Stone Town

Stone Town is Zanzibar City’s historic center and home to Zanzibar Port so most guided tours explore it, whether on foot, by bike, or by coach. Full-day or multiday packages often take advantage of the island’s size to combine the old town with other attractions, such as Changuu Island, Nungwi Beach, or Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park, while foodies can get a taste of Zanzibar’s famous flavors on a spice tour, which often combine a market visit with one of the island’s rural spice farms.

• Some Stone Town-based tour providers specifically offer accessible tours for travelers with disabilities.
• Guided tours are recommended, as the winding streets can be hard to navigate alone.
• Home to Freddie Mercury’s birthplace, Stone Town is also a must see for Queen fans.

Zanzibar Port is located in the north of Stone Town, so cruise passengers and ferry arrivals should have no problems. Zanzibar City is known for its intense traffic, so it’s worth walking or cycling where possible. If you’re coming from outside the city, be aware there is no official public transit system, though you can hail a shared dala dala minibus or book a tour with transportation included.

Complete your city tour during the day time to get the best snaps of Stone Town’s mosques, churches, and forts, then come back in the early evening to see the street food stalls around the Forodhani Gardens in action. Grab a slice of pizza or seafood skewer (be prepared to haggle), then enjoy sunset views across the Zanzibar Channel.

Just a short boat ride from Zanzibar Port, Changuu Island is another must-see spot in the Zanzibar archipelago and is easy to tick off in a day along with Stone Town. Over the years, the island was used as a prison, quarantine station, and coral mine, though today it’s best known for its population of endangered giant tortoises, which can be visited in the grounds of the old prison building.

Also called Mij Mkongwe (“Old Town” in Swahili), Stone Town is the oldest part of Zanzibar City, the capital of Tanzania’s Zanzibar Island. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its mix of Arab, Persian, Swahili, Indian, and European cultural influences, the former coastal trading town is famed for its bazaars and winding alleys.

The town’s buildings—most dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries—are constructed with coral rag, a pinkish limestone produced from coral reef, and supported with mangrove timber. This gives Stone Town its distinctive look. Another architectural feature is the intricately carved entranceways known as Zanzibar doors.

Learn about the island’s Zanzibar Sultanate during a visit to the 19th-century Palace Museum, wander through the Old Fort, Stone Town’s oldest monument, observe people haggling over produce and seafood at Darajani Market, and honor the brutal fates of the people traded in Zanzibar at the Old Slave Market, once the largest of its kind.

A full day here will let you tick off most of the main sights. A guided tour—options abound, including food or history-themed tours— is most convenient for day trippers, as you’ll avoid getting lost in the labyrinth of streets. To soak up the unique atmosphere, aim for two or three days.

Unless you’re at the beach, avoiding wearing shorts in Stone Town is best. Locals are used to seeing international tourists, but it’s best to show respect by covering up knees, chests, and shoulders. While alcohol is not part of Zanzibar’s culture, it is easy to find within licensed bars and restaurants.

Swahili is the official language of Zanzibar. It’s the primary language throughout East Africa, so learning a few greetings or basic phrases is a good idea. That said, both English and Arabic are commonly spoken on the island. People within tourist areas usually know other European languages, such as French or Italian.