Is Zanzibar safe? Travel tips on money, health and rules

Assault, rape and sexual aggression against foreigners¹ have happened in Tanzania, including at beach resorts. Wikivoyage names Stone Town as a tourist area where you need to be careful, and warns that violent crime is not uncommon against people walking alone at night³.

How to cut the risk:

• Avoid walking alone after dark, when violent crime against foreigners³ is most likely.
• Watch out for pickpockets⁴.
• Keep bags on the side away from the road: thieves sometimes snatch bags from cars or motorbikes¹.
• Ignore touts. They’ll tell you anything to get you to use a service that pays them commission⁴.

Politics can flare up too. Tanzania held a general election on 29 October 2025, and previous elections in Zanzibar have turned violent and caused deaths¹.

Cash matters more than cards, because shops that accept bank cards are rare⁴. What to expect:

• Cards work at big supermarkets, malls, large hotels, resorts and some travel agents³.
• Bigger restaurants and hotels sometimes add a 5%⁴ card surcharge.
• There are several ATMs, for example in Stone Town, Jambiani and Nungwi⁴.
• If you bring dollars to change, US$50 and $100 notes get a better exchange rate than $20 and $10 notes⁴.
• Older US$100 notes are no longer accepted³, so bring newer ones.

What budget rooms cost

Room prices are a good test of how much cash you’ll need. Wikivoyage’s view is that Zanzibar has not much cheap accommodation⁴.

• Women and men should try to cover their legs and arms⁴.
• Keep affection private: holding hands or kissing in public can lead to arrest or prison¹.
• Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Tanzania, including Zanzibar, and same-sex relationships are not tolerated¹.

• In March¹² the long rains start gradually and many beach lodges close.
• In April and May¹³ quite a few properties close for refurbishment.
• In the low season several Stone Town budget hotels stay closed⁴ for lack of customers.

The opposite problem comes in peak season: July is busy and expensive, and December¹³ brings the highest hotel prices. Our page on rainy seasons and closures on the island goes through the year month by month.

Phone signal

You’ll usually have mobile data in town: 4G coverage is available in many areas, including Zanzibar town³. The major mobile providers operate all over Tanzania³, even in some very remote areas.

Shopping: markets and what to buy

Stone Town is where to shop, for textiles, handmade jewellery, wood or stone carvings and spices⁴. Spices grown on the island include cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg⁴.

• Darajani Market, on Darajani Road in Stone Town, near the Anglican Cathedral of Christ, is mainly a food market, selling seafood, meat, fruit, grains and spices¹⁵.
• Forodhani’s evening market is a popular, tourist-oriented market every evening after sunset¹⁶.

Wikivoyage advises you to always haggle¹⁶ with Stone Town vendors. Watch for fake saffron, which looks waxy, like a shredded red crayon⁴. A morning in the markets fits easily into your Zanzibar trip plan.