Stone Town at a glance
| Topic | What to remember |
|---|---|
| Visit length | 3 hours for the essentials on foot, a day with the museums |
| Best time of day | Early morning and late afternoon |
| From the airport | About 10 to 30 minutes by taxi |
| Top sights | Seafront, Old Fort, Darajani market, former slave market |
| In the evening | Forodhani night market |
The old town's must-sees
Carved doors are one of the town's signatures: you see them at every turn of the alleys, often topped with coral stone and balconies. For the rest, start from the seafront: the Old Fort and the outside of the House of Wonders, whose interior has been closed since 2020. The Palace Museum lets you see a palace interior. For the history of slavery, visit the former slave market and Anglican cathedral, built on the site of the old market. Music fans will head for the Freddie Mercury house, as he was born in Stone Town. For daily life, the Darajani market sells spices, fish and fruit.
The three-hour walk
Set off early from the seafront, go into the Old Fort, then walk to the Darajani market before the heat and the crowds. Return through the alleys to the former slave market, then finish at the water's edge for the sunset over the dhows. Keep an offline map: the streets look alike and online maps are sometimes wrong. A licensed local guide gives context on the town's history; three-hour tours can be booked in advance or on the spot. See also Stone Town in one day for a detailed route.
Where to eat in Stone Town
In the evening, the Forodhani night market serves street food (skewers, grilled fish, sugar-cane juice) on the seafront; compare prices and watch what is cooked in front of you. In the daytime, cafes and restaurants in the alleys serve Swahili food and fish dishes. Prices for this list are not detailed here, because they change from one season to the next: ask the price before ordering at a stall.
Where to sleep in Stone Town
Many hotels occupy old merchants' houses, restored with a courtyard and a rooftop terrace. The seafront is lively and handy for restaurants and the night market; inside the alleys it is quieter but harder to reach by car, because many addresses are only reachable on foot. One to three nights are enough: the town has no real beach, and the sea trips leave from here. To compare with the beaches, see where to stay in Zanzibar.
The traps to avoid
- Touts who offer a guide, an excursion or a "market": compare two or three prices and prefer an established agency. See scams and safety in Zanzibar.
- Dress: the town is mostly Muslim; cover shoulders and knees away from the beach.
- Old or unverifiable entry prices: check each site's page or ask on the spot.
- At night, in the narrow alleys: take a taxi back if you are not sure of the way.
Going further
From Stone Town, the simplest outing is Prison Island, and for a whole stay, see Zanzibar in 4 days. For travel, read getting around Zanzibar.
