10 km²
Size
23-32°C
Temperature
Sea level
Altitude
Hot, humid Indian Ocean island, long rains around April-May
Climate
Stone Town is the old Swahili port: carved doors, coral rag alleys, the smell of cloves from a warehouse, and a waterfront that still works for dhows as much as for hotel terraces.
UNESCO listed the Stone Town of Zanzibar for a reason. It is also noisy, uneven underfoot, and not a beach. Give it one proper night, two if you like history, then move to Nungwi or Paje for swimming. Trying to do Forodhani night market, a spice farm and a north-coast sunset in one day is how people remember Zanzibar as a traffic jam.
The House of Wonders is not always open. The Anglican cathedral on the old slave market site is. Freddie Mercury's birth house is a photo stop, not a museum you need. A spice tour inland toward the shambas still earns its place if the guide lets you taste things instead of reciting a list.
Jozani Forest, for red colobus, sits on the way to the east coast. We slot it between Stone Town and Paje so you are not crossing the island twice. After a dusty week in the Serengeti, Stone Town is the reset. The 9-Day Safari and Zanzibar and the honeymoon safari and beach both land here before the coast.
Things to See & Do
Getting There
Flight
ZNZ airport is 15 to 25 minutes from Stone Town depending on traffic. We meet with a name sign and go straight to the ho...
Boat
Ferries from Dar es Salaam take about two hours on the fast boats. We check the day's schedule before we commit, especia...
Road
Private cars to Nungwi (about 1.5 hours) and Paje (about 1 hour). Public dala-dalas exist; we do not use them for airpor...
Wildlife you can see here
All 5 speciesSpice trees
Clove Tree
Syzygium aromaticum
The tree that made Zanzibar the "Spice Island".
Zanzibar Stone Town, Pemba Island +1 more
Primates
Vervet Monkey
Chlorocebus pygerythrus
A small grey monkey with a black face and sky-blue skin.
Tarangire, Lake Manyara +4 more
Primates
Zanzibar Red Colobus
Piliocolobus kirkii
A rare monkey found only on Zanzibar, easy to see at Jozani Forest.
Jozani Forest, Zanzibar Stone Town +1 more
Whales & dolphins
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
A giant baleen whale that migrates through Tanzanian waters from July to October.
Pemba Island, Mafia Island +2 more
Trees
Red Mangrove
Rhizophora mucronata
A coastal tree that grows on stilt roots in salty tidal water.
Jozani Forest, Zanzibar Stone Town +4 more
Best Time to Visit
FAQs
How many nights in Stone Town?
One is enough for most safari-and-beach trips. Two if you want a dhow sunset and an unhurried walking tour.
Dress code?
Shoulders and knees covered in town is respectful and cooler anyway. Beaches are more relaxed, still not European club-wear in the alleys.
Is the ferry from Dar a good idea?
The fast ferry works when the sea is kind. In rough months we prefer the 20-minute flight from Dar or Arusha. We will not put you on a deck in a storm to save thirty dollars.
Safaris Visiting Zanzibar Stone Town
More To Explore
Add Paje to Your Safari
The route is ours to design — you just pick the places that call you.
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