Tanzania›Dar es Salaam & Mafia›Mafia Island›April
Mafia Island in April
Better avoided: Most of Mafia's lodges close for the long rains in April and May (dates vary, some reopen only in June), and the seas are rough. Go between June and March; whale sharks are from about October to March.
The season opens in October, 6 months away. Mafia Island reopens in June, 2 months away.
Mafia Island is closed in April
Open June – March.
Before you book April
Closures, crowds and rules at Mafia Island this month.
Worth knowing
Most Mafia Lodges Closed
Most of Mafia's lodges close for the long rains in April and May, and the seas are rough for diving. Go between June and March; the whale sharks are from about October to March.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹39,091 for two
- Room a night₹6,660
- Food a day, each₹1,482
- Main sight entry, each₹6,660
Mid-range
₹1,06,070 for two
- Room a night₹30,430
- Food a day, each₹3,420
- Main sight entry, each₹6,660
Luxury
₹2,39,083 for two
- Room a night₹76,080
- Food a day, each₹7,980
- Main sight entry, each₹6,660
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Tanzania yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Dar es Salaam (DAR), 141 km away
Then: Flight · 2h 48m (Flight Dar es Salaam (DAR)–Mafia (MFA), 40 min: Auric Air / Coastal)
Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹25,000
Fly into Stone Town (ZNZ), 207 km away
Then: Flight · 3h 30m (Flight Zanzibar (ZNZ)–Mafia (MFA), Coastal / Auric, usually via Dar es Salaam)
Flights from India: from 6 cities, one way from ₹28,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹4,760
- Apply for the Tanzania e-visa (ordinary, single entry) on the official portal at immigration.go.tz at least 2-3 weeks before you fly: US$50, about ₹4,830, for up to 90 days. Processing takes about 5-10 working days; print the grant notice. Avoid look-alike visa sites, which charge more.
- Get a yellow fever vaccination at an authorised centre in India at least 10 days before you leave, and carry the yellow certificate. Tanzania asks for it if you transit more than 12 hours in Kenya, Ethiopia or another risk country, and India asks every traveller returning from Tanzania for it at the airport.
- Going to Zanzibar: buy the compulsory Zanzibar inbound travel insurance (US$44 a person, about ₹4,250) from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation online before you arrive, and keep the certificate. It is required even if you have your own travel insurance.
- Carry US dollars in clean notes printed in 2009 or later for park fees, tips and visas; older or torn notes are often refused.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your stay, with two blank pages; E-visa grant notice (printout); Yellow fever vaccination certificate (needed again to re-enter India); Zanzibar insurance certificate, for Zanzibar; Return or onward ticket; Hotel and safari bookings.
Visas on arrival are sold at the main airports for many passports, but whether Indian passports get one was not confirmed in 2026, so get the e-visa first. Tanzania has also published rules for a compulsory insurance on the mainland, reported to start on 1 October 2026; check before you fly whether you need it.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Tanzania in April
Nearby in Dar es Salaam & Mafia:
Want this as a real plan?
Mafia Island in April, day by day, priced for your group.