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
(89 Ratings)
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Paradise58204619101
Dec 2, 2025
The real Zanzibar experience - Unique experience indeed 1. Meeting a 139 year old turtle 2. Swimming in love island ( check the details of the trip) and seafood bbq 3. Strolling stone town Special thanks to Abdul
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_p
Nov 27, 2025
Fantastic Experience! ... - Fantastic Experience! Sultan and his Chef took amazing care of us. He is extremely knowledgable and takes his time telling us all about the Area. 1000% recommend! Definitely do Stone Town first as it gets really busy and hot during the day and it will be hard to keep up and listen. Amazing finish on Nakapenda beach with a great meal and wonderful snorkeling
Review provided by Viator
Aj2801
Nov 26, 2025
Must book tour if in Zanzibar - Amazing time exploring Zanzibar on this private tour we had the best driver and guide who are clearly proud of there country and passionate about letting tourists know how amazing it is. Had the best seafood I have ever eaten for lunch which I would love to have everyday. Tour did not feel rushed spent perfect amount of time in all destinations and felt like o truly got the Zanzibar experience do not hesitate to book this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle_v
Oct 19, 2025
Best Day Ever - The Stone Town, Prison Island, and Nakupenda tour with snorkeling and lunch was absolutely amazing! Our guide, Khalid, was outstanding. We were traveling with my elderly mom, and he went above and beyond to make sure she was comfortable and enjoying herself, she loved every moment of it. Khalid introduced us to the Swahili language, teaching us new words along the way, and shared fascinating stories about the area’s history. Every part of the trip was perfectly planned. I would definitely book this tour again and highly recommend it to my family and friends!
Review provided by Viator
Reader327
Oct 18, 2025
Great Day Trip with Swimming, Seafood Feast, Tourtoises and Stone Town Tour. - Excellent experience. We were picked up at our rental house and taken to Stone Town with a quick stop to provide water bottles. Our driver was very friendly and experienced. Met our guide on the dock and a quick boat ride found us on the sand bank. They prepare lunch while we swam and took in the sites. Lunch was a seafood feast with prawns, rock lobster, calamari, octopus and tune bites on a mound of french fries with assorted fresh fruit, vegetables and juices. Stopped at the Prison Island to change, visit the museum, tortoises and peacocks. A quick drink at the bar and we headed to Stone Town for a tour of the souk, square, architecture and spice market plus a stop at Freddie Mercury's childhood home. Our guide was very friendly, flexible with the schedule and knowledgeable on the history and customs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A2754acemilyd
Oct 17, 2025
Great day out - Ramjun was very welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. Answered all questions and nothing was too much. Would highly recommend so much so that we booked another tour with him again
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mollyc501
Oct 11, 2025
Long but fantastic day learning about the history and culture of this beautiful place - A brilliant day filled with so much history and so much to learn! We were picked up on time by our lovely tour guide for the day Khalid who was so friendly and approachable from the minute we met him. He was making plenty of conversation with us during our ride to Stone Town as we were a little further out! Once we got there he got us in our boat to take us to Prison Island, from here he showed us around the place, telling us the history of it and left us in the museum bit to learn the history a little more in depth. From here he showed us the giant tortoises which were amazing to see up close. We then head over to Nakupenda Island where a seafood platter was made for us whilst we sunbathed (sadly wasted on us as we don't eat seafood but gave it a go!) and did a spot of snorkelling although not too much to see. We then head back to Stone Town where he taught us so much about the history and culture of this beautiful place and the harrowing slavery history. He was able to answer all our questions proudly and confidently. He was a delight to have guide us that day and if you're able to, definitely ask for Khalid!! He made the day so interesting and made us feel so relaxed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yulia_p
Oct 8, 2025
We had an amazing tour of... - We had an amazing tour of Stone Town, Nakupenda, and Prison Island! Our guide, Sultan, was friendly, funny, and very professional. He shared fascinating insights about the history, culture, and daily life in Zanzibar, making the experience both fun and educational. Stone Town was magical, and Nakupenda and Prison Island were beautiful and exotic. Sultan also took us to special, less touristy spots where we found wonderful souvenirs at fair prices. Highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Lana_a
Oct 21, 2025
Nakupenda was fabulous. A... - Nakupenda was fabulous. A special experience. Beautiful and the lunch of lobster, shrimp, fish, octopus and squid cooked on a fire pit was great! Prison Island was a little underwhelming. Stone Town was pretty with great history. We were exhausted for the tour. If possible would recommend doing Stone Town first.
Review provided by Viator
Maria_i
Oct 16, 2025
Versatile and... - Versatile and interesting tour to get to know the island. The tour guide spoke good German, but seemed rather unmotivated at the beginning
Review provided by Viator
From $145
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).