Zanzibar City Travel Guide

Overview

Zanzibar City is the capital of the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar, located on the western coast of Unguja (the main Zanzibar island) about 35 kilometers off the East African mainland. The defining feature is Stone Town — the historic Swahili coastal trading center inscribed by UNESCO in 2000 — a 2-square-kilometer maze of narrow coral-stone alleys, distinctive carved wooden doors (an estimated 800 of the famous brass-studded teak doors still grace doorways), and a layered architectural fusion of Arab, Indian, Swahili, Persian, and European colonial influences. Zanzibar's strategic position made it the most important Indian Ocean trading port for centuries — spices, ivory, and (devastatingly) enslaved Africans all moved through its harbor.

The city's complex history is what gives it character beyond the architecture. The Anglican Cathedral was built on the former site of the Stone Town slave market in 1873 (one of the world's most powerful sites of historical reckoning); the House of Wonders (Beit-al-Ajaib), the 1883 ceremonial palace once the tallest building in East Africa with the first electricity and elevator on the continent (partially collapsed in 2020 but currently being restored); and the Sultan's Palace Museum documents the Omani Sultans who ruled Zanzibar from the 17th to 19th centuries. Freddie Mercury was born in Stone Town in 1946 — the modest house on Kenyatta Road is now a small museum stop.

Beyond Stone Town, Zanzibar offers some of the Indian Ocean's best beaches an hour to two north — Nungwi at the northern tip (busiest tourism), Kendwa (calmer, sunset-facing), Kiwengwa and Pongwe on the east coast (tidal — water reaches the beach only at high tide). The spice farms in the interior offer half-day tours of cloves, vanilla, cardamom, and the other Zanzibari spices that gave the islands their nickname. Prison Island (Changuu, a short boat ride offshore) holds the famous colony of giant Aldabra tortoises. The Forodhani Gardens night market in Stone Town is the must-do food experience — dozens of vendors set up grills at sunset offering Zanzibari street food. Most travelers spend 2-3 nights in Stone Town and 3-5 more at a north or east coast beach resort.

Best Time to Visit

June to October & December to February (dry seasons)

Zanzibar has two dry seasons. The long dry (June-October) is the cooler window — daytime highs in the 70s-80s, ideal for beach and Stone Town walking, and aligns with the East African safari season in mainland Tanzania. The short dry (December-February) is hotter (80s-90s) but with the calmest seas for diving and snorkeling. The long rains (March-May) and short rains (November) bring heavy afternoon downpours — visit only if flexibility is high. Eid al-Fitr and Ramadan dates affect restaurant hours.

Top Attractions

Stone Town Walking Tour

Free to walk; guided tour $20-$50

The UNESCO-listed labyrinth of narrow coral-stone alleys, the 800+ carved wooden doors, the House of Wonders (currently being restored), Sultan's Palace Museum, Anglican Cathedral on the former slave market site, and the small Freddie Mercury House. A guided 3-4 hour walking tour adds essential historical context.

Forodhani Gardens Night Food Market

Meal: $5-$15

Every evening on the Stone Town seafront — dozens of vendors set up grills offering Zanzibari street food: grilled seafood (prawns, octopus, lobster, fresh fish), Zanzibar pizza (a stuffed savory pancake), urojo soup, cassava chips, and sugar cane juice. Eat by picking from multiple stalls.

Spice Farm Tour

Half-day tour: $15-$35 per person

Half-day tour to one of the interior spice farms — see and taste cloves, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, lemongrass, and the dozens of other Zanzibari spices growing in situ. Most tours include a Swahili lunch on the farm. Standard tourist excursion.

Prison Island (Changuu) Day Trip

Boat: $15-$25 round-trip; tortoises entry $4

A 30-minute boat ride from Stone Town — Prison Island never actually held many prisoners but now hosts a colony of giant Aldabra tortoises (gifted by Seychelles in 1919, some over 150 years old). Snorkeling reef offshore. Half-day excursion.

Nungwi & Kendwa Beaches (overnight or day trip)

Day trip $30-$60; overnight at beach resort $80-$300+/night

An hour north of Stone Town by taxi — the famous postcard-white-sand beaches. Nungwi has more development and nightlife; Kendwa is calmer and faces west for sunset. Day trips run from Stone Town; many travelers move to beachside resorts for several nights after Stone Town.

Diving and Snorkeling

Snorkel day trip: $40-$80; 2-tank dive $80-$140

Zanzibar's reef system off Mnemba Island and the surrounding waters supports world-class snorkeling and diving — dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays in season (October-December). Multiple operators in Stone Town and at the north and east coast beach resorts.

Local Food

Zanzibar Pilau & Biryani

$5-$15

Heavily spiced rice dishes reflecting the islands' Arab and Indian heritage — pilau (rice cooked with spices, meat, and stock) and biryani (layered with marinated meat, often beef or chicken). Stone Town restaurants like 6 Degrees South and Lukmaan serve quality versions.

Urojo (Zanzibar Mix)

$2-$5

A Zanzibari street-food soup of turmeric-yellow broth with cassava chips, hard-boiled egg, fried bhajia (chickpea fritters), tamarind chutney, and shredded mango — the signature Zanzibar comfort dish. Best at the small fondouks in Stone Town and at Forodhani Gardens.

Octopus & Grilled Seafood

$8-$20

Fresh-caught octopus grilled with chili, garlic, and lime — a signature east African coastal dish. Available at Forodhani Gardens, the small seafood restaurants along the Stone Town seafront, and at the beach restaurants in Nungwi.

Zanzibar Pizza

$2-$5

Not Italian pizza — a Zanzibari invention of seasoned ground meat, onions, peppers, egg, and cheese folded inside a thin pan-fried pancake. Sold from carts at Forodhani Gardens (the iconic spot) and at small street stands.

Spice Tea & Coffee

$0.50-$3

Zanzibar's signature spice-blended tea — black tea infused with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves, often served with goat milk and sugar. Traditional Swahili coffee is sold from small carts in Stone Town's alleyways for $0.50-$1 a cup.

Budget Guide

Budget

$40-$90/day

Guest houses and small hotels in Stone Town ($25-$60/night). Eat at Forodhani Gardens night market, fondouks, and small Stone Town restaurants ($5-$12 per meal). Walk Stone Town; minibuses to beaches $3-$5.

Mid-Range

$100-$220/day

Boutique hotels in Stone Town — Zanzibar Serena Hotel, Park Hyatt Zanzibar, Tembo Hotel ($90-$220/night); or beachside Nungwi/Kendwa boutique hotels ($100-$200/night). Dinner at 6 Degrees South, Tea House, or Forodhani ($25-$50 per person). Spice farm tour, Prison Island, half-day diving.

Luxury

$300-$1500+/day

Stays at Park Hyatt Zanzibar (Stone Town), Zuri Zanzibar, Essque Zalu Zanzibar, or &Beyond Mnemba Island (the famous Mnemba private-island lodge, $1500-$4000/night). Private dhow sailing dinner, full-day diving/snorkeling with private dhow, in-resort spa, private Stone Town historical guide.

Travel Tips

Fly into Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ) from Dar es Salaam (20-minute flight), Nairobi, Doha, or directly from a few European hubs. Cheaper options route through Dar es Salaam with a ferry connection (Dar to Zanzibar ferry takes 2 hours, $35-$50 each way).
Tanzania requires a tourist visa for most visitors. The e-visa system works for most nationalities — apply online before arrival ($50-$100 depending on nationality). Yellow fever certificate required if arriving from a yellow-fever endemic country.
Cash and small bills. ATMs are common in Stone Town but withdrawal limits are low. USD is widely accepted (large $20-$100 bills only — small bills won't be exchanged). Bring Tanzanian Shillings or pesos for smaller purchases.
Dress modestly outside the beach resorts. Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim — covered shoulders, covered knees in Stone Town and during the Ramadan month. At beach resorts, swimwear is standard. Friday afternoon prayers may close some restaurants briefly.
Don't visit Stone Town only — extend to beaches. The full Zanzibar experience requires 2-3 nights in Stone Town followed by 3-5 nights at a north or east coast beach resort. The two halves of the island offer dramatically different experiences. Transport between is a $40-$60 taxi ride or a $20 private shuttle.
Combine with mainland Tanzania safari. The classic East African trip: 7-10 days of Northern Tanzania safari (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire) + 5-7 days of Zanzibar beach time. Safari operators run combined packages that bookend the safari with Zanzibar arrival and departure flights.