Zanzibar Spice Tour, Stone Town & Prison Island: Full Day

Walk through 500 tropical plants at a working spice farm, then spot giant tortoises on an island with a dark past.

This full-day tour combines three distinct stops across Zanzibar: the Tropical Spice Garden with its medicinal plants and clove, nutmeg and cinnamon plantations; a three-hour Stone Town tour by air-conditioned minivan covering the UNESCO-listed old city, Darajani Market and the Anglican Cathedral; and Prison Island by motorized boat, where you walk white sand beaches and see giant tortoises in the forest. Lunch is served at the spice farm. Hotel pickup and return are included, with the day ending by early evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Zanzibar's spice, town, and island

• Visit Tropical Spice Farm
• Enjoy lunch at Spice Farm
• Tour Stone Town by minivan
• Boat trip to Prison Island
• Return to hotel

The experience

Stone Town is the anchor of this day, but the tour builds around the Tropical Spice Garden first. You walk a guide through rural plantations where clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon grow and are processed into the aromatic staples of Zanzibari cooking. The farm holds more than 500 tropical medicinal plants, and the guide explains what each one does and how it is used. Lunch happens in the gardens themselves, so the smell and the taste stay connected.

The Stone Town leg covers three hours by air-conditioned minivan. You see Darajani Market, the Old Dispensary neighborhood, and the Anglican Cathedral, moving through the maze-like streets of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that layers modern culture over ancient history. Pickup and drop-off at your beach hotel bracket this section, so the transport is already arranged.

Prison Island (Changuu Island) is the final stop. A motorized boat takes you out to white sand and forest where giant tortoises move slowly through the trees. The island carries a heavy history (it was used for slave internment, prisons, and cholera isolation), but the wildlife and the beaches are what you actually walk. The return transfer to your hotel is timed to get you back by early evening.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned minivan.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• WiFi on board.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• lunch at the Tropical Spice Garden.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (25 to 55 years) · Senior (60 to 80 years) · Youth (15 to 20 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Hebrew and Polish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 21 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Africa & Beyond Tours & Travel Ltd

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guide leading you through three distinct Zanzibar locations (spice garden, Stone Town, and Prison Island) as a coordinated group over a full day, rather than piecing together separate visits.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Arabic, Chinese, Polish and Hebrew.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (15 to 20 years); Child (5 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 4 years).

What exactly do I see and do at the Tropical Spice Garden?

The Tropical Spice Garden is a working farm where you walk guided through plantations of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and more than 500 other tropical medicinal plants. The guide shows you how local staples are cultivated, grown and processed into Zanzibari cuisine. Lunch is served in the gardens so you eat surrounded by the plants themselves.

How much time do I spend in Stone Town?

Stone Town gets a dedicated three-hour tour by air-conditioned minivan. You visit Darajani Market, the Old Dispensary neighborhood, and the Anglican Cathedral, moving through the UNESCO-listed old city's maze-like streets. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so the transport to and from this section is handled.

What is Prison Island like, and what will I actually do there?

Prison Island (Changuu Island) is a tropical island with white sand beaches and forest where giant tortoises roam freely. You arrive by motorized boat and walk the beaches and forest. The island has a history of slave internment and cholera isolation, but today it is known for its wildlife and natural beauty.

How long is the full day, and when does it end?

The tour runs nine hours total, with hotel pickup at the start and return by early evening. The day moves through the spice garden, then Stone Town, then Prison Island, with lunch at the farm and transport between each stop included.