DestinationsBeach destination · Zanzibar Stone Town
Zanzibar Stone Town & Southwest
Stone Town is the old heart of Zanzibar, a maze of coral stone houses, carved wooden doors and narrow lanes that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
- Recommended nights
- 2 nights
- Best months
- Year-round
- Airstrip
- Fly in possible
About
About Zanzibar Stone Town & Southwest.
Stone Town is the old heart of Zanzibar, a maze of coral stone houses, carved wooden doors and narrow lanes that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
It grew as a Swahili trading town where African, Arab, Indian and European influences met through centuries of Indian Ocean trade, and in the nineteenth century it became the seat of the Omani sultans. You read that history as you walk: the Old Fort on the waterfront, mosques, churches and Hindu temples a few lanes apart, and Christ Church Cathedral, built on the site of the last open slave market, closed in 1873. The House of Wonders, built for Sultan Barghash, has been closed for restoration since part of it collapsed in 2020. A good local guide turns the maze into a story.
Evenings belong to the seafront. As the heat goes out of the day, the food stalls of Forodhani Gardens light up beside the water and the dhows come in against the sunset. Darajani Market is where the island's spices, fruit and fish change hands. In the old town, covering shoulders and knees is expected of men and women alike. Priced excursions from Stone Town, each an optional extra, include the Historic Stone Town tour, Culinary Stone Town and the Swahili food experience, spice farm tours inland, Prison Island and its giant tortoises, the Nakupenda sandbank, a day on Chumbe Island Coral Park, and Jozani Forest for the red colobus monkey, found only on Zanzibar. Each island operator runs its own list, and the trip builder shows what yours offers, with its price, before you book.
South of the town the coast turns calm and green. Menai Bay is a conservation area of mangroves, sandbanks and reef, where Safari Blue spends a full day by dhow from Fumba with snorkelling and time on a sandbank, and where dolphin trips leave from Kizimkazi. Bottlenose and Indian Ocean humpback dolphins live in these waters, and they are typically seen on a morning trip, though never promised. Uzi Island, joined to the main island by a causeway that floods at high tide, and the Masingini Forest hike show the quieter, rural side of the island.
Stay in the old town to walk out early, before the heat. Dhow Palace Hotel is a restored merchant house in Shangani built around a courtyard pool, and Maru Maru Hotel, a few minutes from the Old Fort and Forodhani, has a pool on its roof. One or two nights here, at the start or end of a beach stay, is usually enough.
When to go
Best time to visit Zanzibar Stone Town & Southwest.
- January: best
- February: best
- March: best
- April: best
- May: best
- June: best
- July: best
- August: best
- September: best
- October: best
- November: best
- December: best
Stone Town works in any month, because its appeal is the town itself rather than the beach. June to October is the most comfortable time to walk the lanes, cooler and dry. December to February is hot and humid, so plan walks for the early morning and late afternoon and rest in the middle of the day.
During the long rains from March to May showers can be heavy, but the town stays open and it is the quietest time to visit. In the south west, boat days in Menai Bay are calmest in the dry months. During Ramadan the old town is quiet by day and lively after sunset, and visitors are asked not to eat or drink in public in daylight. Sauti za Busara, a festival of East African music, fills Stone Town each year in February or March, with the dates set around Ramadan.
Gallery
A closer look.
On the map
Zanzibar Stone Town & Southwest and its neighbours.
6.163° S, 39.190° E
Government fees
Fees at Zanzibar Stone Town & Southwest.
Passed through to the Tanzanian government, paid directly to the authority on top of accommodation. Our trip builder itemises every line.
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zanzibar Infrastructure Tax | $5.00 | No peak rate | Per person per night |
Where to stay
Lodges and camps here.
Properties we work with directly. Each links to a dedicated lodge page with rooms, amenities, and best months.
Dhow Palace Hotel
A merchant house in the Shangani lanes, thirty rooms around a courtyard pool, with the Old Fort and the seafront five minutes away on foot.
- Stone Town On Foot
- First Night Or Last Night In Zanzibar
- Families
Maru Maru Hotel
A restored town house in the lanes of Stone Town, with a pool on the roof above the old city and the sea.
- First Or Last Night In Zanzibar
- Culture And History
- Families
Unguja Lodge
Eighteen rooms and villas in a small coastal forest at Kizimkazi, where red colobus cross the paths and the dolphin boats leave from the village beach
- Families With Young Children
- Couples Who Want A Quiet Week After A Safari
- Travellers Who Like Wildlife Close To The Room
Common questions
Questions, answered.
What is there to do in Stone Town?
Walk the UNESCO listed lanes and their carved doors, see the Old Fort and visit Christ Church Cathedral on the site of the last slave market, browse Darajani Market and eat at the Forodhani Gardens food stalls in the evening. Priced excursions add guided history and food walks, spice farms, Prison Island, the Nakupenda sandbank and Jozani Forest. Each island operator runs its own list, and the trip builder shows what yours offers, with its price, before you book.
How long should I spend in Stone Town?
One or two nights is usually enough, at the start or end of a beach stay. That allows a guided walk in the cool of the morning, an evening on the seafront and a spice farm or Prison Island the next day.
Do I need a guide in Stone Town?
It helps. The lanes are easy to get lost in, and a local guide explains the doors, the buildings and the history of the slave trade that you would otherwise walk past. Guided Stone Town tours are priced in the trip builder, from whichever island operator you choose, and you can explore on your own afterwards.
What should I wear in Stone Town?
Stone Town is conservative and largely Muslim, so men and women cover shoulders and knees in the old town and the markets. Light, loose clothing is comfortable in the heat. Beachwear belongs on the beach.
Can you see dolphins at Kizimkazi?
Bottlenose and Indian Ocean humpback dolphins live in Menai Bay, off Kizimkazi in the south west, and they are typically seen on a morning trip, though never promised. Trips that keep their distance and let the dolphins approach give the better encounter.
What is Safari Blue?
A full day in Menai Bay on a traditional dhow from Fumba, with snorkelling on the reef and time on a sandbank. It is an optional extra, with collection from hotels in Stone Town and around the island, and the trip builder shows it when your chosen island operator runs it.
When is the best time to visit Stone Town?
Any month works. June to October is the most comfortable for walking, December to February is hot and humid, and the long rains from March to May are the quietest time. Sauti za Busara brings East African music to the town each year in February or March.
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