Ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar

Ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar at a glance

Here is what the Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry looks like: high-speed catamaran with air-conditioned cabins and open deck run by Azam Marine, about 2 hours from port to port, several sailings a day. You board at Dar es Salaam ferry terminal, Kivukoni and step off at Zanzibar port, Stone Town. Haqqi Tours checks the sailings for your dates and tells you the cost before anything is booked.

• Route: Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar (about 75 km by sea)
• Operator: Azam Marine
• Crossing time: about 2 hours
• Vessels: high-speed catamaran with air-conditioned cabins and open deck
• Frequency: several sailings a day
• Departure port: Dar es Salaam ferry terminal, Kivukoni
• Arrival port: Zanzibar port, Stone Town
• Vehicles: passengers only
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation in the WhatsApp chat, e-ticket by message

The fast ferry from Dar es Salaam is the classic way to reach Zanzibar: about two hours across the channel to Stone Town's port, with morning and afternoon departures through the day. Passports are checked at both ends, and we recommend arriving at the terminal about an hour before sailing; the sea can be rougher from June to September.

Return ferry from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam

We book the return crossing from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam just as easily, generally on the same confirmation. Round-trip fares and open returns are cheaper on many operators, so booking both directions together saves money. Let us know the day you want to come back on the form and we send both directions with the cost.

How much does the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar cost?

"How much is the ferry ticket from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar?" has several answers, because the operators price the slow boat and the fast boat differently, charge separately for vehicles and cabins, and raise fares in high season. Haqqi Tours can provide the current cost for your date and party - foot passengers, seats or cabin - within minutes of receiving the form, and tells you which sailing is the best value.

Ask us for two or three sailings and we send the cost of each - fast boat and slow boat, morning and afternoon - so you can see the difference before you book the Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry.

Cheapest ferry ticket from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar: how to pay less

The cheapest ferry ticket from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar is typically on the conventional ferry, booked early, on a weekday outside the peak weeks. These are the rules our staff applies:

• Book early for July, August, Easter and holiday weekends, when sailings sell out and fares rise
• Travel on a weekday - Friday and Sunday sailings carry the highest fares
• Tell us if your dates are flexible; moving by a day often changes the fare
• Compare operators - on this route the cheapest company changes with the date
• Travel light - some fast boats limit luggage per passenger
• Book the return with the outbound - open returns and round-trip fares are cheaper on many operators

When you complete the form, say if you can move your dates. We compare the sailings around them and send the cheapest Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry first, then the alternatives.

How to book ferry tickets from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar with Haqqi Tours

The easiest way to book a ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar is to let a person do it. The form asks for the essentials; the details - a car and its length, a cabin, a pushchair, a pet, a connection on arrival - you let us know on WhatsApp when we message you to confirm. We provide the ticket, explain check-in at Dar es Salaam ferry terminal, Kivukoni and stay reachable during the crossing.

• Step 1 - send the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children
• Step 2 - we message you by WhatsApp with the sailings, vessels, seats or cabins and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the sailing you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the e-ticket and send it; we stay in touch until you land in Zanzibar

If plans change, the same WhatsApp thread handles it. We clarify the operator's change and cancellation rules for the fare you chose before you commit to anything, so there are no surprises later.

Timetable and season of the Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry

Several sailings a day - that is how frequently the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar runs, with more departures in summer and fewer, sometimes weather-dependent, in winter. Allow about 2 hours at sea plus check-in at the port. Timetables change between seasons, so we send the exact departures for your travel date rather than a list that may be out of date.

Sea conditions matter on this route: strong winds can delay or cancel high-speed boats while the conventional ferries keep sailing. When the forecast is poor we tell you and, if you prefer, book the steadier vessel.

Departure: Dar es Salaam ferry terminal, Kivukoni

Your crossing starts at Dar es Salaam ferry terminal, Kivukoni. Large ports have several gates and the boarding gate is announced on the boards and on the ticket; we send the gate and the check-in time with your confirmation. The rapid bus system runs on dedicated lanes along the main corridors, dala-dala minibuses and taxis cover the rest, and the new standard-gauge railway links the city with Morogoro and Dodoma. Fast ferries cross to Zanzibar in about two hours. A private car is the simplest way to beat the long queues at the airport, to meet a ferry on time or to make the two-hour drive north to Bagamoyo.

• Let us know which gate or terminal your sailing uses - big ports have several
• Foot passengers: at the port 45-60 minutes before departure
• Keep the e-ticket and the ID or passport used for booking together
• Luggage is carried free within the shipping line's limits; large bags go on the racks or the car deck

Arrival: Zanzibar port, Stone Town

You step off at Zanzibar port, Stone Town, close to Malindi and the port and Darajani and the market streets. There is no railway on Zanzibar; dala-dala minibuses connect the villages cheaply but slowly, taxis wait at the airport and the port, and the fast ferry to Dar es Salaam leaves from the Stone Town port several times a day. A private car is the simplest way to reach the beaches an hour away with luggage, to meet an early ferry or to combine a spice-farm stop with the drive to your accommodation. If you would rather not think about it, we book a driver to meet the ferry and take you to the door of your hotel.

Arriving late? We note your arrival and, if you have booked a transfer, the driver tracks the ferry, so a delay costs you nothing.

On board the Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry: seats, cabins and luggage

The ship makes the difference on this route: the conventional ferry has more space, open decks and a steadier ride; the high-speed boat has airline seating and gets you there faster. Children have their own fares, luggage travels free within limits, and pets are accepted on many ships in carriers or kennels.

• Pets accepted on many ships in carriers or kennels - tell us if one is travelling
• Seats: economy, airline-style, lounge and business on the fast boats; deck seats on the slow ferries
• Cabins with beds and showers on overnight sailings - two to four berths
• Café, bar or restaurant on most vessels; open decks on the conventional ferries

Things to do in Zanzibar after the ferry

Zanzibar's Stone Town is a UNESCO-listed old city of carved doors and narrow lanes, and the base for spice farms, Prison Island and the Nakupenda sandbank. Arriving by sea puts you in the middle of it: the Old Fort and the House of Wonders, Forodhani Gardens at dusk, Darajani Market and the carved doors, the Anglican cathedral and the old slave market site and Changuu (Prison) Island and its giant tortoises are all reachable from Zanzibar port, Stone Town. For the first meal, try pilau and biryani with island spices, octopus curry in coconut and mishkaki skewers and mandazi.

Haqqi Tours provides guided tours, tickets, transfers and private drivers in Zanzibar; ask when you book the ferry and we send the options.

Best time to take the ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar

June to October is dry, breezy and the most comfortable; December to February is hot and dry with calm seas; the long rains fall from mid-March to May, when some beach hotels close, and the short rains in November are brief. During Ramadan many local eateries in Stone Town close in daylight hours, though hotels serve meals as usual. On the water, the season shows in sea conditions and availability more than in comfort: book early for summer, Easter and holiday weekends between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, and choose morning sailings when the wind is forecast.

Ferry or flight from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar?

Ferry versus plane between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar comes down to time, luggage and the view: the ferry has the deck, the luggage and the town-centre arrival; the plane has speed. On this route the ferry is the option Haqqi Tours recommends first for families and anyone with a car.

Why book your Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry ticket with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours is a licensed tour operator that books ferry tickets from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar every week. We provide the ticket for every passenger, the seats or cabin you want, the cheapest fare for the date you travel, and a human through WhatsApp in Arabic and English before, during and after the crossing. Around the ferry, we offer transfers to the port, tours and hotels at both ends. Fill out the form; we message you with sailings and the price; you decide.