Zanzibar: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Zanzibar is a city of 709,809 people in Tanzania (Zanzibar Urban/West), 14 m (46 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 1 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Zanzibar runs from about 11 h 48 min a day in late June to 12 h 31 min in late December (computed for -6.16° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Zanzibar is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,915 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR, 79 km).
Flights to Zanzibar: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Zanzibar · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 1 places to stay in Zanzibar. Of the 1 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (1).
Hotels in Zanzibar: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Dar es Salaam, 74 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Mombasa, 240 km (Kenya) — flights
- Dodoma, 382 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Morogoro, 185 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Tanga, 122 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Kibaha, 74 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Moshi, 375 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Ifakara, 353 km — buses · car rental
- Matuga, 226 km (Kenya) — flights
- Jomvu, 246 km (Kenya) — flights
Twin towns and sister cities: Haikou.
Common questions
Which airport serves Zanzibar?
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Zanzibar?
About 709,809 people live in Zanzibar (GeoNames).
What time zone is Zanzibar in?
Africa/Dar_es_Salaam, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Zanzibar?
The Shilling (TZS). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Zanzibar?
Our booking partner lists 1 places to stay in Zanzibar, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Zanzibar?
Dar es Salaam (74 km), Mombasa (240 km), Dodoma (382 km), Morogoro (185 km), Tanga (122 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.