Zanzibar Travel Guide
Zanzibar in November
Quick answer
November is warm, green and showery.
Zanzibar in November is warm, green and showery. Days reach 31.0°C, nights stay at 23.1°C, the sea is 27.9°C and rain averages 201 mm over 14 days, the start of the short rains. The Kaskazi, the north-east wind, takes over from the Kusi. At Boutique Hotel Matlai November is low season, from 16 Oct to 20 Dec in 2026.
| Air, day and night | 31.0°C / 23.1°C |
| Sea | 27.9°C on average |
| Rain | 201 mm on 14 days; never a dry November in 30 years |
| Wind | Kaskazi (north-east) takes over |
| Rate season | Low: 16 Oct to 20 Dec (2026) |
| Crowds | Quiet until the festive weeks |
| Last verified | 26 October 2026 |
The numbers
What is the weather in Zanzibar in November?
November is the third-wettest month of the year, after April and May. Daytime air is 31.0°C and nights 23.1°C. A rainy day in the table means 1 mm or more; November has 13.7 of them, and 6.2 days with 10 mm or more.
| Month | Day / night air °C | Rain (mm) and rainy days | Sea °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 31.2 / 22.0 | 116 mm, 6.9 days | 26.8 |
| 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, so we print none.
The showers
Is November wet all day, or only some of it?
November is rarely dry and rarely a washout. In 30 years the driest November still had 31.4 mm, and the wettest had 393 mm, so the month always brings some rain and the amount swings by a factor of more than twelve. The UK government gives the rainy seasons on the Tanzanian coast as the end of March to May and October to mid-December. 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.
On the coast, tropical rain tends to arrive as a heavy afternoon burst that clears within the hour, and the mornings and evenings stay free. With 14 wet days in the month, plan on a shower on roughly every second day. Keep a spare day before an international flight, because heavy rain can slow roads and flights, and read the Tanzania Meteorological Authority forecast in the week you travel.
Sea and pool
How warm are the sea and the pool in November?
The sea off Michamvi Pingwe warms to 27.9°C in November, from 26.6°C to 28.9°C in the daily readings. That is 1.1°C warmer than October and 0.8°C cooler than December. The Kaskazi months suit guests who like heat, and the pools at the two villas warm up with the wind. Offshore, the tuna and marlin season runs from October to March.
The tide ignores the month. 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 becomes somewhat more likely from December, not yet in November. Our tides and swimming guide explains the cycle and the tide calendar shows the spring tides.
Price and crowds
What does November cost, and how busy is it?
November is low season on our sheet: 16 Oct to 20 Dec in 2026 and 1 Nov to 22 Dec in 2027. An Asili House double room is US$535 a night in 2026 and US$550 in 2027, per room with half board, tax included; the Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is extra. The grid is on rooms and rates.
The island is quiet. A hotel with six rooms has few guests in the house, and those who are there get a lot of attention. The festive surge starts in the second half of December, so November is the cheap, calm month before it. For the weeks that follow, see Zanzibar in December.
Who it suits
Who should choose November, and who should not?
Choose November if you want a warm sea, a green island, a quiet beach and a lower price, and you can enjoy a book on the terrace while a shower passes. It suits couples, divers and anglers, and travellers who like a quiet coast. Choose another month if you need dry days for a fixed week: June to September is far drier, and Zanzibar in October is the safer half of the shoulder season. The best time to visit Zanzibar page puts every month side by side.
Pack light clothes, a thin rain layer, sun cream and sandals you do not mind getting wet. If a shower catches you, the spa and the terrace are what we do with it. For a hotel choice, see the best hotels in Zanzibar. 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
What guests ask before booking November, answered with the sourced numbers in the table.
Is November a good time to visit Zanzibar?
Yes, if you like warmth and quiet and accept showers. Days average 31.0°C, the sea 27.9°C, and rain falls on about 14 days, mostly as an afternoon burst. It is not the month for guaranteed dry weather; June to September is.
How much does it rain in Zanzibar in November?
On average 201 mm over 14 days with 1 mm or more, and 6 days with 10 mm or more, at the Zanzibar weather station. In 30 years no November was dry: the driest still had 31.4 mm, the wettest 393 mm.
Is November the rainy season in Zanzibar?
It is inside it. The UK government gives the rainy seasons on the Tanzanian coast as the end of March to May and October to mid-December, with a length that varies. The German 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.
How warm is the sea in November?
About 27.9°C on average off Michamvi Pingwe, between 26.6 and 28.9°C in the daily readings of 2017 to 2025. It has warmed by 1.1°C since October and keeps warming into December.
Is November low season at Matlai?
Yes. Low season runs from 16 Oct to 20 Dec in 2026 and from 1 Nov to 22 Dec in 2027. An Asili House double room is US$535 a night in 2026 and US$550 in 2027, per room with half board, tax included.
Is November better than October?
Warmer in the sea and quieter, but wetter: 201 mm against 116 mm, on 14 days against 7. If you can only pick one, early October is the drier bet and November the calmer one.
Is the pool warm in November?
Warmer than in the dry months. The Kaskazi, the north-east wind, takes over from the Kusi in November, and the pools at the villas warm up with it, which suits guests who like heat.
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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