Direct Flights to Zanzibar from the UK Are Finally Happening, and You Can Add a Safari

Short safari options from Zanzibar

You do not need a two-week expedition to see real wildlife. These are the short safaris that pair well with a beach holiday, arranged from quickest and cheapest to the fuller multi-day trips. Prices are per person, based on two people sharing, and include the flights from Zanzibar, park fees, a private 4x4, a professional guide and, on overnight trips, accommodation and meals.

The news: a direct UK to Zanzibar flight at last

For years, getting to Zanzibar from Britain meant a connection somewhere. Usually that was a long layover in the Gulf or a change of planes in Nairobi, plus the better part of a day spent in transit. That is about to change. TUI is putting on the first direct flights between the UK and Zanzibar, and for a lot of people that quietly moves the island from the "one day, maybe" list to the "actually, let's book it" list.

Here is what has been confirmed so far.

It is a seasonal winter route for now. Whether it comes back the following year, or stretches to year-round, will almost certainly come down to how well these first flights sell.

The current TUI offers

These are some of the launch deals on the direct Gatwick flights. Prices move with the dates, the resort and availability, so treat them as a starting point and check the live pages for the current figure.

Prices are per person, based on two people sharing, and are subject to change and availability. The links go to TUI's own booking pages.

Why this matters if you are travelling from the UK

A single ten-hour flight puts Zanzibar in the same easy long-haul bracket as the Maldives or Mauritius, and often for noticeably less money. There is no 2am connection, no dragging your bags through a third airport, and no gamble on a tight layover. You leave Gatwick, and the next time you land, you are on the island.

The timing helps too. The route runs right through the British winter, which is exactly when you most want to swap grey drizzle for warm sea. Zanzibar also gives you something the standard winter-sun spots cannot, and that is the part most people do not think about when they book. We will come back to it, because it is the reason this route is more interesting than a simple beach deal.

What Zanzibar is actually like

Zanzibar is a tropical archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, and the coastline is the main event. Think powder-white sand and warm, clear water, with reefs close to shore and old wooden dhows sailing past at sunset. But the island rewards you for looking beyond the sun lounger, and the mix of beach, culture and history is what makes it stand out.

The beaches, coast by coast

Where you stay changes the holiday, so it is worth knowing the coasts before you book.

Up in the north, Nungwi and Kendwa have the best swimming on the island. The tide barely affects them, so you can get in the sea at any time of day, and the sunsets here are genuinely some of the best you will see anywhere. This is the liveliest corner, with beach bars, dive centres and a good spread of resorts.

On the north-east, Matemwe and Pongwe are quieter and more low-key, and Matemwe is the closest base for snorkelling and diving the coral around Mnemba Atoll.

Down the east coast, Paje and Jambiani are the home of kitesurfing, with wide flat beaches and a younger, more relaxed feel. The catch is the tide, which goes a long way out here, so swimming is tidal rather than all-day. Further south, Michamvi catches the sunset on the east coast, which is a rare thing.

Stone Town, the soul of the island

Stone Town is the old capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a proper maze of narrow coral-stone lanes. It grew up as a Swahili trading port, and you can still read that history in the carved wooden doors, the old merchant houses, and a culture that blends Swahili, Arab, Indian and European influences.

Give it at least a day. Wander the alleys without a fixed plan, look up at the old Omani fort and the former House of Wonders, browse the Darajani market, and finish at the Forodhani night market, where the food stalls fire up as the sun goes down. Stone Town is also the birthplace of Freddie Mercury, which surprises most people, and there is a small tribute to him near his childhood home.

The best day trips and excursions

Even a week gives you time for a few of these, and they turn a beach holiday into a proper trip.

A spice-farm tour is the classic half-day out, and it explains why Zanzibar was once called the Spice Island. You taste and smell your way around cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and more. Jozani Forest is home to the rare red colobus monkey, found nowhere else on earth, and the boardwalk through the mangroves is an easy, family-friendly walk. On Prison Island, a short boat ride from Stone Town, you meet the giant Aldabra tortoises, some well over a hundred years old.

For the water, you can snorkel or dive the reefs around Mnemba Atoll, take a sunrise trip to swim with wild dolphins at Kizimkazi in the south, or sail out to the Nakupenda sandbank for a barefoot seafood lunch on a strip of sand in the middle of the sea. And a sunset dhow cruise is the cliché for a good reason. It is lovely.

Best time to go

The flight season, November to March, mostly lines up with good weather, but not evenly, so it is worth choosing your dates with a little care.

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Practical bits for UK travellers

A few things worth sorting before you fly.

Visa. British passport holders need a Tanzanian tourist visa. The simplest route is the online e-visa, which you apply for before you travel. Make sure your passport has at least six months left on it, with a blank page.

Money. The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling, but US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, and it is worth carrying some. Note that dollar notes need to be reasonably new (2009 onwards) to be accepted. Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants, but you will want cash for markets, taxis and tips.

Plugs and power. Good news for once. Zanzibar uses the same three-pin Type G sockets as the UK, running at 230 volts, so your plugs generally fit without an adapter. Bring a universal adapter as a backup, as some older buildings use round-pin sockets, and power cuts do happen, so a power bank is handy.

Time and jet lag. The island is three hours ahead of the UK during the winter, so the time change is small and jet lag is mild. That is one more reason a short week works well here.

Dress and etiquette. Zanzibar is a predominantly Muslim island. Beachwear is completely fine at the resorts, but in Stone Town and the villages it is respectful to cover your shoulders and knees. A light scarf or a pair of loose trousers in the bag makes this easy.

Health. Malaria is present, so arrange antimalarial tablets and pack a good insect repellent. Have a chat with your GP or a travel clinic a few weeks before you go, and take out travel insurance that covers medical care.

Getting around and staying connected. Taxis and pre-arranged transfers are the easiest way to move around, and distances from the airport to the northern beaches are around an hour to an hour and a half. A local SIM with data is cheap and easy to buy, and most hotels have wifi, though it can be slow at the more remote beach spots.

The bit most people miss: turn it into a bush and beach trip

Here is what I would say to anyone booking this flight. You are travelling all the way to the East African coast, and the safari parks of the mainland are far closer than most people imagine. You do not have to choose between a beach holiday and a safari. You can have both in the same week, and the new direct flight makes the maths work beautifully.

The reason it works is that Zanzibar is a hub for small aircraft. You can be picked up from your beach hotel, flown over the water to a national park, out on a game drive within a couple of hours of leaving the sand, and back on the island in time for dinner a day or two later. No long drives, no wasted days, and no need to unpick your whole holiday to fit it in.

The timing is almost too good. Those December to March dates fall during the calving season on the southern Serengeti, when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest give birth on the plains and the big cats are at their most active. It is one of the best, and least crowded, times of year to be out there. Honestly, flying ten hours for the beach alone feels like leaving the best part in the box.

Best Short safaris from Zanzibar

Approximate pound conversions are for guidance only and move with the exchange rate. Nyerere day-trip and overnight prices are indicative and confirmed on enquiry.

How to fit a safari into your TUI holiday

The nice thing about the twice-weekly Wednesday and Sunday flights is that they give you 7, 10 or 14-night blocks to play with, which is plenty of room for a short safari without feeling rushed.

On a 7-night trip, a simple and relaxing plan is to spend your first two or three days on safari, then return to the beach for the rest of the week. You get the early starts and long drives out of the way while you are fresh, and you finish lying on the sand with nothing left to do. On a 10 or 14-night holiday, you have room for a longer safari, or even two short ones, and still get a proper stretch of beach time.

Because we are based in Tanzania, we build the safari around your flight dates rather than the other way round, and we handle the internal flights, transfers and timings so it slots neatly into the week you have already booked with TUI.

Who this trip suits

The beach-and-safari combination works for almost everyone, but a few groups get the most out of it. Couples and honeymooners love the contrast of adventure followed by pure relaxation. Families find it easier than a long overland safari, because the flying keeps the tiring bits short and the beach keeps everyone happy. And first-time safari-goers like that they can dip a toe in with a day-trip or two nights, rather than committing to a full expedition on their first visit.

Frequently asked questions