Cheap flights from Manchester to Zanzibar

The expensive stretch runs through the British summer and the Christmas break, when families travel and seats are tight. Work back from there and November stands out as the cheapest month on the calendar, with the weeks either side of it usually gentler on the wallet too. Prices are listed for October through March and again for July and August, so you can compare the shoulder months against the peak. Midweek departures tend to cost less than weekend ones, and booking well ahead matters more on a route with no nonstop option.

The mix splits cleanly: Easyjet, Jet2 and Aer Lingus cover the low-cost first leg out of Manchester International, while the long haul is full-service — Etihad Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Edelweiss Air all connect through their own hubs. What is included differs sharply between the two groups: a cheap first leg often means paying extra for bags and seat choice, whereas the full-service carriers typically bundle checked baggage, meals and a connection sold on one ticket. Check whose ticket you are actually buying, because the fine print follows the carrier, not the route.

Before you land at Kisauni, sort out your Tanzania entry requirements and have your accommodation address handy, as paperwork is checked on arrival. The airport sits a short drive from Stone Town, and most visitors arrive on a pre-booked transfer or a hotel pickup, with taxis waiting outside the terminal as the usual fallback. There is little in the way of public transport, so agree your ride before you fly rather than negotiating after a long day of connections.

Currency

TZS (TSh)

Power sockets

Type G · 230 V

Language

Swahili, English

Emergency number

112, 114, 115

Calling code

+255

Internet domain

.tz

Population of Zanzibar

710 k (2022)

Time zone

UTC+03 (Africa/Dar_es_Salaam)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Work out what each fare charges for checked bags, since the low-cost leg to the hub is the bit that adds surprise fees.
• Manchester has only one airport to worry about, so confirm your departure is from Manchester International and not a different city.
• If your ticket mixes airlines on separate bookings, leave enough time between flights for the bags and the transfer.
• Check Tanzania's visa and passport rules for your nationality before you buy, not after.
• Compare November against the July and August dates on the calendar, since the peak months price very differently.
• Look at the total journey time each connection produces, because on this route the cheapest fare is rarely the quickest.