Stone Town & Prison Island tour: UNESCO heritage, tortoises

Wander Stone Town's car-free alleys, then meet century-old tortoises on Prison Island

A five-hour guided tour of Stone Town, Prison Island and a working spice farm in Zanzibar, with private transport and lunch included. You walk the UNESCO-listed maze of narrow streets where mosques, churches and temples stand side-by-side, visit a tortoise sanctuary housing giant tortoises brought from Seychelles in the 1800s, and tour a local spice plantation to learn how clove, nutmeg and other herbs have shaped the island since Portuguese traders arrived in the 16th century.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Stone Town and nearby islands

• Walk through Stone Town alleys
• Visit local spice markets
• Tour Spice Island plantations
• Visit Prison Island tortoise sanctuary

The experience

Stone Town itself is built on streets too narrow for cars, which means you move through it on foot, passing the House of Wonders, the Old Fort and working spice markets where vendors still sell to locals. The guide walks you through the layers: Arab, African, Indian and European architecture all visible in a single block, along with the mosques, churches and temples that sit adjacent to one another. This is not a museum town: people live and work here, and the tour moves at a pace that lets you absorb the rhythm instead of rushing through a checklist.

Prison Island, built as a prison in 1893 and now part of a hotel property, holds a tortoise sanctuary with a large population of giant tortoises brought from Seychelles in the late 19th century. Some are over 100 years old. You'll encounter them in their enclosure and learn the history of how they arrived and why they remain. The island itself is small enough to see in an hour, and the contrast between the colonial history and the present-day sanctuary makes it a natural second stop after the intensity of Stone Town's streets.

The spice farm (shamba) visit comes next, where a guide walks you through cultivation of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and other plants that built Zanzibar's wealth. You'll see how they grow, smell them fresh, and understand why Portuguese traders brought seeds from South America and India starting in the 16th century. Lunch is included and typically features Zanzibari cuisine made with spices from the region. Private transport moves you between all three stops, and the whole day runs five hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Private transportation between all stops.
• lunch.
• all fees and taxes.
• live guide throughout the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Ntonji Tours and Safaris

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a guide narrating Stone Town's layered history as you walk its car-free streets, plus stops at Prison Island and a working spice farm: all in one private itinerary that moves at your pace rather than syncing with other groups.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Stone Town and why is it a UNESCO World Heritage site?

Stone Town is the historic heart of Zanzibar, a port city where Arab, African, Indian and European cultures built a single urban landscape over centuries. The UNESCO designation recognizes the architecture, the narrow car-free streets, and the blend of mosques, churches, temples and traditional houses that survive intact from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Can I actually touch or feed the giant tortoises on Prison Island?

Prison Island's tortoise sanctuary allows visitors to encounter the giant tortoises in their enclosure. The specifics of interaction depend on the sanctuary's current protocols, which your guide will explain when you arrive.

What spices will I see growing on the farm?

The spice farm grows cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and other herbs and fruits used in Zanzibari cooking and exported globally. You'll walk through the plantations, see how they're cultivated, and smell them fresh before lunch.

Is this tour walkable for someone who is not very fit?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels according to the operator. Stone Town's streets are narrow and winding, so comfortable shoes help, but the pace is set by the guide and there are no steep climbs or long distances required.