Zanzibar Travel Guide
Zanzibar in October
Quick answer
October is the month the dry season hands over to the rains.
Zanzibar in October is warm, mostly dry and uncertain at the end. Days reach 31.2°C, nights fall to 22.0°C, the sea is 26.8°C and rain averages 116 mm over 7 days, yet in 30 years the monthly total has run from 4 to 530 mm. The south-east trade wind, the Kusi, is in its last month and the short rains begin. At Boutique Hotel Matlai, rates move from high to low season on 16 Oct in 2026.
| Air, day and night | 31.2°C / 22.0°C |
| Sea | 26.8°C on average |
| Rain | 116 mm on 7 days; 4 to 530 mm in 30 years |
| Wind | Last month of the Kusi (south-east) |
| Rate season | High to 15 Oct, low from 16 Oct (2026) |
| Crowds | Thinning after the July to September peak |
| Last verified | 26 October 2026 |
The numbers
What is the weather in Zanzibar in October?
October sits between the driest months and the wettest ones, so the table shows September and November beside it. Daytime air is 31.2°C on average and the nights are 22.0°C, which is warmer than September by about 0.8°C by day and by about a degree at night. A rainy day here means 1 mm or more; October has 6.9 of them, and 2.7 days with 10 mm or more.
| Month | Day / night air °C | Rain (mm) and rainy days | Sea °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 30.4 / 21.0 | 37 mm, 5.1 days | 26.1 |
| October | 31.2 / 22.0 | 116 mm, 6.9 days | 26.8 |
| November | 31.0 / 23.1 | 201 mm, 13.7 days | 27.9 |
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.
One caution about where the air and rain numbers come from. The Zanzibar weather station sits at the airport on the west side of the island, about 35 km from our beach in a straight line. It is the nearest official long record, not a measurement 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 figure to put against the station, so we print none.
The rain
How wet is October, and how wrong can the average be?
The average of 116 mm hides the real story: October is the most unpredictable month of the year. Over the 30 years behind the averages the driest October had 4.1 mm and the wettest 530.2 mm, and the wettest, in 2019, was more than four times the average.
The official advice agrees on the shape. The UK government says the rainy seasons on the Tanzanian coast generally run from the end of March to May and from October to mid-December, and that their length varies. Germany's Foreign Office, in its advice of 26 October 2026, expects above-average rain in parts of Tanzania from October to December 2026 because of El Niño. Neither can tell you which days.
On this coast tropical rain tends to arrive as a heavy afternoon burst that clears within the hour, so a wet week is a run of dark afternoons rather than a grey fortnight. Keep a day of slack before a flight home, because heavy rain can slow roads and flights, and read the Tanzania Meteorological Authority forecast in the week you travel.
Sea and tide
How warm is the sea, and what does the tide do in October?
The sea off Michamvi Pingwe averages 26.8°C in October, from 25.7°C on the coolest day in the record to 28.1°C on the warmest. It is the month it turns: 26.1°C in September, 27.9°C in November. The two villa pools are still in their cooler season, at around 25°C, which feels refreshing rather than warm. Offshore, the big-fish season for tuna and marlin runs from October to March, according to the charter company our guests fish with.
The tide ignores the calendar. You swim straight off the beach in the 2 to 4 hours around high tide, and at low tide you swim the short channel to the Mchanga sandbank. The tide comes about 50 minutes later each day, and the spring tides around full and new moon go furthest out. Our tides and swimming guide explains the cycle, and the tide calendar shows the spring tides month by month. Every room has the tide table.
Price and crowds
What does October cost, and how busy is it?
October is where our season grid changes, and the change depends on the year. In 2026 high season runs to 15 Oct and low season starts on 16 Oct: an Asili House double is US$620 a night before and US$535 from then. In 2027 high season runs through 31 Oct, at US$670, and low season starts on 1 Nov, at US$550. Those are public rack rates per room and night with half board, tax included; the Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is extra. The full grid is on rooms and rates.
The island is quieter than in July, August and September, and small hotels book less far ahead. We have six rooms, so a month that is not full is a month with a lot of attention for each guest.
And November?
How does October compare with November?
November, covered in full on Zanzibar in November, is the short-rains month proper: 201 mm on 14 days, with the wettest November on record at 393 mm. The air stays at 31.0°C by day and the sea warms to 27.9°C, so it is a warm, green, quiet month. The Kaskazi, the north-east wind, takes over. Rain is the price, and it usually comes in the afternoon. If you can pick, early October is drier and November is quieter; the month between them is the gamble.
Travellers who add a safari should look at the Great Migration calendar first, because the herds decide the safari half of the trip and Zanzibar fits around them.
Who it suits
Who should choose October, and who should not?
Choose October if you want a hot, quiet beach, a sea that is already warming and a lower price than the summer peak, and you can live with a wet afternoon. It suits couples, divers and fishers, and anyone finishing a safari. Choose another month if you have one fixed week and need dry weather; June to September is safer, and the best time to visit Zanzibar page sets all twelve months side by side. For a hotel on the south-east coast in particular, see the best time to visit Michamvi Pingwe.
Pack for heat and one wet afternoon: light clothes, a thin rain layer, and sun cream as strong as in any other month. Nothing formal. If a shower catches you, the spa, the cinema evening and the terrace are what we do with it; it is one reason to stay on the east coast, where the hotel is the holiday. Compare coasts on where to stay 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 October, answered with the same sourced numbers as the table.
Is October a good time to visit Zanzibar?
Yes, if you accept some rain. Days average 31.2°C, the sea 26.8°C and most days are dry: on average 6.9 days in the month bring 1 mm or more. The risk is the end of the month, when the short rains can start. For the driest beach weather choose June to September; October is the month to take for warmth and a quieter beach.
Does it rain every day in Zanzibar in October?
No. At the Zanzibar weather station the month brings 1 mm or more on about 7 days and 10 mm or more on about 3. The rain usually arrives as a shower and clears. What varies is the total: in 30 years the driest October had 4.1 mm and the wettest 530.2 mm.
How warm is the sea in Zanzibar in October?
About 26.8°C on average off Michamvi Pingwe, between 25.7 and 28.1°C in the daily satellite readings of 2017 to 2025. That is 0.7°C warmer than September and 1.1°C cooler than November.
Is October high season or low season at Matlai?
It depends on the year. In 2026 high season ends on 15 Oct and low season starts on 16 Oct. In 2027 high season runs through 31 Oct, and low season starts on 1 Nov. Rates are on the rooms and rates page, half board, tax included.
Should I choose October or November?
October is drier (116 mm against 201 mm) and has fewer rainy days (7 against 14). November is warmer in the sea (27.9°C) and usually quiet and soft in price, with the rain mostly in the afternoon. If you can move your dates, early October is the safer half.
Will the rains be heavier than usual in October 2026?
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. A month-long outlook cannot say which days will be wet, so plan a day of slack before your flight home and check the Tanzania Meteorological Authority in the week you travel.
How do the tides work in October?
The same as in every 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 around full and new moon go furthest out. We give you the tide table for your dates.
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.
TripAdvisor 4.9/5 · 381+ reviews · Google 4.8/5