Zanzibar travel guide
Getting around Zanzibar
From private transfers to dala-dala minibuses, here's how visitors actually move around the island — and how far apart the beach zones really are.
Zanzibar's coastal zones can be a fair distance apart — Stone Town to the north-east beaches, for instance, is a genuine drive, not a stroll — so how you get around shapes your trip more than in a compact destination. Here's how visitors typically move around the island, and what suits different trip styles.
Private transfers
The most common choice for visitors, particularly for airport pickup and any excursion arranged through a hotel or tour operator. A driver takes you directly, door to door, and this is generally the most comfortable and time-efficient option, especially with luggage, young children, or after a long international flight. It costs more than shared transport, but for most visitors the time and comfort trade-off is worth it, especially for the airport transfer and any day trip involving an early start.
Taxis
Widely available in Stone Town and the main resort areas, useful for shorter, spontaneous trips — a dinner reservation, a specific shop, moving between two nearby points. As with taxis in many destinations, agreeing a price before you get in (rather than assuming a meter) is standard practice, and your hotel can usually give you a rough sense of what a fair price looks like for a given route.
Dala-dala (shared minibuses)
The main form of local public transport, cheap and genuinely used by residents rather than run as a tourist product. They're a legitimate, adventurous, budget option for confident independent travellers comfortable with a slower, more crowded, less predictable journey, but most visitors — particularly those short on time or travelling with luggage — find pre-arranged transport more practical for anything beyond a short, low-stakes local hop.
Self-drive car or scooter hire
Available for more independent-minded travellers, though worth going into with clear eyes: driving conventions, road conditions, and traffic patterns differ from what many visitors are used to, some roads outside the main resort areas are unpaved or in variable condition, and navigation can be genuinely tricky without strong local knowledge or reliable offline maps. Scooter hire is popular with some younger, more adventurous travellers for exploring a specific local area, but requires real caution — road safety standards and other drivers' behaviour can differ from home, and minor accidents involving hired scooters are not unheard of among tourists.
Organised tour transport
For excursions like Stone Town walking tours, spice farm visits, or a day trip to Jozani Forest, transport is typically included as part of the tour package, with an air-conditioned vehicle and driver handling the logistics — this is generally the easiest and most hassle-free way to see the island's key sights without navigating independently.
Getting between coastal zones
Because the different beach areas (Nungwi in the north, Paje on the east coast, Kizimkazi in the south, and so on) can be an hour or more apart by road, it's worth thinking about this when planning a multi-stop itinerary — hopping between resort areas for a night each isn't always practical the way island-hopping might be elsewhere, and most visitors instead base themselves in one or two zones and take day-excursion transport out from there.
| Route | Typical drive time |
|---|---|
| Airport / Stone Town → Nungwi (north) | Around 1–1.5 hours |
| Stone Town → Paje (east coast) | Around 1 hour |
| Stone Town → Kizimkazi (south) | Around 1–1.5 hours |
| Nungwi → Paje (north to east coast) | Around 1.5–2 hours |
Choosing transport by trip style
| Trip style | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| First-time visitor, limited time | Private transfers plus organised tours — least friction, most predictable |
| Honeymoon or special occasion | Private transfers throughout; consider a private driver-guide for excursions rather than group tours |
| Family with young children | Private transfers with appropriate car seats arranged in advance — confirm with your operator, as availability varies |
| Independent budget traveller | Mix of dala-dala for local hops and taxis or shared shuttles for longer or time-sensitive trips |
| Confident, experienced independent traveller | Self-drive hire for real flexibility, accepting the road-condition and navigation caveats above |
A few practical notes on roads and driving
Driving in Zanzibar, like much of the region, follows different informal norms than many visitors are used to — overtaking habits, use of horns, and right-of-way conventions at junctions can feel unfamiliar. Road surface quality varies significantly between the main routes (generally well-maintained, particularly between the airport, Stone Town, and the main resort areas) and smaller side roads, which can be unpaved, potholed, or difficult to navigate after rain. If you do self-drive, an international driving permit alongside your home licence is generally expected, and confirming your specific hire company's requirements in advance avoids surprises at pickup.
Quick answers
Do I need to hire a car in Zanzibar?
Most visitors don't — private transfers and organised tour transport cover the vast majority of needs more simply than self-driving.
Is it safe to take a dala-dala as a tourist?
It's used regularly by tourists on a budget, though it suits confident, flexible travellers more than those short on time or new to the region.
How far apart are the different beach areas?
Often an hour or more by road — worth factoring into your itinerary rather than assuming quick hops between zones.
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