Yes, you can smoke at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) past security in Terminal 3’s smoking lounge near Gate 5, or outside the terminal building, landside, where Tanzania’s Tobacco Products (Regulation) Act 2003 permits smoking in the open air; the rest of the terminal interior is smoke-free.
Zanzibar’s airport serves Unguja Island through two terminals: Terminal 3 for international flights and Terminal 2 for domestic and some international traffic.
After Security — Terminal 3
Terminal 3’s international departures area has a smoking lounge near Gate 5, reached once you have cleared security. Travellers have described and photographed it consistently over several visits: free to use with no purchase required, as reported in August 2022; freestanding metal ashtray stands, airport-style seating and a departures board visible on the wall, photographed as recently as October 2024. That October 2024 update is the most recent confirmation of the room.
After Security — Terminal 2
A domestic-terminal traveller, reporting in December 2022, described a smoking lounge just past security in Terminal 2, reached by turning left toward a small store; the same report noted that buying something at the store was sometimes expected. An earlier account from October 2017 found no post-security smoking facility at all in Terminal 2, and no traveller has confirmed the room again since December 2022, so treat it as less certain than the Terminal 3 lounge.
Outside the Terminal — Landside
Smoke outside the terminal building, landside, where Tanzania’s Tobacco Products (Regulation) Act 2003 permits smoking in the open air. The Zanzibar Airports Authority’s own site does not publish a facility list for the exact landside spot, so ask ground staff or the information desk.
Vaping at ZNZ
Vape in the Terminal 3 smoking lounge or the outdoor areas outside the terminal, the same as cigarettes. Tanzania’s tobacco law does not address e-cigarettes, and Zanzibar’s airport publishes no separate vaping rule.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 3 smoking lounge (after security) | Yes | Near Gate 5, international departures; photographed October 2024 |
| Terminal 2 smoking lounge (after security) | Reported | Near a small store; last confirmed December 2022, not since |
| Outside the terminal (landside) | Yes | Open-air, where national law permits smoking outdoors |
| Vaping | Same lounge and outdoor areas | No separate rule published |
For Tanzania’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Tanzania airport guide.