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Last checked: October 2026.
Zanzibar looks tiny on the map — about 85 km top to bottom — and then takes most of a morning to cross. One tarmac spine runs north from Stone Town, another east; off them the roads narrow to coral-rag tracks, speed bumps and the ordinary traffic of island life: bicycles, cattle, schoolchildren, a dala-dala pulling out without looking. Getting around is not difficult, simply slower than the distance suggests — and the right choice depends on how much of your holiday you want to spend behind a windscreen.
The detail
Private drivers — how it usually works. A private driver and an air-conditioned vehicle can be arranged before you land, meet you at arrivals and take you straight to your coast, with the fare agreed in advance. The same driver can take you to Stone Town for a morning, wait, and bring you back: a day's hire rather than a string of taxis. Nothing to negotiate at the kerb, and someone who knows the back roads when the main one is slow. It is the dearest way to move around the island, especially by the full day; a travel designer can quote the rate for your dates and route, rather than a figure from a forum. Agree the day's route, stops and finishing time at the start, and if the day went well, a tip at the end is appreciated rather than expected. For airport-day specifics — the visa desk, the insurance check, where the driver waits — see the → Zanzibar airport guide.
Transfer times, honestly. The airport sits about 8 km south of Stone Town, roughly 10–20 minutes depending on traffic. From there, typical door-to-door times with a driver:
- Stone Town → Nungwi / Kendwa (far north): about 1 h – 1 h 15.
- Stone Town → Matemwe (north-east): about 1 h – 1 h 15 (an estimate).
- Stone Town → Kiwengwa / Pongwe / Uroa (east): about 45 min – 1 h.
- Stone Town → Paje / Jambiani (south-east): about 50 min – 1 h.
- Stone Town → Michamvi (south-east peninsula tip): about 1 h 15.
- Stone Town → Kizimkazi (south): about 1 h.
- Nungwi → Paje (north to south-east): about 1 h to 2 h (roughly 100 km; plan for two), because the island's roads route you back through the centre rather than down the coast.
These are usual ranges. Rain on the coral-rag sections and traffic leaving Stone Town add time, so plan with a margin and go by the realistic arrival, not the optimistic one.
The dala-dala. Zanzibar's shared minibuses and converted pick-ups are how the island itself travels. Routes fan out from Stone Town's market area to the main coasts for a small fare in shillings. They are cheerful, crowded, leave when full and stop everywhere, so the far north takes far longer than by car, with no air-conditioning and little room for luggage. Ride one for the pleasure of it (an afternoon to Jambiani and back is a real slice of island life), but never plan a flight around one. Remember it is how people get to work, school and market: travel light, give up a seat to an older passenger, and ask before photographing anyone on board.
Car hire. Self-drive is legal and increasingly popular, mostly in small 4x4s. Two documents matter: your home licence, and a Zanzibar temporary driving permit, a local paper document that hire companies usually arrange for a fee of about US$10–20. Confirm the current fee with the hire company. Some hire firms say an international driving permit is not a substitute for the local one, so ask yours before you travel. Police checks on the main roads are common, so keep the permit with your licence. Daily hire for a small 4x4 runs from roughly $35–45 upwards. Driving is on the left, lights are sparse after dark, and sandy village tracks can defeat a two-wheel-drive car: keep the driving to daylight and allow twice the time the map suggests.
Scooters and motorbikes. Usually available to hire in the main beach villages for less than a car, and a permit is needed here too, arranged through the hire firm. Helmets are often poor, roads are shared with everything, and sand on tarmac is the usual way a holiday ends in a clinic. If you ride at home, short village hops are fine; if not, Zanzibar is not the place to learn.
Taxis. Plentiful in Stone Town and outside every resort, unmetered, and priced by negotiation before you get in — agree the figure, the currency and whether it is per car. Bolt lists Zanzibar as a city it serves, but cars are easiest to find around Stone Town and the airport, so do not count on one from a quiet beach. For a one-way move a taxi is fine; for a whole holiday, a driver on call is better value and far less friction.
Pemba and the islands. Pemba and Dar es Salaam each have their own guide: → How to get to Pemba and → Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar: ferry or flight?.
Choosing at a glance.
| Way to travel | Best for | Cost feel | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private driver | Airport transfers, changing coasts, Stone Town days | Dearest, especially by the full day | Full suitcases, no problem |
| Self-drive car | Confident drivers based on one coast | Mid-range, plus fuel and permit | Fine in a small 4x4 |
| Taxi | One-way hops, evenings out | Agreed per trip | Usually fine |
| Scooter | Short village hops for experienced riders | Low | A daypack only |
| Dala-dala | Curiosity, a slice of local life | Lowest | Very little room |
Key facts
Island length: ~85 km. Airport → Stone Town: ~10–20 min. Stone Town → north coast or Matemwe: ~1 h–1 h 15 (estimate). Stone Town → east / south-east coast: ~45 min–1 h 15. North ↔ south-east: ~1 h–2 h (plan for two). Car hire: home licence and Zanzibar temporary permit (about US$10–20, via the hire firm); an international permit is often requested too; small 4x4 from ~$35–45/day. Drive on: the left. Dala-dala: low shillings fare, slow, luggage-unfriendly.
Planning it with Nobu
Transfers are the invisible half of an island holiday. A travel designer plans them with the same care: realistic timings, the right vehicle for your luggage, and coast changes placed where they cost you least beach time. A private driver can be arranged, and a travel designer can set out the details with you. If you would rather drive yourself, a travel designer will tell you honestly where that works and where it does not. → Plan your journey.
Is it right for you?
A private driver suits families with luggage, couples who want the day to begin at the beach, and anyone changing coasts mid-stay. It is not the right spend if you are staying put on one coast and happy to walk the beach, or if you only need one short hop a week; a taxi covers that. Self-drive suits confident drivers staying on one coast, relaxed about police checks and sand. The dala-dala suits the curious with time and no schedule. If you are deciding which coast to base yourself on before worrying about moving between them, start with → Where to stay in Zanzibar.
Journeys to consider
- Shores of Zanzibar — Stone Town, then the quiet coast, with every transfer placed in the day. → See the Shores of Zanzibar journey
- Southern Safari & Spice — a Tanzania safari finished on the island, transfers planned at both ends. → See the Southern Safari & Spice journey
