A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Zanzibar vs. Genoa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Zanzibar or Genoa?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Zanzibar and Genoa can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Zanzibar or Genoa?

Zanzibar

Just off the coast of Tanzania lies an entrancing archipelago known as Zanzibar. This gorgeous string of islands is the land of sultans, palaces beaches and spice-filled markets. Once an important trading center, many restorations have been done in recent years to restore Zanzibar to its ancient grandeur - earning its capital city UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.

Genoa

Located on the coast of northwest Italy, Genoa is a port city and capital of the Liguria region. With a long history as a rich and powerful trade center, Genoa's past of many centuries is still visible in its old port, stunning architecture, and charming alleyways. A traveler can spend days walking along seaside villas, admiring towering churches, and shopping the boutiques of the city. Genoa is also the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, featuring what is thought to be his birth home and many other quaint abodes.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Tanzania, The Best Cultural Tours in Tanzania, The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Italy, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Italy.


Which place is cheaper, Genoa or Zanzibar?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Zanzibar is $51, while the average daily cost in Genoa is $160. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Zanzibar and Genoa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Zanzibar $24
    Genoa $95
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Zanzibar $48
    Genoa $190
Compare Hotels in Zanzibar and Genoa

Looking for a hotel in Zanzibar or Genoa? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Zanzibar


Hotels in Genoa


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Zanzibar Hotel Prices and Genoa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Zanzibar $11
    Genoa $9.31

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zanzibar

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zanzibar:

  • From Mystery Day Safari with Transfer: $500
  • Private VIP Ferry Tickets to Daressalam with two way transfers : $260
  • Private Transfer from Zanzibar Airport to Kiwengwa: $200
  • Safari blue tour with Lunch and Transfers: $180
  • Zanzibar Sunset Dhow Cruise with Transfers.: $149
  • Zanzibar:Prison Island,Nakupenda Sandbank Tour with transfer: $141
  • Private Return Transfer From Zanzibar Airport To Paje: $140
  • Off-Road Quad Bike Adventure with hotel transfer: $138
  • Arrival Private Transfer Zanzibar Airport ZNZ to Island by Luxury Car: $125
  • Departure Private Transfer from Island to Zanzibar Airport ZNZ by Luxury Sedan: $125
  • Ferry Zanzibar :Transfer services: $120
  • Jozani Forest and Spice Farm Tour With Transfer: $110

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Genoa

Also for Genoa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Departure Private Transfer from Genoa to La Spezia by car or van: $254
  • From Genoa to Florence Hotels - Private Transfer: $145
  • From Genova: Portofino Return Transfer by Open-Top Bus: $64
  • Genoa Airport (GOA) to Genoa - Arrival Private Transfer: $27
  • Genoa Airport (GOA) to Genoa - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $55
  • Genoa Airport (GOA) to Milan - Arrival Private Transfer: $111
  • Genoa Airport (GOA) to Milan - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $223
  • Genoa Airport (GOA) to Portofino hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $107
  • Genoa Airport Transfers : Genoa City to Genoa Airport GOA in Business Car: $66
  • Genoa Private Transfers : Genoa City to Genoa Cruise Port in Minivan: $66
  • Genoa airport (GOA) to Savona Cruise Port - Arrival Private Transfer: $59
  • Genoa airport (GOA) to Savona Cruise Port - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $118

Is it cheaper to fly into Zanzibar or Genoa?

Prices for flights to both Genoa and Zanzibar change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Zanzibar $17
    Genoa $55

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Zanzibar

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Zanzibar.

  • Half-Day Kuza Cave Swimming Adventure and Cooking Class: $13
  • Authentic Street Food Tours in Stone Town, Zanzibar: $40
  • Zanzibar Traditional Cooking Class: $49
  • An romantic cooking Lesson + Spice Farm Tour: $55
  • Zanzibar Cooking Class [Swahili food test ] and Spice farm Private tour: $59
  • Zanzibar Cooking Class & Spice Tour : $59
  • Zanzibar Spice farm and Cooking Class: $60
  • Local Cooking Class with Spice Tour in Zanzibar: $60
  • Walking Spice Farm with Local Cooking Class: $60
  • Spice Farm tour & Local cooking lesson with Lunch: $64
  • Spice Farm Tour with Traditional Cooking Lesson: $65
  • Stone Town Private Food Tour with a Guide: $65

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Genoa

For Genoa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Genoese cooking lesson in the garden with lunch: $68
  • Genoa Old town Food Tour: $74
  • Itinerant dinner in the old town: $75
  • Street Food Tour: $85
  • Do Eat Better Experience - Food Tours in Genoa: $86
  • Traditional Food Tour: $91
  • Lunch or dinner and cooking demo at a local home in Camogli: $93
  • Lunch or dinner and cooking demo at a local home in Savona: $93
  • Dining experience with cooking demo and wines in Rapallo: $93
  • Traditional Home Cooking Class in Genoa: $93
  • Tour of Genoa historic center and wine tasting with dinner: $93
  • Small-group Street food tour in Savona: $97

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Zanzibar $13
    Genoa $21

Tours and Activities in Zanzibar

Here are a few actual costs in Zanzibar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 4 hours Spice Tour in Tanzania: $80
  • Fair Tourism In Paje: $27
  • Spice Tour & Mangapwani Cave Tour: $80
  • Stone City, Spice Farm and Prison Island Full Day Tour: $130
  • Stonetown Private Half-day Walking Tour: $35
  • Zanzibar Spice Tour : $47
  • 10 DAYS MOSHI TO ZANZIBAR BIKE TOUR: $4,286
  • 2day Zanzibar adventure: Prison Island & Sandbank (all-incl): $538
  • 3 HOURS PRISON ISLAND TOUR IN ZANZIBAR: $60
  • 3 Hours Private Stone Town Walking Tour : $30
  • 3-Day Selous Game Reserve Safari & Cultural tour with Flight: $1,345
  • 3-Hour Private City Tour in Zanzibar Island : $26

Tours and Activities in Genoa

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Genoa.

  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
  • Genoa Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.55
  • City Exploration Game and Tour: $7.00
  • City Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Tour: $7.00
  • City Highlights Self-guided Walking Tour: $8.50
  • Lighthouse Entrance Ticket: $8.61
  • Finance and Nobility: Explore medieval Genoa on a self-guided audio tour: $8.99
  • Finance and Nobility Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
  • Historic Guided Tour of Christopher Columbus' House: $11
  • The City of Children and Young Museum Entry Ticket: $13
  • Guided Tour of Rolli Palaces UNESCO Site, Genoa: $15
  • Historic Shops in Tour Through Tradition and Flavours: $15

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Zanzibar $6.86
    Genoa $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Zanzibar

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Zanzibar:

  • Pub Crawl & Club Experience: $30

Sample the Local Flavors in Genoa

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Genoa:

  • Guided Eco Hiking and Sea View Wine Tasting in Portofino Park: $75
  • 3 Hour Pesto Making and Wine Tasting Activity in Campetto Genoa: $105
  • CAMOGLI: PRIVATE Ligurian Wine Tasting Experience and walking on National Park: $126


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Zanzibar and Genoa, we can see that Genoa is more expensive. And not only is Zanzibar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Zanzibar is in Africa and Genoa is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Zanzibar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Zanzibar and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Genoa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Genoa than you might in Zanzibar.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Zanzibar Expensive? and Is Genoa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Zanzibar or Genoa?

Genoa has a larger population, and is about 49% larger than the population of Zanzibar. When comparing the sizes of Zanzibar and Genoa, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.


When is the best time to visit Zanzibar or Genoa?

Genoa has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Zanzibar experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Zanzibar or Genoa in the Summer?

Both Genoa and Zanzibar during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Zanzibar because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Also, the summer months attract visitors to Genoa because of the beaches and the family-friendly experiences.

Zanzibar is around the same temperature as Genoa in the summer. The daily temperature in Zanzibar averages around 25°C (77°F) in July, and Genoa fluctuates around 25°C (76°F).

In Genoa, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Zanzibar. In the summer, Zanzibar often gets less sunshine than Genoa. Zanzibar gets 224 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Genoa receives 295 hours of full sun.

Zanzibar usually gets more rain in July than Genoa. Zanzibar gets 31 mm (1.2 in) of rain, while Genoa receives 12 mm (0.5 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July
    Zanzibar 25°C (77°F) 
    Genoa 25°C (76°F)

Should I visit Zanzibar or Genoa in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Zanzibar and Genoa. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Zanzibar year-round. Also, the shopping scene and the natural beauty of the area are the main draw to Genoa this time of year.

In the autumn, Zanzibar is a little warmer than Genoa. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Zanzibar in October average around 25°C (78°F), and Genoa averages at about 19°C (66°F).

In Zanzibar, it's very sunny this time of the year. Zanzibar usually receives more sunshine than Genoa during autumn. Zanzibar gets 275 hours of sunny skies, while Genoa receives 183 hours of full sun in the autumn.

In October, Zanzibar usually receives less rain than Genoa. Zanzibar gets 66 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Genoa receives 97 mm (3.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October
    Zanzibar 25°C (78°F) 
    Genoa 19°C (66°F)

Should I visit Zanzibar or Genoa in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Zanzibar as well as Genoa. Zanzibar attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. Also, many travelers come to Genoa for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.

In January, Zanzibar is generally much warmer than Genoa. Daily temperatures in Zanzibar average around 28°C (82°F), and Genoa fluctuates around 11°C (51°F).

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Zanzibar this time of the year. In the winter, Zanzibar often gets more sunshine than Genoa. Zanzibar gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Genoa receives 127 hours of full sun.

Zanzibar usually gets more rain in January than Genoa. Zanzibar gets 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Genoa receives 71 mm (2.8 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January
    Zanzibar 28°C (82°F) 
    Genoa 11°C (51°F)

Should I visit Zanzibar or Genoa in the Spring?

Both Genoa and Zanzibar are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Zanzibar throughout the year. Also, many visitors come to Genoa in the spring for the beaches and the natural beauty.

Zanzibar is much warmer than Genoa in the spring. The daily temperature in Zanzibar averages around 27°C (81°F) in April, and Genoa fluctuates around 15°C (58°F).

Zanzibar usually receives less sunshine than Genoa during spring. Zanzibar gets 155 hours of sunny skies, while Genoa receives 198 hours of full sun in the spring.

It's quite rainy in Zanzibar. In April, Zanzibar usually receives more rain than Genoa. Zanzibar gets 269 mm (10.6 in) of rain, while Genoa receives 65 mm (2.6 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April
    Zanzibar 27°C (81°F) 
    Genoa 15°C (58°F)

Typical Weather for Genoa and Zanzibar

Zanzibar Genoa
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 28°C (82°F) 78 mm (3.1 in) 11°C (51°F) 71 mm (2.8 in)
Feb 28°C (82°F) 52 mm (2 in) 11°C (51°F) 73 mm (2.9 in)
Mar 28°C (83°F) 131 mm (5.2 in) 12°C (54°F) 69 mm (2.7 in)
Apr 27°C (81°F) 269 mm (10.6 in) 15°C (58°F) 65 mm (2.6 in)
May 26°C (78°F) 176 mm (6.9 in) 18°C (64°F) 54 mm (2.1 in)
Jun 24°C (76°F) 42 mm (1.7 in) 21°C (71°F) 33 mm (1.3 in)
Jul 25°C (77°F) 31 mm (1.2 in) 25°C (76°F) 12 mm (0.5 in)
Aug 24°C (75°F) 27 mm (1.1 in) 25°C (77°F) 34 mm (1.3 in)
Sep 25°C (76°F) 28 mm (1.1 in) 22°C (72°F) 57 mm (2.2 in)
Oct 25°C (78°F) 66 mm (2.6 in) 19°C (66°F) 97 mm (3.8 in)
Nov 27°C (80°F) 132 mm (5.2 in) 14°C (58°F) 70 mm (2.8 in)
Dec 27°C (81°F) 116 mm (4.6 in) 12°C (53°F) 65 mm (2.6 in)