🇹🇿 Ultimate Guide: Taking the Ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar

🚢 Step-by-Step Ferry Guide 1️⃣ Buy Tickets 📍 Fast Ferries (Map this location!) Price: $35 (but easy to negotiate down to $30 💰) Pro Tip: Your ticket will show $30 – no issues! 2️⃣ Check-In Passport + Ticket required at the left gate (small building). 🏻 Arrive 30 mins early – helpers will swarm you (they’re persistent but helpful!). Optional: Tip ~5000 TZS for luggage assistance (they’ll guide you through everything). 3️⃣ Luggage Drop 🧳 Big bags? Check them in (passport needed). You’ll get a tag number – remember it! 4️⃣ Security Check 🛂 After, place luggage on the correct rack (crew will load it onto the ship). 5️⃣ Waiting Lounge Foreigners’ lounge is inside (look for the crowd of Europeans/Americans). 6️⃣ Boarding 🚢 Foreigners board FIRST (priority seating!). Seat Choice: Indoor AC cabin (freezing! ❄️) Outdoor deck (sunshine + sea breeze – best if you don’t get seasick!). 7️⃣ Sailing Time ⏱️ 1.5-hour trip – relax and enjoy the views! 8️⃣ Arrival in Zanzibar 🧳 Wait for your luggage before exiting! ✍️ Fill out a simple arrival card (no $50 visa fee if you already have a Tanzania visa). 🛃 Passport check → quick安检 → welcome to paradise! 9️⃣ Exit & Transport 🚖 Taxi touts will swarm – negotiate hard! 🌙 Stone Town at night is safe & lively: kids diving, cats lounging, ocean breezes. 💡 Pro Tips Best seat: Outdoor deck (unless you’re prone to seasickness 🌊). No rush: Let crowds clear before disembarking. Evening vibe: Grab dinner by the water and watch local life unfold. #Zanzibar #FerryGuide #TravelTips #Tanzania