Stone Town is small enough to see on foot in one day, and walking is the only practical way to see it. The old quarter sits on the west coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, and covers about 96 hectares. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2000, according to the Stone Town entry on Wikipedia.
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Its centre is described there as “a maze of narrow alleys lined by houses, shops, bazaars and mosques”. A loose plan works better than a strict one. The route below starts at the main food market in the morning, crosses the old town, and ends on the seafront at Forodhani Gardens when the evening food stalls open.
The Route at a Glance
The day runs from Darajani Market, through the old town, to the seafront, finishing around sunset. The times are a suggested order for the walk, not opening hours.
| When | Stop | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Darajani Market | Spices, fruit, fish and meat halls |
| Late morning | Christ Church Cathedral and the former slave market | The heritage centre and the memorial |
| Midday | The old town alleys | Carved doors, stone benches, a lunch stop |
| Afternoon | Old Fort and the House of Wonders | Courtyard shops, the amphitheatre, the seafront buildings |
| Sunset | Forodhani Gardens | Grilled seafood and street food stalls |
Morning: Darajani Market
Darajani Market is the island’s main food market and a good place to start the day. Its main building dates from 1904, and it sells seafood, meat, fruit, grains and spices, with clothing and electronics shops around it, according to the Darajani Market entry on Wikipedia. Locals also call it Marikiti Kuu, Swahili for “the main market”.
The market stands on Darajani Road, close to the Anglican cathedral, so the next stop is close by. If you want to photograph a stall or its owner, ask first.
Late Morning: Christ Church Cathedral and the Former Slave Market
The Anglican cathedral stands on the site of a former slave market and now holds a heritage centre on the East African slave trade. Bishop Edward Steere built the cathedral to mark the end of slavery, according to Wikipedia’s list of Stone Town landmarks.
The Episcopal News Service reported that the heritage centre opened on 15 June 2016 with an East African Slave Trade Exhibit. It follows the trade from capture in places such as Congo, Kenya and Tanganyika through transport to the buyers and sellers. The high altar marks the place where a whipping post once stood, and outside, statues show enslaved people chained together at the neck.
Give this stop time. It is the most serious part of the day, and the exhibit is meant to be read, not skimmed. Entry fees were not published on a page checked for this article, so ask at the gate.
Midday: The Old Town Alleys
Midday is for wandering the lanes, where the carved wooden doors are the main thing to look at. Wikipedia describes them as “finely decorated wooden doors, with rich carvings and bas-reliefs, sometimes with big brass studs of Indian tradition”. Many houses also have a baraza, a long stone bench built along the outside wall where neighbours sit and talk.
Stone Town has about 1,709 buildings, and around 80% of them are reported to be in poor condition, because the coral stone they are built from wears away easily.
Buildings worth a short detour
- Hamamni Persian Baths: public baths built between 1870 and 1888 for Sultan Barghash bin Said.
- St Joseph’s Catholic Cathedral: built by French missionaries between 1893 and 1898, with a design based on Marseille Cathedral.
- The Old Dispensary: a charity hospital built between 1887 and 1894 by wealthy Indian merchants, later restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
These dates come from the list of Stone Town landmarks. If you lose your bearings, walk towards the sea. The seafront runs along the west side of the old town, and from there the Old Fort is easy to find.
Afternoon: The Old Fort and the House of Wonders
The Old Fort is open as a cultural centre, while the House of Wonders next to it is a restoration site after a collapse in 2020. The two stand side by side facing the sea.
The Old Fort
The fort dates from the late 17th century, and Wikipedia gives 1699 as its completion date. Inside the walls, the courtyard has craft and curio shops, an open-air amphitheatre with evening performances, places to eat and visitor information. It is also the venue for the Zanzibar International Film Festival and the Sauti za Busara music festival, so check the dates if you want to catch one of them.
The House of Wonders
The House of Wonders, or Beit al-Ajaib, was completed in 1883 for Sultan Barghash bin Said. It was the first building in Zanzibar with electricity and the first in East Africa with a lift, according to the landmarks list.
On 25 December 2020 a large part of the building collapsed while it was being renovated with funding from the Government of Oman, The Citizen reported. Much of the front facade, including the clock tower, came down. The government said it would rebuild using the existing sketches and drawings. No confirmed reopening date was found for this article, so plan to see it from outside and keep to any barriers around the site.
The same landmarks list includes the Palace Museum (Beit el-Sahel), a late 19th-century palace that now shows how the sultan’s family lived.
Sunset: Forodhani Gardens
End the day at Forodhani Gardens, the seafront park in front of the House of Wonders and the Old Fort, where food stalls set up as it gets dark. The Forodhani Gardens entry on Wikipedia notes that the park is busiest after sunset, with grilled seafood, samosas, cassava and sweet potatoes on sale.
The park was once the main landing point for Zanzibar’s sultans. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored it in a project worth US$2.4 million, finished in July 2009, which rebuilt the seawall and added a seafront walkway, according to the Aga Khan Development Network. Ask the price of each item before it goes on the grill.
Practical Tips for the Walk
Dress modestly, carry water, and plan how you will get back after dark. These points come up most often in official advice for Stone Town.
- Clothing: the UK government’s travel advice for Tanzania says that women wearing shorts or sleeveless tops away from tourist resorts, “particularly in Stone Town, may cause offence”, and that Zanzibari authorities “can fine you 700 US dollars or more” for clothing they consider inappropriate in public. Covering shoulders and knees avoids both problems. Rules can change, so check your own government’s advice before you travel.
- After dark: the same advice notes that incidents have taken place in Stone Town and suggests you “avoid walking or cycling at night or alone”. Walk back from Forodhani in company, or ask your hotel to arrange a taxi.
- Heat: the alleys are shaded but the seafront is not, so save the open stretches for the afternoon, when the sun is lower.
- Cash: carry small notes for market stalls and food vendors.
- Photos: ask before you photograph people, especially at the market and outside mosques.
With those basics covered, the whole loop is easy to do without a guide. If you do want one, agree on the route and the price before you start.
Sources
- Stone Town (Wikipedia)
- List of landmarks in Stone Town (Wikipedia)
- Darajani Market (Wikipedia)
- Zanzibar’s Christ Church Cathedral opens slave trade heritage center (Episcopal News Service, 23 June 2016)
- Old Fort of Zanzibar (Wikipedia)
- House of Wonders (Wikipedia)
- Zanzibar House of Wonders collapses (The Citizen)
- Forodhani Gardens (Wikipedia)
- US$2.4 million revitalisation of Forodhani Park in Zanzibar’s historic Stone Town completed (AKDN, 28 July 2009)
- Tanzania travel advice: safety and security (GOV.UK)