Zanzibar Stone Town & Kizimkazi tour: Swim with sea turtles

The Rock Restaurant sits on a boulder in the ocean, and you eat there at midday.

A full-day guided tour of Zanzibar covering Stone Town's history, lunch at The Rock Restaurant in Michamvi Pingwe, and swimming with sea turtles at Salaam Cave near Kizimkazi Beach. The tour runs eight hours with hotel pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned minivan, snorkeling gear, and a guide speaking English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language. Children from age one are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Zanzibar Stone Town and Beach Activities

• Tour Stone Town by minivan
• Visit Darajani Market and Anglican Cathedral
• Lunch at The Rock Restaurant
• Swim with sea turtles at Salaam Cave

The experience

How do you fit Stone Town's history, an ocean-view meal, and a swim with sea turtles into one day in Zanzibar? This tour stacks all three. You start with a three-hour walk through Old Stone Town (the UNESCO World Heritage maze of narrow streets, the Darajani Market, the Old Dispensary neighborhood, and the Anglican Cathedral) in an air-conditioned minivan that picks you up from your beach hotel. The guide navigates the layers of Swahili, Arab, and colonial architecture without the planning or navigation work falling on you.

Midday brings you to The Rock Restaurant in Michamvi Pingwe, a structure built on a boulder in the shallows. You order from the Legendary Seafood Platter, ribs, salmon, steak, or a vegetarian main, each with a side and dessert, plus coffee, tea or soft drinks. The setting (eating above the water with views across the channel) is the kind of detail that stays in memory.

The afternoon moves to Salaam Cave off Kizimkazi Beach, where you enter the water with snorkeling gear and swim alongside sea turtles in the shallows. The cave sits in clear water ringed by coral. You're in the water with the animals, not watching from a boat. The tour ends with a return to your hotel. Transportation, bottled water, snorkeling equipment, and all fees are included. WiFi runs on board.

What’s included

• Private transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off.
• an air-conditioned minivan.
• bottled water.
• snorkeling equipment.
• all fees and taxes.
• WiFi on board.

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 and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 23 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Africa & Beyond Tours & Travel Ltd

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're traveling solo or with a partner and want to cover Zanzibar's main sights in a single day without arranging separate transport or guides for each stop. The full-day format and fixed itinerary work best when you have limited time on the island and want a guide handling the route.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

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

Can children come?

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

What is Stone Town and why does the tour spend three hours there?

Stone Town is the old city center of Zanzibar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built from narrow streets, merchant houses, and landmarks from centuries of Swahili, Arab, and colonial rule. The three-hour walk covers the Darajani Market, the Old Dispensary neighborhood, and the Anglican Cathedral, moving through the maze on foot with a guide while the minivan handles transport between zones.

Do I swim directly with the sea turtles or watch from a distance?

You enter the water at Salaam Cave with snorkeling gear and swim in the same shallows where the sea turtles are. The cave sits off Kizimkazi Beach in clear water surrounded by coral, and the turtles move through the same space you occupy.

Is lunch at The Rock Restaurant included in the price?

Lunch is not included. You order and pay separately at The Rock Restaurant. The tour brings you there at midday, and the menu includes seafood, ribs, salmon, steak, and vegetarian options, each with a side and dessert, plus beverages.

Does the tour pick me up from my hotel?

Yes, pickup and drop-off at your beach hotel are included. The minivan is air-conditioned and carries bottled water on board.