Stone Town
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Top ways to experience Stone Town
See what travelers are saying
  • Marc
    Johannesburg, South Africa19 contributions
    A maze of unexpected surprises
    You can't really get lost in Stone Town. Once you have oriented your self a bit, just pick a cool time of day - I suggest early morning 7am when the town is still waking up - and go wander around. Even without mobile data you can download an "Offline Map" on Google maps, and still see where you are when you switch on "Location" on your phone. Support local entrepreneurs and get some coffee from a street seller for Tsh500, rather than at a touristy cafe for Tsh3,000.
    Visited December 2019
    Written January 5, 2020
  • Nuru D I
    7 contributions
    Walking tour
    Really appreciate the service provided by bably and Eric.we enjoyed walking in the narrow streets .our tour guide sule recommended by Eric speaks very good English and he was very knowledgeable and knew every corner of this town.we also visited the Freddie Mercury house.you can also stop at lukman restaurant for lunch.the restaurant has the best prices with the best food compared to all restaurants in the city. Thanks Eric for organising this amazing and unforgettable tour +255 624 097 961
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 10, 2020
  • FPSuisse
    Canton of Vaud, Switzerland185 contributions
    Waterfront and small streets
    Stone Town is one of the highlights of the island. The best is to tour it on foot with a personal guide : you’ll learn lots, avoid missing out on memorable places, and street vendors will leave you alone. Good for a half-day tour and to watch the sunset at the waterfront. The evening open air street food stalls attract big crowds. To move around anywhere on the island it is practical and more economical to stick to one driver during your stay. Omar is a trustworthy driver and we found his safe driving and enjoyable company a nice plus (+255 777 423 246).
    Visited October 2021
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 4, 2021
  • louis
    Paris, France7 contributions
    Informative
    We did a walking tour with star tours ,the guide was very knowledgeable and had a lot of history of the city.i recommend all tourists to do the city tour with a guide.the narrow streets can easy make you lost.i recommend Suleiman for stone town . Contact erick to book this tour +255 624 097 961
    Visited February 2020
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 16, 2020
  • Virginia B
    Rochester, United Kingdom41 contributions
    Get a guide
    Fascinating historical town with hustle bustle vibe. Lots of shops restaurants and places to visit but do get a guide, the streets are not named and like the trickiest maze you have ever negotiated. Staying in Jambiani the cost of the drive to Stone town was 70 usd return, daladala can do it for a fraction of the cost. The guide started at 30 usd but we eventually paid 15usd and he was with us for around 2 hours
    Visited February 2020
    Written February 18, 2020
  • JohnL
    Sweden29 contributions
    Beautiful town spoiled by bargaining locals
    I am basing this review on my own experience from walking around with my wife and 1 year-old child. The small streets and alleys in Stone town is a little worn down but is still a charming place to be with all its little shops and old buildings although crazy hard to navigate! (DO NOT TRUST GOOGLE MAPS!) You can also walk along the water to the harbor which has some scenic views and even more and bigger old buildings. Some really amazing restaurants are around every corner as well. Unfortunately all of this is spoiled by an endless wave of locals trying to sell excursions, souvenirs etc. or just trying to trick you. You can say no but another one will always come after you. We got tricked so many times the first day when believing people were nice and just wanted to talk (they are really good actors) just to eventually beg for money for some sick parent or for charital purpose. Eventually you just wanna stay inside the hotel or just run for your destination when going out. These years has been really tough for all destinations dependent on tourism and this was low season. I don't think that is an excuse though to trick people and not take "no" twenty times as an answer. On top of that trying to manipulate you by being really sweet with your child. Of course we also met some amazing people that was not tricking us. We've been to many "touristy" places with lots of bargaining but unlike Zanzibar (we went to Kiwengwa as well and met horrible beach boys) we could go back to those places. Maybe some other part of the island is completely different but I will not recommend Zanzibar to anyone except for a hotel with a private beach.
    Visited May 2022
    Written May 30, 2022
  • Jenny H
    Auckland Central, New Zealand11 contributions
    Just walking around Stone City is a wonderful experience
    We loved Stone Town - so atmospheric - love walking through the winding alleys and hearing the calls to prayer. Always felt safe and love how friendly people from Zanzibar are and how accepting they are if you don't purchase anything . But after a few days we needed to transfer to our resort at Matembwe Beach. i had taken the details of a driver Madiba through a Trip Advisor Review. WhatsApp +255777109284. We found him very reliable and a safe driver to get us to and from various places all around the island.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 14, 2020
  • sharif
    Beirut, Lebanon15 contributions
    A brief history
    We stayed just for one day in stone town .we did a quick tour with suleiman.the history was quite interesting. The town is 99% islamic religion. You must walk with a guide,the narrow streets can make you get lost. Erick arranged all our transfers and tours with the best price with a free airport drop off from stone town to airport as a discount. Star is the man to whatsaap +255 624 097 961
    Visited February 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 2, 2020
  • Francois T
    Johannesburg, South Africa954 contributions
    A must for first time visitors, avoid 2nd time
    It was our second visit to Stone Town and our experience very different to first visit. We did a "walking tour" and found that if you seen one ally you seen them all. The shop owners (understandably) are desperate for business and some can come across a bit aggressive and do not leave you alone to walk and enjoy the architecture and and history. For first time visitors would recommend the local market and slave history sight (it is very sad but we found it interesting to understand the history). From Stone Town you can do various tours by boat as well and would recommend a combination. Most shops and restaurants price in USD and things can be very expensive.
    Visited December 2021
    Written December 19, 2021
  • Muhsin C
    Sandnes, Norway70 contributions
    Spice market Stone Town
    Busy town with a lot of impressions. Cultural must see is Old Slave market , with church. Continue through all kind of market to the spice market and make shopping for vanilla ( price range between 10-20 dollar for 10 pieces) , Cinnamon ( 10 dollar for 10-15 pieces) , muscat nuts (price range 5-10 dollars for a few nuts). Depending on how much total amount is. Anyhow, many people selling same stuff for different price. The old fort with local art is a must see. Support local art by buying handcraft/ painting or a key snap… think twice and do not get fooled…..
    Visited October 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written October 3, 2022
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.0
912 reviews
Excellent
368
Very good
313
Average
153
Poor
51
Terrible
27

louis
Paris, France7 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
We did a walking tour with star tours ,the guide was very knowledgeable and had a lot of history of the city.i recommend all tourists to do the city tour with a guide.the narrow streets can easy make you lost.i recommend Suleiman for stone town .

Contact erick to book this tour +255 624 097 961
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Virginia B
Rochester, UK41 contributions
Feb 2020
Fascinating historical town with hustle bustle vibe. Lots of shops restaurants and places to visit but do get a guide, the streets are not named and like the trickiest maze you have ever negotiated. Staying in Jambiani the cost of the drive to Stone town was 70 usd return, daladala can do it for a fraction of the cost. The guide started at 30 usd but we eventually paid 15usd and he was with us for around 2 hours
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JohnL
Sweden29 contributions
May 2022
I am basing this review on my own experience from walking around with my wife and 1 year-old child.

The small streets and alleys in Stone town is a little worn down but is still a charming place to be with all its little shops and old buildings although crazy hard to navigate! (DO NOT TRUST GOOGLE MAPS!)
You can also walk along the water to the harbor which has some scenic views and even more and bigger old buildings.
Some really amazing restaurants are around every corner as well.

Unfortunately all of this is spoiled by an endless wave of locals trying to sell excursions, souvenirs etc. or just trying to trick you.
You can say no but another one will always come after you.
We got tricked so many times the first day when believing people were nice and just wanted to talk (they are really good actors) just to eventually beg for money for some sick parent or for charital purpose. Eventually you just wanna stay inside the hotel or just run for your destination when going out.

These years has been really tough for all destinations dependent on tourism and this was low season. I don't think that is an excuse though to trick people and not take "no" twenty times as an answer. On top of that trying to manipulate you by being really sweet with your child. Of course we also met some amazing people that was not tricking us.

We've been to many "touristy" places with lots of bargaining but unlike Zanzibar (we went to Kiwengwa as well and met horrible beach boys) we could go back to those places. Maybe some other part of the island is completely different but I will not recommend Zanzibar to anyone except for a hotel with a private beach.
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jenny H
Auckland Central, New Zealand11 contributions
Jan 2020
We loved Stone Town - so atmospheric - love walking through the winding alleys and hearing the calls to prayer. Always felt safe and love how friendly people from Zanzibar are and how accepting they are if you don't purchase anything . But after a few days we needed to transfer to our resort at Matembwe Beach. i had taken the details of a driver Madiba through a Trip Advisor Review. WhatsApp +255777109284. We found him very reliable and a safe driver to get us to and from various places all around the island.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sharif
Beirut, Lebanon15 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We stayed just for one day in stone town .we did a quick tour with suleiman.the history was quite interesting. The town is 99% islamic religion. You must walk with a guide,the narrow streets can make you get lost.

Erick arranged all our transfers and tours with the best price with a free airport drop off from stone town to airport as a discount.

Star is the man to whatsaap

+255 624 097 961
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Francois T
Johannesburg, South Africa954 contributions
Dec 2021
It was our second visit to Stone Town and our experience very different to first visit. We did a "walking tour" and found that if you seen one ally you seen them all. The shop owners (understandably) are desperate for business and some can come across a bit aggressive and do not leave you alone to walk and enjoy the architecture and and history. For first time visitors would recommend the local market and slave history sight (it is very sad but we found it interesting to understand the history). From Stone Town you can do various tours by boat as well and would recommend a combination. Most shops and restaurants price in USD and things can be very expensive.
Written December 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Muhsin C
Sandnes, Norway70 contributions
Oct 2022 • Family
Busy town with a lot of impressions. Cultural must see is Old Slave market , with church. Continue through all kind of market to the spice market and make shopping for vanilla ( price range between 10-20 dollar for 10 pieces) , Cinnamon ( 10 dollar for 10-15 pieces) , muscat nuts (price range 5-10 dollars for a few nuts). Depending on how much total amount is. Anyhow, many people selling same stuff for different price.
The old fort with local art is a must see. Support local art by buying handcraft/ painting or a key snap… think twice and do not get fooled…..
Written October 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

linnea h
Norway3 contributions
Mar 2023
Stone town is the only city in zanzibar with rich of history and culture.we spent two nights in stone town and we really loved it.you can tour the city alone but its better to have a local guide to learn more.we give 5 stars to suleiman for giving us the history and also helping us to buy souvenirs with good price.
the streets are very tricky to walk alone.+255 756 983 368 you can whatsaap suleiman.
we loved the local food in forodhani.during the night you can visit forodhani gardens.
Written March 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tekno M
Lome, Togo4 contributions
Mar 2020 • Friends
Spent our 3 last nights in stone town. Stone town is very busy during the night at forodhani.many locals selling food but they are very polite not like the hawkers in Nungwi and kendwa. On last day to the airport we booked a city tour with yunus, yunus is very intelligent and has alot of knowledge and he knows the city in and out

Whatsaapp +255 620 308 527
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

agrafena
Moscow, Russia6 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
We did both city tour, spice tour with a boat tour to turtle island.the city is very busy but during our trip we we're very few tourists because of the virus.our guide Eric told us the city is always busy with thousands of tourists.the history is very interesting and the city looks very historical with old buildings ,narrow streets,Freddie Mercury house ,old fort ,cathedral church.
Our guide was very informative with high knowledge,

WhatsApp Eric for anyhelp in Zanzibar

+255 624 097 961
Written March 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Stone Town (Zanzibar City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Stone Town

Stone Town is open:
  • Sun - Sat 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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