Zanzibar History: Explore Stone Town & Nakupenda

Explore Stone Town’s rich history, meet giant tortoises on Prison Island, and snorkel in crystal-clear waters at Nakupenda. Enjoy a seafood lunch on a stunning sandbank.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Stone Town - This historic district in Zanzibar’s capital is a treasure trove of history and diverse influences, including British, Portuguese, Indian, Omani, and Swahili. It is the only tour that allows exploration of Zanzibar’s Old City, which holds the oldest historical significance in East Africa, as Stone Town was the first town in the…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Tour guide
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information

The traveler will explore the historic district, the capital of Zanzibar, known for its rich history and diverse influences, including British, Portuguese, Indian, Omani, and Swahili. This unique tour offers the opportunity to discover the oldest historical area in East Africa, as Stone Town was the first town established in the region.
Following the…

Location
Stone Town
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(101 Ratings)
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Edith
Mar 1, 2026
Great tour - Amazing guided tour. Everyone was really friendly and helpful
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marvin7100
Feb 24, 2026
Beautiful day - Really beautiful day! Our guide Sultan was very caring from start to finish. She is a very beautiful person, always smiling, cheerful and caring — we felt in good hands all day. We started with Prison Island: perfect because there were not too many people. We were able to discover the history quietly and enjoy the turtles and peacocks, it was great. Then head to Nakupenda... and there, just beautiful. Sultan and his team set up an arbor to stay in the shade and prepared us a waaaaw 😍 meal as beautiful as delicious. We had our private table in love with squid, langoustines, octopus and fruit — a real dream moment. The sellers did not bother us: just refuse nicely and they respect. We didn’t snorkel because we wanted to enjoy the sandbar and the meal. Useful little info: we had some little jellyfish when we put our legs in the water — nothing serious, but a little unpleasant. Finally, Stone Town... just beautiful. History, alleys, culture, architecture, carved doors, craftsmen... really must see. Many thanks to Sultan for a perfect day. I recommend without hesitation 👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suzanne
Feb 11, 2026
A great way to learn about the history of Zanzibar - We had a wonderful tour. Our guide Abdul-Majid was so knowledgeable. He was kind, funny, helpful and was genuinely concerned that we were enjoying ourselves. Our driver was also very friendly and a very safe driver in the chaos that is found on the roads. The spice farm tour was full of information from Abdul and the guide at the farm climbed trees to get samples for us to smell. We also were treated to a taste of about 20 different fruits. The prison island tour starts with a great boat ride across to the island. The sea at the island was beautiful and Crystal clear. We got to meet the giant tortoises there. Again Abdul was full of information for us. Stone town is full of history and little streets with shops selling everything you can want. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Wise Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roving35135410623
Feb 9, 2026
Stonetown Sandbar Proson Island from Cruise Ship - We arrived from a cruise ship and Jacob met us at the gate. Jacob was willing to take it easy and go at our pace. He was always attentive and paused when we requested. He was all about making us happy. We joined a delightful couple for our boat ride to the sandbar. The lunch was amazing under the tent and they took care to ensure my husband had a nice lunch even though he is allergic to shrimp and lobster! We were concerned about arriving back on time, but Jacob made sure we were taken care of.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D1246yumarcor
Jan 23, 2026
Day of relaxation - Excellent organization and explanation in Italian. The guide came to pick me up outside the hotel as agreed. Recommended tour. Hearty and good lunch
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roberta_l
Jan 5, 2026
Very nice experience!... - Very nice experience! there is not much to see in prison iland, net of giant turtles! Too bad only for the strong wind that did not allow us to snorkel, otherwise all crazy, both the guide (Sharif) and the "captain" of the boat (private) who cooked an exceptional lunch in Nacupenda! The advice :)
Review provided by Viator
Trudifrost1
Jan 3, 2026
A great day out very... - My guide for the day was a very nice young man called Abdull Majid. A great day out very informative about the history off zanzibar visiting a beautiful beach, stone town and prison island. Being a solo traveller was always asking if everything was ok. I would definitely recommend this trip.
Review provided by Viator
Lovetravel39602
Dec 29, 2025
Stone town, prison island and Nakupenda - A fabulous experience, and excellent value for money. Great, and knowledgeable tour guide made this a fantastic family day. Very special memories.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynn
Jan 13, 2026
A decent tour that covers some of Zanzibar’s main highlights. - Stone Town was interesting, especially learning about its mix of cultures and long history, and the boat ride offered nice views of the coastline. Prison Island was enjoyable, with a short history overview and a chance to see the giant tortoises. Nakupenda sandbank was nice with clear water. Unfortunately, it was very windy so we couldn’t snorkel as the sea was rough. We were unpleasantly surprised at Nakupenda because the entire sandbank was packed full of tourists (like us). Our guides cooked us a delicious lunch of lobster, shrimp, calamari, fries, and a variety of fresh fruit. Overall, it was a good experience and a convenient way to see several popular spots in one day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
853gracek
Dec 26, 2025
Ok tour not great but okay - Overall good. In terms of history on stone town, we had a better experience on another tour. Prison island was good, i would have hope to have better explanation on the history of how it came to be, where the prisoner were staying etccc. To finish we went to Nakupenda which was for my family and I the highlight of the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $145
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).