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City guide

Zanzibar (Unguja), Tanzania

Zanzibar is a Tanzanian semi-autonomous region off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja Island and Pemba Island.

Type City

Why go

  • Semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.
  • Served by Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ).

History

Zanzibar is a Tanzanian semi-autonomous region off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja Island and Pemba Island. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre, Stone Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Airports

Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) 6.6 km to the centre
Zanzibar, 07, TZ — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 8 airlines (Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Precision Air, Condor Flugdienst…) · direct flights to 7 destinations incl. Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Frankfurt… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Dar Es Salaam (67 km) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 8 airlines, 7 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Sanzale Airport 51 km to the centre
Bagamoyo, 19, TZ
Outdoor
Saadani Airport 52 km to the centre
Saadani, 19, TZ
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Ferry terminal
Ferry terminal · 3.3 km from the centre
Outdoor
Ferry terminal
Ferry terminal · 7.4 km from the centre
Outdoor
Stone Town ⇔ Prison Island
Ferry route
Outdoor
Dar es Salaam ⇔ Zanzibar
Ferry route · Azam Marine & Kilimanjaro Fast Ferries Ltd.
Outdoor
Zanzibar ⇔ Pemba ⇔ Tanga
Ferry route
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
October – March

The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.

Shoulder season
April – May, September

Milder and quieter, with better value.

Worth avoiding
June – August

The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ); 4 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: ZNZ has direct flights to 7 destinations on 8 airlines (incl. Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Frankfurt…). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 20 km; routes include Stone Town ⇔ Prison Island, Dar es Salaam ⇔ Zanzibar, Zanzibar ⇔ Pemba ⇔ Tanga.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Zanzibar (Unguja), Tanzania. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.

Tours & experiences