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, Condor flew nonstop from Frankfurt (Discover Airlines too, on some rotations with a stop in Mombasa), and Turkish Airlines, flydubai, Etihad, Ethiopian, Kenya Airways and EgyptAir connected through their hubs. Book early for July–September and the festive weeks. Schedules change seasonally — check with the airline before you book. 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 may stop in Mombasa), on the airport's boards |
| One stop | Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Cairo |
| Dar es Salaam hop | 20 minutes (Coastal Aviation timetable) |
| Last verified | 2 October 2026 |
How long is the flight to Zanzibar?
From Europe it is a long day: Condor from Frankfurt takes about 9 h 05, KLM from Amsterdam about 8 h 40 and Turkish Airlines from Istanbul about 7 h 35 in the air, plus the stop if you connect. From Dubai it is about 5 h 35, from Addis Ababa about 2 h 35 and from Nairobi about 1 h 20. These are scheduled flight times from our hand-checked route list. They move with the season, so confirm the figure with the airline when you book. Waiting for a connection? The airport's only lounge is the Marhaba Lounge, airside and for departures; our Zanzibar airport lounge and VIP arrival guide covers it and the paid arrival options.
| From | Airline | Flight time | Direct? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | Kenya Airways | about 1 h 20 | nonstop |
| Entebbe | Uganda Airlines | about 1 h 50 | nonstop |
| Kigali | RwandAir | about 2 h | nonstop |
| Addis Ababa | Ethiopian Airlines | about 2 h 35 | nonstop |
| Johannesburg | Airlink · FlySafair | about 3 h 35 | nonstop |
| Dubai | flydubai | about 5 h 35 | nonstop |
| Abu Dhabi | Etihad Airways | about 5 h 40 | nonstop |
| Cairo | EgyptAir | about 5 h 40 | nonstop |
| Istanbul | Turkish Airlines | about 7 h 35 | nonstop |
| Warsaw | Neos | about 8 h | nonstop |
| Milan | Neos | about 8 h 30 | nonstop, plus a weekly service via Kilimanjaro |
| Moscow | Air Tanzania | about 8 h 30 | nonstop |
| Amsterdam | KLM | about 8 h 40 | nonstop |
| Madrid | World2Fly | about 9 h | nonstop |
| Frankfurt | Condor | about 9 h 05 | nonstop |
| Zurich | Edelweiss Air | about 11 h | may stop in Kilimanjaro |
Flight time is the scheduled time in the air, without connections or waiting. For the drive on from the airport to the hotel, see the section after the route table.
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 when we read them:
| 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 (seasonal) |
| Gulf | Oman Air | Muscat (seen on the airport boards; not yet confirmed in the route list) |
| Middle East | Israir | Tel Aviv (seen on the airport boards; not yet confirmed in the route list) |
| 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 |
The boards are a snapshot: other airlines fly on other days or only in season. The route table below adds those. Schedules change seasonally — check with the airline before you book.
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 | 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
Within Tanzania and the region
| 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.
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 about 1 h to 1 h 35, 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. To see how every route, the ferry and the safari airstrips connect to the island, open where Zanzibar is and how to get there.
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 (read 2 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 (seasonal) and Oman Air from Muscat (seen on the airport boards; not yet confirmed in the route list); 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 (seen on the airport boards; not yet confirmed in the route list); and Air Tanzania within Tanzania. A snapshot is not a timetable: other airlines fly on other days or in other seasons, and the route table on this page lists those. Schedules change seasonally — check with the airline before you book.
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 when we checked. 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 (seasonal), Addis Ababa with Ethiopian, Nairobi with Kenya Airways or Cairo with EgyptAir. Many European services are seasonal, so check the season with the airline 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
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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 →
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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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