Who actually runs a Zanzibar excursion
A Zanzibar day trip usually passes through two or three hands. A local agency or boat owner runs the trip. A reseller sells it: a hotel desk, a beach seller, a tour rep or an online platform. The two big destination management companies (DMCs) also handle transfers, hotels and excursions for foreign tour operators.
On GetYourGuide and Headout, the platform is not the operator. Both say in their terms that your contract is with the supplier who runs the trip. The supplier's name is shown on the listing and on your voucher. That is the company to check.
How to check an operator
- ZATO member list. The Zanzibar Association of Tour Operators publishes its members on its own site. When we checked, it listed 146 companies, including ZanTours and Colors of Zanzibar. Mainland safari companies based in Arusha or Moshi are not ZATO members. For them, look for TATO, the mainland association.
- The supplier name on the listing. Look it up and compare it with the name on your voucher.
- Brand names. "Safari Blue" is a trade name of one company at Fumba, but many other boats use it. See Safari Blue: the original and the copies.
- A written itinerary. It should give the pickup time, what is included (park or conservation fees, lunch, transfers) and the cancellation deadline.
Ways to book
| Channel | Who you pay | Cancellation | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | GetYourGuide, as the supplier's agent | Default: full refund up to 24 h before, unless the listing says otherwise | Supplier name, inclusions |
| Headout | Headout, for the supplier | Set by the supplier, shown on the listing | Read the listing's policy |
| Local agency, direct | The agency | The agency's own terms | Get a receipt and the terms in writing |
| Beach seller | Usually cash to the seller | Rarely written down | Who runs the boat |
For a fuller comparison of the platforms, Viator, TourRadar and SafariBookings, see where to book Zanzibar tours.
Operator profiles on this site
- ZanTours and Colors of Zanzibar: the two big Stone Town DMCs. You book them by enquiry, and much of their work is for the travel trade.
- Safari Blue: the original and the copies: how to tell the Fumba company from boats that use the same name.
- Fly-in safari specialists: mainland safari companies that sell Serengeti, Nyerere and Saadani trips from Zanzibar, usually as a quote.
For fixed-price trips you can book and cancel online, start with the 1-day safari by plane or things to do in Zanzibar.