Zanzibar Travel Guide
Flights to Zanzibar
Quick answer
Fly into Zanzibar (ZNZ). The gate is 1h15 to 1h30 away, and your driver meets you.
Zanzibar's airport is Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ), about 5 km south of Zanzibar City, and the drive to Michamvi Pingwe takes 1h15 to 1h30. On the airport's own boards for 2–3 October 2026, Condor and Discover Airlines flew nonstop from Frankfurt, and Turkish Airlines, flydubai, Etihad, Oman Air, Ethiopian, Kenya Airways and EgyptAir connected through their hubs. Book early for July–September and the festive weeks. Checked 2 October 2026.
| Airport | Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ), about 5 km south of Zanzibar City |
| Transfer | 1h15 to 1h30 to Michamvi Pingwe, about 65 km |
| Nonstop from Europe | Frankfurt (Condor, Discover Airlines), on the airport's boards for 2–3 Oct 2026 |
| One stop | Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Cairo |
| Dar es Salaam hop | 20 minutes (Coastal Aviation timetable) |
| Last verified | 2 October 2026 |
Which airlines fly to Zanzibar?
The quickest honest answer comes from the airport itself. These are the airlines on the arrivals and departures boards of the Zanzibar Airports Authority for 2 and 3 October 2026:
| From | Airline | City on the board |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | Condor | Frankfurt (the aircraft continues to Mombasa) |
| Europe | Discover Airlines | Frankfurt |
| Europe | Turkish Airlines | Istanbul |
| Europe | Air Tanzania | Moscow Vnukovo |
| Gulf | flydubai | Dubai (some rotations via Dar es Salaam) |
| Gulf | Etihad | Abu Dhabi |
| Gulf | Oman Air | Muscat |
| Middle East | Israir | Tel Aviv |
| Africa | Ethiopian | Addis Ababa |
| Africa | Kenya Airways | Nairobi |
| Africa | EgyptAir | Cairo |
| Africa | Airlink | Johannesburg, Cape Town |
| Africa | FlySafair | Johannesburg |
| Africa | RwandAir | Kigali and Mombasa |
| Tanzania | Air Tanzania | Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro |
Two days are a snapshot: other airlines fly on other days or only in season. The route table below adds those, with its own check date.
The table below is checked by hand, row by row, against each airline's own timetable — not pulled from an aviation feed. We tried the feed first and it lied by omission: it reports flight sectors, so Condor's Frankfurt service appeared under Mombasa, the city it continues to after Zanzibar. Where a source could not be confirmed we say so underneath rather than quietly dropping the route.
Who flies into Zanzibar
Flying in from
| From | Airline | Frequency | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt FRA | Condor Zanzibar is the first landing; the aircraft continues to Mombasa afterwards. | 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 Boeing 787 on KLM's own metal, about 8h40. | several a week | year-round |
| Amsterdam AMS | TUI fly Netherlands A winter-sun charter, Dutch TUI — not the German one. | weekly | winter |
| Istanbul IST | Turkish Airlines About 7h20, and the widest one-stop net over Europe. | 5–6× a week | year-round |
| Zurich ZRH | Edelweiss Air | weekly | long season, Jul–Mar |
| Milan MXP | Neos · nonstop, plus a weekly service via Kilimanjaro Neos added a Milan–Kilimanjaro–Zanzibar rotation in July 2026 alongside the direct one. | 2× a week | seasonal |
| Warsaw WAW | Enter Air A charter; some rotations are flown by Neos. | weekly, Wed | winter only, 4 Nov 2026 – 24 Mar 2027 |
| Madrid MAD | World2Fly | weekly | summer charter |
| Dubai DXB | flydubai About 5h20 — the densest hub connection to this airport. | 3× a day | year-round |
| Doha DOH | Qatar Airways | near-daily | year-round, relaunched June 2026 |
| Abu Dhabi AUH | Etihad Airways A short seasonal window — check the dates before planning around it. | 4× a week | summer only, 14 Jun – 6 Sep 2026 |
| Addis Ababa ADD | Ethiopian Airlines About 2h45; often the shortest total journey from central Europe. | 5× a week | year-round |
| Nairobi NBO | Kenya Airways About 1h20. | several a day | year-round |
| Kigali KGL | RwandAir Zanzibar first, then onward to Mombasa. | 4× a week | year-round since Dec 2025 |
| Cairo CAI | EgyptAir | 2× a week | from 4 Sep 2026, extended into winter |
| Johannesburg JNB | Airlink · FlySafair Airlink added Johannesburg in June 2026 and Cape Town from 3 October 2026. | 5× a week | year-round |
| Entebbe EBB | Uganda Airlines | 2–3× a week | year-round |
| Moscow VKO | Air Tanzania | 3× a week | year-round since 2 Jul 2026 |
Not confirmed this month
Does not serve Zanzibar
Within Tanzania and the region
| From | How often |
|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam DAR | 35× a day |
| Arusha ARK | 17× a day |
| Pemba PMA | 7× a day |
| Tanga TGT | 3× a day |
| Seronera (Serengeti) SEU | 2× a day |
| Kilimanjaro JRO | 2× a day |
Average frequency over the last month of recorded traffic — seasonal services come and go. Route data: AeroDataBox, updated September 2026.
How do you get from the airport to the beach?
Arrival is straightforward and slower than you expect, in the way island arrivals are. Most visitors need the Tanzania visa, bought online in advance or on arrival, and the queue is the longest part of the day. Your driver waits past customs with your name, and the road crosses the island through spice country and the edge of the Jozani forest before it reaches the east coast: 1h15 to 1h30, about 65 km, on tarmac until the last few hundred metres to the hotel, which are unpaved. The airport transfer guide has the price and how to book it.
Flying home is easier: we time the departure so you are not sitting in the terminal for hours. Late check-out is available in both houses if your flight is an evening one — the policies page lists what it costs, by villa, without an asterisk.
Which short flights connect Zanzibar with the mainland and Pemba?
The domestic flights are the ones that solve awkward itineraries. On Coastal Aviation's published timetable, Dar es Salaam is 20 minutes away, so a delayed intercontinental arrival on the mainland rarely costs you the day. Arusha and Kilimanjaro, the northern safari gateways, connect here directly (Arusha on Coastal's timetable and the airport's boards, Kilimanjaro on the departures board), which is why the beach-after-safari order works so smoothly. Seronera, the airstrip in the middle of the Serengeti, is on the same timetable, with a stop in Arusha. Pemba, the greener, quieter sister island, is a short hop for anyone extending, and Tanga connects the northern mainland coast. The Arusha–Zanzibar flight takes around 1 hour, depending on the airline and the aircraft.
These are small aircraft on published schedules, and luggage limits are real: Coastal's standard ticket allows 15 kg, and its XL seat 30 kg. Pack for the small aeroplane, not for the airline you flew in on.
What happens if the flight is late?
Delays are normal here and we plan for them rather than react. Your butler holds the flight number and the driver waits — a late landing does not mean a lost car. If a connection is missed entirely, tell us as early as you can and the transfer moves with you. Going home, we time the departure so the wait happens on a terrace rather than in a terminal.
How do you combine Zanzibar with a safari?
Most guests who combine the two do the safari first and the beach second: the Serengeti is early mornings and long drives, and the island is the part where nobody wakes you. Arusha and Kilimanjaro both connect to Zanzibar directly, and the Seronera airstrip has a scheduled flight via Arusha. Only the hotel is booked with us; for the safari we recommend safari companies, and our safari guide covers the itinerary side of it honestly.
Where these facts come from
Official sources
- Zanzibar Airports Authority: arrivals: The airport's own arrivals board: flight numbers, origin cities and times.
- Zanzibar Airports Authority: departures: The airport's own departures board: flight numbers, destinations and times.
- Coastal Aviation: timetable and fares (valid to 31 May 2027, updated July 2026): Flights from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Seronera, Pemba and Tanga, and the 15 kg / 30 kg baggage rule.
- UK Foreign Office (FCDO): Tanzania entry requirements: The first-point-of-entry rule: you buy only the insurance of the place where you land first; visa on arrival.
Checked on 2 October 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
Which airlines fly to Zanzibar?
On the airport's own arrivals and departures boards for 2 and 3 October 2026: from Europe, Condor and Discover Airlines from Frankfurt, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul and Air Tanzania from Moscow; from the Gulf, flydubai from Dubai, Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Oman Air from Muscat; from Africa, Ethiopian from Addis Ababa, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, EgyptAir from Cairo, Airlink from Johannesburg and Cape Town, FlySafair from Johannesburg and RwandAir; Israir from Tel Aviv; and Air Tanzania within Tanzania. Two days are a snapshot: other airlines fly on other days or in other seasons, and the route table on this page lists those.
Is it better to fly into Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam?
Fly into Zanzibar if you can. The drive from Zanzibar airport to Michamvi Pingwe is 1h15 to 1h30, and your driver meets you in the arrivals hall. Dar es Salaam adds a short flight to Zanzibar — 20 minutes on Coastal Aviation's timetable — or a ferry plus a road transfer; it is worth it only if the fare difference is large or your safari starts on the mainland.
How long is the transfer from the airport?
1h15 to 1h30 across the island to Michamvi Pingwe, about 65 km, on tarmac until the last few hundred metres to the hotel, which are unpaved. Your butler helps you arrange the car with the local agencies and drivers we work with, so the driver knows your flight number.
Which European connections work best?
If you want to land without changing planes, Frankfurt is the city to check first: Condor and Discover Airlines were both on the airport's boards for 2–3 October 2026. Otherwise one stop through a hub is usually quicker than hunting for a direct flight: Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, Dubai with flydubai, Abu Dhabi with Etihad, Muscat with Oman Air, Addis Ababa with Ethiopian, Nairobi with Kenya Airways or Cairo with EgyptAir. Many European services are seasonal, so check the season before you fix your dates.
How far in advance should I book flights?
For July to September and the festive weeks, book the flight early: those are the seats that sell out, not only the rooms. March to May, with the long rains, is quieter. If your dates are fixed by school holidays, secure the flight first and let us hold the room while you do.
Do I need a visa and insurance to fly to Zanzibar?
Most visitors need the Tanzania visa, which also covers Zanzibar: USD 50 (US passport holders need the USD 100 multiple-entry visa), bought online or on arrival. 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.
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
- Your own butler, 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.
WhatsApp From the airport to Michamvi Pingwe →
TripAdvisor 4.9/5 · 378+ reviews · Google 4.8/5