The coral-stone Swahili trading town of Zanzibar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of alleys, carved doors and sultans' palaces
Stone Town occupies a small promontory on the west coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago. Within its tight grid of lanes, two- and three-storey houses of coral rag and lime plaster lean towards each other, their heavy wooden doors carved with verses, lotus flowers and chains of brass studs. Behind the seafront rise the Old Fort, the shell of the House of Wonders and the palaces of the Omani sultans, while inland the lanes lead to mosques, Hindu temples, two cathedrals and the busy Darajani market.
Most visitors spend at least a day or two here before heading to the beaches. The town rewards slow exploration on foot: a guided walk explains the layers of history behind each doorway, the Anglican cathedral tells the harrowing story of the East African slave trade, and every evening the waterfront Forodhani Gardens fill with grills, juice stalls and families enjoying the sea breeze at sunset.
Stone Town grew as a Swahili port shaped by centuries of monsoon trade across the Indian Ocean. Most of its surviving buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries, when the town became the capital of the Omani sultans: Said bin Sultan moved his seat here from Muscat in the first half of the 19th century, and Zanzibar became the hub of a trading empire in cloves, ivory and enslaved people. The Old Fort was completed by the Omanis around 1699 on the site of an earlier Portuguese church, and Sultan Barghash built the House of Wonders as a ceremonial palace in 1883, the first building in Zanzibar with electricity.
The town was also where the East African slave trade was finally ended. Christ Church Anglican Cathedral was begun in 1873 on the site of the largest slave market, with its altar said to stand where the whipping post was. In 1896 a brief British naval bombardment, often called the shortest war in history, damaged the waterfront palaces. After the 1964 revolution many Arab and Indian families left, and decades of neglect followed. Stone Town was declared a conservation area in 1985 and inscribed by UNESCO in 2000, but conservation remains a struggle: part of the House of Wonders collapsed in December 2020, and its reconstruction, funded by Oman, is still in progress.
Stone Town is a living, largely Muslim community rather than a museum, and its daily rhythm is set by the call to prayer. Men gather on the stone benches, or barazas, built along house fronts to drink coffee and play bao, children walk to Quranic school and traders haggle in Darajani market. Visitors are expected to dress modestly away from the beaches, covering shoulders and knees, and to be especially respectful during Ramadan, when eating in the street during daylight hours is frowned upon.
A half-day walking tour with a licensed guide is the best introduction, covering the cathedral and slave market memorial, the Old Fort, the seafront palaces, the Hamamni Persian baths and the main bazaars. Afterwards it is worth simply wandering: the lanes are confusing but the town is small, and you will always reach the sea or a main road within a few minutes. Many visitors combine the town with a half-day spice farm tour or a boat trip to Changuu (Prison Island) and the sandbanks offshore.
In the late afternoon, head to the waterfront. Dhows sail past at sunset, young men dive off the sea wall, and Forodhani Gardens fill with stalls selling grilled seafood, Zanzibar pizza and sugarcane juice. Rooftop terraces give a view over the corrugated roofs and minarets, and the Old Fort's amphitheatre hosts performances during the Zanzibar International Film Festival and other events.
The most comfortable months are June to October, when it is drier and cooler, and from December to February, which is hot and mostly dry. The main rainy season runs from March to May, with a shorter wet spell in November and December; showers are often brief, but some guesthouses close in the long rains. Ramadan changes the town's rhythm, with many restaurants closed during the day and lively streets after sunset.
Checked against the sources on 28 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Changuu (Prison Island) and its giant tortoises lie a short boat ride offshore, and spice farm tours run from the outskirts of town. Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is around an hour's drive south-east on the road to Paje, and the northern beaches at Nungwi and Kendwa are about an hour north. Fast ferries link the port with Dar es Salaam on the mainland several times a day.
Tanzania · 10 nights5★ LodgeTanzania · 8 nights5★ LodgeTanzania · 5 nights5★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 28 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
