Stone Town is a historical centre of Zanzibar City, the capital of the Zanzibar Archipelago.
A labyrinth of chaotic alleyways interposed between towering limestone houses with ornately carved arched hardwood doors with brass finishings and terracotta roofs. Stone Town is melting pot of cultures and one of the last remaining ancient towns in Africa. The town offers a rare cultural and historical insight into a former era of trade and exploration.
The town has been a primary trading posit on the spice, silk and slave trade routes for over a millennium and has been a unique meeting place, blending African, Indian, Arabian and European Cultures.
Stone Town is one of the remaining ancient towns in Africa, its beauty, and historical value has earned it a well-deserved place on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Not only is this city visually beautiful, with old colonial buildings and exquisitely carved Zanzibar doorways, but your sense will be overwhelmed with the scent of the sea and spice and the calls to prayer echoing from the minarets.
From history buff and culture addicts, Stone Town offers plenty of activities for a 2-4 days of exploration on a Zanzibar Holiday.
Things to Do in Stone Town
Forodhani Garden Market
Forodhani Garden Market is arguably one of the most popular activities in Stone Town, this market opens in the late afternoon at 5 pm, and runs until 9 pm. Here, locals and tourists gather for some alfresco street dining-colorful stalls and grills are lined with kebabs, local fish, coconut bread, grilled cassava, roasted corn, sweet potato chapatti and fresh fruit drinks. This is one of the liveliest areas of the town, and the food is not only tasty but very cheap.
Darajani Market
Darajani Market is another popular Market in Stone Town, it is excellent for spices, fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables. For those that prefer quieter market experiences, it is best to go early in the morning, when the sellers are still setting up and the produce is fresh.
Mtoni Palace Ruins
These ruins offer an insight into the former administrative and trade power of Zanzibar. Every Tuesday and Friday, there is a concert with traditional melodies, dances and a buffet. The night begins with a guided tour of the ruins, followed by a buffet with a final performance to finish off. Or, you can attend the traditional coffee roasted the Zanzibari way.
Old Slave Market and the Cathedral of Christ Church
The Old Anglican Cathedral of Christ Church was built by a British abolitionist symbolically over the old whipping post of the island’s largest slave market. This was the first African cathedral in East Africa, and offers beautiful architecture and important knowledge on the history of the slave trade in the country.
Hamani Persian Baths
These were the first public baths in Zanzibar by Shirazi architects from Iran. They are no longer in use, but you can pop your head in and have a look by asking the caretaker to unlock the gate for you for a small fee.
Sultan’s Palace/Beit al-Sahel
The magnificent Sultan’s Palace is one of the main historical buildings of Stone Town. Inside, you can spend an hour touring the history of Zanzibar with a free guide for only $3 entrance fee (at the time of writing).
The Old Arab Fort
This impressive building was constructed in the late 17th Century on the former Portuguese Fort. It houses an art gallery and curio Market, as well as an impressive amphitheatre. If you can, try and catch a live performance in the open-air amphitheatre – in February each year, the Sauti za Busara Music Festival, with musicians from all over Africa, occurs here.
St Joseph’s Catholic Cathedral
In memory of European Colonial presence in Zanzibar, this cathedral was built by French missionaries in 1893 – 7. Its twin spires are a familiar feature to Stone Town. The Cathedral’s front doors are only open during mass, but you can enter through the back when these are closed.
Exploring Stone Town on Foot
Most sites to see in Stone Town are within walking distance.
Stone Town is known as a maze, a veritable labyrinth where maps are of little use. With this in mind, one of the best things to do in Stone Town is set down the map and wander in whatever direction takes your fancy. If you want to see a particular sight, ask locals, and they will point you in the right direction.
Spice Tour
Zanzibar Archipelago is known, rather exotically, as the “Spice Islands”, for its historical and modern role as one of the main producers of spice. The Spice Tour takes you on a walk through a spice farm to see several species including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, lemongrass, vanilla and nutmeg, helping you appreciate the Island’s rich history in the Spice Trade.
Prison Island/Changuu Island
This is an excellent half day activity that includes a beautiful 20 minute boat ride offshore to Prison Island, which was a quarantine Centre. On the island, you will be introduced to the giant tortoises, the oldest of which is 192 years.
Afterwards, you can cool down and snorkel off the Nakupenda Beach. Some tours offer lunch and provide snorkeling equipment.
Jozani Forest Tour
The Jozani Forest holds one of the world’s rarest animals – the red colobus monkeys as well as a variety of birds, butterflies, and the bush baby.
Walking around the forest is made easy thanks to the boardwalks, but you can be assigned a guide at the entrance if you want more information on the plant and animal species you may see. The area can be reached by taxi, dala dala tour, or you can drive yourself. If you decide to take a tour, ensure that the price of tour incorporates the price of the transfer, park entrance, and a guide.
Where to stay in Stone Town
Stone Town has a number of luxury hotels, boutique hotels and backpacker’s hostels. These include
- The Lost and Found Hostel
- The Emerson Spice Hotel
- Beyt al Salaam
- Jafferi House
When to Go
The best time to visit Stone Town, Zanzibar is during July – August and December to February. These are the dry seasons, so the weather is warm and there is less chance of rain ruining planned excursions.
These seasons link perfectly with Tanzania if you are looking to combine your trip with a safari in Tanzania’s parks.
Like Tanzania, Zanzibar has two rainy seasons, one short and the other long.
The long rainy season often sees monsoons from March to May, which means the beaches are crowd – free and hotels offer discount rates, but you will be sunbathing in torrential rain. If you can, aim to avoid being in Stone Town on a Friday. This is a holy day for Muslims and as such some restaurants, bars, activities and sights may well be closed during the day.
During Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims, most restaurants and food shops will be closed during the day, and most bars and nightclubs may well be shut for the entire period too. At this time, it is best not to consume food or water in public, as this is considered socially insensitive. Further, modest dress for both men and women is particularly necessary at this time. If you are keep to avoid these measures, make sure you check the dates for Ramadan each year.
Getting There
There are direct flights to Zanzibar offered by several flight companies including Jetfly, Ethopian Airways, Kenya Airways, Omani Air, Qatar Airlines, Arkia Israeli Airlines, KLM, FlyDubai, Meridian, Fasyjet, Mango and Turkish Airlines.
Alternatively, you can take a 20 minute flight from Dar-es-Salaam at the airport in Zanzibar.
A ferry operates from the harbor in the centre of Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar City. It runs four times a day, and prices are usually half of the cost of a plane ticket. The ferry takes approximately 2 hours.
Zanzibar ferry terminal is located within walking distance of Stone Town. If you only have a few bags, you could walk to your hotel in Stone Town.
A taxi from the ferry port to the hotel costs roughly $5. Due to the one-way systems and narrow roads of Stone Town, if you take a taxi, they may not be able to take you and your luggage directly to the door of the hotel.
