Plan Your Trip
Alcohol and Drinks in Zanzibar
Quick answer
Can you drink alcohol in Zanzibar?
Yes, but mostly in hotels and in licensed restaurants and bars in tourist areas, not on the street or in the villages. About 99% of the island is Muslim, so drink at a table, not while walking, and be discreet in Ramadan. The page “Returning Resident and First Arrival” of Tanzania’s revenue authority lists 2 litres of spirits (including liquors) or wine under passengers’ baggage; check TRA or your airline before you fly. The tap water is not safe to drink. Checked 15 November 2026.
Matlai’s restaurant and bar serve beer, wine and cocktails as normal, including during Ramadan; the hotel confirms this as of 15 November 2026. Drinks are charged and water is free. The details of each point are below, with the sources and the date we read them. The etiquette guide covers dress and the other local laws.
| Share of Muslims on the island | About 99% |
| Where alcohol is served | Hotels, licensed restaurants and bars in tourist areas |
| In public | Drink at a table, not in the street, on the road or in a village |
| Ramadan | UK advice: avoid eating or drinking in public, outside hotels and restaurants |
| Bringing alcohol in | TRA page “Returning Resident and First Arrival”: 2 litres of spirits (including liquors) or wine; check TRA or your airline |
| Tap water | Not safe to drink; sealed or filtered water only |
| At Matlai | Beer, wine and cocktails; drinks charged, water free |
| Last verified | 15 November 2026 |
The rules
Is alcohol legal in Zanzibar?
For a visitor, alcohol is not banned, and the limits are about place and manners rather than a prohibition. About 99% of the people on the island are Muslim, as our etiquette guide sets out, and the UK government notes “a high proportion of Muslims in Tanzania, particularly in Zanzibar and Pemba”. That is why alcohol belongs to hotels, restaurants and bars more than to the street.
We read the official advice on 15 November 2026. The UK pages on safety and on local laws (the local-laws page updated 30 October 2026) contain no rule on alcohol for visitors. They say two things that matter here: do not leave drinks unattended, and in Ramadan avoid eating or drinking in public, outside hotels or restaurants. The German Foreign Office page (status 15 November 2026, unchanged since 30 October 2026) has no alcohol line either, but it warns that drug use, possession and trade carry heavy fines or prison. The US State Department page would not load for us that day, so we do not quote it.
We also found no official source for a legal drinking age on the island, and we would rather print nothing than guess. If you travel with young adults, ask your hotel. The rest of the practical questions are in our guide to planning your Zanzibar trip.
Where
Where is alcohol served in Zanzibar?
In hotels, and in licensed restaurants and bars in the tourist areas, it is routine. Outside them, do not assume. A village restaurant, a local café or a Stone Town stall may not serve alcohol at all, and we have no verified list of which places do, so we do not give one. Ask before you sit down; “Do you serve alcohol?” is not a rude question.
You do not have to stay with us to drink at Matlai: Zatiny welcomes visitors, walk-ins included, and serves them from the same bar. The restaurant page has the hours and the menus.
The same goes for buying a bottle. We cannot tell you which shops sell alcohol, and I would not plan a trip around finding one. The bar of your own hotel is the reliable source. The table shows what we advise, place by place.
| Where | Alcohol | What we advise |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel restaurant and bar | Served to guests | Order as at home; drinks are charged |
| Licensed restaurant or beach bar in a tourist area | Served where licensed | Check the menu or ask |
| Village restaurant, local café, street stall | Do not assume | Ask first; do not bring your own drink to the table |
| Public beach, road or village | Not appropriate | Drink water, juice or coconut; keep alcohol for the hotel |
| Shops | No verified list | Ask your hotel before you go |
Our guidance, not a legal list. No official Zanzibar source we found names the places.
Manners
What is sensible in public, on the beach and in Ramadan?
Drink at a table. That one habit covers most of it: a glass on the terrace of Zatiny or at the beach tables is ordinary, and a bottle carried down the village road is not. On the beach in front of the hotel we serve the tables; on the public beaches next door, which fishing families and villagers share, we keep to water, juice and coconut.
In Ramadan the UK advice is to avoid eating or drinking in public, outside hotels or restaurants. Alcohol sales are tighter still: the Daily News reported on 11 March 2026 that a Zanzibar government minister announced a ban on alcohol sales in non-tourist areas during Ramadan 2026, even for licence holders, except in a few designated tourist hotels with special permission. We cannot say what the rule will be in your year, so check the dates and the rule closer to travel. Inside Matlai, the restaurant and bar serve guests as normal, including during Ramadan; the hotel confirms this as of 15 November 2026. Our Ramadan page explains what the month changes on the east coast.
My advice, as the person who runs the hotel, is simple: be generous with discretion and it costs you nothing. Staff and neighbours notice, and they notice the guests who do it well.
Customs
Can you bring alcohol into Tanzania?
Within a limit, yes. The page we read on 15 November 2026 is the Tanzania Revenue Authority’s “Returning Resident and First Arrival”. Under its heading “Passengers’ Baggage and personal effects” it says: “Duty shall not be levied on the following goods imported by and in possession of the passenger … Spirits (including liquors) or wine, not exceeding two (2) litres”. Two notes higher up the same page, in the returning-resident text, say the duty-free allowances do not apply in unaccompanied baggage and are granted only to passengers who have attained the age of eighteen. The page does not call any of this the tourist allowance.
Three gaps you should know about. Beer is not listed on that page. It is the mainland authority’s page, and we found no separate allowance for Zanzibar. And rules change, so check TRA or your airline before you fly. Treat two litres as the ceiling, buy it at your departure airport if you want it, and carry it in the baggage you travel with.
You do not need to bring alcohol to enjoy a stay. If you would like a particular bottle for a celebration, tell us before you arrive and we will say what the bar can do.
Without alcohol
What do people drink in Zanzibar without alcohol?
Sealed or filtered water is the safe baseline. Beyond that we name no local drinks, street stalls or beer brands, because we have no current official or well-sourced list and stalls move. Ask what a vendor or a bar offers.
My own habit: buy what is opened or pressed in front of you, and skip ice and anything diluted with tap water, for the reason in the next section.
At Matlai the drinks list has fresh juices, coconut water, mocktails and fruit smoothies next to the cocktails, and every room has a kettle with instant coffee and tea. The welcome drink on arrival is a fresh coconut, or Malibu if you prefer. Our services page lists what is included in every stay.
Water
Is the tap water in Zanzibar safe to drink?
No. Our safety page says it plainly: drink sealed bottled water or the filtered water your hotel provides, and use it for brushing your teeth if your stomach is sensitive. That is the single most useful drink rule on the island.
At Matlai the water is free. There are dispensers in both villas and in the restaurant, every room has glass bottles that are refilled from them, and you can refill your own bottle. We do not sell plastic water bottles. On a day out, carry sealed bottled water and drink more than you think you need: the sun and the walking do the rest.
My habit is to fill one bottle before I leave the house and carry it all day. It is the cheapest rule on this page: it saves buying water on the road, it saves plastic, and it keeps you out of the question of what is in the ice.
At Matlai
How does the bar at Matlai handle drinks?
Drinks are charged and water is free. Half board covers breakfast and dinner, so a beer or a glass of wine with dinner is added to your bill, and so is the minibar. The bar serves beer, wine and cocktails, and for the signature cocktails the team infuses the spirits itself. Fresh juices, coconut water, mocktails and smoothies are on the same list. Our half-board guide explains what is and is not included.
We do not print drink prices on this page, so they can never be older than the menu on the table. The drinks menu and the wine list are published as PDFs, in English, with current prices. For what a stay costs in total, see is Zanzibar expensive.
Where these facts come from
Official sources
- UK FCDO: Tanzania safety and security: High proportion of Muslims in Zanzibar and Pemba; avoid eating or drinking in public outside hotels and restaurants during Ramadan; do not leave drinks unattended. No alcohol rule for visitors.
- UK FCDO: Tanzania local laws and customs: Updated 30 October 2026; contains no rule on alcohol for visitors.
- Auswaertiges Amt: Tansania Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise: Stand 15.11.2026; no alcohol line; drug use, possession and trade carry heavy fines or prison.
- Tanzania Revenue Authority: Returning Resident and First Arrival: Read 2026-11-15. Under 'Passengers' Baggage and personal effects': duty shall not be levied on spirits (including liquors) or wine not exceeding two litres. Notes higher up, in the returning-resident text: not in unaccompanied baggage; passengers who have attained eighteen. Beer not listed; not called the tourist allowance.
- Daily News (Tanzania): Zanzibar bans the sale of alcohol in non-tourist areas during Ramadan: 11 March 2026 (read 2026-11-15): ban from the first day of Ramadan 2026 on alcohol sales outside tourist areas, even for licence holders, except a few designated tourist hotels with special permission.
Checked on 15 November 2026. We link to the bodies that set the rules, not to summaries of them. Rules change: check the page itself before you travel.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
These are the questions guests ask us about drinks before they travel.
Is alcohol allowed in Zanzibar?
For visitors, yes, in practice in hotels and in licensed restaurants and bars in tourist areas. The UK and German travel advice we read on 15 November 2026 contains no alcohol rule for visitors, and we found no official source for a legal drinking age, so we print none. About 99% of the island is Muslim, which is why the street and the village are not the place for it.
Can I drink on the beach in Zanzibar?
In front of the hotel you can drink at the beach tables of Zatiny, which is how our guests do it. On the public beaches and in the villages, keep to water, juice or coconut: they are shared with fishing families and villagers, and drinking there is not appropriate. If in doubt, ask the team before you set out.
What is the rule on alcohol during Ramadan?
The Daily News reported on 11 March 2026 that the Zanzibar government had banned alcohol sales outside tourist areas from the first day of Ramadan 2026, even for licence holders, except in a few designated tourist hotels with special permission. So do not plan on buying a bottle in a village in that month. Inside Matlai, the restaurant and bar serve guests as normal, including during Ramadan; the hotel confirms this as of 15 November 2026. We cannot say what the rule will be in your year, so check closer to travel. The Ramadan page has the rest.
How much alcohol can I bring into Zanzibar?
The Tanzania Revenue Authority page “Returning Resident and First Arrival”, which we read on 15 November 2026, says under passengers’ baggage that duty shall not be levied on spirits (including liquors) or wine not exceeding two litres. Beer is not listed, and we found no separate Zanzibar page. Treat 2 litres as the ceiling, and check TRA or your airline before you fly.
Is alcohol included in half board at Matlai?
No. Half board covers breakfast and dinner; drinks are always charged and only water is free. The drinks menu and the wine list are linked from the restaurant page with their current prices.
Can you drink the tap water in Zanzibar?
No. Use sealed bottled water or filtered water from your hotel, and brush your teeth with it if your stomach is sensitive. At Matlai the water is free, from dispensers in both villas and the restaurant.
What do people drink in Zanzibar apart from alcohol?
At Matlai the same list as the cocktails has fresh juices, coconut water, mocktails and smoothies, every room has a kettle with instant coffee and tea, and the welcome drink is a fresh coconut or a Malibu. Away from the hotel we name no local drinks, because we have no current source for them; sealed or filtered water is the safe baseline.
Your stay at Matlai
Choose your dates and the booking page opens with them, showing live availability.
Individually booked rooms take guests aged 14 and over; with a whole villa, guests of any age are welcome. Online booking here covers rooms for guests aged 14 and over, so for children or a whole villa send us your dates on WhatsApp and we reply with the options. WhatsApp →
These dates are by enquiry only — please email info[at]hotelmatlai.com or WhatsApp +255772628833 and we will confirm availability and rates.
Indicative public rates — the engine shows live availability for your dates.
Welcome drink, kayaks, bicycles and snorkelling gear, free of charge.
Booking with the hotel itself? Ask us what we can offer for your dates.
Why guests book Matlai
- A team of butlers on call, 07:00 to 22:00. One message and it is arranged.
- Half board with a chef’s menu that changes daily: three courses, plus two à la carte kitchens at every table, Zatiny (Indian Ocean fusion) and Duyên (Vietnamese).
- Dine where you like: in the restaurant, in the garden or on your own balcony. A private table by the beach or a candlelight dinner can be arranged at an extra charge.
- Six rooms in two villas, a pool for each villa, shared by its rooms, and every room facing the sunrise over the ocean.
- Bustani, the garden spa; the sandbank in front of the hotel at low tide; a quiet beach lined with small, family-owned hotels.
TripAdvisor 4.9/5 · 382+ reviews · Google 4.8/5