- Zanzibar Tanzania · 6° S
- Addis Ababa Ethiopian Airlines · nonstop · about 2 h 35
- Nairobi Kenya Airways · nonstop · about 1 h 20
- Doha Qatar Airways · nonstop
- Dubai flydubai · nonstop · about 5 h 35
- Abu Dhabi Etihad Airways · nonstop · about 5 h 40
- Istanbul Turkish Airlines · nonstop · about 7 h 35
- Cairo EgyptAir · nonstop · about 5 h 40
- Frankfurt Condor · nonstop · about 9 h 05
- Zurich Edelweiss Air · may stop in Kilimanjaro · about 11 h
- Milan Neos · may stop in Kilimanjaro · about 8 h 30
- Amsterdam KLM · nonstop · about 8 h 40
- Warsaw Neos · nonstop · about 8 h
- Madrid World2Fly · nonstop · about 9 h
- Johannesburg Airlink · FlySafair · nonstop · about 3 h 35
- Kigali RwandAir · nonstop · about 2 h
- Entebbe Uganda Airlines · nonstop · about 1 h 50
- Moscow Air Tanzania · nonstop · about 8 h 30
- Arusha about 1 h to 1 h 35*
- Kilimanjaro about 1 h 40
- Serengeti about 1 h 50
- Kogatende about 4 h 55
- Grumeti about 4 h 05
- Dar es Salaam 20 min flightAzam ferries · 1½–2 h
Where is Zanzibar
Where is Zanzibar located, and how do you get there?
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania: an island group in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, about 6° south of the equator (airport code ZNZ). You can fly in from 17 cities, most of them nonstop (some only in season), take the 20-minute Coastal flight from Dar es Salaam, or cross from Dar es Salaam to Stone Town by Azam ferry in about 1½–2 hours.
Zanzibar · East Africa Time (UTC+3)
Zanzibar keeps East Africa Time, UTC+3
Who flies into Zanzibar
| From | Airline | Flight time | Frequency | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt FRA | Condor Zanzibar is the first landing; the aircraft continues to Mombasa afterwards. | about 9 h 05 | 3–4× a week | year-round (3 weekly in winter) |
| Frankfurt FRA | Discover Airlines · may stop in Mombasa Lufthansa Group. Sources disagree on whether the current season is nonstop or via Mombasa — ask the airline when booking. | — | 2–3× a week | summer-weighted |
| Amsterdam AMS | KLM Amsterdam–Zanzibar–Dar es Salaam rotation; the weekdays are set by KLM each season | about 8 h 40 | several a week | winter season only · check the dates with KLM |
| Amsterdam AMS | TUI fly Netherlands A winter-sun charter, Dutch TUI — not the German one. | — | weekly | winter |
| Istanbul IST | Turkish Airlines About 7h35, and the widest one-stop net over Europe. | about 7 h 35 | 5–6× a week | year-round |
| Zurich ZRH | Edelweiss Air · may stop in Kilimanjaro Flight trackers show a stop in Kilimanjaro on some days. | about 11 h | check the timetable | Oct–Mar, then Jun–Oct 2027 · days vary by season |
| Milan MXP | Neos · nonstop, plus a weekly service via Kilimanjaro Neos also flies a Milan–Kilimanjaro–Zanzibar rotation alongside the direct one. | about 8 h 30 | 2× a week | seasonal; an extra Kilimanjaro routing in summer |
| Warsaw WAW | Neos A winter charter flown by Neos. Enter Air charters have stopped in Hurghada in past seasons. | about 8 h | weekly | from 4 Jan 2027 until late Feb / early Mar 2027 · winter charter |
| Madrid MAD | World2Fly | about 9 h | weekly | summer charter |
| Doha DOH | Qatar Airways | — | daily | winter |
| Dubai DXB | flydubai About 5h35 — the densest hub connection to this airport. Emirates partner airline; Emirates itself serves Dar es Salaam. | about 5 h 35 | several a day | year-round |
| Abu Dhabi AUH | Etihad Airways Seasonal; check Etihad's own timetable before planning around it. | about 5 h 40 | daily | seasonal |
| Addis Ababa ADD | Ethiopian Airlines About 2h35; often the shortest total journey from central Europe. | about 2 h 35 | 5× a week | year-round |
| Nairobi NBO | Kenya Airways About 1h20. | about 1 h 20 | several a day | year-round |
| Kigali KGL | RwandAir Nonstop to Zanzibar; the same flight continues to Mombasa. | about 2 h | 4× a week | year-round |
| Cairo CAI | EgyptAir | about 5 h 40 | 2× a week | winter |
| Johannesburg JNB | Airlink · FlySafair Airlink flies from Johannesburg and Cape Town. | about 3 h 35 | 5× a week | year-round |
| Entebbe EBB | Uganda Airlines Some rotations pass through Kilimanjaro on the aircraft; passengers fly nonstop. | about 1 h 50 | 3× a week | year-round · 3 weekly, days vary by season |
| Moscow VKO | Air Tanzania | about 8 h 30 | 3× a week | year-round |
Not confirmed this month
Does not serve Zanzibar
| From | How often |
|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam DAR | several a day |
| Arusha ARK | several a day |
| Pemba PMA | several a day |
| Tanga TGT | several a day |
| Seronera (Serengeti) SEU | several a day |
| Kilimanjaro JRO | several a day |
Average frequency over the last month of recorded traffic, which may count flights in both directions — seasonal services come and go. Route data: AeroDataBox.
Safari and island
From the safari circuit to the island
If you are coming from a safari in northern Tanzania, or from Dar es Salaam, the link to Zanzibar is a short flight or a ferry. Flight times are scheduled times from the airlines' timetables; the ferry time depends on the vessel.
| Leg | Time |
|---|---|
| Seronera (Serengeti) to Zanzibar ZNZ | about 1 h 50 (Coastal Aviation) |
| Kogatende (northern Serengeti) to Zanzibar ZNZ | about 4 h 55, via Manyara and Arusha (Coastal Aviation) |
| Grumeti (Serengeti) to Zanzibar ZNZ | about 4 h 05, via Manyara and Arusha (Coastal Aviation) |
| Kilimanjaro JRO to Zanzibar ZNZ | about 1 h 40 (Coastal Aviation) |
| Arusha ARK to Zanzibar ZNZ | about 1 h to 1 h 35, depending on the airline and the aircraft; about 2h20 with a stop in Dar es Salaam |
| Dar es Salaam DAR to Zanzibar ZNZ, by air | 20 minutes (Coastal Aviation) |
| Dar es Salaam to Stone Town, by ferry | about 1½–2 hours (Azam Marine ferries; different ferries, different speeds) |
| Zanzibar to Pemba | 25–30 minutes nonstop, daily (Coastal Aviation) |
| Zanzibar to Mafia | about 85 minutes via Dar es Salaam, daily (Coastal Aviation) |
| Zanzibar airport to Michamvi Pingwe, by road | 75–90 minutes, about 65 km |
Planning the whole trip? Start with our guide to planning your Zanzibar trip, check what you need to enter Zanzibar, read how to get around Zanzibar by taxi and transfer, or see things to do around Michamvi, where the hotel is.
Questions
Quick answers
Where is Zanzibar located?
Zanzibar is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, about 6° south of the equator, and part of Tanzania. Its airport, Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, has the code ZNZ, and Boutique Hotel Matlai is at Michamvi Pingwe on the island’s south-east coast.
Is Zanzibar a country?
No. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, not an independent country. It united with mainland Tanganyika in 1964 and keeps its own government for island affairs.
What country is Zanzibar in?
Tanzania. Zanzibar belongs to the United Republic of Tanzania, in East Africa. The main language is Swahili.
Is Zanzibar part of Tanzania?
Yes. Zanzibar and the mainland form the United Republic of Tanzania, created in 1964. Zanzibar has its own president and parliament for island affairs.
Is Zanzibar in Africa?
Yes. Zanzibar lies in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, about 6° south of the equator, and belongs to Tanzania.
Which airlines fly to Zanzibar?
Airlines that fly into Zanzibar from outside Tanzania: Condor from Frankfurt, Discover Airlines from Frankfurt, KLM from Amsterdam, TUI fly Netherlands from Amsterdam, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, Edelweiss Air from Zurich, Neos from Milan, Neos from Warsaw, World2Fly from Madrid, Qatar Airways from Doha, flydubai from Dubai, Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi, Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, RwandAir from Kigali, EgyptAir from Cairo, Airlink · FlySafair from Johannesburg, Uganda Airlines from Entebbe, Air Tanzania from Moscow. Several are seasonal or charter flights and change each season, so check the season in the route table on this page before you book. Schedules change seasonally — check with the airline before you book.
How long is the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar?
Azam Marine's fast ferries cross from Dar es Salaam to Stone Town in about 1½–2 hours, depending on the vessel (different ferries, different speeds). Coastal Aviation's flight between the two takes 20 minutes.
How do I get to Zanzibar from the Serengeti?
Fly. Coastal Aviation's flight from Seronera takes about 1 h 50 to Zanzibar. From Kogatende it takes about 4 h 55 and from Grumeti about 4 h 05, because those flights call at Manyara and Arusha on the way. The flight from Kilimanjaro takes about 1 h 40. Flights from Arusha take about 1 h to 1 h 35, depending on the airline and the aircraft.
How long is the flight from Arusha to Zanzibar?
About 1 h to 1 h 35, depending on the airline and the aircraft. About 2h20 with a stop in Dar es Salaam.
How far is the airport from the hotel?
It is about 65 km from the airport to Michamvi Pingwe, which takes 75–90 minutes by road.
How do I get from Zanzibar to Pemba or Mafia?
By air. Coastal Aviation flies from Zanzibar to Pemba daily in 25–30 minutes nonstop, and from Zanzibar to Mafia daily in about 85 minutes via Dar es Salaam.
What time is it in Zanzibar?
Zanzibar keeps East Africa Time, UTC+3, all year round. The clock on the globe shows the time there right now.
Does Emirates fly to Zanzibar?
Not itself. Emirates itself serves Dar es Salaam (DAR) rather than Zanzibar; its partner flydubai flies Dubai–Zanzibar nonstop, and Emirates tickets can be issued with that flydubai leg.
How long is the flight to Zanzibar?
It depends on where you start. Nonstop flight times: Istanbul about 7 h 35, Dubai about 5 h 35 (both flown all year); from much of Europe about 8 to 9 hours where a nonstop is offered. A connection via a Gulf or Istanbul hub adds time. Check the current schedule with the airline before you book.
Planning the money? See what a Zanzibar honeymoon costs. Choosing where to stay? Read the Michamvi guide.
Boutique Hotel Matlai
On the south-east coast of the island
Matlai is at Michamvi Pingwe, 75–90 minutes by road from the airport.