Most visitors just call it Zanzibar Airport, but its full name honours Abeid Amani Karume, the island’s first president. Either way, it’s the arrival point for the beach extension that caps off a huge number of Tanzania safaris.
Where it is
The airport sits on Unguja Island, about 5km south of Zanzibar’s Stone Town; a short, straightforward transfer of around 15 to 20 minutes to most of the island’s hotels and resorts on the west and north coasts, longer for the more remote southeast.
Terminals and scale
A modern Terminal 3, opened in 2020/2021, handles the bulk of international traffic, with capacity for 1.5 million passengers a year; the airport handled over 2.6 million passengers in 2025, so it is a genuinely busy, well-used gateway rather than a sleepy island airstrip. It’s also the home base of ZanAir, a key operator for short inter-island and coastal hops.
Airlines and routes
Zanzibar has direct flights to and from East Africa, Europe and the Middle East, as well as frequent short hops from Dar es Salaam and the northern safari circuit; a genuinely convenient final leg whether you’re arriving straight from abroad or connecting from elsewhere in Tanzania.
Entry requirements
Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, so the same Tanzania visa requirements apply as on the mainland. There is no separate Zanzibar visa. See our Visa & Entry Requirements page for the current picture.
Pairing Zanzibar with a safari
Zanzibar is the classic finish to a northern-circuit safari; a few unhurried days of ocean, spice tours and old-town history after the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. See our Great Migration in Tanzania and National Parks of Tanzania pages for how the mainland leg typically comes first, and our Wellness Safaris page for how to shape the slower, coastal half of your safari.
Plan your arrival into Zanzibar Airport (Abeid Amani Karume International, ZNZ): Gateway to the Spice Island
Tell us your flight details and where your safari starts, and we’ll make sure your arrival connects smoothly into the rest of your itinerary. Talk to us, or browse our safari packages to see how it all fits together.
