Start from 31 curated places around Zanzibar City, TZ, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Lukmaan Restaurant
A bustling canteen on Mkunazini Street where locals and travelers queue for cafeteria-style Zanzibari and Swahili dishes, from spiced pilau and biryani to coconut fish curry and fresh juices. The best-value authentic local meal in Stone Town.
Emerson on Hurumzi
A rooftop restaurant atop one of Stone Town's grandest restored houses, serving a set Swahili tasting dinner on cushions under the stars with live taarab music. The island's most atmospheric special-occasion meal, as much an evening as a dinner.
Trails & outdoors
Jozani Forest
The island's last major tract of indigenous forest, a protected reserve of shaded trails and a mangrove boardwalk, home to the endangered Zanzibar red colobus monkey found nowhere else on earth. The one place on Zanzibar to see real interior nature.
Stone Town Alleyways Walk
A self-guided wander through the tangle of Stone Town's coral-stone lanes, past carved doors, tiny mosques, hidden courtyards, and workshops, with the sea always somewhere near. The single best 'activity' in the old town is simply walking it.
Things to do
Forodhani Night Market
The nightly street-food market that takes over Forodhani Gardens at sunset, dozens of stalls grilling fresh seafood, fruit, and the local 'Zanzibar pizza' to a buzzing crowd. The island's most famous and most local evening out, eaten standing by the sea.
Prison Island
A small island a short boat ride off Stone Town, never actually used as a prison, now home to a sanctuary of giant Aldabra tortoises, some over a century old, plus a quiet beach and snorkeling. An easy, rewarding half-day on the water.
Landmarks & sights
Stone Town
The UNESCO-listed old city, a labyrinth of coral-stone buildings leaning over narrow alleys, carved wooden doors, and Swahili-Arab-Indian history at every turn. It is a place to wander and get lost in rather than tick off, best absorbed slowly on foot.
House of Wonders
The grand 1883 sultan's palace on the seafront, the tallest building in Stone Town and the first on the island to have electricity and an elevator. Partly collapsed and under long restoration, it remains the defining landmark of the waterfront skyline.