Nairobi to Zanzibar
Private Charter
Nairobi to Zanzibar is about an hour and a half in the air, 328 nautical miles from Nairobi down the coast to the island airport seven kilometres from Stone Town, on a King Air, light jet or Caravan. It is the beach at the end of a safari, an international flight with customs at both ends, and a runway that takes anything. Same time zone at both ends.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 11 September 2026
Route overview
Airport and airspace facts checked against the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority publications and Icarus Jet operations data.
Get your number
Get a number for your dates
Tell us the dates, the passengers and the resort. The desk quotes Zanzibar every week, files the Kenya and Tanzania permits with the trip, and tells you which aircraft fits the group before you book.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203. The desk is staffed 24/7.
The route
Why fly private from Nairobi to Zanzibar?
Nairobi to Zanzibar is the safari-and-beach sector on our desk: 328 nautical miles, about an hour and a half in the air, and a landing seven kilometres from Stone Town with the island resorts within an hour. It is how a Kenya safari ends on an Indian Ocean beach without a connection through Dar es Salaam, and the same aircraft that flew the Mara flies this leg.
Why private works here
Leave Wilson or Jomo Kenyatta and land at Zanzibar with customs at the aircraft and the car waiting for Stone Town or the drive up to the north coast resorts. No airline connection, the family travels together with the luggage it wants, and the whole itinerary, Nairobi, safari, Zanzibar and home, runs on one aircraft with both permits filed by the desk.
Aircraft fit
At this distance a King Air carries eight pressurised in about an hour and twenty and is the usual answer. A light jet does it in a little over an hour for six or seven and is the aircraft when the trip continues to Dar es Salaam or the Gulf. A Caravan carries up to twelve at the lowest cost per seat over a longer hour and three quarters. The 12,139 foot runway at sea level takes all of them, and the heavy end of the fleet besides.
Advisor note
Zanzibar is easy on the ground and needs two permits on paper. Kenya at 72 business hours for the departure, Tanzania for the arrival, and customs at both ends because it is an international flight. The runway takes anything we broker, the island is an hour across, and the plan is the same as every East African leg: file early, plan the fuel, and fly in the morning.
Icarus Jet charter deskCost
What determines the cost of a Nairobi to Zanzibar private charter?
A ninety-minute international sector is priced on the aircraft, the trip shape, the two permits and the dates. These are the things that move the number on Nairobi to Zanzibar.
Aircraft
A King Air carries eight pressurised and is the usual answer. A light jet is quickest and the choice when the trip continues. A Caravan carries up to twelve at the lowest cost per seat. The aircraft you choose is the biggest single swing in the quote.
Two one-ways, usually
A beach week is two one-way flights rather than an aircraft waiting on the island. As the last leg of a safari itinerary, Zanzibar is priced into the whole trip on one aircraft. The desk prices the shape that fits.
The Kenya permit
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority permit is planned at 72 business hours for a private or charter flight and covers the domestic legs. An international leg adds the destination country's permit and any overflights. The desk files all of it with the trip.
Handling at Zanzibar
Handling and customs at Zanzibar are arranged with the Tanzanian permit, and parking for a stay of several days is confirmed before departure.
The season
June to October and December to February are the island peaks, with the Christmas and New Year weeks the tightest for aircraft out of Nairobi and rooms on the north coast. Those dates need firm bookings weeks ahead.
What the number covers
We tell you what the quote covers before you book and we hold the operator to the number we gave you. No surprises on the invoice is the point of using the desk.
Aircraft
Which aircraft flies Nairobi to Zanzibar?
Every aircraft in the Icarus brokered fleet in East Africa flies this sector. These are the three quoted most on Nairobi to Zanzibar.
King Air 200 and 350 class
Eight passengers in a pressurised cabin, about an hour and twenty in the air, and the usual answer for a family ending a safari on the beach.
Citation Sovereign and CJ class
Six to eight passengers in a little over an hour, and the aircraft that continues to Dar es Salaam, the Gulf or home on the same trip.
Cessna Caravan 208B
Up to twelve passengers at the lowest cost per seat, about an hour and three quarters in the air, and the same aircraft that flew the safari strips.
The full Kenya list, with the strips and the aircraft that fit them, is in our guide to private routes from Nairobi.
Before you fly
What should I know before flying Nairobi to Zanzibar?
It is an international flight, so bring passports for everyone aboard. The desk files the crew and passenger details with the permits and confirms each passenger's entry requirements for Tanzania before departure. Customs is cleared at the aircraft at both ends. The desk confirms the Tanzania visa position for every passenger before it files.
Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International is the arrival. A runway of about 12,139 feet at sea level about seven kilometres south of Stone Town, with customs and immigration on site and handling arranged with the permit. Stone Town is fifteen minutes away and the north coast resorts at Nungwi and Kendwa about an hour and a quarter by road.
On the Nairobi side, the aircraft picks the airport. Wilson, two and a half miles from the centre at 5,546 feet, is where the safari flying leaves from: the turboprops and light aircraft that serve the Mara, Amboseli, Samburu and the coast are based here, on runways of 5,052 and 4,798 feet. Jomo Kenyatta, eleven miles out at 5,330 feet with a 13,507 foot runway, full customs and mandatory handling, is the field for jets and for any international departure. Both are high and warm, so a full-weight departure is calculated rather than assumed, and the desk plans it for the morning.
No time change. Kenya and Tanzania are both on East Africa Time, so a 9 am departure from Nairobi has you on the island before eleven.
When to go
When is the best time to fly Nairobi to Zanzibar?
June to October is the dry season on the island and the peak, when it pairs with the migration in the Mara. December to February is the second peak, with the Christmas and New Year weeks the tightest for aircraft out of Nairobi and rooms on the north coast. For those dates, give the desk firm dates weeks ahead on top of the permits.
March to May is the long rains and the quietest time, when a week of notice is comfortable from Nairobi once both permits are filed.
Related
Nairobi airport guides
The Nairobi fields this sector uses, with runways, handling and permits on their own guides. Zanzibar gets its guide as the Tanzania set is published. The Kenya safari jet charter page covers the lodges, the strips and the aircraft the desk uses across the parks.
Questions
Nairobi to Zanzibar private charter questions
How long is a private flight from Nairobi to Zanzibar?
About 1 hour 10 minutes on a light jet, about 1 hour 20 on a King Air and about 1 hour 45 on a Caravan. The sector is 328 nautical miles from Wilson and 325 from Jomo Kenyatta.
How far is Nairobi from Zanzibar by air?
328 nautical miles, about 377 statute miles, between Wilson and Zanzibar. Both are on East Africa Time, so there is no change on the clock.
Can private jets land at Zanzibar?
Yes. Abeid Amani Karume International has a runway of about 12,139 feet at sea level, customs and immigration on site, and handling arranged with the Tanzanian permit. It takes anything we broker.
Which Nairobi airport do private flights to Zanzibar use?
Wilson for turboprops and light aircraft, which is most of this sector, and Jomo Kenyatta for jets or when the trip starts with an international arrival. Both are ports of departure for an international flight, with customs at the aircraft.
Which aircraft is best for Nairobi to Zanzibar?
A King Air 200 or 350 for eight in a pressurised cabin, the usual family answer. A Citation Sovereign or CJ class light jet for six to eight, the quickest and the choice when the trip continues. A Caravan 208B for a group of up to twelve at the lowest cost per seat.
What permits does a Nairobi to Zanzibar flight need?
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority permit at 72 business hours for the departure and the Tanzanian permit for the arrival, both filed by the desk. Passengers need passports and the right Tanzania visa, which the desk confirms.
Can I combine a Kenya safari with Zanzibar on one trip?
Yes, and it is the classic East African itinerary. The desk plans the Mara or Amboseli and Zanzibar on one aircraft as a single trip with both permits filed, and the same turboprop that flew the strips flies the island leg.
What determines the cost of a Nairobi to Zanzibar charter?
The aircraft, the positioning for two one-way flights or the shape of a multi-leg itinerary, the two permits, handling at Zanzibar, and the dates against the island peaks. We tell you what the quote covers before you book.
Can I fly Zanzibar to Nairobi on the same page?
Yes. The sector is quoted in both directions. Put Zanzibar as the departure in the form and the desk handles it the same way, landing at Wilson or Jomo Kenyatta as the onward trip needs.
Is there customs on a Nairobi to Zanzibar flight?
Yes, it is an international flight. Customs and immigration are cleared at the aircraft at both ends, and the crew checks passports before departure. There is no airline security line.
When is the best time to fly to Zanzibar?
June to October for the dry season, when it pairs with the migration, and December to February for the second peak. March to May is the long rains and the quietest. The Christmas and New Year weeks are the busiest of all.
How much notice do I need to book Nairobi to Zanzibar?
Allow the permit lead times: 72 business hours for Kenya and the Tanzanian permit alongside. A week is comfortable outside the peaks. For the migration season and the Christmas weeks, give the desk firm dates weeks ahead.
Other routes
Other routes from the Nairobi desk
Sectors the same desk quotes every week, each with its own guide to the airports, the aircraft and the timing.
Get your number
Nairobi to Zanzibar, quoted from the desk
Give us the dates, the passengers and the resort. You will get an aircraft that fits the group, both permits filed and a number you can hold us to.
Get a number for your datesPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com, or send the trip online. The desk is staffed 24/7.