Destination Overview

Stone Town is a recommendable stop for all who visit Zanzibar. It’s the cultural hub where you can find everything. Historical information, international and local restaurants, shopping for everything you might want, and many hotels for all budgets.

Stone Town was constructed from coral stone during the 19th and 20th century. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. This has uplifted the face of the historical city remarkably, and still does. As the whole historical part of town is protected, i Stone Town you can really walk in the same environment the sultans did.

The most popular evening spot in Stone Town must be the Forodhani Gardens, with street food and comfortable cafes. It gets busy around sunset and continues until around eleven.

Stone Town is the home of the Zanzibari museums, like the People’s Palace Museum, The Old Slave Market and Hamamni Baths. You can visit them by yourself, but if you want to learn a lot in a short amount of time, booking a guided tour is the best use of time, and gives you many more perspectives to Stone Town as well.

Shopping in this town can be highly rewarding. The big shops on Kenyatta Street are easy for souvenirs, but if you have more time in your hands, head to the local designer shops. Gizenga street and then Changa Bazaar Street are great places to start with. The local food market also hosts many spice stands, but the same area also has several spice shops, which usually have lower prices.