Stone Town: Tours and Guided Visits

In 2000, UNESCO designated Zanzibar City’s Stone Town a World Heritage site. This oldest part of Zanzibar City is now recognized as a cultural gem worthy of protection. While the area’s stone buildings mainly date from the 1800s, Zanzibar City’s coasts and fertile soils have nurtured humans for millennia.

Follow a guide through the maze of lanes to 19th-century buildings, a 300-year-old Arab fort and even the former home of Freddie Mercury. Spy the famed bas-relief wooden doors and buildings trimmed in lacy carvings. Take in the buzz of markets and parks as you sample local spiced specialties. Do all this and more on a Stone Town tour in Zanzibar City.

Here's all you need to know about Stone Town tours, one of the most captivating sightseeing tours in Zanzibar City.

What are the best Stone Town tours in Zanzibar City?

Free Stone Town walking tours

Budget-friendly free walking tours in Stone Town are led by passionate local guides. Learn the layout of the city, discover historical landmarks and get tips on how to make the most of your stay in Zanzibar City.

See the same Stone Town highlights you’d see on a paying tour. While the tour is “free,” it’s customary to tip your guide between US$10 per person to US$50 per person, depending on your enjoyment of the tour.

Small-group walking tours

Join other visitors to Zanzibar City as a guide introduces you to the jumble of streets in Stone Town. Affordable walking tours take you to the unmissable spots in Stone Town in the comfort of groups no larger than 10 people.

Private walking tours

Explore Stone Town at your own pace, or even customize your itinerary with a private walking tour. You’ll have the guide’s full attention as you experience this multifaceted enclave. Hire a guide just for yourself, or arrange a tour for your private group.

Stone Town food tours

Zanzibar’s cuisine is full of surprises and legendary spices. Its eclectic mix of Persian, Arab, Indian, European and mainland African influences meld into dishes you’ll want to recreate when you return home.

Stone Town food tours stop by Darajani Market to try the locals’ favorite produce. Enjoy a drink at a rooftop bar as you watch the sun set, and finish off your evening at the Forodhani Gardens’ street food market. A food tour is the tastiest type of cultural immersion.

Stone Town walking tour plus spice farm visit

Combine two must-do destinations into one outing. Wander the lanes of Stone Town before heading out of town to a spice farm. Zanzibar hosts a wealth of spice farms filled with fruit trees, flowering bushes and hidden roots.

See everyday favorites like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg as they grow and sample freshly picked fruit. Put on some wearable cassava-leaf art created by your guide, and watch a skilled climber cut you a fresh coconut from high above. Some higher-cost tours provide lunch at the spice farm, enhanced by these magical spices.

Stone Town walking tour plus Changuu Island visit

In just half a day, you can take in Stone Town’s must-see attractions before speeding over the waves to Changuu Island. Also known as “Prison Island,” this small parcel of land is home to its namesake prison and a fascinating community of Aldabra tortoises.

The waters surrounding Changuu are prime snorkeling spots. Many tours to the island offer you free time and snorkeling gear to spy Zanzibar’s vibrant marine life.

Stone Town walking tour plus East Coast sites

After a thorough discovery of Stone Town, hop in an air-conditioned car or van and head to the east coast of the island. The area’s Jozani Forest is sure to dazzle any nature lover. In the forests, keep your eyes out for the Red Colobus monkey, a species only found in Zanzibar.

Stone Town walking tour plus spice farm and Jozani Forest tour

If you only have a few days in Zanzibar, conveniently bundle trips to three of the most famous locales into one price. These full-day tours allow you to experience the history, flavors and natural beauty of the island in a short period of time.

Which places are visited?

Old Fort

A common starting point for many tours, the grounds of the 17th-century Arab Fort features evidence of populations that predate the fortress by centuries. Within the walls are buildings that remain from the Portuguese occupation of the island as well as archeological finds from ancient Swahili people. It is the oldest structure in Zanzibar and neighbors other attractions on the tour.

City Market

Zanzibar City’s Darajani Market has been the locals’ source of fresh ingredients for over 100 years. The labyrinth of stalls, with their sights, sounds and smells, can even be a bit overwhelming.

However, venturing into this vital marketplace is an unparalleled glimpse of Zanzibari daily life. Try fresh foods, snap photos of colorful mounds of spices and shop for Swahili handicrafts.

Former slave market

A pause at the slave market in Stone Town’s Anglican cathedral is a sobering reminder of Zanzibar's history. Reflect on the tragic mistakes of the past as you remember the men, women and children that were bought and sold here.

Forodhani Gardens

A tidy seaside park, Forodhani Gardens is the social and culinary center of Stone Town. With shady trees, flowering bushes and vistas of the Indian Sea , it’s a great place to take a break after touring the neighboring Old Fort.

The gardens change their clothes at sunset, becoming a lively street food market and performance venue. Wander among the vendors for an affordable and memorable meal. Mix and match Arab-flavored shawarma, European-influenced “urojo” soup and Zanzibar pizza with tropical fruits and juices.

As Zanzibar City’s main hangout, impromptu artistic spectacles break out right and left. Don’t miss the contortionists, musicians and divers who plunge off the seawall into the ocean.

How much do Stone Town tours in Zanzibar City cost?

Free walking tours in Stone Town are of course free, but it’s customary to tip the guide approximately US$10 to US$50 per person depending on how much you valued the tour.

Small-group Stone Town tours cost around US$30 per person and cap group numbers at 10 people. Private tours cost between US$30 per person and US$60 per person. Higher-cost tours tend to include entry fees to sites like the slave market. Food tours cost around US$50 per person and provide enough tasters to count as a meal.

Combination Stone Town tours plus a stop at one or more attractions outside Zanzibar City cost from US$45 per person to US$170 per person. Lower-cost tours have shorter itineraries and don’t tend to provide lunch or entry fees to parks or historic sites.                  

What is included?

Walking tours include the guidance of a local guide who will enrich your visit to Stone Town. Guides will meet you at your hotel upon request. More expensive tours cover the price of entrance to the slave market, bottled water and snacks. Guides are more than happy to give you tips that will enrich your stay on the island.

Where does it start?

Stone Town tours start at the Old Fort or at Forodhani Gardens. Most tours also offer the option of meeting at your hotel in Stone Town. Combination tours start with pickup from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle.

How long does it last?

Stone Town walking and food tours last 2 to 3 hours. Combo Stone Town tours that include visits to a spice farm or to Changuu Island last around 5 to 6 hours. Stone Town tours plus visits to locales on the eastern coast of the island last between 4 and 10 hours, depending on the amount of stops in the itinerary.

Is it wheelchair friendly?

Some Stone Town tours are wheelchair friendly, while many are not. Check with your tour provider at the time of booking to make sure your needs will be met.

When is the best time for a Stone Town tour in Zanzibar City?

The best time to visit Zanzibar is between June and October, when it's dry and temperatures are mild to warm. Another good period is from December to February when it's hot and dry.

The long rains usually fall from mid-March to late May, and the short rains occur in November. It's usually best to avoid this time period if you want to be exploring on foot!

If you're considering the time of day for a tour, it's a good idea to avoid the midday heat. Early morning or late afternoon tours are generally more pleasant.

Travel tips

• It can get quite hot in Stone Town, so make sure to drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen and a hat
• While Stone Town itself doesn't have beaches, there are many beautiful beaches a short drive away. Consider taking a day trip to Nakupenda Beach to see this stunning locale.
• Bring along cash in the local currency to tip your guides or purchase food and crafts at the local markets.