Can I use a hotel pool in Zanzibar if I'm not a guest?
Usually yes. Long-term residents describe it as unusually relaxed here — you can enter nearly every hotel during the day, for a daily fee or simply by ordering food and drinks. Smaller, family-run places tend to be the most welcoming; large all-inclusive resorts are the most likely to say no.
The one rule that never changes: ask first. A message the day before turns an awkward arrival into a warm welcome.
How does it work — is there a fee?
Two models, worth knowing which you're walking into: minimum consumption — you commit to spending a set amount on food and drinks, often with a lower rate for children — or a day-use fee / day pass — a fixed price per person, sometimes including a towel, sometimes redeemable against food and drinks. A softer third version: just order lunch, and the pool and sunbeds are yours for the afternoon.
A growing number of Zanzibar hotels now publish a fixed day-pass rate, and where one has been confirmed we've listed it below. Rates still move with the season and with what's included, so treat every figure as a starting point and confirm directly before you go.
Is there one place that lists Zanzibar day passes with prices?
Yes — JuaPass is a directory of hotel day passes that covers Zanzibar properly, region by region. It lists only what each hotel itself stated: the price, what the fee covers, and whether it's entry-only or redeemable against food and drink. JuaPass contacts hotels directly, re-checks roughly every three months, and shows the date each listing was last confirmed.
It isn't a booking platform — it takes no payment and each listing links straight to the hotel, which handles confirmation. Most prices are quoted in US dollars, a few in Tanzanian shillings. The prices in the lists below come from there; anything without a price is a place that welcomes day visitors without publishing a fixed rate.
Where can I do this in Stone Town and around?
- Mbweni Ruins & Garden — botanical gardens, historic ruins and a pool a short drive south of town. Entry works as a deposit you spend back at the restaurant and bar, covering the pool and the beach.
- Tembo House Hotel — Stone Town seafront. $15 per adult, entry only — food and drink extra. Pool access.
- Zanzibar Serena Hotel — Stone Town. $20 per adult, entry only. Pool access.
- Hotel Verde Zanzibar — Azam Luxury Resort & Spa — just outside town. TZS 40,000 per adult, redeemable against food and drink. Pool, towels, Wi-Fi.
- Golden Tulip Zanzibar Resort — Bububu, north of town. $10 per adult, entry only. Pool access.
- Mangrove Lodge — Chuini. TZS 20,000. Pool, towels, Wi-Fi.
- Royal Cliff Zanzibar — Chuini. TZS 35,000 per adult. Pool, sunbeds, towels.
- Zanzi Resort — Chuini. $50 per adult. Pool, private beach, sunbeds.
What about the north — Nungwi and Kendwa?
The one part of the island where the water doesn't disappear at low tide — the obvious choice if swimming all day is the point.
- Kendwa Rocks — Kendwa. $20 per adult, redeemable against food and drink (minimum spend). Pool, kids' pool, beach access and more; swimmable water all day.
- Kidoti Bay — Kendwa. Free entry. Pool, sunbeds, parking.
- Gold Zanzibar Beach House & Spa — Kendwa. $90 per adult, some food and drink included, the rest extra. Welcome drink, pool, sunbeds.
- Kilindi Zanzibar — Kendwa. $100 per adult, some food and drink included. Pool, beach, sunbeds and a long list of extras.
- Opera Hotel — Nungwi. $10 per adult, redeemable against food and drink. Pool, towels, Wi-Fi.
- Nungwi Dreams by Mantis — Nungwi. $20 per adult, redeemable. Pool, beach access, sunbeds.
- Mnarani Beach Cottages — Nungwi. $20 per adult, redeemable. Pool, beach access, sunbeds.
- The Zanzibari — Nungwi. $20 per adult, redeemable with a minimum spend. Clifftop setting, quieter than the Kendwa strip.
- Double A Nungwi Beach Hotel — Nungwi. $23 per adult, redeemable. Sunbeds, towels, Wi-Fi.
- Nanasi Beach Club — Nungwi. $30 per adult, redeemable. A dedicated beach club rather than a hotel — pool, beach, loungers, drinks.
- My Blue Hotel — Nungwi. $30 per adult, entry only — food and drink extra. Beach, pool, lounges.
- Essque Zalu Zanzibar — Nungwi. $30 per adult, redeemable with a minimum spend.
- Warere — Nungwi. TZS 30,000, redeemable. Pool, beach access, sunbeds.
- Kibanda Beach Club — Nungwi. Sun loungers on the sand, restaurant and bar, DJ set at sunset.
- Safira Blu — Nungwi, on the Mnemba-facing side of the peninsula. Runs an official day pass covering pool, beach and restaurant, with a towel included.
Paje and Jambiani — the east coast
The most day-visit-friendly stretch of the island, and the most family-oriented. Tidal — at low tide the ocean can be a long walk out, which is exactly why a pool matters here.
- Green Ocean Zanzibar Boutique Retreat — Jambiani. Free entry. Pool and Wi-Fi.
- Villa Bahati Zanzibar — Jambiani. $20 per adult, redeemable against food and drink. Pool, beach access, sunbeds.
- New Teddy's on the Beach — Jambiani. Minimum consumption, reduced rate for children; pool, hammocks, swings, spa, shop, right on the ocean.
- Mbuyuni Beach Village — Paje. Big pool, well-reviewed food, sunsets, happy hour.
- Mr Kahawa — Paje. Beachfront café-restaurant popular with both guests and day visitors — great coffee, good food, easy with kids.
- Fun Beach Hotel — Jambiani. Family-friendly, welcomes spending visitors.
- Gadea Boutique Hotel — Jambiani. Boutique hotel with its own Italian restaurant, owner-welcomed.
- Cinnamon Hotel — Jambiani. Restaurant open to outside guests for lunch or dinner.
- Meliks Hotel — Jambiani. Small guesthouse-style property, owners happy to talk through options.
What about Matemwe?
Quieter and less developed, with the reef sitting far out — the water walks away twice a day.
- SeVi Boutique Hotel Zanzibar — free entry. Pool and towels.
- Zanzibar Queen Hotel — $15 per adult, redeemable against food and drink. Pool, beach access, towels.
- Marafiki Beach Bar — daybeds and loungers on the sand. Their own line: just turn up, find yourself a spot.
- Zanzibar Sunrise at Bandas — small, beachfront, kitchen built around fresh local produce and fish.
Bwejuu and Michamvi
Quieter than Paje, and the small owner-run places here are often the happiest to see you.
- Mayai Ocean Resort — Bwejuu. $10 per adult, redeemable against food and drink. Pool and Wi-Fi.
- Kijani Beach Villas & Restaurant — Bwejuu. TZS 40,000 per adult, redeemable. Pool, sunbeds, Wi-Fi.
- The Sands Beach Resort — Michamvi. $40 per adult, redeemable. Sunbeds, towels, food.
- Evergreen Bungalows — Bwejuu. Tiny beach bungalow spot; lunch or a juice, then the beach.
- Zanzibar Dream Lodge — Bwejuu. Pool and garden a minute from the sand, explicitly family-welcoming.
- Tsunami Resort — Bwejuu. Beachfront with a pool bar and restaurant.
Kiwengwa, Pongwe and Uroa — the east-central coast
- Zanziblue Waves — Kiwengwa. $15 per adult, redeemable against food and drink. Pool, kids' pool, beach access.
- White Paradise Zanzibar — Pongwe. $10 per adult, redeemable. Pool, restaurant access, towels.
- Tulia Zanzibar Unique Beach Resort — Pongwe. $50 per adult, redeemable. Pool, towels, sunbeds.
- Ycona Luxury Resort — Uroa. $60 per adult, partly redeemable against food and drink. Pool, sunbeds, towels.
- Pongwe Beach Hotel — a sheltered, calm bay, one of the safest swimming spots on the island for small children. (One community report described a $25 stay + $25 restaurant-voucher structure — not yet confirmed with the hotel directly, so treat as indicative.)
- Pongwe Eco Lodge — quiet, self-catering-style cottages minutes from the bay.
The south — Kizimkazi and Makunduchi
- Aya Beach Resort — Kizimkazi. $10 per adult, redeemable against food and drink. Pool, beach access, sunbeds.
- Makazi Garden Villas — Makunduchi. Family-friendly, outdoor pool.
Prefer somewhere away from the beach entirely?
Ali's Acre Zanzibar Retreats & Camps — a farm-based retreat inland, described by locals as "a hidden gem in the jungle." Not a pool-and-beach day, but a genuine alternative if you want green space instead of sand.
How do I ask without it being awkward?
Message ahead: date, how many adults and children, roughly when you'd arrive and leave, and make clear you intend to eat and drink there. Ask directly about day-use fee vs. minimum spend. Almost nobody says no to that message.
Anything else to know before I go?
Check the tide — some beaches vanish entirely at high tide on the east and south coasts. Dress for the walk, not just the pool. Getting between regions takes longer than the map suggests.
Planning the rest of the day around it? Browse places to eat and what's on, and see getting around for transport between regions.