Stone Town is the old quarter of Zanzibar City, on the west coast about 60 km south of Nungwi. For centuries it was the capital of a trading empire that linked Africa, Arabia and India, and its lanes still show every layer: Swahili coral-stone houses, Omani palaces, Indian balconies and shops, and British colonial buildings. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2000.
It is also where the darkest chapter of Zanzibar’s history is remembered: the town was East Africa’s largest slave market until 1873, and the Anglican cathedral now stands on the site, with a memorial and exhibition. Most visitors staying in Nungwi come for a day; one night is better.
Top things to do at Stone Town
Walk the lanes with a guide
Stone Town is easy to get lost in, and most of its stories are invisible without a guide: the meaning of the carved doors, the old Arab and Indian quarters, the former slave market. A private walking tour takes about three hours.
Eat at the Forodhani night market
Every evening the seafront gardens fill with grills selling seafood skewers, sugar-cane juice and “Zanzibar pizza”. Agree prices first and choose stalls with plenty of turnover.
Visit the Old Fort, Sultan’s Palace and the cathedral
The Old Fort is free to wander; the Palace Museum and the Christ Church cathedral with its slave-market memorial charge modest entry fees. The House of Wonders has been under long-term restoration — check whether it has reopened.
How to get to Stone Town
- From Nungwi: about 1.5 hours by taxi or private car; longer by dala-dala (route 116) to the Darajani terminus.
- On a tour: the easiest option — most Stone Town day trips offer pickup from Nungwi and Kendwa.
- From Dar es Salaam: fast ferries dock at Stone Town harbour in about two hours.
Insider tips
- Cover shoulders and knees in town — it is a conservative, mostly Muslim city.
- Mornings are cooler and quieter for walking; save the seafront for sunset.
- Official guides carry ID; be wary of unsolicited “guides” in the street.
- If you have a late flight home, a last night in Stone Town is a far better end to the trip than a long drive from Nungwi on departure day.
Best tours & tickets for Stone Town
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Stone Town from Nungwi or Kendwa:
Day trip from $55 Zanzibar: Stone Town, Spice Tour & Prison Island with Lunch
Zanzibar’s three classic sights in one day, with lunch included. It is the most efficient way to see the island’s history from a beach base in the north — choose the pickup option when you book and check that your Nungwi or Kendwa hotel is covered.
- Guided walk through UNESCO-listed Stone Town
- Giant Aldabra tortoises on Prison Island
- Taste cloves, nutmeg and vanilla at a spice farm
Walking tour from $21 3-Hour Private Stone Town Walking Tour with Guide
If you are staying a night in Stone Town before or after Nungwi, this is how to understand it. A private guide explains the Swahili, Omani, Indian and British layers of the town in three unhurried hours.
- Private guide through the old town’s lanes
- The former slave market and Anglican cathedral
- Carved doors, bazaars and the seafront
Day trip from $42 Zanzibar: Stone Town Tour, Prison Island & Nakupenda with BBQ
Swaps the spice farm for the Nakupenda sandbank, a strip of white sand that appears off Stone Town at low tide. History in the morning, lunch on a sandbar in the afternoon.
- Guided walk through Stone Town
- Tortoises and ruins on Prison Island
- Seafood barbecue on the Nakupenda sandbank
