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Last checked: October 2026.
Dar es Salaam sits across a channel from Zanzibar, close enough that the island is a short hop and far enough that the choice between boat and aircraft shapes your day. The ferry is the romantic answer and, done right, a fine one: the city skyline falling away, dhows under sail, Stone Town's seafront coming up ahead. The flight is the practical answer for most travellers. Here is how to decide.
The detail
| Fast ferry | Flight | |
|---|---|---|
| Door to door from Dar airport to an east-coast hotel | about 5 hours | about 2 hours |
| One-way cost | from about US$35 to US$50 (Economy, non-resident) | from about US$40; varies by carrier and date |
| Best for | travellers already in Dar, light bags, Stone Town first | international connections, safari luggage, families |
| Main risk | fake tickets outside the terminal; afternoon seas that can be rough in the kusi | small-aircraft luggage limits; schedule changes |
The ferry. Azam Marine's Kilimanjaro fast ferries (the Kilimanjaro fleet; the vessel can change on the day) are catamarans and one of several operators on the route, alongside Zan Fast Ferries and Ballack. Sailings from Dar run several times a day, the first around 07:00 and the last in mid-afternoon (about 16:00 to 16:30), with a mirror schedule back from Zanzibar; published times vary, so the sailing on your ticket is the one that counts. Aggregators quote the crossing at about 1 hour 20; plan on two hours port to port once boarding and berthing are counted. There are four classes, Economy, Business, VIP and Royal; non-resident Economy starts at about US$35 one way (recent guides range up to US$50), and the upper classes cost more for a quieter deck and more room. The Dar terminal is on the harbour front near the fish market; the Zanzibar terminal is on Malindi Road at the north end of Stone Town, a few minutes' walk from most old-town hotels.
The tout problem. The Dar ferry terminal has a long-running trade in fake and overpriced tickets. Men will approach you on the pavement with a ticket "already in hand" or an offer to skip the queue. Do not buy from anyone outside the building. Book on Azam's own non-resident booking portal (priced in dollars), at the official counters inside the terminal, or through your hotel, or ask your travel designer. Tickets carry your name and are checked against your passport at the gate, so a ticket in someone else's name is worthless. Porters are legitimate and useful but agree the fee first, a few thousand shillings a bag, before anyone lifts anything. Arrive 45 to 60 minutes before sailing; the gate closes well before departure and the security line moves slowly with luggage.
Seasickness, and the kusi. Zanzibar has two wind seasons. The kaskazi, from the north-east, blows from about December to March and is usually the gentler season for the crossing. The kusi, from the south-east, blows from about June to October, stronger and more consistent, and it makes the afternoon crossings lumpy. If you are prone to seasickness, take a morning sailing, sit midship on the lower deck or outside at the stern in fresh air, eat something plain beforehand, and take your tablet an hour early; ask a pharmacist which seasickness tablet suits you. In the kusi months we suggest the aircraft.
The flight. The hop is about 20 minutes in the air, from Dar's domestic terminal, with many departures a day. Timetables change, and the time on the ground at each end adds to the total. Carriers, fares and the arrival terminal are covered in our guides to Zanzibar airport and how to get to Zanzibar. The drive from the airport to your hotel depends on where you are staying.
The deciding factor is where you start. If you are arriving at Dar es Salaam's airport, the ferry means a taxi ride of roughly 12 km through the city centre to the port, 30 to 90 minutes depending on traffic, then the terminal, then two hours on the water, then a transfer from Stone Town to your coast: about five hours against about two by air. If you have been staying in Dar and your hotel is near the waterfront, the ferry starts at your door. If you are heading to the north or east coast, the flight lands you an hour closer than the port does. If you are staying in Stone Town, the ferry delivers you to it. Ferry arrivals may also be asked to show documents at Zanzibar's port, so keep your passport to hand when you disembark.
What we recommend. Fly if any of these are true: you are connecting from a flight into Dar; you are carrying safari luggage; you are travelling between June and October; you are with small children; or you dislike boats. Take the ferry if you have a night in Dar anyway, you are travelling light, it is a calm-season morning, and your first island night is in Stone Town. The ferry is the better story; the flight is the better day. For most itineraries, the aircraft wins.
Key facts
- Ferry operators: Azam Marine's Kilimanjaro fast ferries, among others on the route.
- Sailings: several a day each way, first around 07:00, last about 16:00 to 16:30.
- Crossing: quoted at about 1 h 20; plan on 2 h port to port.
- Classes: Economy, Business, VIP, Royal; non-resident Economy from about US$35 one way (recent guides up to US$50).
- Arrive: 45–60 min before sailing.
- Buy from: Azam's booking portal or the official counters only.
- Rough season: kusi, about June–October, worse in the afternoon.
- Flight: about 20 min airborne, many departures a day, from about US$40 one way.
- Our default: fly; ferry for calm-season mornings into Stone Town.
Planning it with Nobu
A travel designer can choose the crossing that fits the day, not the one that photographs best, and give you the right terminal and ticket details before you reach Dar. The route often follows a southern safari, Nyerere to the sea; see Southern Safari and Spice, or tell us your plan at Plan your journey.
Is it right for you?
The ferry suits you if you are already in Dar, travelling light, comfortable on boats and starting your island time in Stone Town; a calm-season morning sailing is a lovely way to arrive. The flight suits almost everyone else, and especially anyone connecting from an international arrival or ending a safari with a soft bag of dusty kit. If you are coming from the Serengeti rather than Dar, the safari-to-island flights are on Serengeti to Zanzibar; and if Pemba is your destination, Zanzibar to Pemba covers the onward leg.
Journeys to consider
- Southern Safari and Spice — Nyerere and the south, then the island; the Dar connection is built in. → See Southern Safari and Spice
- Wild South Expedition — Nyerere and Ruaha, for those who want the deep south first. → See Wild South Expedition
- Shores of Zanzibar — the island stay the crossing delivers you to. → See Shores of Zanzibar
