All about rest and prices in Zanzibar.
Zanzibar Island vacation guide for 2022 in Tanzania. Learn about prices, vacation conditions and activities on the island.
Not long ago, few people have heard about Zanzibar, but gradually this island, which belongs to Tanzania, is becoming more and more popular among Russian tourists. Let’s see what kind of vacation can offer us the island of Zanzibar!
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Content:
When it’s best to vacation in Zanzibar
Although summer in Zanzibar lasts all year round, the best time to vacation on the island in Tanzania is during the summer and winter months. By the way, summer is a little cooler because Zanzibar is below the equator line. From June to October and during the winter months, it rains the least and the average temperature is about +28. +29°C, and these are the most comfortable conditions on the island. The water and air temperatures differ literally by a couple of degrees – as a rule, the ocean is no cooler than +26°C throughout the year.
In spring, it rains in Zanzibar, which lowers the prices of holidays and tours. In addition, November, the end of Zanzibar spring, is considered a rainy month.
Starfish on Pwani Mchangani beach in Zanzibar. Photo: Sander Solvak / flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
The best resorts and beaches
Many people go to Zanzibar just for the exotic beach vacation. The coastline of the island is very picturesque, along it stretches cozy fishing villages. All beaches on the island are sandy, and visit them for free. The exception is the private areas of the hotels. We tell you which part of the island to choose for a vacation.
Kendwa beach is considered the most luxurious – the most wealthy tourists choose it. Here are the most expensive hotels, and the sand on the beach is always perfectly clean. This place is also great for holidays with children, because the sea inhabitants on the bottom are rare, and the tide is almost not noticeable.
Padge beach is located on the eastern part of the island. It has long attracted kitesurfers from all over the world. You can also do other water sports, and go fishing or just watch the local fishermen.
Kizimaki Beach in the south is a place where you can watch dolphins and even swim with them.
Nungwi Beach in the north is considered one of the most picturesque beaches in Zanzibar. There is a huge number of coral reefs and soft sandy bottom. Like Kendwa, it is loved for its minimal tides.
The beaches of Matemwe, Mapenzi, Kivengwa and Oroa are great for diving, which is literally the hallmark of the island.
The beach on Zanzibar. Photo: Humphrey Muleba / unsplash.com.
Zanzibar Tour Prices in 2022
Zanzibar – a relatively new destination for Russian tourists, but the Europeans are flying here for a long time. The prices for tours to Zanzibar in 2022 are quite high. As always, the cheapest flight is from Moscow. There are no direct scheduled flights between Russia and Tanzania yet, but you can get there with connections in Istanbul, Doha and other airports.
A week of vacation in Zanzibar in 2022 costs from 110 thousand rubles for two. At this price you will get a 3 * hotel with meals “breakfasts” about 500-600 meters from the sea (sometimes closer). You can get a tour to a 4* hotel for 120 thousand rubles for two people, and to a 5* hotel – from 150 thousand rubles. Five-star hotels are located on the first line and almost always have its own beach.
All inclusive” tours in 4* hotels cost from 150 thousand rubles and in 5* hotels from 190 thousand rubles for two persons.
Prices for holidays in Zanzibar in 2022 for two people with flight from Moscow:
| Category | Only stay | All Inclusive |
| 2* and below | — | — |
| 3* | 130 000 | — |
| 4* | 160 000 | 180 000 |
| 5* | 180 000 | 210 000 |
Vacation in Zanzibar. Photo: Antony / unsplash.com.
Ticket prices
Flight prices to Zanzibar start at 30,000 rubles per tourist round trip. There were no direct flights before, there are none now. You must fly with at least one connection (for example, in Dubai or Qatar). In addition, you can fly to Zanzibar from Sochi, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don and other cities, but then you will have more transfers.
Search for cheap flights to Zanzibar on Aviasales services – it compares prices of all airlines. Learn the secrets of finding cheap airline tickets.
The transfer from the airport to the hotel can be booked online in advance on the service KiwiTaxi. A car will be waiting for you upon arrival.
Locals. Photo: jocke. / flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Hotel prices
If you like to make your own vacation arrangements, you’ll find plenty of interesting options in any price range on Zanzibar. There are even hostels on the island where you can sleep for less than $10 per person. But hardly anyone would fly that far to live in a hostel. Let’s take a look at the prices of hotels in Zanzibar.
The simplest guesthouses and hotels offer rooms for two for only $12-20. A good 3* hotel costs $30-$50 for two people per night. In such hotels is usually not the newest furniture. Lodging location of budget hotels is different: small cozy bungalows may be located half a kilometer away, and close to the ocean.
Hotels 4* cost from $50 per night, 5* hotels – from $120, and the steepest resorts and hotels charge $1,500 a night for a room. But the reviews of these hotels are only positive: tourists from all over the world say the perfect service, delicious menu and incredible views from all rooms.
Keep in mind that tourists often complain about poor Wi-Fi signal, but this problem can be encountered in hotels of any level. In Zanzibar, even an all-inclusive system does not mean that the internet will be free and you will be able to use it anywhere but the lobby.
Look for discounted hotels on Hotellook.com, pay attention not only to the star rating of the hotel, but also to its rating according to tourist reviews. Take a look at our hotel search tips.
If you prefer to stay in authentic apartments with locals, look for them on Bookings. Prices in Zanzibar are not high – you can rent a room for about 1000 rubles per day. In this accommodation is a necessary minimum for a holiday in Zanzibar: bathroom, bedroom, washing machine, electric stove with one or two burners (stoves in the usual sense that we are accustomed to the island are rare). Most hosts have Wi-Fi, and sometimes there are even inexpensive apartments with a dryer and parking.
Park Hyatt Zanzibar hotel. Photo: booking.com.
Food prices in cafes and restaurants
There are two currencies in Zanzibar: American dollar (which we will use for calculations) and Tanzanian shilling. The exchange rate is approximately: $ 1 ≈ 2300 Tanzanian Shillings (TZS).
Breakfast is usually included in the price of a tour to Zanzibar. But if not, you can have breakfast at a small café even for $4-$5. For $9 you can order a simple lunch, but lunch and dinner for one person will cost you from $20 and up. By the way, this lunch excluding seafood (and there are a lot of them!) – with seafood delicacies the price will be about $ 30. As a side dish, noodles and rice are very popular and served with spices, vegetables or seafood.
Coffee for about 2$, buy a bottle of water 0,33 L – about 0,33$. Local beer costs about $1.5 and red wine from $6 a bottle.
Grocery Prices.
If your hotel does not provide food or you live in an apartment with a kitchen, you can cook on your own – food prices in Zanzibar are reasonable. The cost of groceries in the stores varies depending on the season.
Here are approximate prices of food in Zanzibar in stores during the high season of 2022:
- Potatoes (kg) – 1800 TZS / $0.8.
- Milk (1 liter) – about 2,300 TZS / $1.
- Cheese (kg) – about 10 thousand TZS / $ 4.5.
- Bread – 680 TZS / $0.3.
- Apples (kg) – from 2300 TZS / $1.
- Tomatoes (kg) – from 2,000 TZS / $0.9 USD.
By the way, fruit is not expensive in Zanzibar, because it is in abundance! There are plenty of fruit markets and fruit shops on the island. Pineapples are about 1100 TZS ($ 0.5), coconut – 750 TZS ($ 0.33), and mango, and at all 450 TZS ($ 0.2), that is about 15 rubles.
A colorful food market in Zanzibar. Photo: Karen Fasimpaur / wikimedia.org / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Excursion Prices in Zanzibar
There aren’t many excursions in Zanzibar right now, especially for Russian tourists, because the destination hasn’t yet been fully explored. The island is small, and a 10-day vacation is quite enough to get acquainted with the culture and sights of this place. Tour prices on Zanzibar in 2022 average $50-70 per person. We tell you what’s worth seeing.
Visiting the Old Town.
The Old Town, or Stone Town, a UNESCO heritage site, is a mix of different architecture. Renting a place in the bustling center is not worth it, but visiting the place with a guided tour is highly recommended. What is there:
- House of Wonders. For several centuries until the 1960s, this building was the sultan’s residence. Now it’s a tourist attraction and, by the way, the largest building in all of Stone Town.
- Slave Trade Square. The name speaks for itself: more than half a million slaves were sold in this square during its existence. There is now a monument commemorating this period. If this topic interests you, visit also the Slave Cave located near Mangapwani Beach which is a scary but impressive sight.
- English Fort. Located near the House of Wonders, you do not need to pay to enter, only to be accompanied by a guide.
- Spice Markets. Spices are an essential part of cooking for the people of Zanzibar, so the selection is huge. Spices can be brought home as a souvenir for yourself or loved ones. In addition, as a souvenir you can bring figurines of wood, leather goods (bags, purses), beads or bracelets with tanzanite. Also a great gift would be exotic fruits.
It costs about $55, the walk takes about three hours, and then tourists usually go to the spice farm. Visiting just the old town is half the price, but the Russian-speaking guide is harder to find.
In addition to markets, you can visit the spice plantations. Such an excursion costs from $ 55 and includes not only tasting dishes, but also a full lunch, a visit to the Persian baths, a walk through the plantations and a guide. If you get to the plantation on your own, you can visit for only $10.
Sultan’s Palace in Stone Town. Photo: Sander Solvak / flickr.com / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
Josani Tropical Forest.
This is a real tropical jungle where you will see not only exotic plants, but also colobus monkeys, leopards and snakes. The excursion lasts about an hour. The forest has national park status, and the tour is conducted in English. The Russian-language tour is sold together with a boat trip to the dolphins (watching dolphins and swimming with them in the ocean).
Red colobus in the Jozani forest. Photo: Olivier Lejade / wikimedia.org / CC BY-SA 2.0.
Prison Island
One of the most interesting sights in Zanzibar is Prison Island. The hulls of the prison are still intact, but it’s long gone. In addition, there live giant turtles, which are not afraid of people, and the island itself is very scenic. The trip costs about $ 70.
In addition to the above excursions, you can visit one of the fishing villages (there are many on the island), enjoy the coral reefs, go boating at sunset and visit the best restaurants Zanzibar.
Excursions can be purchased from the guide at the hotel or find your own – it is not difficult. Sometimes the tour, bought at a small stall on the street, is cheaper and no worse in quality. Just remember that not every company has Russian-speaking guides yet!
Watch a video about a tourist trip to Turtle Island:
Prices for entertainment
Entertainment on Zanzibar is fairly standard for a resort. There are dozens of diving options alone! The cost of one dive is usually about $60, two is about $110. Jeeping through the local jungle and villages costs from $100.
Transportation prices
There are city buses on the island, a ride around town costs about 450 TZS. From the township to the center, you’ll get there for 2,300 TZS. If you prefer a more comfortable ride, a cab within 3 km of the city center costs 3,400-7,000 TZS, but you can get to the airport for about 45,000 TZS.
Tourist Reviews and Tips
Tourists love the Zanzibari beaches, the clean sand, and the clear blue water. The sand here barely gets warm in the sun! But you can’t go for a walk without sunglasses – the sand is so white that it blinds your eyes.
The eastern beaches are quieter, and for noisy entertainment is better to go to the northern part of the island.
It is important to remember the tides. Tourists say that sometimes the water goes very noticeably, and the phrase “on the first line” can lose relevance overnight.
Tanning cream is a must! In this case, the degree of protection should be at least 50. But even if you have sunscreen during the day it is better to cover your hands and feet. Read how to properly tan in the sun.
Take slippers for swimming, otherwise you risk stepping into the coral or sea urchin.
Zanzibar is an island of paradise beaches and beautiful sunsets. It has everything for a comfortable holiday – hotels for every taste, fruits and seafood, excursions and walks. And let this destination now seems exotic and unexplored, warm reviews of tourists about Zanzibar increasingly say that this island is worth seeing. Read more tourist reviews of Zanzibar.
See also:
Interesting videos about Zanzibar
Check out this informative and nicely edited video about vacationing in Zanzibar now, during the pandemic. It’s been wildly popular on YouTube – over two million views in one month! You’ll learn about getting a visa at the airport, take a walk around the island, see Nungwi Beach and learn about prices on the island:
See also an overview of all the major beaches in Zanzibar and learn about the tides on the island:
Zanzibar travel reviews . Is it worth the trip to 2022?
Take excursions from the locals. We stayed 10 days, took a bunch of excursions. I want to tell you right away: buy from local! Do not buy from separate guides and popular agencies. We bought in Zanzi.club, as a result everyone who was with us on tours got 2 times more service, and paid less. If you know English, take excursions in English. The Russian speaking guide is a local who learned Russian. Unfortunately, as a rule, not very well and the stories are short. You can not learn anything about the island. Do not take the tour.
- Go on excursions
- Swim and sunbathe on the beach
- go on a cruise
- go scuba diving
- take pictures.
Dangerous! Hello. I’m writing a review that could save someone’s life. Today in the village, I was braiding my hair and saw a lizard that looks like a gecko, looks cute enough to “squeeze”. It looks cute enough to “squeeze”, especially it might provoke a desire in children. But when the master who braided my hair saw it – she was horrified and immediately began to kill it! After that, she explained that this lizard is deadly and poisonous as the mambo. I tried to find information on the Internet, but it simply does not exist! Locals call it kimambuzi. Please do not touch ANYTHING when you come here, especially in the ocean. Avoid actives – they leave severe burns!
What is it like in Tanzania now? It’s great! Less people, more oxygen! Like most of the mass of Russian tourists, we only discovered Tanzania last year, when nothing but this country was open. Before that Tanzania for me seemed a country where only very rich people can relax. Indeed, vacation in Zanzibar was not cheap at that time. And now it is quite budget “almost the Maldives.
On our first trip, we were in the peak flow of Russian tourists. There were terrible lines at the airport, this little tent (I mean
About the best hotel on the beach Nugwi and unusual leisure activities of the locals. Leisure activities of Zanzibaris deserves respect! And also makes you remember your own childhood in the summer at the dacha. When there were no gadgets, and kids were walking in gangs in the street until dark. When all the games were offline, and even more fun and noisy, and the imagination ran wild. Here on the island, as we realized, what we do not get, no problem to master themselves. Like, for example, checkers out of bottle caps or simulators out of improvised materials. Children swim on homemade rafts, play on homemade drums,
A great vacation for exploring the World In Zanzibar for 12 days in March 2021. I will leave a short review, not claiming to be true, hopefully the information can help when planning a trip.
Where to stay? It all depends on your goals. Stone Town is perfect for travelers in the mood to explore the island, with easy access to every location. Here you can feel the color, on the evening promenade to see how the locals spend time and meet a stunning sunset, as well as many cafes and souvenir shops. By the way, the beach here is also
- Swim and sunbathe on the beach
- have a rest individually
- travel by car
- do active recreation
- sail
Our mistakes in Zanzibar: currency exchange, car rental, hotel choice We flew a long 10 hours to the airport: no long queues have not been personally with us! Perhaps the flow of tourists a little slack or the locals have learned to work faster:) Despite the fact that the airport – it’s just the name of the building (oooh very small, no amenities) does it matter? For us it didn’t! Everything was pretty quick and to the point! You have to pay $50 for the visa on arrival, so cash in bucks is a must.
On the subject of money, I’ll write right away: guys, don’t do our
I cried with laughter the review is just a bomb, after it I decided to go there, just wanted to know the hotel where friends lived in huts))))
Rent a car in Zanzibar and other curiosities I can’t travel without my car. I prefer to go around all the sights myself rather than with excursions. So in Zanzibar, think ten times whether it is worth it. I will tell you my experience. We took a car at a local dealer, there were no problems with registration. You will get the car as soon as you get it. You will get the car directly to the hotel. You don’t need an insurance policy, you don’t have to buy a car. It costs 10,000 shillings (~5$)
Driving in Zanzibar by Car. The review concerns the area Kizimkazi. I stayed at the Sarabi Hotel. I went to the front desk, asked for help (they don’t really do that), I was told I could rent a car. Permit $15 (yes, there’s a small overpayment, explain the delivery of this paper), the car $35 a day, after a short negotiation was $25. About the urgency, I do not know, I needed the day after tomorrow and for three days. Brought what is pictured (automatic transmission, good conditioner, 4×4 (may be necessary), no mileage limit), exactly as agreed
- Swim and sunbathe on the beach
My Zanzibar: about the hotel, alcohol, children and fishing. What is it like in Africa? There are no neutral reviews. Or sharply negative or incredibly delighted. Now we understand that these and others are absolutely true. I can not yet answer 100% unequivocally on whose side I am. But reading the reviews beforehand and choosing tickets on the right side of the plane was absolutely the right decision! So we were able to see Kilimanjaro.
We arrived around 9 am. I expected that when we got off the plane we will be met with a “sweat lodge”, but no, it turned out to be hot.
We spent only an hour at the airport. Many people already speak Russian. At the airport they speak English quite well. Somehow in Europe, there are no complaints that no one knows Russian, but in Africa, please? Well, it is strange. The food is also controversial, we had a lot of vegetables. And the food was delicious. Alcohol was cheaper in the stores. Apparently, it also depends on where you are exactly resting, on what beach
Zanzibar Kizimkazi March 2021 Sarabi I am now in Zanzibar. Flew from Moscow almost exactly 8 hours and 40 minutes, the departure from Sheremetyevo by Nordwind was on time. Time at the airport upon arrival literally forty minutes, bought a SIM card for $20 zantel a month 10 gigs, with plenty of reserve, changed money. About an hour and a half by bus to Kizimkazi hotel Sarabi. The hotel is nice, quiet, neat. The sea: The tides are not very pronounced, you can get to the edge at low tide, BUT ONLY in shoes, very desirable with not silicone A with a hard bottom, places are a lot of hedgehogs,
This is probably my first review, I wrote it while I was driving on the bus. My wife then reviewed it strictly, found contradictions (typos) a lot, but I don’t want to fix them. Just don’t know how to correct it.
Really don’t know how to edit my own reviews here. The point is that still rented a car, drove along the whole island (no StoneTown). But I will describe it when I rented a car, no speculation. I’ll describe it here, probably with a photo. Called “Around Zanzibar by Car”, no idea how it is classified here. Not youtuber to make a decent video for youtuber should have the appropriate expensive equipment, tried as I want to reveal the many questions that plagued me – it turns out a titanic effort, never again will put a dizlak (under the amateur).
By Zanzibar By Car. The review refers to the area Kizimkazi. I stayed at the Sarabi Hotel. Rent a car: went to reception, asked for help (actually, they don’t do this), they said you can rent a car. Permit $15 (yes, there’s a small overpayment), car $35 a day, after a short negotiation was $25. About the urgency, I do not know, I needed the day after tomorrow and for three days. Brought what was in the picture (automatic transmission, functioning air conditioner, 4×4 (may be necessary)), exactly as agreed upon time. Inspected, filmed the video around and over (often crumpled roof, because the coconuts), filled out a simple contract (should take this seriously, and how I have: emphasized the mrs instead of mr, shame and shame. Hot. Paid $75 shillings at once, clearly at the googled exchange rate, took a photo with the money so everything was clear. About the driving just a little bit. In 15 minutes, as many have said, left-handed traffic on the right-hand side of the road is not used, NO ONE IS EXPRESSED to take the car, weigh your options and risks. There are a lot of pedestrians, cyclists, CHILDREN. I don’t think there’s any levity behind the wheel. But enough moralizing, everything should be clear here. Drove from Kizimkazi to Kendwa and through the south; much less traffic in the south, freer roads; more difficult in the north. Didn’t go to StoneTown and wouldn’t advise it; just took a tour. What’s cool: there’s a downtown store where they take everyone, and across the street is a post office, bought a nice postcard, signed it and sent it home. How did I drop off my car? Very simple: I gave the key at reception, no surprises, only gave out of decency 10000 shill. (315 rubles.) For the car wash. And of course wrote to the dude who brought it, he said he’ll be at the reception in 15 minutes (which means the office nearby), but I’ve never seen him, I mean, did not wait; looked there half an hour later, the car was gone. In general, the plus is that you can go everywhere, look at many things, compare beaches, to abstain from alcohol. Minus: huge responsibility and abstinence from alcohol. Yes, the air conditioner was only enough, when we went back it was barely working. But the guy who brought the car gives us his phone number, sort of like he solves all problems. You can rent a car in Stone, but then bring + pick up = $ 20 + $ 20, and the “solution” is out of reach. POLICE! I almost forgot! And I almost forgot because no problem. Saw them 10 times, stopped 3 times, different. I was stopped 3 times, different times: once: let’s go, once: you can go, and then the third time I just waved my hand. Drove buckled up, put on the appropriate turn signals. Gasoline 2026 shill. =$0.87. Gas stations are not uncommon.
