Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: Djibouti is at US State Dept Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) for terrorism, rising to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) within about 10km of the Eritrea border in the Tadjoura and Obock regions, where landmines remain a risk, and the UK FCDO advises against all travel to that border strip.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: Djibouti sits at US State Dept Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) for terrorism, rising to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) within about 10km of the Eritrea border in the Tadjoura and Obock regions, where landmines remain a risk, and the UK FCDO advises against all travel to that border strip.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: Djibouti is at US State Dept Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) for terrorism, rising to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) within about 10km of the Eritrea border in the Tadjoura and Obock regions, where landmines are a real risk, and the UK FCDO advises against all travel to that border strip.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: Djibouti carries a US State Dept Level 2 advisory (Exercise Increased Caution) for terrorism, rising to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) within about 10km of the Eritrea border in the Tadjoura and Obock regions, where landmines are a real risk, and the UK FCDO advises against all travel to that border strip.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The US State Department raised São Tomé and Príncipe to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” on April 8, 2026, over 2026 election season unrest risk (legislative elections remain pending for late September 2026) and very limited medical and evacuation capacity on both islands.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: Djibouti is at US State Dept Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) for terrorism, stepping up to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) within about 10km of the Eritrea border in the Tadjoura and Obock regions, where landmines remain a risk, and the UK FCDO advises against all travel to that border strip.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The US State Department raised São Tomé and Príncipe to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” on April 8, 2026, over 2026 election season unrest risk (legislative elections are still pending for late September 2026) and very limited medical and evacuation capacity on both islands.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The US State Department raised São Tomé and Príncipe to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” on April 8, 2026, citing 2026 election season unrest risk (legislative elections remain pending for late September 2026) and very limited medical and evacuation capacity.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The US State Department raised São Tomé and Príncipe to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” on April 8, 2026, over 2026 election season unrest risk (legislative elections are still pending for late September 2026) and very limited medical and evacuation capacity.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The US State Department raised São Tomé and Príncipe to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” on April 8, 2026, citing political unrest risk tied to the 2026 election season (legislative elections are still pending for late September 2026) plus very limited medical and evacuation capacity.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: Djibouti sits at US State Dept Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) for terrorism, rising to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) within about 10km of the Eritrea border in the Tadjoura and Obock regions, where landmines are a real risk, and the UK FCDO advises against all travel to that border strip.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. The US State Department raised São Tomé and Príncipe to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” on April 8, 2026, over political unrest risk tied to the 2026 election season (legislative elections are still pending for late September 2026) and very limited medical and evacuation capacity on the islands.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Know the map before you book. Nigeria’s main visitor circuit, Lagos, Abuja, and Cross River/Calabar, is visitable with sensible precautions. Governments including the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel to other specific regions: the northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, an active insurgency), the northwest and north-central “Middle Belt” (Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, kidnapping and banditry), the Niger Delta (militancy and kidnapping), and parts of the southeast (separatist unrest).

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Know the map before you book. Nigeria’s main visitor circuit, Lagos, Abuja, and Cross River/Calabar, is visitable with sensible precautions. Governments including the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel to other specific regions: the northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, an active insurgency), the northwest and north-central “Middle Belt” (Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, kidnapping and banditry), the Niger Delta (militancy and kidnapping), and parts of the southeast (separatist unrest).

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Know the map before you book. Nigeria’s main visitor circuit, Lagos, Abuja, and Cross River/Calabar, is visitable with sensible precautions. Governments including the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel to other specific regions: the northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, an active insurgency), the northwest and north-central “Middle Belt” (Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, kidnapping and banditry), the Niger Delta (militancy and kidnapping), and parts of the southeast (separatist unrest).

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Know the map before you book. Nigeria’s main visitor circuit, Lagos, Abuja, and Cross River/Calabar, is visitable with sensible precautions. Governments including the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel to other specific regions: the northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, an active insurgency), the northwest and north-central “Middle Belt” (Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, kidnapping and banditry), the Niger Delta (militancy and kidnapping), and parts of the southeast (separatist unrest).

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Know the map before you book. Nigeria’s main visitor circuit, Lagos, Abuja, and Cross River/Calabar, is visitable with sensible precautions. Governments including the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel to other specific regions: the northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, an active insurgency), the northwest and north-central “Middle Belt” (Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, kidnapping and banditry), the Niger Delta (militancy and kidnapping), and parts of the southeast (separatist unrest).

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Know the map before you book. Nigeria’s main visitor circuit, Lagos, Abuja, and Cross River/Calabar, is visitable with sensible precautions. Governments including the US State Department and UK FCDO currently advise against travel to other specific regions: the northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, an active insurgency), the northwest and north-central “Middle Belt” (Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, kidnapping and banditry), the Niger Delta (militancy and kidnapping), and parts of the southeast (separatist unrest).

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Seven days is enough for the fullest realistic loop of Lesotho: the Maseru-area lowlands, both highland spokes at Semonkong and Malealea, and a genuine push north to Katse Dam. It builds directly on the 6 day itinerary , swapping that trip’s northern Ts’ehlanyane detour for the longer drive to Katse, and adding a lowlands day at Morija and TY.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Six days is where Lesotho stops being just a south-of-Maseru trip. This plan keeps the 5 day itinerary’s Mohale, Semonkong, and Malealea route, then adds a sixth day heading north to Ts’ehlanyane National Park, a completely different landscape of indigenous highland forest around Maliba Lodge.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Five days adds a genuine highlands day trip, the Mohale Dam, to the Semonkong-and-Malealea loop that anchors the 4 day itinerary . Mohale is an easy insert because it sits on a surfaced road and is doable in a single day out of Maseru, before you commit to the longer Semonkong and Malealea legs.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Four days is the sweet spot for pairing Lesotho’s two signature highland experiences: the Maletsunyane Falls abseil at Semonkong and pony trekking at Malealea. They sit on opposite sides of Maseru with no direct road between them, so this plan loops out to one, back through the capital’s orbit, and out to the other.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Three days gets you out of Maseru and into the real reason people come to Lesotho: the highlands. This plan keeps Day 1 in the capital and around Thaba Bosiu, then commits Days 2 and 3 to Semonkong, home of the Maletsunyane Falls and the tallest commercial abseil of its kind.

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Two days is enough for a genuine first taste of Lesotho, the Mountain Kingdom that sits entirely above 1,400m, wrapped inside South Africa on every side. This short plan sticks to the lowlands within an hour of Maseru: the Thaba Bosiu fortress on Day 1, the still-inhabited Kome Caves on Day 2.

Burkina Faso carries the US State Department’s Level 4, Do Not Travel rating, the highest tier that exists, dated 4 May 2026 and citing crime, kidnapping, terrorism and health. The UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the entire country, with no safe region carved out, not even the capital. So the honest answer to “should I spend 2 days in Burkina Faso” is no, not as a leisure trip. This plan is for the narrow group who go anyway: aid and NGO workers, journalists, diaspora visiting family, essential-business staff, almost all of them moving compound-to-compound with professional security support.

Cape Verde is ten volcanic islands scattered off West Africa, not one landmass, so a real 2-day trip means picking exactly one and going all-in on it. This plan stays on Sal: Santa Maria’s beach, the Pedra de Lume salt pans, and a catamaran day, no inter-island flight needed. Bring euros (the escudo runs at a fixed peg of roughly 110 to 1) and budget about EUR 31 for the mandatory EASE entry registration.

The Central African Republic is not a normal two-day trip, and this itinerary will not pretend otherwise. The US State Department rates the country Level 4, Do Not Travel, its highest advisory tier, citing unrest, crime, kidnapping, landmines and terrorism. The UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the whole country except Bangui, and against all but essential travel to Bangui itself, airport included. In two days you get one place: the capital, plus a single day trip.

Two days in Zimbabwe means one thing honestly: Victoria Falls and the town around it, not a safari. That’s a real, complete trip on its own terms, not a compromise. Mosi-oa-Tunya, “the smoke that thunders,” has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989, shared with Zambia across the river, and the Zimbabwean bank is commonly described as the larger, more panoramic side to view it from. Fly into Victoria Falls Airport (VFA), carry US dollar cash (the ZiG currency launched in April 2024 has been badly unstable since), and take antimalarial prophylaxis seriously for the low-lying Zambezi valley.

Burkina Faso carries the US State Department’s Level 4 rating, Do Not Travel, the highest tier that exists, and the UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the country with no safe region carved out, not even the capital. That is the honest starting point for anyone planning a first trip here: three days is not a normal city-break length in Burkina Faso right now, and almost nobody covers it for leisure.

Cape Verde is a 10-island Atlantic archipelago, not one landmass, so a real 3-day trip means picking a single island and diving in hard rather than skimming several. This plan plants you on Sal for the whole stretch: Santa Maria’s beach, the Pedra de Lume salt pans, and a full day out on a catamaran, no rushed inter-island flight eating into your time. Bring euros (the escudo runs at a fixed peg of roughly 110 to 1) and budget about EUR 31 for the mandatory EASE registration before you fly.

The US State Department rates the Central African Republic Level 4, Do Not Travel, its highest tier, and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the whole country except Bangui, and against all but essential travel to Bangui itself. Read that first, not last. What three days here can honestly cover, run through a vetted specialist operator rather than planned solo, is narrow: Bangui under local guidance, plus the one genuine day trip out of the capital, Boali Falls.

Three days in Zimbabwe is enough to do Victoria Falls properly and squeeze in one genuine bonus day. It is not enough for a safari, and no itinerary that tries to cram Hwange or Mana Pools into 72 hours is being straight with you. Fly into Victoria Falls Airport, spend two days on the falls and the adventure activities around them, then pick one final day: a taste of Zimbabwean wildlife, a Chobe run into Botswana, or a look at the Zambian side.

Cape Verde is ten volcanic islands, not one landmass, so a 4-day trip works best on exactly one honest pairing: São Vicente’s Mindelo for music, then Santo Antão for hiking, joined by the roughly 60-minute Mindelo-Porto Novo ferry instead of a flight. Want a different length? The 2-day and 3-day versions stay on Sal alone; the 5-day , 6-day and 7-day plans build on this same pairing. Book these before you go:

The Central African Republic sits at the US State Department’s Level 4, Do Not Travel, its highest tier, citing unrest, crime, kidnapping and landmines. The UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the whole country except Bangui, and against all but essential travel to Bangui itself, airport included. Four days is the shortest length where the country’s one genuine draw, the Dzanga-Sangha forest reserve, actually fits: a day in Bangui, a charter flight in, a day with the gorillas or the BaAka community, and a flight back out.

Four days splits clean in half: two days at Victoria Falls, two days chasing Hwange’s elephant herds, Zimbabwe’s biggest park and your first real taste of safari. That turns a falls-only trip into an actual wildlife trip. Shorter, the 2-day and 3-day plans stop at the falls; longer, the 5-day , 6-day and 7-day plans go deeper into the safari circuit. Book these before you go A Hwange safari on Viator : lodges cap game-drive seats, and dry season books out months ahead.

Burkina Faso carries the US State Department’s Level 4, Do Not Travel rating, the highest tier that exists, an advisory dated 4 May 2026 that cites crime, kidnapping, terrorism and health. The UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the entire country too, with zero regional exception, not even for the capital. So the honest answer up front: five days here is not a sightseeing trip, and the extra days past a basic two-day visit don’t buy more of the country, only more context.

Cape Verde is ten volcanic islands scattered across open Atlantic water, not one landmass, so five real days means picking two that link up cleanly rather than chasing a many-island sprint. This plan pairs São Vicente’s Mindelo with Santo Antão’s hiking trails, the single easiest multi-island combo in the country: a 60-minute ferry connects them, no domestic flight required. Bring euros (the escudo runs at a fixed peg of roughly 110 to 1) and budget about EUR 31 for the mandatory EASE registration before you fly.

The Central African Republic is under a Level 4, Do Not Travel advisory from the US State Department, and the UK’s FCDO advises against all travel outside Bangui and against all but essential travel to Bangui itself. Five days does not change that risk profile, it changes what fits: the shortest length where Bangui’s arrival logistics and a charter flight into the Dzanga-Sangha forest reserve, forest elephants and gorilla trekking included, both land without being rushed into a single day.

Five days in Zimbabwe is the practical floor for an actual safari on top of Victoria Falls: two days at the falls, two days chasing elephants in Hwange, and a fifth day pushing on to Mana Pools or Matobo Hills. This is a fly-in, park-based safari country, not a self-drive city break, so lodges and light-aircraft transfers do most of the work once you leave the falls. Shorter on time? The 4-day itinerary covers the same falls-plus-Hwange spine without the fifth day.

Burkina Faso carries the US State Department’s Level 4 rating, Do Not Travel, its highest tier, dated 4 May 2026, and the UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the country with no safe region carved out, not even the capital. That is the honest answer to “should I plan six days here”: not as a normal trip. Six days does not buy more country than three days does; it buys more honest context about why the country stays off the table and what a longer stay for the people who actually come here looks like in practice.

Cape Verde is ten volcanic islands scattered across open Atlantic water, not one landmass, so six real days is enough to add a genuine third stop on top of the classic pairing. This plan runs São Vicente’s Mindelo into Santo Antão’s ribeira hikes via the 60-minute ferry, then takes a domestic flight on to Fogo for a guided climb up an active volcano. Want a different shape? The 2-day and 3-day versions stay on Sal alone; the 4-day and 5-day plans stop after Santo Antão; the 7-day version gives Fogo more breathing room.

Six days buys a genuinely broader safari circuit, not just a longer stay at the falls: two days at Victoria Falls, two chasing elephant herds in Hwange National Park, then two full days at either Mana Pools or Matobo Hills, a real second safari region rather than a rushed extra stop. This is fly-in, lodge-based safari country, not a self-drive city break. Shorter on time? The 5-day itinerary covers the same spine with one finishing day instead of two.

Burkina Faso carries the US State Department’s Level 4 rating, Do Not Travel, the highest tier the system has, an advisory dated 4 May 2026 citing crime, kidnapping, terrorism and health. The UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the entire country, with no regional exception, not even for the capital. That is the honest answer to “should I plan a full week here”: no, not as an independent tourist trip, and seven days does not change that math.

Cape Verde is ten volcanic islands scattered across open Atlantic water, not one landmass, and seven days is finally long enough to add a third island to the São Vicente and Santo Antão pairing this whole family builds around: Mindelo’s music and harbor life, Santo Antão’s ribeira hiking reached by a 60-minute ferry, then a domestic flight on to Fogo for the Pico do Fogo volcano climb. Bring euros (the escudo runs at a fixed peg of roughly 110 to 1) and budget about EUR 31 for the mandatory EASE registration before you fly.

The Central African Republic sits at the US State Department’s Level 4, Do Not Travel, its highest tier, citing unrest, crime, kidnapping, landmines and terrorism. The UK’s FCDO advises against all travel to the whole country except Bangui, and against all but essential travel to Bangui itself, airport included. Seven days is the fullest version of the one real trip this country supports: Bangui for arrival and logistics, then the Dzanga-Sangha forest reserve with room for a proper gorilla trek, several Dzanga Bai visits and a dedicated BaAka forest day, rather than a single rushed activity day.

Seven days is a genuine full Zimbabwe safari circuit, not a single base with side trips: two days at Victoria Falls, two chasing elephants in Hwange, then a real fork for the back half, either Mana Pools or Matobo Hills and Bulawayo, closing with a day that either eases back at the falls or pushes on to Great Zimbabwe. Shorter on time, the 2-day , 3-day , 4-day , 5-day and 6-day itineraries all nest inside this same route, just with less of what comes after Hwange.

Zimbabwe is not a country you land in and start wandering. It is a fly-in, operator-led safari and Victoria Falls trip, and the trip goes better the sooner you plan around that. Land at Victoria Falls (VFA), Harare (HRE) or Bulawayo (BUQ), expect light-aircraft transfers to reach the camps beyond, and carry US dollar cash, since the local ZiG has been unstable since it launched in 2024. Distances are large and most visitors book through a lodge or operator rather than touring solo, and that is genuinely the right call here.

Accra is Ghana’s anglophone, cedi-and-mobile-money capital on the Gulf of Guinea, and two days is genuinely enough to hit the core of it: old Jamestown, the Nkrumah Mausoleum, Independence Square, Makola Market and a half-day on Labadi Beach. It is hot, humid and traffic-heavy, but stable, welcoming and packed with history. Get the entry paperwork sorted first (yellow fever card, malaria pills, a checked visa status), then let Bolt do the driving and go all in on two full days.

Three days gets you the full, honest argument for visiting Accra: two solid days working through the capital itself, then a genuine day out to Cape Coast and Elmina, the heritage coast that is the real headline of a Ghana trip for most travelers. Ghana is anglophone West Africa, so English carries you everywhere, and money moves through the cedi (GHS) and MTN Mobile Money as much as cash. Two things are non-negotiable before you land: a valid yellow fever certificate, a hard entry requirement, and an antimalarial prescribed ahead of time, since the risk is real, year round, and includes Accra itself.

Four days is the sweet spot for a first Accra trip. Two days cover the Accra core, Jamestown, Independence Square, Makola and Labadi, then days three and four push west to the Cape Coast and Elmina heritage coast as an overnight, not a rushed round trip. Tighter on time? See the 2-day and 3-day versions. Got more days? The 5-day , 6-day and 7-day itineraries add the Akuapem hills and Volta Lake.

Five days turns Accra from a rushed layover into an actual trip: two days cover the capital’s core, two more make room for the essential overnight out to Cape Coast and Elmina Castle, and a final day heads up into the cooler Aburi hills or out onto Lake Volta. Shorter works too, see the 2-day , 3-day and 4-day itineraries. Got two more days? The 6-day and 7-day versions add more beach time and a slower pace.

Six days in Accra is enough to stop treating the capital as a quick stopover and build a real West African trip: two days on Accra’s own core sights, an overnight down the coast at Cape Coast and Elmina, a cooler day in the Aburi hills, and a Volta Lake cruise to close things out. Shorter works too, see the 2-day , 3-day , 4-day and 5-day itineraries. Have a full week instead?

Seven days is the number that lets an Accra trip actually breathe: two full days working through the city itself, Jamestown, the Nkrumah Mausoleum, Independence Square, Makola, Osu, then an overnight run west to Cape Coast and Elmina, the real standout of a Ghana trip, before the back half of the week fills in with the Akuapem hills, a Volta Lake cruise and a proper beach day. Accra alone tops out at about two solid days before you start repeating neighborhoods, so this plan does not pretend otherwise, it treats the heritage coast as the main event and everything from Aburi onward as genuine bonus time.

Accra rewards travelers who show up for its history, food, and diaspora-heritage meaning rather than for polish, and the prep work here is genuinely non-negotiable: a yellow fever certificate to clear immigration, malaria pills for the whole trip, an e-visa you likely need to sort before you fly, and cedis (GHS) plus mobile money to actually pay for things. Get that locked down and Accra opens up fast: Jamestown’s old-town texture, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, and the Cape Coast and Elmina heritage coast a few hours west.

Accra rewards travelers who show up prepared. A yellow fever certificate is required for entry, malaria prophylaxis is standard advice for the whole trip, and the local currency is the cedi (GHS), not CFA francs or US dollars. The good news: Accra’s core city sights, Jamestown, Independence Square, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, Makola Market, Osu and Labadi Beach, fit into a genuinely full 2 days, with entry fees running roughly GHS 20 to GHS 100 depending on the site.

Two days in Zanzibar is not enough time for the beach photos you have saved, and pretending otherwise wastes the little time you have. This build keeps you in Stone Town for the sights that matter plus a half-day spice tour, with one honest swap if sand matters more than history. Got more days? Our 3-day , 5-day , 6-day and 7-day first-timer itineraries add a real beach base once Stone Town is covered.

Three days is genuinely enough for a first Zanzibar trip if you stop trying to see all of it. Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, not its own country, the currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS) though USD covers most tourist spending, and the island runs roughly 99% Muslim, so shoulders and knees stay covered the moment you step off the beach. Stone Town eats a genuine 1 to 1.5 days before this turns into a beach trip, June through October is the best weather window, and the House of Wonders is still closed for restoration.

Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, not a country of its own, priced in Tanzanian shillings even though hotels and tour operators quote in USD, and roughly 99% Muslim, so shoulders and knees stay covered the moment you leave the beach. Three days is enough for the classic shape nearly every Zanzibar trip takes: a day and a half in Stone Town, a spice tour, one beach base, and a single standard day trip, no detours chasing extra sights.

Five days is enough to do Stone Town properly, a spice tour included, and still get real time on one beach with both Mnemba Atoll’s reef and Jozani’s red colobus monkeys worked in. Shorter or longer? Our 2-day , 3-day , 6-day and 7-day first-timer itineraries share the same spine. Book these before you go Check spice tour times on Viator : half-day slots sell out fast June through October and December through February.

Six days is the sweet spot for a first Zanzibar trip: enough time to do Stone Town properly, add both marquee day trips, and still get real, unhurried days in the water. Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, not its own country, the currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS) though USD covers most tourist spending if your bills are small and reasonably new, and the island runs roughly 99% Muslim, so shoulders and knees stay covered the moment you step off the beach.

Seven days is enough to do Zanzibar properly without chasing every sight on the list: 1.5 days in Stone Town and a spice tour, three days at Nungwi or Kendwa with Mnemba Atoll’s reef and Jozani’s red colobus monkeys both worked in, then two more days switching coasts to Paje for a genuinely different side of the island. Shorter? Our 2-day , 3-day , 5-day and 6-day first-timer itineraries build the same spine to a shorter stop.

Seven days in Zanzibar, the standard shape, just run further out: the same Stone Town open and Paje base as our 3-day classic route , then a second relaxed beach day, a swap to Nungwi’s calmer water for Mnemba’s reef, and Prison Island’s tortoises worked in on the way back through Stone Town before you fly. No hand-holding, just the route extended. Book these before you go Browse spice tour slots on GetYourGuide : half-day tours sell out first from June through October and December through February.

Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, priced in Tanzanian shillings even though most tour and hotel bills already run in USD, and roughly 99% Muslim, which matters the moment you step off the beach. This guide skips the visa, ferry, and currency mechanics entirely, that’s the job of our Zanzibar travel guide , and answers the harder question instead: with limited days on the island, what actually earns a spot? Stone Town covers in 1 to 1.

Zanzibar isn’t its own country: it’s a semi-autonomous slice of Tanzania out in the Indian Ocean, and that one fact drives half the logistics on this page. The currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS), though USD works fine in tourism if your bills are small and reasonably new. Getting in now costs two separate line items, a visa around USD 50 plus a mandatory ZIC insurance policy around USD 44 that most older guides never mention.

Land at Tunis-Carthage (TUN), and here’s the first thing to nail: get dinars at an airport ATM or exchange counter, because the TND is a closed currency, you cannot buy it before you land, and no home bank will sell it to you. Keep the exchange receipt for reconverting leftover cash on departure. Two focused days here is honestly a Tunis city-and-suburbs trip, not “Tunisia,” and that’s the right way to frame it: Day 1 works the capital itself, Day 2 rides the TGM light rail out to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said.

Three days in Tunisia is Tunis plus one genuinely different day out, not a lap of the whole country, and that’s plenty to get hooked. Day one is Tunis Medina and the Bardo’s mosaics, day two rides the TGM out to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, and day three pushes inland to Kairouan’s Great Mosque, roughly two hours away by louage. Bring cash smarts too: the dinar (TND) is a closed, non-convertible currency, so you buy it after you land, never before.

Four days is the honest floor for a real Tunisia trip, and this loop keeps it real: Tunis and its Bardo mosaics, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said by tram, Kairouan’s Great Mosque inland, then a relocation south to the Sousse-Monastir coast on the rail line and the Sahel Metro. The dinar is a closed currency, so you buy it on arrival, not before. The whole route sits outside every Level-4 zone on the current advisory.

Five days is the sweet spot for a first Tunisia trip: enough runway to actually leave Tunis and hit either the desert or the islands, not just skim the capital. Days one and two work Tunis itself and the Bardo’s mosaics, then Carthage’s scattered ruins and Sidi Bou Said’s clifftop cafes. Day three pushes inland to Kairouan’s Great Mosque. Day four relocates the whole trip to the Sousse and Monastir coast.

Six days runs almost the whole Tunisia loop for a first trip: Tunis and the Bardo up north, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said by tram, Kairouan’s Great Mosque inland, the Sousse-Monastir coast, then south over the causeway to Djerba with a Matmata stop, finishing in Tozeur’s dunes and the Star Wars cluster. Land at Tunis-Carthage (TUN) and change cash only after you land, the dinar is a closed, non-convertible currency, roughly 2.

Seven days is the honest minimum for the whole Tunisia loop, and this version does it properly instead of picking a lane: Tunis and Carthage up north, Kairouan and El Jem in the centre, then the full southern arc, Djerba’s causeway, Matmata, Douz, and Tozeur’s Star Wars sets, before flying the last leg home instead of retracing a 6-7 hour drive. The dinar (TND) is a closed, non-convertible currency, so you buy it after you land, never before.

Two days is enough for exactly one thing in Madagascar: land in Tana, then a dawn walk with the indri at Andasibe-Mantadia before you fly home. That’s it, and that’s honest, this island’s roads and parks don’t compress further than that. Want more? The 3-day version adds a proper Tana day; six or seven days reaches the RN7’s Ranomafana and Isalo. Book these before you go Andasibe lodge for one night, right at the park edge: check rates on Booking.

Three days adds a real Tana orientation day to the 2-day sprint: arrival and the capital first, then Andasibe-Mantadia’s indri overnight, then a dawn circuit before flying home. Need more time on the RN7 instead? The 4-day version adds Antsirabe; tighter, drop to 2 days . Book these before you go Tana hotel for arrival night: check rates on Booking.com Andasibe lodge at the park edge: check rates on Booking.com A guided Indri Trail circuit booked ahead: browse Andasibe lemur tours on GetYourGuide Day Focus Drive/transfer Rough daily cost Day 1 Tana arrival and orientation Airport transfer only 100,000-220,000 MGA Day 2 Drive to Andasibe, first circuit RN2, paved, about 3 hours 150,000-300,000 MGA Day 3 Dawn indri walk, drive back, depart RN2 return, about 3 hours 120,000-250,000 MGA Day 1: Antananarivo

Four days extends the indri loop south for a taste of the RN7: Tana, Andasibe’s indri, then a highland detour to Antsirabe before flying home. Want the RN7 done properly instead? Jump to 6 days ; need less time, the 3-day version drops Antsirabe entirely. Book these before you go Tana hotel for arrival and departure nights: check rates on Booking.com Andasibe lodge at the park edge: check rates on Booking.

Five days gives Antsirabe a proper overnight instead of a rushed there-and-back: Tana, Andasibe’s indri, then a full day and night in the highlands before flying home. Want the deeper RN7 push to Ranomafana and Isalo instead? Jump to 7 days ; tighter, the 4-day version compresses Antsirabe into a day trip. Book these before you go Tana hotel for arrival and departure nights: check rates on Booking.com Andasibe lodge at the park edge: check rates on Booking.

Six days is enough to run the real RN7, Tana to Antsirabe to Ranomafana to Isalo, trading the Andasibe indri detour for depth on the highway instead. Want the indri specifically and only have a handful of days? Our 3-day itinerary keeps it in. Have a seventh day to spare? 7 days gives Ranomafana and Isalo a full day each instead of splitting one. Book these before you go Tana hotel for arrival night: check rates on Booking.

Seven days is the RN7 corridor done properly: Tana, Antsirabe, a full day at Ranomafana, a full day at Isalo, then a flight back from Toliara instead of redriving the whole 950km. This trades the Andasibe indri detour for depth on the highway itself. Want the indri on a short trip instead? Our 3-day itinerary keeps it in; tighter than a week, the 6-day version compresses Ranomafana and Isalo into one day apiece.

Madagascar prices everything in Malagasy ariary (MGA), a currency most visitors have never handled, and that alone tells you this island runs on its own rules. Ninety percent of its wildlife exists nowhere else on Earth: the indri’s wail rolling through the Andasibe canopy, ring-tailed lemurs sunning themselves on Isalo’s sandstone, baobabs turning molten orange at a Morondava sunset. Go in the dry season, roughly April through November, when the roads and the parks actually cooperate.

Madagascar’s marquee draws split into three shapes: an easy paved-road park an hour’s flight from Tana, a full RN7 road trip’s worth of rainforest and canyon parks, and two logistically separate flight-only branches for baobabs and beach. Every one of them charges a park fee plus a mandatory MNP guide, cash only at the gate, nothing here is a casual walk-up-and-wander stop. Here’s what each place actually costs, what it delivers, and how far out of your way it sits.

Two days buys you Mahe, and Mahe only. Praslin and La Digue both sit a genuine ferry ride away, so don’t try to squeeze an island hop into a 48-hour trip. Want more? Step up to the 3-day version for a real taste of Praslin, or the full 5-day through 7-day loop for all three islands properly. Book these before you go Mahe hotel near Victoria or Beau Vallon: check current rates on Booking.

Three days means two full days on Mahe plus a single day trip across to Praslin, not an overnight stay there, La Digue stays out of reach at this length. Ready for more? The 4-day version turns that Praslin day trip into a proper overnight, and the 7-day reaches all three islands. Book these before you go Mahe hotel near Victoria or Beau Vallon: check current rates on Booking.com The Seychelles Travel Authorisation (SVA): seychelles.

Four days covers Mahe and Praslin properly, an overnight on each, but La Digue stays out of reach; that needs at least a 5-day trip. Shorter or longer? Drop to the 3-day Praslin-day-trip version, or step up to 5 through 7 days to add La Digue. Book these before you go Mahe hotel near Victoria or Beau Vallon: check current rates on Booking.com Praslin hotel or self-catering villa: check current rates on Booking.

Five days is the realistic minimum for all three islands, Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, though La Digue only gets a half-day at this length. Want more breathing room there? Step up to the 6-day or 7-day version; tighter on time, the 4-day trades La Digue for two full Praslin days instead. Book these before you go Mahe hotel near Victoria or Beau Vallon: check current rates on Booking.com Praslin hotel or self-catering villa: check current rates on Booking.

Six days adds a real overnight on La Digue to the 5-day loop: Mahe, then Praslin, then a full day and night on La Digue before heading back. Need the full week? The 7-day version adds one more buffer day on the return through Mahe; tighter, drop to 5 days . Book these before you go Mahe hotel near Victoria or Beau Vallon: check current rates on Booking.com Praslin hotel or self-catering villa: check current rates on Booking.

Seven days is the comfortable version of the whole island-hopping loop: two to three nights each on Mahe and Praslin, an overnight on La Digue, and a buffer day back on Mahe before an international flight. Tighter on time, drop to the 5-day or 6-day version, both built on this same route. Book these before you go Mahe hotel, you’ll need it twice, arrival and departure: check current rates on Booking.

Seychelles is 115 granite and coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean off East Africa, not the Caribbean, and the money in your wallet should be the Seychellois rupee (SCR), not euros, even though every ferry counter and resort will happily quote you both. Three islands carry the whole trip: Mahe, the airport and the hub; Praslin, the coco de mer forest and two showstopper beaches; La Digue, the granite boulders you have already seen in a hundred photos.

Seychelles’ marquee sights split cleanly into three kinds: free beaches, paid national parks with real ticket logistics, and one gated resort beach that needs advance permission. Anse Source d’Argent and Anse Lazio are the two names worth building a trip around, but the SPGA-run parks (Ste Anne, Curieuse, Morne Seychellois) all take cards only on-site, not cash, and the Vallee de Mai’s SCR 450 gate fee catches plenty of visitors who read an older, cheaper number online.