How Much Do Flowers Cost in Zanzibar: Prices in Shillings and Euros — from a 2,000 TZS Kikuba at Darajani Market to a Rose Bouquet in Nungwi

In short: Zanzibar has two flower markets, and their prices differ a hundredfold. The local one is the kikuba — a fragrant posy of jasmine, ylang-ylang and rose petals folded into a banana leaf — for 1,000–3,000 shillings (less than a euro) from the women at Darajani market and Forodhani; frangipani and bougainvillea are simply free, they grow on every wall. The imported one — roses, lisianthus, hydrangeas — does not grow on the island at all: every stem is flown in from the greenhouses of Arusha or Kenya via Dar es Salaam, so a single rose from a street seller in Stone Town costs 2,000–5,000 TZS, ten in paper 30,000–60,000, and a resort charges $30–80 for petals on the bed. A florist-made bouquet delivered to a hotel or villa starts at €74 in Stone Town, €91–145 for a medium one and €198–599 for premium; the north and the east coast add a transfer. Below: prices in shillings and euros, where they come from, when they rise, and what €74, €100, €200 and €600 actually buy.

Catalogue and euro prices are on the flower delivery in Zanzibar page. Nearby on the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea: Hurghada, El Gouna, Dubai, Colombo. A similar breakdown for another island — how much flowers cost in Bali.

The Main Thing to Understand About Prices: Zanzibar Has Almost No "Bouquet Flowers"

Zanzibar is the spice island, not the flower island. Clove trees, vanilla, cinnamon, ylang-ylang on the Kizimbani and Kidichi spice farms — yes. Frangipani by the mosques, bougainvillea on the walls of Shangani, hibiscus in hotel gardens, heliconias and orchids in the shade — yes. But there is not a single greenhouse of roses, lisianthus or hydrangeas on Unguja: +30 °C all year, humidity above 80 %, salt wind and coral soil are not what a cut rose lives in. Everything Europeans call "flowers in a bouquet" is brought to the island. So the first answer to "how much do flowers cost in Zanzibar" is always: it depends which — the ones that grow here cost almost nothing, the ones you are used to giving cost more than on the mainland.

This is not a "tourist mark-up" and not greed — it is logistics. Once you see it, the prices stop being surprising.

Where the Island's Roses Come From: Arusha — Dar es Salaam — Stone Town, and What the Road Adds to a Stem

The roses closest to Zanzibar grow in two places. The first is the greenhouses around Arusha and at the foot of Kilimanjaro: northern Tanzania is a notable rose exporter to the Netherlands, and part of the cut stays in the country. The second is Kenya, Lake Naivasha, the main rose region of East Africa. From there a stem has two ways onto the island. Either by plane Arusha/Nairobi — Dar es Salaam, then 20 minutes on a small aircraft to Karume airport or two hours on the Azam ferry to Stone Town (the flowers travel in a chilled box; a ticket on the same ferry costs a foreigner $35 against the resident fare, and cargo is tariffed too). Or the direct Nairobi — Zanzibar flight that Kenyan roses take — faster, but dearer per kilogram.

At every link the rose loses something: some stems to the heat at transshipment, some to waiting at the customs warehouse in Dar es Salaam, some on the way from the port to the florist when a car without air-conditioning sits in traffic by Darajani. A Zanzibar florist budgets 20–30 % wastage against 5–10 % in Europe. Add the air freight, add a cooler that runs on a generator when the power goes (an ordinary event on the island). That is why a rose costing 300–500 shillings at a farm in Arusha sells in Stone Town for 2,000–5,000 — roughly a tenfold gap between farm and counter, and it is an honest price.

Prices in Shillings: What Zanzibaris Themselves Buy, and for How Much

The rate at the time of writing is about 3,000 Tanzanian shillings to the euro (check before you travel: the shilling weakens a little every year). The prices below are what we see at Darajani market, at the evening stalls in Forodhani Gardens and at the two or three street florists between Shangani and Malindi; bargain — the first price for a "mzungu" (Swahili for a foreigner) is always a third higher.

What	Where	Price in TZS	≈ in euros
Kikuba — a posy of jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose petals and basil in a banana leaf	women by Darajani market, Forodhani, the Old Fort gate	1,000–3,000	€0.3–1
Jasmine (asumini) garland for the neck or hair	same places, in the evening	5,000–15,000	€2–5
One imported rose	street sellers in Stone Town	2,000–5,000	€0.7–1.7
Ten roses in paper, no floristry	street florist by Darajani	30,000–60,000	€10–20
Sprigs of frangipani, bougainvillea, hibiscus	hotel gardeners, any wall	free or a 2,000–5,000 tip	€0–2
Basket of tropical flowers for a Swahili-style wedding	ordered from market craftswomen 1–2 days ahead	50,000–150,000	€17–50
Florist-made bouquet delivered to a hotel or villa, photo before departure	YUCCA catalogue	—	€74–599

The kikuba deserves a separate paragraph, and a visit to Darajani in the evening. It is not a bouquet in the European sense but a fragrant knot: jasmine, rose petals, ylang-ylang, a sprig of kivumbasi basil, sometimes clove blossom, rolled tightly into a banana leaf. Zanzibari women wear it in their hair and at the waist, husbands bring it to their wives on Fridays, brides receive it at weddings — the scent lasts the night. For a thousand shillings it is the most Zanzibari floral gift there is. But it lives a day, you cannot put it in a vase and you cannot hand it over at a resort — for that you need an imported bouquet.

What Resorts Charge: Petals on the Bed, a Bouquet in the Room, a Wedding Package

The second source of flowers in Zanzibar is the hotels themselves. The resorts of Nungwi, Kendwa, Kiwengwa, Paje and Bwejuu have gardeners and often an "in-house florist" who does romantic room decorations. It is convenient, but these are the most expensive flowers on the island, because the resort prices in its own logistics and its own margin. From the guest-relations price lists guests forward to us, the picture is usually this: rose petals on the bed and in the bath — $30–80; a "romantic turndown" with candles and tropical flowers — $50–120; a rose bouquet in the room — $80–200; floral styling of a beach wedding from arch to table — $300–1,500 and up; a bridal bouquet of roses separately — $100–250. Prices are almost always in dollars, charged to the room.

What matters: in most resorts the "rose bouquet in the room" is 10–15 roses that flew the same route from Arusha but passed through two or three intermediaries. Our medium bouquet at €91–145 delivered to the reception of the same resort is usually larger and made by a florist who does nothing but bouquets. The difference is not in the roses — it is in the chain.

When Flowers in Zanzibar Get Dearer: Seasons and Dates

• High season — December–February and July–August. The island is full, resorts at 90 %, planes from Dar es Salaam fly packed — cargo space gets dearer, and roses at Darajani rise 20–30 %. New Year and the Christmas weeks are the peak: a beach wedding every day, florists working on pre-order.
• 14 February. On the island Valentine's Day is celebrated by guests, not locals — but it is the guests who order: red roses run out by 12 February. We need 2–3 days on these dates.
• Masika — the long rains from mid-March to May. Low season, some resorts close, local market prices are the lowest of the year — but roads to the east coast wash out and flower flights come less often: a bouquet may wait for the next plane. The short rains, vuli, in November are milder.
• Ramadan and Eid. The fasting month moves through the calendar; Stone Town sleeps by day and comes alive after iftar. On Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha local demand for kikubas and jasmine peaks and market prices double — while imported roses cost the same as usual.
• June and September–October — dry, not too crowded, planes on schedule: the calmest time for flowers and the steadiest prices.

What Goes into €91 for a Medium Bouquet Delivered in Stone Town

Take "Darajani Market" (€91) — a medium bouquet of roses with tropical accents, handed over at a hotel in Shangani.

• Flowers — about 40 %. Imported roses, lisianthus or hydrangea cost one and a half to two times the mainland price on the island; tropical greenery and frangipani the florist adds almost for free, but it is the roses that make a bouquet a bouquet.
• Wastage and cold — about 15 %. Some stems do not survive the journey, the cooler lives on a generator, a thermal bag for the courier is mandatory because in +35 °C sun a bouquet wilts within an hour.
• Florist's work, paper, ribbon, card — about 15 %. Kraft and ribbons are imported too — there is no floral wholesale on the island.
• Delivery — about 15 %. A courier on foot through the alleys of Stone Town or by car along the west coast to Bububu and Kizimkazi; north and east are separate, see below.
• Service — about 15 %. Messaging with you on WhatsApp, a call to the villa, a photo of the bouquet before departure, confirmation after hand-over, payment by a card from any country with no fee for the recipient.

Can it be cheaper? Yes: go to Darajani yourself, buy ten roses for 40,000 shillings and ask for paper. But then you are already in Zanzibar. This article is more often for someone in Moscow, Almaty, Dubai or Milan who wants a bouquet to appear at a villa in Paje.

Prices by Zone: Why Nungwi and Paje Cost More Than Stone Town

Zanzibar is an island 85 kilometres long, and all flowers enter it through Stone Town and the airport. So geography directly affects the price.

• Stone Town and the west coast — Shangani, Hurumzi, Malindi, Forodhani, Mazizini, Bububu, Fuji Beach, Karume airport, down to Kizimkazi in the south. Flowers are "at home" here: delivery is included, a €74–87 bouquet is handed over on foot through the alleys — no car gets to Park Hyatt, Emerson, Tembo House or Serena.
• North — Nungwi and Kendwa. 1–1.5 hours each way via Mahonda. The highest concentration of resorts (Riu, Royal Zanzibar, Zuri, Essque Zalu, Gold Zanzibar) and the most frequent orders — honeymoon, anniversary, a sunset proposal in Kendwa. A transfer is added to the bouquet price; we name it before payment — usually the level of a one-way taxi ride across the island.
• North-east — Matemwe, Pwani Mchangani, Kiwengwa, Pongwe, Uroa. About an hour; Meliá, Blue Bay, Ocean Paradise. Transfer as for the north.
• South-east — Michamvi, Bwejuu, Paje, Jambiani, Makunduchi. An hour to an hour and a half through Jozani forest; Baraza, The Palms, Breezes, the kite villas of Paje. Same logic, plus in masika the road can be slow.
• Pemba — we do not deliver: it is a separate island with a separate ferry.

A simple rule: the farther from Darajani, the dearer the bouquet and the earlier the order must be confirmed — in the morning for the north and east, by 11:00 for same-day Stone Town.

How to Pay in Zanzibar Without Overpaying

• Shillings or dollars? The local market is cash shillings only; resorts and touristic Stone Town count in dollars, take cards and often add 3–5 % for the terminal. Dollar bills older than 2009 or torn are refused. ATMs exist in Stone Town, at the airport and one or two each in Nungwi and Paje — on the east coast they can be empty at weekends.
• The "mzungu price". The first price named at the market is 30–50 % above what a local pays; it is not a scam but the start of a conversation. "Bei ya mwisho?" ("last price?") and a smile save a third.
• Do not fly roses in yourself. A bouquet from Dubai or Istanbul survives hand luggage, but after two hours in a hot taxi to Nungwi it looks worse than the market one; and importing plants formally requires a phytosanitary certificate.
• Through us the recipient pays nothing at all: the sender pays in euros by a card from any country, Apple/Google Pay, Wise, SWIFT or USDT; the catalogue price is final for Stone Town and the west, the transfer for the north and east is named before payment and not changed after.

What €74, €100, €200 and €600 Actually Buy in Zanzibar

• €74–87 — a compact bouquet for "just because", a birthday at a villa, an airport welcome. "Stone Town Dawn" (€74) — pale roses with greenery; "Mnemba Lagoon" (€78) — a white-and-blue palette for the ocean; "Zanzibar Spice" (€87) — warm orange and coral tones. This is the level of ten roses at a resort, only florist-made and with a photo.
• €91–145 — a medium bouquet: anniversary, honeymoon, "sorry", a gift for the villa's hostess. "Darajani Market" (€91), "Kendwa Garden Roses" (€122) — garden roses brought to the island to order, "Zanzibar Clove" (€145) — a deep red for the spice island.
• €198–324 — a proposal and big dates. "A Hundred Nungwi Roses" (€198) — a hundred roses, made in 2–3 days because a hundred stems of one batch must be ordered on the mainland; "Dhow at Sunset" (€227), "Zanzibar White Crown" (€291) — white classics for a beach wedding; "Indian Ocean" (€324).
• €599 — "Queen of Zanzibar" (€599). The largest arrangement in the catalogue — for a suite on a wedding day or a jubilee at a resort; made in 3 days, delivered in an air-conditioned car and handed over via guest relations.

All prices are for the bouquet in the photo, with a card in Russian, English, Italian or Swahili (Nakupenda, Hongera, Karibu Zanzibar), with a photo before the courier leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does one rose cost in Zanzibar? From street sellers in Stone Town — 2,000–5,000 shillings (€0.7–1.7); at a resort as part of a "romantic package" — several times more. Roses do not grow on the island; each one flies in from Arusha or Kenya.

How much does a bouquet with delivery cost in Zanzibar? Compact €74–87, medium €91–145, premium €198–599. Stone Town and the west coast are included; Nungwi, Kendwa, Paje, Jambiani, Matemwe, Kiwengwa add a transfer that we name before payment.

Why are flowers dearer in Zanzibar than in Dar es Salaam? Because of the last leg: ferry or plane, wastage in the heat, a cooler on a generator and no floral wholesale on the island. Between a farm in Arusha and a counter in Stone Town a rose gets roughly ten times dearer.

What is a kikuba and how much does it cost? The traditional Zanzibari fragrant posy of jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose petals and basil in a banana leaf. 1,000–3,000 shillings by Darajani market and in Forodhani Gardens in the evening; it lives one night.

How much do resorts charge for rose petals on the bed? Usually $30–80 for petals, $50–120 for a full romantic turndown, $80–200 for a bouquet in the room, from $300 for wedding flowers — according to guest-relations price lists.

When are flowers cheapest in Zanzibar? In masika — mid-March to May — and in November: low season, an empty market. But flower flights come less often and roads to the east wash out, so a bouquet may wait for the next plane.

Can I pay by card for flowers in Zanzibar? At the market — no, cash shillings only. In resorts and tourist shops — yes, often with a 3–5 % fee. Through us the sender pays by a card from any country in euros; the recipient pays nothing.

How much is flower delivery to Nungwi or Paje? It is 1–1.5 hours each way from Stone Town, so a transfer is added to the bouquet price — we name it before payment and do not change it after. Confirmation is needed in the morning.

Where Next

• Choose a bouquet by price — flower catalogue in Zanzibar: from €74 to €599, prices in euros.
• Recipient at another resort — Hurghada, El Gouna, Dubai, Colombo; how prices work on another island without roses — how much flowers cost in Bali.
• Ordering from abroad for the first time — how to order flowers from another country and what details are needed for international delivery; a surprise — how to send flowers anonymously.
• Send the hotel or villa name and a map pin on WhatsApp — we will name the exact price with transfer and the delivery window.

---

See also: flower delivery in Zanzibar, Hurghada, Dubai, how much flowers cost in Bali, how to order flowers from another country.