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Voykit pocket guide · Tanzania
Stone Town
Mji Mkongwe
Give Stone Town 2 nights: one full day for the seafront and the slave-market site, one half-day for the lanes and market. Then move to a beach.
Stone Town is the old quarter of Zanzibar City and a UNESCO World Heritage site: a dense grid of coral-stone houses, carved doors, mosques, churches and former palaces on a small peninsula. Most travellers use it as the first or last stop of a Zanzibar trip, 1–2 nights, before or after the beaches. It is small enough to walk end to end in about 30 minutes, and the heat, the touts and the narrow lanes set the pace more than any checklist does.
- Country
- Tanzania
- Local name
- Mji Mkongwe
- Best months
- Jun–Oct, Dec–Feb
- Avoid
- Apr–May (long rains)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TZS
- Money
- Currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS). Tourism is still quoted in US dollars, but since 2025 the central bank requires local transactions to be priced and paid in shillings — check how your lodge bills; dollar notes older than 2013 or damaged are refused.
- Daily spend
- Budget TSh 90,000–150,000 excl. bed · Mid TSh 150,000–300,000 excl. bed · High TSh 300,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodacom, Airtel, Yas (Tigo) and Halotel sell SIMs at airports; registration takes fingerprints and a passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112 · Fire 114
- Plugs
- Types D, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · UK three-pin is most common; some older round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Safari guide: About US$15–25 per vehicle per day from the group — check.; Kilimanjaro crew: About 10–15% of the climb price, shared per a published scale — check your operator's guide.; Camp staff box: About US$10 per guest per day.; Restaurant: 5–10% where no service charge.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; lodges provide filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and lodges; long-drops at some gates and picnic sites; squat toilets at bus stops.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or spiced tea | TSh 3,000–8,000 |
| Street plate at Forodhani Gardens | TSh 5,000–15,000 |
| Local restaurant meal (pilau, stew, chapati) | TSh 10,000–25,000 |
| Mid-range restaurant main | TSh 25,000–60,000 |
| Bottled water, 1.5 L | TSh 1,500–3,000 |
| Taxi within Stone Town | TSh 10,000–20,000 |
| Slave market and cathedral entry | US$3–5 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | TSh 20,000–40,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZNZ · Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
- About 7 km south of Stone Town; taxi 15–25 min depending on traffic. checkAbout 4.3 mi south of Stone Town; taxi 15–25 min depending on traffic. check
Typical fares
- Airport → Stone Town, taxi
- TSh 25,000–40,000, 15–25 min (check)
- Ferry Dar es Salaam → Stone Town
- about TSh 70,000 one way, 2–3 h (check)
- Daladala within Zanzibar
- TSh 1,000–5,000 depending on distance (check)
Get around
Walk. The old town is roughly 1.5 km across and most sights sit within 20 minutes of each other. Taxis and bajaji (three-wheelers) handle the airport, the ferry and beach transfers; agree the fare before you get in. Daladalas leave from Creek Road by Darajani Market for island destinations. Carry small notes: change is scarce.Walk. The old town is roughly 0.9 mi across and most sights sit within 20 minutes of each other. Taxis and bajaji (three-wheelers) handle the airport, the ferry and beach transfers; agree the fare before you get in. Daladalas leave from Creek Road by Darajani Market for island destinations. Carry small notes: change is scarce.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO World Heritage old town
- Forodhani Gardens night food market
- Former slave market and Anglican cathedral
- Carved doors and coral-stone lanes
- Freddie Mercury's birthplace
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nungwi | Taxi or private transfer north, about 1 h 15 min; daladala 116 from Darajani is far slower | 1.5–2 h |
| Paje | Taxi or transfer east, about 1 h; daladala 309 from Darajani | 1.5 h |
| Kendwa | Taxi north, about 1 h 15 min | 1.5 h |
| Jambiani | Taxi or transfer southeast, about 1 h | 1.5 h |
| Matemwe | Taxi northeast, about 1 h; daladala 118 from Darajani | 1.5 h |
| Changuu (Prison) Island | Boat from the beach near the ferry; hire the whole boat and bargain | About 30 min each way |
Sleep
- Seafront (Mizingani Road)
- Old Fort, House of Wonders and Palace Museum on the doorstep; priciest and busiest with tour groups.
- Hurumzi and Shangani
- Central lanes, rooftop restaurants, 5–10 min walk to the ferry and Forodhani.
- Malindi and the port
- Cheapest guesthouses, close to the ferry and fish market; some street noise and early calls to prayer.
- Near Darajani Market
- Local life, daladala stands and cheap food; 10–15 min walk to the seafront.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | JamboJAM-bo |
| Thank you | Asantea-SAN-te |
| How much is it? | Bei gani?BAY GAH-nee |
| No, thank you | Hapana, asanteha-PA-na a-SAN-te |
| Where is the toilet? | Choo kiko wapi?CHO kee-ko WA-pee |
| Can I pay by card? | Naweza kulipa kwa kadi?na-WE-za ku-LEE-pa kwa KA-dee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Shikamoo' to elders, a handshake and small talk first; avoid: Rushing straight to business
- Hands: Right hand for eating, giving and receiving; avoid: Using the left hand
- Dress on Zanzibar: Cover shoulders and knees in town; avoid: Beachwear in Stone Town
- Photos: Ask first; pay agreed fees in Maasai bomas; avoid: Photographing women on Zanzibar without asking
- Affection: Keep it private; avoid: Kissing in public, especially on Zanzibar
- Pace: 'Pole pole' — slow down; avoid: Showing anger in public
Scams and watch-outs
- Lanes are unlit at night and uneven underfoot: bring a torch or use your phone.
- Dress modestly away from the seafront; cover shoulders and knees, especially near mosques.
- Touts and 'guides' at the ferry and Forodhani: agree a price before any tour or boat.
- High-season double bookings happen at small hotels: pay in advance or confirm directly.
- Card skimming and cash-only small businesses: use ATMs by day and keep a cash backup.
- Tap water is not drinkable; use sealed bottles or a filter.
Stone Town is generally safe by day; the real risks are unlit lanes at night, heat and humidity, touts at the ferry and Forodhani, and cash-only scams. Keep valuables out of sight, use a licensed guide, and avoid walking alone after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Stone Town yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO World Heritage old town
- Forodhani Gardens night food market
- Former slave market and Anglican cathedral
- Carved doors and coral-stone lanes
- Freddie Mercury's birthplace
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Zanzibar Commission for Tourism: zanzibartourism.go.tz/
- Zanzibar Airports Authority: www.zanzibar-airport.go.tz/
- UNESCO — Stone Town of Zanzibar: whc.unesco.org/en/list/173/
- Wikivoyage: Stone Town, revision 5270067 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5270067
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Stone TownMji Mkongwe
Kwa anwani hii, tafadhali
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies and high commissions are in Dar es Salaam; check your country's list before you travel.
Prices are 2026 estimates; confirm entry fees and ferry times locally.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/stone-town). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.