You can read Stone Town in your first ten minutes. Cloves and frying mishkaki drift out of the alleyways. A woman in a buibui walks past with a tray of mandazi balanced on her head. Two old men sit on a baraza — a stone bench built into the wall — playing bao, a board game older than the city. Behind them, a huge carved wooden door studded with brass opens onto a courtyard you can almost see into.
⏱️ Reading time: 13 min
Stone Town is the old heart of Zanzibar. Sometimes written as Stone Town, Tanzania, because Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous archipelago of Tanzania. It’s the oldest Swahili city in East Africa that people have lived in continuously, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, and a place where every layer of Indian Ocean history sits visibly on top of the last one — Persian, Omani, Indian, Portuguese, British, African. Spend half a day and you’ve barely started. Spend three days and you still feel that way.
This guide is for travellers based in Paje, or planning to be, who want to do Stone Town as a day trip. In, out, with a clear sense of what to see, where to eat, and where to slow down. We’ve lived an hour away since 2014, and most of us know the city well.
The short version
- Distance from Paje: 50 km, 60–75 minutes by car on a paved road.
- How to get there: private taxi (about USD 50 each way), pre-booked transfer (we organise these for guests), or daladala shared minibus (cheap, slow, not fun with luggage).
- Half-day or full day? A full day (08:30–18:00) lets you walk the old city, have lunch, see the big sites, and finish at Forodhani night market for street food and sunset. A half-day works if you stay tight on the south side — Slave Market, Anglican Cathedral, Old Fort.
- Where to start: Forodhani Gardens on the seafront. Park nearby, walk inland from there.
- Don’t miss: the Old Slave Market, Darajani spice market, lunch at Lukmaan or House of Spices, sunset on the rooftop at Emerson Spice or Tea House.
- Best for: travellers who want history, food and culture as a counterpoint to the beach.
!Narrow alley with Swahili architecture in Stone Town, Zanzibar Stone Town’s narrow streets — often only wide enough for one person and a passing motorbike.
The geography in 30 seconds
Stone Town sits on a small peninsula on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of Zanzibar. The historic core is about 1 km by 600 m — small enough to walk in a day. The seafront runs along the western edge (this is where you watch the sunset). Darajani market and the bus station mark the eastern boundary. Beyond them sits Ng’ambo — the “other side” — modern Stone Town, much less touristy.
The streets inside the old city are narrow. Sometimes only wide enough for one person plus a motorbike. There’s no grid. You’ll get lost. That’s the point. Drop a pin at your starting spot in Google Maps and stop worrying about it.
> “Stone Town is best done slowly. The first time, walk for an hour before you open a guidebook. Just smell, look, listen. Then read.” > > — Conny, General Manager at Mr. Kahawa and Stone Town local
!Carved Swahili door detail in Stone Town, Zanzibar Over 500 historic carved doors in the old city — each one tells you something about the family behind it.
A condensed history
People have lived on this peninsula for over a thousand years. By the 9th century it was already part of the Indian Ocean trade network — Swahili traders moving between East Africa, Arabia and the Indian subcontinent. The houses, the language and the food are all products of that constant mixing.
In the 17th century the Sultanate of Oman took control of the East African coast. By the early 1800s Sultan Seyyid Said had moved his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar, and Stone Town became the richest city on the East African coast — and the centre of the Indian Ocean spice and slave trade.
Cloves arrived from Southeast Asia in the early 1800s and reshaped the whole economy. The British declared the islands a protectorate in 1890 and the slave trade was formally abolished. But the city’s wealth had been built on it, and that moral weight is still everywhere you walk.
1964 brought the Zanzibar Revolution and the union with Tanganyika that created modern Tanzania. The Omani Sultanate ended. The old merchant houses emptied out, were split up, were lived in differently. A lot of the carved doors and ornate ceilings you walk past today belong to families who’ve been in those houses for five generations.
The UNESCO listing in 2000 locked in the architectural fabric, though salt air and the speed of urban change keep chipping at it. Walking through Stone Town today is walking through a city that’s genuinely lived in — not a museum.
!Food vendor at the Forodhani Gardens night market, Stone Town Zanzibar Forodhani Gardens turns into an open-air seafood market after dark.
What to see — the essential list
You can’t do Stone Town’s full inventory in a day. The list below covers the highlights in a logical walking order, starting at Forodhani Gardens on the seafront. Allow about 4 hours of walking with stops, plus 2 hours for lunch.
1. Forodhani Gardens
Your starting point on the seafront. By day, a public park where families picnic and kids jump off the seawall. By night, the city’s most famous street-food market. More on that below.
2. The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe)
Built by the Omanis in the late 1690s on top of a former Portuguese church. Today it’s an arts and crafts centre with a small amphitheatre that hosts the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) every July. Free to enter. A few craft shops inside.
3. The House of Wonders (Beit-al-Ajaib)
The biggest building in Stone Town, built in 1883 for Sultan Barghash. First building in East Africa to have electricity and a lift. Sadly it partly collapsed in 2020 and is under restoration — you can walk around the outside.
4. The Palace Museum (Beit-al-Sahel)
The former Sultan’s palace on the seafront. Small museum on the upper floors with photos, furniture and clothes from the Omani sultans. The most striking part is the bedroom of Princess Salme, who eloped to Germany in 1866 and wrote one of East Africa’s earliest autobiographies.
5. The Anglican Cathedral and the Old Slave Market
Built on the site of Stone Town’s slave market, consecrated in 1879. The altar sits where the whipping post once stood. Underneath the cathedral are two surviving slave chambers — small, low-ceilinged stone rooms where men, women and children were held before sale. A small museum next door tells the story. Entry about USD 5. Allow at least 45 minutes. Not for very young children.
6. The Hamamni Persian Baths
Built in the 1880s for the Sultan and the city’s elite. The first public baths in Zanzibar. The rooms are bare stone now — they don’t work as baths anymore — but the architecture is beautifully preserved, and the small entry fee helps maintain the place.
7. The Darajani Market
The city’s main market, just east of the old town. Spices, fresh fish, fruits, meat, kanga and kitenge cloth. The fish hall is intense — go in the morning when the day’s catch is fresh. The spice section is heaven for cooks; small packets of clove, cinnamon stick, cardamom or vanilla run about USD 1–3 each.
8. The Tippu Tip House
The 19th-century home of Tippu Tip, one of the most successful and complicated figures of the Indian Ocean slave trade. Not open to the public, but the carved door and exterior are worth a minute.
9. Mizingani Road and the seafront
The waterfront walk between Forodhani and the People’s Palace. Best at sunset when the dhows are coming in and the light goes gold.
10. The carved doors
There are reckoned to be over 500 historic carved doors in Stone Town. Each one says something about the family that lived behind it. Indian doors are rectangular with brass spikes (originally there to deflect war elephants — yes, really). Arab doors are pointed at the top with Qur’anic inscriptions. Swahili doors are simpler. An hour of walking the side streets just to spot doors is one of the best things you can do in the city.
!Christ Church Anglican Cathedral on the site of the old slave market, Stone Town Zanzibar Christ Church Cathedral — built on the site of the old slave market and consecrated in 1879.
Where to eat in Stone Town
Food is half the reason to come.
Breakfast or coffee
- Zanzibar Coffee House (Mkunazini Street) — proper espresso, baked goods, slow pace.
- Lazuli (Hurumzi area) — fresh juices, smoothies, light bowls. A local favourite.
Lunch
- Lukmaan — the canteen everyone in the city loves. Daily biryani, pilau, fish curry, ugali. Cash-friendly, USD 5–8 per person, packed at lunch. Closest thing to a Stone Town institution.
- House of Spices — sit-down lunch with proper service. Swahili and Indian, USD 10–15 per person.
- Hurumzi Tea House — rooftop with sea views, fixed-menu Swahili lunch.
Dinner
- Emerson Spice (rooftop) — for the full Stone Town fairytale: candlelit roof, fixed-menu Swahili dinner, live taarab music some evenings. Book ahead.
- Tea House Restaurant at Emerson on Hurumzi — same family, different building, equally good.
- Forodhani night market — see below.
Forodhani night market (the must-do)
From about 18:00 until late, Forodhani Gardens turns into the city’s open-air seafood market. Stall after stall of grilled fish, octopus, mishkaki skewers, Zanzibar pizza (a kind of stuffed crêpe), fresh sugarcane juice, urojo soup. Walk the stalls, ask prices first, point at what you want.
Be sensible: the food is fresh when it arrives, but by 22:00 some stalls have been sitting in warm air for hours. Stick to grills cooked to order in front of you. The “Zanzibar pizza” is fried fresh while you watch — a safer bet. The watermelon and sugarcane juice are pressed right there and excellent.
!Historic cannons at Forodhani Gardens, Stone Town Zanzibar seafront Forodhani Gardens by day — the seafront where the walking tour starts.
A suggested one-day itinerary from Paje
07:30 — Breakfast at Mr. Kahawa. 08:30 — Driver picks you up. The road from Paje cuts across the middle of the island. You climb gently through villages, past small farms and cassava fields, and drop into Stone Town from the south about 70 minutes later. 10:00 — Arrive at Forodhani Gardens. Coffee at Zanzibar Coffee House if you need one. 10:30 — Walking tour: Old Fort, House of Wonders (from the outside), Palace Museum, Mizingani seafront. About 90 minutes. 12:00 — Anglican Cathedral and Old Slave Market. Allow 45 minutes. This is the heaviest stop of the day — give it the room it needs. 13:00 — Lunch at Lukmaan or House of Spices. 14:30 — Side-street wander: Hamamni Baths, then a door-spotting walk through Mkunazini and Hurumzi. Stop for a fresh-pressed juice. 16:00 — Darajani spice market. Buy small packets of clove, cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom for gifts. 17:30 — Sunset walk along Mizingani Road. Dhows coming in. 18:30 — Forodhani night market for dinner. 20:00 — Driver picks you up. Back in Paje by 21:15.
How to get from Paje to Stone Town
Three options, in the order we usually book them for guests.
1. Pre-booked transfer (what we recommend)
We work with a small group of drivers we trust — punctual, English-speaking, know the city. USD 50–70 round-trip per vehicle, up to 4 passengers. The driver waits or comes back at an agreed time. Most reliable.
2. Private taxi from Paje
USD 50 each way is the standard rate. Walk-up taxis at the Paje village junction, or book one via WhatsApp through any hotel. The vehicle and driver quality varies.
3. Daladala (shared minibus)
TZS 5,000–10,000 (~USD 2–4) each way. The local way to travel. The catch: the daladala runs from Paje to Mwanakwerekwe (the central bus terminal east of Stone Town), and from there you need a bajaji or a short walk into the old city. Total travel time 2 to 2.5 hours each way, and the bus only leaves when it’s full. We only suggest it for travellers with no luggage and lots of time who want the local experience.
!Sunset at the Stone Town seafront, Forodhani Gardens, Zanzibar Sunset on the Stone Town seafront — most days end here.
Stone Town hotels vs. staying in Paje
A common question from first-timers: should I stay in Stone Town, in Paje, or split it?
Stone Town hotels in Zanzibar suit travellers who want museums, markets, restaurants, music and culture. Stay 2–3 nights, do the city properly, then head to the beach. Properties worth looking at: Emerson Spice, Hurumzi (same family), Mizingani Seafront.
Paje suits travellers who want beach, water sports, a slower rhythm, and a base for day trips. Plenty of our guests do 2 nights in Stone Town then a week in Paje — in our view, the best way to see Zanzibar.
Combining the two is the most common itinerary, and we’ll happily book the transfer between them. If you’re staying with us in Paje, see our accommodation — and our complete Paje guide for what to expect on the beach side.
Practical tips for Stone Town
- Dress modestly. Stone Town is a Muslim city. Cover shoulders and knees, men and women alike, especially in markets and at religious sites. Wear what you want at the hotel and on the seafront.
- Bring cash. Many small restaurants and shops are cash-only. Tanzanian shillings or USD. ATMs near Forodhani.
- Watch out for pushy “guides”. You will be approached. A polite hapana asante (“no thank you”) is usually enough. If you do want a guide, book one through your hotel — quality varies a lot.
- Photograph people respectfully. Always ask first. A lot of local women would rather not be photographed. A smile and a “tafadhali, ninaweza?” — “please, may I?” — goes a long way.
- Mosque hours. Walking near the bigger mosques during Friday lunchtime prayers is fine, but it’s not the time to photograph or hang around.
- Heat. Stone Town is hotter than the southeast coast. Less sea breeze, more buildings. Drink water and rest at midday. It can be hot.
We sort Stone Town day trips for guests
A pre-booked transfer with a driver we trust, an optional licensed guide for the walking tour, and a clear pickup time so you don’t burn your afternoon haggling with taxis. Talk to the front desk when you arrive, or drop us a line before your stay.
Common questions
Is Stone Town worth visiting?
Yep. Of all the things to do in Zanzibar, a Stone Town day trip is the one we recommend almost without hesitation. The architecture, history, food and atmosphere aren’t like anywhere else on the island. Even guests who came purely for the beach usually put Stone Town near the top of their trip when they leave.
How long do I need in Stone Town?
One full day covers the major sites with time for a proper lunch and the Forodhani night market. Two or three days lets you slow down, find your own favourite alleyways, do a guided architecture walk, and pair it with the spice tour. A half-day works but feels rushed.
Is Stone Town safe?
Generally yes. Standard urban precautions apply — keep valuables in the hotel safe, don’t flash phones in busy markets, watch your pockets at Forodhani and Darajani when crowded. Walking the alleys after dark is fine in groups. Solo travellers may want to grab a bajaji (tuk-tuk) for the last few minutes back to the hotel after dinner.
Can I do Stone Town as a day trip from Paje, or do I need to stay overnight?
Both work. A day trip from Paje (08:30–20:30) covers the essentials. A night in Stone Town lets you see the city after dark — Forodhani at peak, rooftop dinner, the alleyways lit only by hanging lamps. If you’ve got two weeks, do both: day trip first, then a 2-night stay near the end as a counterpoint to the beach week.
What is the best month to visit Stone Town?
June through September is dry, cool and breezy — ideal for walking. January and February are warm and humid but the rain risk is low. April is hot, humid and rainy — workable but uncomfortable. Early mornings, any month, are the most pleasant walking hours.
Are there hotels in Stone Town Zanzibar that you recommend?
For boutique character: Emerson Spice, Emerson on Hurumzi, Park Hyatt Zanzibar (seafront, modern), Mizingani Seafront. For budget: Karibu Inn, Stone Town Cafe. We don’t run a Stone Town property ourselves — but we know the city well and can point you to specific rooms in any of these if you’re doing a split stay with us.
Can I walk from Forodhani to the Slave Market?
Yes — about 10 minutes through the alleys. Drop a pin at Forodhani Gardens in Google Maps, then navigate to “Anglican Cathedral Stone Town”. You’ll walk through the Hurumzi neighbourhood, one of the most atmospheric parts of the old city.
Is the Stone Town spice market the same as the spice tour?
Nope. Different experiences. The spice market (Darajani) is a marketplace where you buy spices that have already been harvested. The spice tour takes you to a working spice farm 30 minutes outside the city, where you see the plants growing. Both are worth doing. See our spice tour guide.
What should I buy in Stone Town?
Spices — clove, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom — from Darajani or the spice market. Hand-woven kikoi and kanga cloth (light, beautiful as gifts). Tingatinga-style paintings from the Old Fort craft stalls. Carved wooden bowls or trays. Skip anything made from ivory, tortoiseshell, coral or any wildlife — both ethically wrong and illegal to export.
—
Stone Town has a way of sticking with travellers long after they leave. The smell of cloves and salt air, the rooftop call to prayer at dusk, the carved doors you photographed without quite knowing why — these are the things our guests describe in thank-you notes weeks after they fly home.
Whether you come for a day trip or a longer stay, we’ll happily help you plan it. When you like, you stay. When you love, you return.
Karibu sana — you are most welcome.
— The Mr. Kahawa team