Travel

Commuting from Dar Es Salam to Zanziba; Flight or Ferry


If you ever visit Tanzania, Zanzibar is a must. It is a paradise which I definitely do not need to say a lot about. Mainland Tanzania is Dar Es Salam while the Island Tanzania is Zanzibar. There are two ways of getting to Zanzibar, by flight or Ferry. Most travelers take a flight in between both cities but if you would like to save on transportation cost, go off the beaten path and experience life like a local just like Luphelo, you should consider taking the ferry from Dar es salaam to Zanzibar.

Ferry from dar es salaam to zanzibar

Ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar

There are several ferries which take passengers on this route. I used Azam Marine by Bakhresa Group. You wont miss it. It is the best and the biggest. You will see their office immediately you pull into the area in your taxi. I definitely recommend them, the problem is the locals in the area. Everyone would try to persuade you to go with them, telling you it is quicker and cheaper with them . The scene is usually confusing and you wont know who to trust but I was not alone and we decided to go with Azam.

Ferry from dar es salaam to zanzibarEconomy is 30USD and VIP is 50USD. Economy was fully booked on our arrival and we had to with business class which was a good thing as we were told there was no air conditioning in economy. Air Conditioning is really important out there. The humidity is on another level. The trip was exactly 2hours. There is no WI-FI and you loose signal out in the ocean even if  you have a local sim which I bought upon entry. The ferry only docks in StoneTown from where people continue their trips

Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar Flights

If you are not cool with the Ferry idea or suffer from sea sickness, then by all means get a cheap return ticket for as low as $63 here, Air Tanzania, Flight Link, Precision Air or Hahn Air Systems.

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6 Comments

  • Reply Lanre March 13, 2019 at 7:57 am

    The VIP ferries takes an estimated of how many people?

    • AE
      Reply AE March 16, 2019 at 11:20 am

      Hi Lanre, there are no VIP ferries, there’s only Business class and economy both in the same ferry. The ferry seats about 600people, 100 of which is business class. I hope this answers your question.

  • Reply oo_kiitan May 1, 2019 at 10:44 am

    I definitely would prefer the ferry, hopping on flights in some places without assurance of the integrity and safety of the planes would scare the heck out of me! Plus the ferry would be a great time to reflect.

    • AE
      Reply AE May 1, 2019 at 2:25 pm

      I totally agree.

  • Reply Otapp April 7, 2020 at 7:33 am

    Which is the best ferry for Zanzibar from Dar es salaam. How much it cost as it is safe for a single women traveler with a 3 year old kid..

    • AE
      Reply AE April 19, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      Hi, as at early 2019, Economy was 30USD and VIP 50USD. The ferry is pretty safe.

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