Zanzibar flights and ferries: routes, times and fares

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania⁶. Its main island, Unguja, sits 36.5 km⁶ off the mainland at the narrowest point, so you either fly straight in or cross from Dar es Salaam.

1. 1

   Sort your entry paperwork

   Buy the Zanzibar inbound insurance (US$44) online or on arrival, plus a visa unless your country has a visa abolition agreement with Tanzania.

2. 2

   Fly to Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam

   Zanzibar Airport has flights to East Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Or land at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam.

3. 3

   Cross from Dar es Salaam

   Take a ferry from the Port of Dar es Salaam (1 to 2 hours) or a Coastal Aviation flight, which leaves every 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Reach your hotel

   Ferries dock near Stone Town. At the airport, 5 km south of Zanzibar City, taxis wait outside and dala dalas stop at the gate.

Once your arrival day is fixed, use the guide to Zanzibar trip length and planning to fit your days around it. Combining the island with the mainland? Look at safari and beach holiday packages.

• One-way tickets on the route run from €30.85 to €105.82⁴ on Ferryscanner.
• The visa fee is different for some nationalities, including the USA and Ireland¹⁰.
• Airfares aren’t in this table, so price your flight separately.

How the insurance works:

• It covers your whole stay, up to 92 days¹².
• If you arrive in Zanzibar first, you buy it from ZIC on arrival, or online beforehand via Visit Zanzibar¹².
• You buy it only once, for your first port of entry¹², whether that is the mainland or Zanzibar.
• Mainland Tanzania’s own insurance, from the National Insurance Corporation, officially started on 1 October 2026¹⁴.

Visa, passport and health rules

All foreigners entering Tanzania need a valid visa unless their country has a visa abolition agreement with Tanzania¹⁵.

• Visa: available on arrival at any entry point, though applying online before you travel is strongly recommended¹⁰.
• Visa-exempt: the embassy list includes Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong¹⁶, and South Africa¹⁵.
• Passport: valid for six months¹⁰.
• Tickets: be ready to show a return or onward ticket at border control¹².
• Health form: fill in the Travellers Health Surveillance Form, before departure or on arrival¹².
• Vaccination: the Tanzanian Embassy in France says yellow fever vaccination is needed for Zanzibar¹⁷.

• Following the “porters” at the Dar es Salaam terminal. They will hassle travellers for money, so go straight to your ferry company’s ticket office¹.
• Cutting it fine at the port. Wikivoyage advises arriving at least 30 minutes before departure¹.
• Packing big for a small plane. Most planes are fairly small¹, so check your baggage allowance before you board.
• Getting into a taxi without a price. Airport fares are negotiable¹, so agree one first.
• Paying for insurance twice. It’s bought once, for your first port of entry¹², and that’s it.

Once you’ve landed, the first cold beer is easy to find: Alladin Boutique Beach Hotel in Matemwe lists Kilimanjaro beer at US$4¹⁹ on its drinks menu. For everything else, pick a Zanzibar restaurant from the food guide.