Zanzibar's main island, Unguja, lies between 25 and 50 kilometres off the Tanzanian mainland, according to Air Tanzania's Zanzibar page. The short distance hides a real administrative border: Zanzibar is part of Tanzania but has its own airport authority and visitor insurance scheme, which is why a domestic crossing still involves passports and paperwork.
What does the Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry cost?
The scheduled fast ferries are run by Azam Marine & Kilimanjaro Fast Ferries, which operates four catamarans named Kilimanjaro IV to VII. Its rate sheet sets two price lists: one in Tanzanian shillings for residents and one in US dollars for non-residents. The page gives no effective date, so treat it as the current published tariff and confirm at booking.
| Class | Non-resident adult | Non-resident child (5-11) | Resident adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | US$35 | US$30 | TZS 40,000 |
| Business | US$40 | US$40 | TZS 50,000 |
| VIP | US$60 | US$60 | TZS 80,000 |
| Royal | US$100 | US$100 | TZS 120,000 |
Only economy has a child discount; in the other classes children pay the adult fare. The operator counts anyone aged 12 or over as an adult. The rate sheet also says children under five are "ineligible for booking", without explaining whether they travel free on an adult's ticket, so ask the ticket office before you travel with a toddler.
The operator's travel notice says foreign passengers pay in US dollars, with pounds sterling and euros also accepted, while foreigners holding a Tanzanian resident permit or exemption certificate may pay in shillings at the citizen rate. For how dollars and shillings work elsewhere in the country, see our guide to paying in Tanzania.
What the ferry operator did not publish
Azam's website lists no crossing time and no departure times; those appear only in its online booking portal, which we could not load. The fleet page gives service speeds of 30 to 33 knots for the four vessels and warns that the vessel on a scheduled departure can change at the last minute. Check the sailing time on your ticket rather than relying on a timetable copied from a third-party site.
How do flights compare?
Air Tanzania lists Zanzibar among its domestic destinations. We could not read a Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar schedule on any official page: the airline's schedule tool returned an error, and the Zanzibar Airports Authority's live departure board did not give reliable carrier data when we read it. Search the airline's own booking engine for your date.
Flying shifts the paperwork to the airport. Air Tanzania's pre-flight advice asks passengers to arrive at least two hours before a domestic departure, against the ferry's one hour. On the island side, Abeid Amani Karume International Airport sits about 5 kilometres south of Zanzibar City, according to the Zanzibar Airports Authority so budget a road transfer from there to Stone Town or your beach hotel.
The luggage rules differ in a way that matters for divers, surfers and long-stay travellers. Air Tanzania's baggage page allows one checked bag of 23 kg in domestic economy and 30 kg in business, and charges TZS 8,000 per extra kilogram on domestic routes. The ferry allows 25 kg per person, with extra luggage charged at a rate the rate sheet does not state.
Which option suits which traveller?
| Situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Arriving on an international flight into Dar es Salaam | Flight | You are already at the airport and can connect without going into the city |
| Staying in central Dar es Salaam first | Ferry | Published dollar fare and a one-hour reporting time |
| Family with children 5-11 | Ferry (economy) | Only economy has a child fare, and it is published |
| Heavy or oversized luggage | Ferry | 25 kg allowance against 23 kg in air economy |
| Prone to seasickness, or avoiding sea travel | Flight | Removes the sea crossing altogether |
Documents, booking and cancellation rules
Azam's travel notice says all non-Tanzanian foreign passengers must carry a passport between Zanzibar and the mainland, and its booking terms require passengers to show their ticket and passport or other valid travel document to vessel staff. The same terms say people under 18 may not travel alone.
The terms are strict on timing. There is no refund for a missed sailing or for arriving late to check in. If the operator cannot run the service, it offers a full refund or rebooking within 24 hours in the same class. The amendment cut-off is written as "one (12) hour prior to departure time", so it is unclear whether the limit is one hour or twelve; make any change well before the day of travel.
Buy through the operator. Azam advises buying from its offices in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar or Pemba, from approved agents or online, and not from street sellers; the online system has a separate non-resident portal priced in dollars, and payment is required to confirm a booking.
Separately from the transport choice, the UK government's entry requirements page, updated 17 September 2026, says all non-resident visitors to Zanzibar must hold inbound travel insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. Our Zanzibar insurance and visa guide explains how that works.
What government travel advice says about the crossing
For US citizens, the State Department's Tanzania page carries a Level 3 "Reconsider Travel" advisory dated 31 October 2025 and advises travellers to Zanzibar by ferry to "use the high-speed ferry and purchase your tickets from inside the ferry terminal or online in advance."
For UK nationals, the FCDO's safety page, updated 17 September 2026, says hundreds of people have died in ferry disasters in recent years, including between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, and advises: "If you think a ferry is overloaded or not seaworthy, do not get on." For flights, it points travellers to the UK Air Safety List to check which Tanzanian airlines are certified. Other nationalities should read their own government's advice.