5-Day Kilwa & the Southern Coast

Per person, land only. Park fees included where noted.

Day 1 — Dar es Salaam to Kilwa Masoko. Flight or a long drive south. Afternoon at leisure on the coast.

Day 2 — Kilwa Kisiwani. Dhow crossing to the island. The Great Mosque, begun in the 11th century and the earliest of its kind in East Africa; the Husuni Kubwa palace, the largest building in sub-Saharan Africa when built; the Gereza fort.

Day 3 — Songo Mnara. Boat to the second UNESCO-listed island, its ruins less excavated and more atmospheric. Snorkelling on the return.

Day 4 — Kilwa Kivinje. The 19th-century mainland town, its German-era buildings slowly returning to the sea. Afternoon fishing or beach time.

Day 5 — Return. Morning transfer back to Dar es Salaam.