Honeymoon Guide
How Much Does a Zanzibar Honeymoon Cost?
Quick answer
What does a honeymoon at Matlai cost?
A honeymoon at Boutique Hotel Matlai costs between USD 4,026 and USD 6,386 for seven nights for two, before flights. The lower figure is an Asili House room in low season with the infrastructure tax and a return airport transfer; the higher is a Villa Kidosho suite in high season with the Saba Deluxe honeymoon package added. Room rates include half board. Flights, the visa, the mandatory entry insurance, lunch, drinks and excursions are extra, and flights depend on where you start, so check with the airline. These figures use the 2027 rate sheet; on the 2026 sheet the same two examples come to USD 3,921 and USD 5,966.
| Worked example | Seven nights, two guests · 2027 |
| Lower example | USD 4,026: Asili House room, low season |
| Higher example | USD 6,386: Villa Kidosho suite, high season, with a package |
| Honeymoon packages | USD 300 to USD 860 per stay, on top of the room |
| Airport transfer | USD 60 per car each way |
| Flights | Not priced here: check with the airline |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
The short version
What does a Zanzibar honeymoon cost in total?
A Zanzibar honeymoon is the sum of six things: flights, the room, an optional honeymoon package, the island’s taxes and entry costs, transfers, and what you spend once you are there. Only the first depends on where you live, so the table starts at the airport in Zanzibar. All prices are rack rates in US dollars for two people, from our 2027 rate sheet.
We use seven nights as a middle length that is easy to scale up or down. The two examples are the cheapest and a dearer way to spend the week, so your own total sits between them or above them, depending on the room, the season and the package. The honeymoon hotel page shows the rooms.
| Cost | What it covers | Lower example | Higher example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | Not priced here, because the fare depends on your city, airline and month | Check with the airline | Check with the airline |
| Room, seven nights | Half board included: breakfast and a three-course dinner | USD 3,850 (Asili House room, low season) | USD 5,530 (Villa Kidosho suite, high season) |
| Honeymoon package | One-off add-on for two | None | USD 680 (Saba Deluxe) |
| Infrastructure tax | USD 4 per person per night | USD 56 | USD 56 |
| Airport transfer, return | USD 60 per car each way | USD 120 | USD 120 |
| Total from the airport | Without flights, visa, insurance, lunch, drinks and excursions | USD 4,026 | USD 6,386 |
Rack rates, per room for the whole stay, for two guests. Season dates and rates for other dates are on the rooms and rates page.
| Cost | What it covers | Lower example | Higher example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | Not priced here, because the fare depends on your city, airline and month | Check with the airline | Check with the airline |
| Room, seven nights | Half board included: breakfast and a three-course dinner | USD 3,745 (Asili House room, low season) | USD 5,110 (Villa Kidosho suite, high season) |
| Honeymoon package | One-off add-on for two | None | USD 680 (Saba Deluxe) |
| Infrastructure tax | USD 4 per person per night | USD 56 | USD 56 |
| Airport transfer, return | USD 60 per car each way | USD 120 | USD 120 |
| Total from the airport | Without flights, visa, insurance, lunch, drinks and excursions | USD 3,921 | USD 5,966 |
Rack rates, per room for the whole stay, for two guests. Season dates and rates for other dates are on the rooms and rates page.
Flights
How much are flights to Zanzibar?
Flights are usually the largest single cost, and the one we cannot price for you: the fare depends on your departure city, the airline, the month and how early you book. Schedules change seasonally, so check with the airline before you plan around a route. Our guide to flights to Zanzibar lists who flies in, and where Zanzibar is and how to get there shows every route and its flight time on a globe.
Compare a nonstop with a connection for your exact dates, and compare the airline’s own site with a booking site. If you come from a safari on the mainland, the flight or ferry to the island is a separate, smaller cost.
The room
How much is the room for a seven-night honeymoon?
The room rate is per room per night for two guests, with half board included, so the table multiplies it by seven. Asili House has the garden rooms; Villa Kidosho has two suites, Jua and Mwezi, around a pool above the beach. Full board adds USD 30 per person per night, which is USD 420 for two over seven nights.
Rates change with the season, and the dates of the seasons are not the same in every year, so read them on the rooms and rates page. The booking page shows the rate for your dates. Offers cannot be combined, so read which one applies to your booking.
| Room | Low season | High season | Festive season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asili House room | USD 3,850 | USD 4,690 | USD 5,390 |
| Villa Kidosho suite | USD 4,725 | USD 5,530 | USD 6,195 |
Per room for seven nights. Nightly rates and the whole-villa prices are on the rooms and rates page.
| Room | Low season | High season | Festive season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asili House room | USD 3,745 | USD 4,340 | USD 4,865 |
| Villa Kidosho suite | USD 4,585 | USD 5,110 | USD 5,600 |
Per room for seven nights. Nightly rates and the whole-villa prices are on the rooms and rates page.
The package
What does a honeymoon package add?
The honeymoon packages are one-off add-ons for two people. They are priced per stay and added to the room rate, and they do not depend on the number of nights. Each tier is suggested for a length of stay, but any package can be booked with any length.
Matlai Tatu is the first tier: an arrival cocktail, sparkling wine, room decoration, a candlelight dinner, breakfast in bed and a massage. Tano Superior adds a floating breakfast, a private seafood barbecue, massages for two and a sunset cruise to Michamvi Kae. Saba Deluxe adds an open-air cinema evening and a bath-and-massage combination for two, and Kumi Exclusive adds a romantic spa day and a herbal foot retreat. The honeymoon package page has the full lists.
| Package | Suggested stay | Add-on to the room rate |
|---|---|---|
| Matlai Tatu | 3 nights | USD 300 |
| Matlai Tano Superior | 5 nights | USD 600 |
| Matlai Saba Deluxe | 7 nights | USD 680 |
| Matlai Kumi Exclusive | 10 nights | USD 860 |
The suggested stay is only a suggestion; every package can be booked for any length of stay.
Extras
What costs extra once you are there?
Lunch and drinks are not in the half-board rate. Celebrations are priced per couple in Tanzanian shillings: a candlelight dinner is TZS 156,000, a floating breakfast TZS 110,000 and an open-air cinema evening TZS 125,000. The packages above already include some of these, so check before you add one separately.
On the water, the village captains charge USD 70 for two for the Blue Lagoon and Starfish Beach trip and USD 80 for two for a sunset sail to Michamvi Kae with the taxi back, paid in cash to the captain. Spa treatments are paid to the spa directly, and the spa page has the menu.
Getting there
What else do you pay to get to Zanzibar and around?
The airport transfer is USD 60 per car each way for up to 6 people, so a return transfer is USD 120; it is paid to the driver’s company, not to the hotel. The drive takes 1h15–1h30. The government’s infrastructure tax is USD 4 per person per night, which is USD 56 for two over seven nights.
The Tanzania tourist visa costs USD 50 per person for a stay of up to 90 days, and US passport holders pay USD 100 for a multiple-entry visa. You need one policy, for the place you land first: land on Zanzibar first and you buy the Zanzibar insurance (ZIC, USD 44 per adult, USD 22 per child aged 3–17); land on the mainland first and, since 1 October 2026, you buy the mainland’s NIC (USD 44), which also counts on Zanzibar. Either covers up to 92 days. The entry requirements guide has the details.
Tipping is appreciated and never obligatory; the culture and etiquette guide says what is usual.
Is it expensive?
Is Zanzibar expensive for a honeymoon?
It depends mostly on where you stay and when you fly, because the island has rooms at almost every price. For most couples the flight and the hotel are the two biggest items. At Matlai a room starts from USD 550 a night for two with half board in low season, and the seven-night example above shows how the total builds up.
The honest way to compare is the total, not the nightly rate. Ask every hotel what is included, in board, transfers and taxes, and what is charged on top. We list ours on this page, including what costs extra. Our Michamvi guide shows what the beach and the village around the hotel are like.
Spending less
How can you spend less on a Zanzibar honeymoon?
Travel in low season: the same room costs less, as the table shows, and the beach is quieter. Book as early as you can, because with six rooms the popular dates go first, and the offers page lists what applies to bookings made ahead.
There is also a 15% offer: use the code Special2026MATLAI for stays up to 28 May 2027, in the promo-code field when you book or by quoting it when you write to us. It cannot be combined with other offers.
Choose the package that fits the days you have rather than the biggest one, because every package can be booked for any length of stay. And book direct: the best rate is on our own booking page, and you can ask us about dates and tides before you decide.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
These are the cost questions couples ask us before they book. Every figure is a rack rate from our own rate sheets.
How much does a honeymoon in Zanzibar cost?
At Boutique Hotel Matlai, between USD 4,026 and USD 6,386 for seven nights for two, before flights. The first figure is an Asili House room in low season with the infrastructure tax and a return transfer; the second is a Villa Kidosho suite in high season with the Saba Deluxe package. Room rates include half board. These figures use the 2027 rate sheet; on the 2026 sheet the same two examples come to USD 3,921 and USD 5,966.
How much does a honeymoon package cost?
A honeymoon package is a one-off add-on for two, priced per stay and added to the room rate: Matlai Tatu USD 300, Tano Superior USD 600, Saba Deluxe USD 680 and Kumi Exclusive USD 860. The price does not depend on the number of nights.
Are flights included in the price?
No. Flights are booked separately and their price depends on your departure city, the airline and the month. Schedules change seasonally, so check with the airline before you plan around a route.
What is not included in the room rate?
Lunch and drinks (only water is free; every room has a kettle with instant tea and coffee, and all other drinks are charged), the Zanzibar infrastructure tax of USD 4 per person per night, the airport transfer, the visa and the mandatory entry insurance, excursions, spa treatments and celebration extras such as a candlelight dinner.
How many nights should a Zanzibar honeymoon be?
If Zanzibar is the whole trip, two weeks is a good length; after a safari, three to ten nights is the standard. With fewer than four nights much of the stay goes to arriving and leaving. The seven nights in the example on this page are a middle length.
Is Zanzibar expensive for a honeymoon?
It depends mostly on the flight, the hotel and the season. At Matlai a room starts from USD 550 a night for two with half board in low season, and the seven-night example on this page shows how the total builds up. Compare hotels by the total, including board, transfers and taxes, not by the nightly rate.
When is a Zanzibar honeymoon cheapest?
In low season, when the same room costs less than in high season or over the festive weeks. The dates of the seasons differ between years, so read them on our rooms and rates page. The long rains, roughly April to May, are why low season is cheaper, and the hotel closes for part of April and May; the closure is announced in advance. Book as early as you can, because with six rooms the popular dates go first.
Your stay at Matlai
Choose your dates and the booking page opens with them, showing live availability.
Bookings with children go by enquiry: the booking page books adults only, so send us your dates on WhatsApp and we reply with the options. Children under 14 stay with a whole villa. WhatsApp →
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.
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