Zanzibar (Stone Town), Tanzania: travel guide
Spice-island capital and UNESCO World Heritage labyrinth of coral-stone alleys, Omani palaces and Swahili culture, gateway to Nungwi and Paje beaches.
- Country
- Tanzania
- Currency
- TZS
- Time zone
- Africa/Dar_es_Salaam
- Nearest airport
- ZNZ
Plan a Zanzibar (Stone Town) trip
Top places to visit in Zanzibar (Stone Town)
Nungwi Beach
Beach · 4.4 rating · about 3 h
Postcard white-sand beach at the island's northern tip with year-round swimming, dhow builders and sunset bars.
Forodhani Gardens
Market · 4.4 rating · about 1 h
Seafront park that transforms each evening into a famous street-food night market of Zanzibari snacks and grilled seafood.
Darajani Market
Market · 4.2 rating · about 0.8 h
Bustling central bazaar for spices, tropical fruit, fish and everyday Zanzibari life.
Hamamni Persian Baths
Heritage · 3.7 rating · about 0.5 h · entry USD 1
19th-century Persian-style public bathhouse, the first in Zanzibar, built for Sultan Barghash.
Jozani Forest (Jozani-Chwaka Bay NP)
Wildlife · 4.2 rating · about 2 h · entry USD 10
Zanzibar's only national park and last refuge of the endemic red colobus monkey, with mangrove boardwalks.
Christ Church Cathedral & Old Slave Market
Church · 4.4 rating · about 1 h · entry USD 12
Anglican cathedral built on the site of the former East African slave market, with a moving memorial and museum.
Changuu (Prison) Island
Wildlife · 4.3 rating · about 3 h · entry USD 4
Small island off Stone Town famed for its colony of giant Aldabra tortoises and snorkelling reefs.
Freddie Mercury House
Heritage · 4.0 rating · about 0.5 h · entry USD 8
The Stone Town birthplace of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, now a small museum to the Zanzibar-born singer.
Paje Beach
Beach · 4.5 rating · about 3 h
Long east-coast beach with a wide tidal lagoon, Zanzibar's premier kitesurfing spot.
Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe)
Heritage · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h
Zanzibar's oldest building, a 17th-century Omani coral-stone fortress now housing craft stalls and an open-air amphitheatre.
Kendwa Beach
Beach · 4.3 rating · about 3 h
Wide, tide-free swimming beach just south of Nungwi, known for full-moon parties and calm waters.
Things to do
- Stone Town Walking Tour Tour · 3 h · from USD 25 per person
- Spice Farm Tour Tour · 4 h · from USD 30 per person
- Safari Blue Full-Day Dhow Cruise Tour · 8 h · from USD 75 per person
- Prison Island & Snorkelling Tour Tour · 5 h · from USD 35 per person
- Jozani Forest Red Colobus Tour Nature · 3 h · from USD 30 per person
- Nungwi Sunset Dhow Cruise Tour · 2 h · from USD 30 per person
Day trips and tours
- Stone Town & Spice Farm Full Day 8 h · from USD 55
- Prison Island & Nakupenda Sandbank 6 h · from USD 60
Where to stay in Zanzibar (Stone Town)
- Stone Town about TZS 180 per night
Historic UNESCO heart with boutique hotels in restored merchant houses, walkable to museums, markets and the seafront.
- Nungwi about TZS 200 per night
Lively northern beach village with white sand, dhow builders, resorts and dive centres.
- Paje about TZS 120 per night
Kitesurfing capital on the calmer east coast with laid-back beach lodges.
Hotels
- Emerson Spice Hotel 4-star
- Essque Zalu Zanzibar 5-star
- Zanzibar Serena Hotel 5-star
- The Z Hotel Nungwi 4-star
- Kendwa Rocks Beach Hotel 3-star
- Dhow Palace Hotel 4-star
Where to eat
- Archipelago Cafe & Restaurant Swahili, Seafood, International · about TZS 25,000 per person
- Radha Vegetarian Restaurant Indian, Vegetarian · about TZS 15,000 per person
- Passing Show Hotel Swahili, Local · about TZS 10,000 per person
- Livingstone Beach Restaurant Seafood, International · about TZS 28,000 per person
- Maru Maru Rooftop Restaurant Swahili, Indian · about TZS 30,000 per person
- Beit al-Chai (Zanzibar Coffee House) Cafe, Swahili · about TZS 18,000 per person
- The Rock Restaurant Zanzibar Seafood, Italian · about TZS 90,000 per person
Getting around
- Ferry main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Minibus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Tuktuk main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.
Safety and scams to avoid
Fake "papasi" tour touts
Stone Town streets & ferry port
Aggressive freelance touts offer tours, taxis or accommodation at inflated prices or take commissions, sometimes collecting money for tours that never happen.
How to avoid it: Book tours through your hotel or a registered operator; agree all prices in advance and avoid handing over cash to street agents.