How safe is it to travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar?

In short

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to a 20km strip along the border with the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique, and the US State Department says: “Reconsider travel to the border between Tanzania and Mozambique in the Mtwara Region due to terrorism.” The State Department rates the country as a whole Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, citing crime, terrorism, health, unrest, arbitrary enforcement of laws and targeting gay and lesbian individuals; according to the FCDO, further demonstrations, including violent responses by security forces, are possible at any time, including on public holidays and election anniversaries. The safari areas in the north and Zanzibar lie well outside these areas. As of: FCDO travel advice of 20 October 2026, US State Department advisory of 15 October 2026. Before departure, read the current travel advice of the FCDO and the US State Department.

Current situation

According to the FCDO, the general election of 29 October 2025 was followed by protests and a security response that led to fatalities and injuries in many areas of mainland Tanzania. Widespread cash and fuel shortages were reported in the days of unrest that followed the election.

On 26 June 2026, the interior minister announced a ban on all political rallies, according to Reuters, just under 2 weeks before the protests planned for 7 July. Heavy security operations prevented the protests, according to Reuters; the police reported 130 arrests. The US State Department notes that the Tanzanian government increases its security presence around protests, including checkpoints and roadblocks, and may limit or prohibit rallies or demonstrations.

According to the FCDO, further demonstrations, including violent responses by security forces, are possible at any time; there have been calls on social media for demonstrations on public holidays and election anniversaries. Stay away from all demonstrations, rallies and large crowds. The authorities have previously limited internet access during or after protests; according to the US State Department, the government may shut down or limit internet, cell data and phone service before, during or after unrest, and has used internet laws to punish people who share information perceived as criticising the government. According to the FCDO, it is illegal to take or share photographs and video footage of protests and violence. The FCDO also warns that security services may request to check your phone and other electronic devices, and that you risk detention for social media posts relating to protests or the current political situation.

Travel to Tanzania is possible outside the areas the FCDO and the US State Department advise against; the State Department advises increased caution throughout the country. According to the FCDO, all visitors to mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, except residents, must have mandatory Tanzanian Government-provided inbound travel insurance, even if they already have a personal policy in place. Details can be found in the guide to mandatory insurance for Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Are foreign visitors welcome in Tanzania?

No travel advisory rates how welcome foreign visitors are. According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ 2025 International Visitors’ Exit Survey, most respondents expressed high levels of satisfaction, praising the warmth of Tanzania’s people; repeat visitors rose to 48 per cent; 3.2 per cent (Zanzibar: 5.6 per cent) named security and safety as an area for improvement.

On the situation on the ground: the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) points to an increase in anti-foreigner rhetoric in the context of the political situation: “Be aware that there has been an increase in anti-foreigner rhetoric.”

What the UK and US governments say

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to any area within 20km of the Tanzanian border with the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique. According to the FCDO, this is due to attacks by groups linked with Islamic extremism: their presence in Cabo Delgado creates cross-border tensions and instability, with a risk of violent attacks; an attack on Kitaya village in October 2020 was claimed by such groups operating from northern Mozambique. The US State Department rates Tanzania Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution and says: “Reconsider travel to the border between Tanzania and Mozambique in the Mtwara Region due to terrorism.”

According to the FCDO, terrorist attacks in Tanzania cannot be ruled out; they could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreign nationals, such as places of worship, transport hubs, embassies, hotels, restaurants, bars, major gatherings like sporting or religious events, and crowded places. Extremists linked to the Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabaab, based in Somalia, pose a threat across the East Africa region and are thought to be active in Tanzania, while attacks by IS-Mozambique are possible near the border with Cabo Delgado, according to the FCDO. The US State Department points to a risk of terrorist violence in Tanzania. Details can be found in the FCDO travel advice for Tanzania.

Other foreign ministries set their priorities differently. Germany’s Federal Foreign Office does not advise against travel to Tanzania as a whole; it advises against non-essential travel to the southern part of the Mtwara Region on the border with Mozambique and to the islands and the coastal region south of Kisiju. Austria’s Foreign Ministry (BMEIA) classifies the border with Mozambique (Ruvuma and Mtwara regions, up to around 20 kilometres from the border) as a “high security risk”, level 3 of 4, and the rest of the country as a “security risk”, level 2 of 4 (BMEIA country information). Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) describes the domestic political situation as tense, considers renewed protests and roadblocks possible, particularly in Dar es Salaam, and advises against travel to the border areas with Mozambique.

Crime in cities and on the beach

The FCDO warns of a risk of armed crime, including armed robbery, throughout Tanzania; take particular care in places frequented by tourists and foreign residents. The US State Department cites violent crime, including assault, sexual assault, robberies, mugging and express kidnapping, noting that local law enforcement may be slow to help. In Dar es Salaam, tourists have been express kidnapped, according to the FCDO: assaulted, robbed and forced with the threat of violence to withdraw cash from ATMs.

According to the FCDO, tourists and residents have been targeted in Dar es Salaam: in the city centre, in the Masaki and Oysterbay peninsula area, particularly at Coco Beach, and along Toure Drive. In Zanzibar, incidents have taken place in Stone Town and at hotels and on popular tourist beaches throughout the island. According to the FCDO, pickpockets and bag-snatchers also operate on overcrowded buses and at bus stations.

Safety in Zanzibar

Zanzibar lies outside the FCDO border strip and the State Department’s Mtwara border area. According to the FCDO, previous elections in Zanzibar have turned violent and resulted in fatalities.

On crime: according to the FCDO, there is a risk of armed crime, including armed robbery, throughout Tanzania; in Zanzibar, incidents have taken place in Stone Town and at hotels and on popular tourist beaches throughout the island. As general advice, the FCDO advises you to avoid walking or cycling at night or alone.

According to the FCDO, there have been several ferry disasters in the last few years, and hundreds of people have died on routes including Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar. If you think a ferry is overloaded or not seaworthy, do not get on; if you do board, familiarise yourself with the emergency procedures on board and make a note of where the life jackets and emergency exits are located.

The FCDO advises you to dress modestly throughout Tanzania: women wearing shorts or sleeveless tops away from the tourist resorts in Zanzibar and Pemba, particularly in Stone Town, may cause offence to the local population. According to the FCDO, the Zanzibari authorities can fine you 700 US dollars or more for wearing what they consider inappropriate clothing in public; for guides or tour operators, the fine can be at least 1,000 US dollars. The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, the island’s tourism authority, asks visitors to cover their shoulders and knees in public, particularly in towns and villages; checks have been carried out since 1 May 2025.

During Ramadan, additional rules apply. The Commission publishes the guidelines shortly before Ramadan begins. In 2026, according to a report by the newspaper The Citizen: restaurants outside hotels remained closed during the day and opened after sunset; eating, drinking and smoking in public were restricted during the day, and beachwear belonged on beaches and hotel grounds. The FCDO also advises eating and drinking only in hotels and restaurants during Ramadan.

Some laws apply across Tanzania. The FCDO states: same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Tanzania, including Zanzibar, and public affection such as holding hands or kissing in public places can lead to arrest or prison. The US State Department reports arrests and harassment of gay and lesbian people, says police may target them, and notes arbitrary enforcement of laws, with US citizens detained or prevented from leaving the country for several weeks without criminal charges. According to the FCDO, there may be severe penalties, including lengthy prison sentences, for supplying or simple possession of any drugs, including when transiting through the airport; some herbal highs and products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are illegal. According to the FCDO, plastic bags are banned for environmental reasons; on arrival by air, you will be asked to hand over all plastic bags, though ziplock bags for airline security procedures are exempt.

Wildfinder Safaris plans the onward journey from the safari to Zanzibar by air, and the team will collect you from the airport in Zanzibar. The Zanzibar Holiday page shows which beaches and activities are possible in Zanzibar.

On the road

Tanzania drives on the left. According to the FCDO, many roads need repair, including in major towns and cities, and road users often drive dangerously, ignoring the rules of the road.

According to the FCDO, accidents resulting in death and serious injury are common, and local buses, motorbike taxis and tuk-tuks have frequent accidents, some fatal. The FCDO advises you to avoid driving outside major towns and cities at night.

Safety on safari

Clear rules apply in the national parks. According to its Serengeti Visitor Guide, the park authority TANAPA requires visitors to follow the park rules, remain in the vehicle or in designated areas, refrain from feeding wild animals and observe speed limits. Guides must be certified, and drones are prohibited without a separate permit. TANAPA also recommends always travelling with a guide, carrying sufficient water, following the rangers’ instructions and not wandering off alone.

The official brochure of Mkomazi National Park shows how specific these rules are: a speed limit of 50 km/h applies there, feeding the animals is prohibited, as is leaving the vehicle without authorisation outside permitted areas. The park gates open at 6:00 am and close at 6:00 pm.

These rules reduce the risk, but a residual risk when dealing with wild animals remains. What matters is that you follow your guide’s instructions; he knows the behaviour of the animals and the park’s regulations.

On a private safari with Wildfinder Safaris, you travel with your own vehicle and your own guide from the team in Arusha, with no other travellers and on your own route. Your guide speaks German and English, will be waiting for you at Kilimanjaro Airport and accompanies you in the same vehicle throughout the trip. During the trip, the local team can be reached. The article Private safari or group safari explains how this differs from a group safari.

Nature and weather

According to the FCDO, the length of the rainy seasons can vary, but they generally run from the end of March to May and from October to mid-December. Heavy rainfall and strong winds can affect travel, and flooding and landslides can occur during heavy rain; roads in Tanzania’s national parks, mainly dirt tracks, can become hazardous or impassable after heavy rain. Which months suit which route is covered in the article on the best time to visit Tanzania.

Tanzania also lies in a seismically active zone, an area with an increased risk of earthquakes. According to the FCDO, earthquakes and tremors are a risk in Tanzania.

What you should know about health before departure is covered in the article on vaccinations for Tanzania.

Frequently asked questions about safety in Tanzania and Zanzibar