Tanzania · STONE TOWN TOURS
The old quarter is a working town, not a museum, and the lanes are easier with someone who knows them. These 15 cover the spice market, the carved doors and the former slave market, which is a memorial site, with prices, walking distances and start times.
You’ll tour Stone Town with guides such as Hassan, Ali, or Ibrahim, taste spices and Swahili food at a working farm, then take a boat to Prison Island. Allow 6 to 9 hours, wear sturdy shoes, and bring cash for shopping and tips. Private and shared options are available.
“Great way to experience The culture activities of Zanzibar! Highly recommend”
Spend eight hours exploring Zanzibar with hotel pickup, a boat ride to Changuu Island, a guided Stone Town walk, and a spice farm visit with lunch. Guides such as Abdul, Isaac, and Feisal are praised for clear local insight. Expect sun, walking, an often-late lunch, and a full day of history, food, and giant tortoises.
“Amazing day trip with a lot of information about each area and the tortoises. Our guide was great and made us feel comfortable and answered our questions. Would recommend this trip to anyone”
Spend 7 to 8 hours visiting Prison Island, Nakupenda Sandbank, and Stone Town from one $71 tour. You will cruise by wooden boat or dhow, meet Aldabra tortoises, swim, eat a seafood barbecue, and walk Stone Town with a multilingual guide such as Muhammad, Yasser, or Suliman.
“At first felt rushed with having to get to the sandbank but on a whole the day was a amazing,we loved it especially the tortoises”
Spend 5 to 8 hours moving from Zanzibar’s fragrant spice farms to Stone Town’s carved doors and Prison Island’s giant tortoises. Guides such as Fahad, Ali, Mazi, and Haji lead the day in several languages. The $55 price includes transport, lunch, boat rides, and selected entry fees, but the schedule is long and walking is not suitable for everyone.
“We had a great day! The driver was precisely on time to pick us up. Comfortable drive in the van with AC. The Spice farm was really interesting and the lunch there was tasty. Then a boat ride to Prison Island and a walk through Stone Town. Mazi, our guide was very friendly and had a lot of good stories. He also made sure that we were not wondering off. There was plenty of time for sightseeing and shopping. Also compliment to Mudrick, the driver.”
Explore Stone Town for about two hours with a private guide such as Mohammed, Imran, or Ally. Walk through narrow streets to the Old Fort, former slave market, markets, museums, cathedrals, carved doors, and Freddie Mercury’s former home. Hotel pickup is available in Stone Town, and the guide can suggest places to eat and visit.
“I wrote to the operator via Viator to ask to reschedule the date by 1 day. I got no reply and consequently missed the tour”
Walk Stone Town with a private guide such as Khameez, Mau, or Kassim, learning about Swahili culture, Zanzibar’s slave trade, sultans, architecture, and Freddie Mercury. You’ll visit markets, historic landmarks, and narrow lanes, with time for photos and shopping. Water is included, while museum and slave market admission cost extra.
“Mau was excellent, he's so knowledgeable and he clearly loves what he does. It happened that I was alone in the walking tour although I booked it as a group activity. Mau took me to all the interesting spots of Stone Town and took his time to explain everything to me, while giving me plenty of time to take pictures, visit the Freddie Mercury museum, and was patient with me when I stopped for a couple of souvenirs 🙂. I couldn't recommend him enough!”
Spend about eight hours with a private guide exploring Stone Town, Prison Island, and a countryside spice farm. You’ll ride a boat with snorkeling gear, meet giant tortoises, taste tropical fruit, and learn how cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom grow. Guides such as Amina, Ibrahim, and Amira have earned strong praise, though service can vary.
“Our tour guide Ibrahim had no interest in providing tour services. I asked him how long he's been a guide and if he likes giving tours. He said he didn't enjoy providing tours and that this job was only temporary. Such a disappointment. He merRead more”
Walk through Stone Town with a local English-speaking guide such as Ali, Diamond, Abdalla, or Haidara. Visit the Old Fort, former slave market, Freddie Mercury Museum, and Darajani Market while learning how African, Arabic, Indian, and European cultures shaped Zanzibar. Hotel pickup is available, including from outside Stone Town.
“Tour went amazingly. Our tour guide Ammar was very informative, we learned so much about the history of Zanzibar and were accommodated to. Would recommend time and time again one of the best tours to show a beautiful place.”
Spend three evening hours with a local guide such as Juma or Zahran, starting at Darajani Market and a sunset drink before walking Stone Town to Forodhani Gardens. Your guide selects food stalls for Zanzibar pizza, urojo, shawarma, spice tea, coffee, and sugarcane juice, with hotel pickup and dinner included.
“I really enjoyed this 3 hours tour in night food market. I had heard that if you don't know from which stand to try you might have stomach issues, going there with Zahran, was the best thing. He knew exactly where to take me and we tried amazing dishes. I loved every single one. While I was enjoying the flavors, Zahran was informing about the beautiful culture of Zanzibar. Definitely I recommend this tour. Thank you Zahran 🙂”
Meet guide Kassim at Forodhani Park for a private 2 to 3 hour walk through Stone Town. You’ll visit the House of Wonders, Old Fort, markets, historic lanes, and Freddie Mercury Museum. Kassim can adjust the pace and follow special interests. The museum admission costs extra; some other entrance fees are included.
“Kassim was extremely nice and good at explaining Zanzibar’s history and situating it within world history!”
Start at the House of Wonders with a certified guide such as Alfa, Khalfan, Rabik, or Sultan, then walk Stone Town’s lanes, markets, churches, forts, and former slave-market site. The private tour lasts about three hours, suits families and solo visitors, and lets you shape the pace around photos, questions, and shopping.
“The kindness of the guide was great - he had lent me even his own 5 dollar for an entrance ticket before I managed to change the money!”
Spend 7 to 8 hours seeing Zanzibar’s main sights with a private guide. Walk through Stone Town, visit the slave market and Freddie Mercury’s birthplace, taste spices and local food at Jambo Spice Farm, then cross to Prison Island to see giant Aldabra tortoises. Guides such as Mady, Masoud, Ismail, and Abkar are known for strong local storytelling.
“Our guide on this tour was Mady. I highly recommend him. His knowledge and enthusiasm for Zanzibar's history is fantastic and greatly adds to this tour.”
Spend five hours with a private guide exploring Zanzibar’s spice-growing traditions and Stone Town’s layered past. Taste fruits and spices, watch a coconut climber perform *Hakuna Matata*, then visit the old slave market site, Darajani Fish Market, Freddie Mercury’s house, House of Wonders, and Old Fort. Guides speak English, French, Italian, Spanish, or German.
“Very friendly, on time and kind Our Guide had a lot of useful knowledge about the attractions”
Spend six hours with a small group exploring Stone Town’s markets, Arab Fort, slave market, curved doors, and Freddie Mercury’s former home, then boat to Prison Island. Guides such as Haji, Hamdu, and Hassan add strong local context. Swimming is possible, but weather can change the beach portion.
“Our guide was excellent he paced the tour well, tailoring it to our physical limitations and interests, highly recommended.”
Spend six hours with a guide such as Abu, Musa, or Abubakr, combining Stone Town’s coral-stone lanes, slave market, Old Fort, and local markets with a boat trip to Prison Island. See giant tortoises, learn island history, and snorkel or relax before hotel drop-off.
“Our guide, Abubakr, was amazing and so full of knowledge.”
Pick a park, a route up the mountain, or a stretch of reef.
