 26 October 2026 |
The numbers
What is the weather in Zanzibar in December?
December is the hottest stretch of the second half of the year. Daytime air averages 31.8°C and nights 24.0°C, with 7.4 days of 5 mm or more and 5.2 of 10 mm or more. The sea is 28.7°C, about 0.8°C warmer than in November. A rainy day in the table means 1 mm or more.
| Month | Day / night air °C | Rain (mm) and rainy days | Sea °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | 31.0 / 23.1 | 201 mm, 13.7 days | 27.9 |
| December | 31.8 / 24.0 | 168 mm, 12.2 days | 28.7 |
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.
The air and rain figures come from the weather station at Zanzibar airport, on the west side of the island and about 35 km from our beach in a straight line. It is the nearest official long record, not a reading taken here. Our own records say the south-east gets less rain than Stone Town and the middle of the island, but we have no measured number for that, so we print none.
Two Decembers
Why is the first half of December so different from the second?
The month splits on our rate sheet. In 2026 low season runs to 20 Dec, then festive rates run from 21 Dec to 31 Dec, and the first three nights of January are festive too. In 2027 low season runs to 22 Dec and the festive nights start on 23 Dec. The first half is the island at its quietest and cheapest after the rains of November: green, warm, few other guests, and the best price of the season.
The second half is the other trip. The island and its small hotels are at their fullest, and the beach has other families on it. Whether that is worth the premium depends on whether you want festive energy or quiet. The Christmas and New Year page has the festive dates, the menu and what the evenings are like. Over Christmas and New Year the minimum is 5 nights in 2027/28 (23 December 2027 to 2 January 2028); in 2026/27 (21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) it is just 2 nights.
The price gap is real. For an Asili House double room, half board, tax included, 2026 is US$535 a night in low season and US$695 in the festive weeks; 2027 is US$550 against US$770, and the festive nights from 23 Dec 2027 are by enquiry only. The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is extra. All seasons are on rooms and rates.
The rain
How much rain should you expect in December?
December is the tail of the short rains. The average of 168 mm is spread over 12 wet days, which means a shower on about two days in five, usually in the afternoon. The spread is wide: the driest December in 30 years had 29.9 mm, the wettest, in 1997, had 412.4 mm.
The UK government gives the rainy seasons on the Tanzanian coast as the end of March to May and October to mid-December, so the second half of the month is generally past them. Germany's Foreign Office, in its advice dated 26 October 2026, expects above-average rain in parts of Tanzania from October to December 2026 because of El Niño. I would plan the first half of December for showers and the second half for sun, and treat both as odds, not promises.
Sea and tide
What are the sea, the tide and the seaweed like in December?
The sea off Michamvi Pingwe averages 28.7°C in December, from 27.8°C to 29.7°C in the readings of 2017 to 2025. The pools are warmer too; the Kaskazi months suit guests who like heat. Offshore, the tuna and marlin season runs from October to March.
Tide first. You swim straight off the beach in the 2 to 4 hours around high tide, and at low tide you swim the channel to the Mchanga sandbank; the tide comes about 50 minutes later each day, and the spring tides at full and new moon go furthest out. Seaweed is somewhat more likely from December to March, because the Kaskazi pushes it towards the east coast, and some years there is almost none. It lands on the highest tides, the beach is cleaned every evening, and we never promise a beach without any. The seaweed and tide calendar shows the spring tides, and our tides and swimming guide explains the rest.
Who it suits
Who should choose December, and who should not?
Choose December if you want a warm sea in the northern winter, a green island and a festive week you do not have to cook for. It suits couples after Christmas, families who take a whole villa, and anyone who wants the water as warm as it gets. Choose another month if you need guaranteed dry days: June to September is drier by a wide margin, and the best time to visit Zanzibar page sets all twelve months side by side. If your choice is between hotels rather than months, the page on the best hotels in Zanzibar compares coasts and types.
Pack for heat: light clothes, a thin rain layer, strong sun cream and shoes you can walk a wet path in. Nothing formal is needed. Book the festive fortnight early, because a small hotel sells it out; the first half of the month forgives later planning. This page is part of 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.
- Auswärtiges Amt: Tansania, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise: Germany's travel advice, including its outlook of above-average rain in parts of Tanzania from October to December 2026 (version of 26 October 2026)
- 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
The questions we get before a December booking, answered with the sourced numbers on this page.
Is December a good month to visit Zanzibar?
Yes, for heat and a warm sea: days average 31.8°C and the sea 28.7°C. The cost is rain in the first half, 168 mm over 12 days on average, and a festive fortnight that is the busiest of the year. Early December is quiet and soft in price; the second half is the festive season.
How much does it rain in Zanzibar in December?
On average 168 mm in 12 days with 1 mm or more, and 5 days with 10 mm or more, at the Zanzibar weather station. It varies a lot: in 30 years the driest December had 29.9 mm and the wettest 412.4 mm. Showers are usually short.
When does the festive season start at Matlai?
In 2026 festive rates run from 21 Dec to 31 Dec, and the nights of 1 to 3 January 2027 are festive too. For 2027 the festive nights start on 23 Dec. Over Christmas and New Year the minimum is 5 nights in 2027/28 (23 December 2027 to 2 January 2028); in 2026/27 (21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) it is just 2 nights.
How warm is the sea in Zanzibar in December?
About 28.7°C on average off Michamvi Pingwe, between 27.8 and 29.7°C in the daily readings of 2017 to 2025. That is the warm half of the year, and the pools are warmer than in the dry months too.
Is there seaweed on the beach in December?
Somewhat more than in other months, though some years bring very little. Seaweed comes over the reef on the highest spring tides, around full and new moon, and the Kaskazi pushes more of it towards the east coast from December to March. Our beach is long and open, so the tide usually carries it out again within days, and staff clean the beach every evening. Swimming is always possible.
Is December cheaper than July?
Until the festive weeks, yes. In 2026 an Asili House double room is US$535 a night in low season, to 20 Dec, against US$695 in the festive weeks. Rates are per room and night with half board, tax included.
Can I come with children in December?
Single rooms are for guests aged 14 and over. Younger children come when a whole villa is booked, and a whole villa takes every age. December is a good month for it, because the pools are warm.
Your stay at Matlai
Choose your dates and the booking page opens with them, showing live availability.
Bookings with children go by enquiry: the booking page books adults only, so send us your dates on WhatsApp and we reply with the options. Children under 14 stay with a whole villa. WhatsApp →
These dates are by enquiry only — please email info[at]hotelmatlai.com or WhatsApp +255772628833 and we will confirm availability and rates.
Indicative public rates — the engine shows live availability for your dates.
Welcome drink, kayaks, bicycles and snorkelling gear, free of charge.
Booking with the hotel itself? Ask us what we can offer for your dates.
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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