Photo: allanporai via Google
Zanzibar Beach Club
Day Bed Prices
What a sunbed, a table and a lounger really cost on the island.
The verdict
- Typical costZanzibar is not a formal day bed island, so you usually pay a hotel lounger rate or a beach bar minimum rather than a branded club price. We hold every figure as to be confirmed rather than guess.
- Best value pickA sunbed at a Kendwa or Paje beach bar for the scene, or a reserved table at The Rock for a once in a trip splurge.
- One thing to knowMost loungers belong to the hotels, so the honest question is the non guest day rate or the bar spend, not a cabana tariff.
Prices checked against our editorial standards by Morten Andersen
Published 19 March 2026. Last reviewed 16 April 2026
Zanzibar rewards the visitor who arrives without a Mediterranean idea of a beach club in their head. There is no long row of design led day bed venues here in the way there is on Mykonos or the Costa Smeralda. The sand is public, the loungers mostly belong to the hotels that line it, and the social life happens at a handful of relaxed beach bars, a legendary party spot on the north coast and one restaurant built on a rock in the sea. That is the honest shape of the island, and it is a large part of its charm.
So the useful question on Zanzibar is rarely what a branded cabana costs. It is whether a hotel will sell a non guest a sunbed for the day, what the minimum spend is at a beach bar and how far ahead you need to reserve a table at the island's landmark places. We list the real, established venues below and let each quote the number for your date, because a price printed here would be wrong by the season and would insult the venue and the reader alike. Where we cannot verify a current figure we mark it to be confirmed, which is an honest blank rather than an invented one.
What a day costs, venue by venue
Real, established venues only. Rates and any minimum spend move with the season and the seat, so we mark them to be confirmed and let the venue quote your date. See the full Zanzibar beach club directory for the mood of each.
| Venue | Beach | Sunbed or table | Minimum spend | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kendwa Rocks | Kendwa | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | The north coast landmark famous for its full moon parties, with beach loungers, bars and a swimmable shore at any tide. Come for the scene and the sunset rather than a formal cabana. Entry and any table cost around events, to be confirmed. |
| Gerry's Bar | Nungwi | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | A well loved Nungwi sundowner spot with live music and a relaxed crowd on the deep water tip of the island. You pay for drinks and food rather than a reserved bed. Busy at sunset, so arrive early for a good seat. |
| The Rock Restaurant | Michamvi | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | Not a day bed club but a small restaurant on a coral outcrop in the sea off Michamvi near Pingwe, reached on foot at low tide or by boat when the water rises. Book a table well ahead for a special occasion lunch or dinner. A premium bill, to be confirmed. |
| Paje by Night | Paje | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | The party heart of the southeast kite coast at Paje, an easygoing bar and event space where a laid back day turns into a night. Pay for drinks and any event ticket rather than a lounger. Best after the kitesurfers come off the water. |
| Mercury's | Stone Town | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | A relaxed seafront bar and restaurant in Stone Town, named for Freddie Mercury who was born on the island, with a fine view for a sunset drink. This is atmosphere and history rather than a beach lounger. Order food and drinks; no bed to reserve. |
What is worth paying for, and what to skip
What is worth the money on Zanzibar is a table with a view and a memory attached, not a generic lounger. A reserved dinner at The Rock is a genuine once in a trip experience, expensive but singular, and worth booking ahead for a celebration. A sunset seat with live music at Gerry's or a full moon night at Kendwa Rocks buys you the island's social life for the price of a few drinks, which is fair value for the atmosphere. On the southeast coast a day at Paje folds a kitesurfing scene, cheap beach bars and a lively night into one long, good value stretch of sand.
What to skip is the assumption that you must pay a club tariff at all. If your hotel already has loungers on the beach, you rarely need to buy a day bed elsewhere, and the public sand is free to walk and swim from at low tide. Paying a non guest day rate at a smart hotel makes sense only when you want that specific pool and service for the day. Read the model before you commit, ask whether a figure is per person or per group and whether it is a bed rate or a spend, and you will not be caught out. Conditions and tides are typical and never guaranteed, so check both before you plan a low tide walk to The Rock.
Confirm a price before you go
The honest way to avoid a surprise is to ask for the number before you sit down or sit at the table. Pick the venue from the Zanzibar beach club directory, then send a date and party size and the venue confirms the real cost of a sunbed, a table or a set menu and whether a minimum spend applies. The landmark places at Kendwa and The Rock fill fast in the dry season, so reserving ahead secures both the seat and the price.
Book a beach club in Zanzibar
Independent and honest · 1,340 beaches ranked across 103 destinations · We answer to no resort
Before you go
How much does a beach club day bed cost in Zanzibar?
Less than a Mediterranean icon and with far fewer formal day bed clubs. Most loungers on Zanzibar belong to the hotels rather than a standalone club, so the cost is often a non guest day rate or a food and drink minimum at a beach bar. Because these figures move with the season and the venue we hold each as to be confirmed and let the venue quote the real number for your date.
Does Zanzibar have formal beach clubs with day beds?
Not in the Mykonos or Marbella sense. The scene is built on relaxed beach bars, hotel loungers and a few landmark spots such as Kendwa Rocks and The Rock restaurant, rather than a row of design led day bed clubs. You will more often pay for a sunbed at a hotel or simply order food and drinks at a beach bar than reserve a branded cabana.
When is Zanzibar cheapest for a beach day?
The long dry season from June to October and the shorter dry window in January and February bring the crowds and the firmest prices. The green low season around April and May is quieter and softer on the wallet, though some venues close for the heaviest rains. A weekday is always calmer than a weekend at the northern party beaches.
Do I have to pay to use a Zanzibar beach?
The sand itself is public, so a towel on the beach is free. What you pay for is a sunbed, a parasol or a table, which usually means a hotel day rate for non guests or a spend at a beach bar. Rates vary widely by venue and season, so we mark them to be confirmed and suggest you check on the day.
How do I book a table or day bed in Zanzibar and confirm the price?
Pick a venue from the Zanzibar beach club directory, then send your date, party size and occasion through the form on this page. We pass it to the venue so they can confirm availability, the real cost of a sunbed or a table and any minimum spend, and some bookings may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
Is The Rock restaurant a beach club, and does it cost a lot?
The Rock is a small restaurant built on a coral outcrop in the sea off Michamvi, not a day bed club, so you book a table for lunch or dinner rather than a lounger. It is a special occasion spot with a premium bill and limited seating, so reserve well ahead. We do not print a figure and mark the spend to be confirmed.