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Nungwi, United Republic of Tanzania

Stay in Nungwi: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Nungwi

Watch this spot We email you when Nungwi is worth the trip.

White sandy beach at Nungwi, Zanzibar
Nungwi. Photo: ObonyoML, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Nungwi

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (357°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (177°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 52). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 26°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best months are usually April and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Nungwi, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 wind sports spots and 2 dive sites.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 26 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to ZNZ, changing at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD).

    See flights ORD → ZNZ · Skyscanner from about £750 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 15 from the airport to Nungwi.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in NungwiAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Nungwi · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Nungwi · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Nungwi on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct403 ft6 smushy84kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct363 ft6 smushy70kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct323 ft7 smushy83kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct253 ft6 smushy56kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct283 ft6 smushy50kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct262 ft6 smushy44kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct353 ft6 smushy52kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct443 ft7 smushy93kJ28°C
Mon 26Oct384 ft6 smushy80kJ26°C
Tue 27Oct172 ft5 smushy15kJ27°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to ZNZ, changing at MAD, then 1h 15 by road. About 26h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Nungwi

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Nungwi

    Best 09:00 to 12:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Nungwi

    Best 18:00 to 21:00 local time: 3 ft at 6 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to ZNZ, changing at MAD, then 1h 15 by road. About 26h 20 door to door

The trip from Nungwi, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,240–£2,420 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to ZNZ, estimated from distance and season, changing at MAD, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£750–£1,565
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£1,240–£2,420

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Nungwi

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.