Recently Viewed
Stone Town and Prison Island from Zanzibar: Unique Combination of History and Nature Tours
4.1
47 Ratings
Stone Town
An excellent fusion of two excursions providing a distinct, comprehensive tour of Stone Town’s history and nature
An excellent fusion of two excursions providing a distinct, comprehensive tour of Stone Town’s history and nature
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Prison Island - Changuu Private Island - Visit Prison Island, a former prison for slaves and a quarantine station for Zanzibar and Mainland. Visit the giant tortoises and enjoy the fantastic white sandy beach and spectacular natural forest teeming with variety of birds and snorkeling near the Island.
- The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) - Visit…
- Prison Island - Changuu Private Island - Visit Prison Island, a former prison for slaves and a quarantine station for Zanzibar and Mainland. Visit the giant tortoises and enjoy the fantastic white sandy beach and spectacular natural forest teeming with variety of birds and snorkeling near the Island.
- The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) - Visit Portuguese Old Fort. It was built by Omani Arabs after expelling the Portuguese in 1699. It was used as a garrison and prison in the 19th century, and as a terminal of the Zanzibar railways 1945-28. A new guardhouse was built in 1947 and used as the ladies’ club, and an amphitheatre was added in the 1990s.
- Forodhani Gardens - Sightseeing
- St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cathedral - Visit The Roman Catholic cathedral of St. Joseph. One of the most important historical buildings in Stone Town. The church is regularly used by the local Catholic community, with several masses being held each Sunday and occasionally on weekdays.
- Freddie Mercury Museum - Visit Freddy Mercury House, the former lead singer of Queen, was born in Zanzibar in 1946 where his name was Farrokh Bulsara. The museum is set in the actual house that Freddie and his family lived, prior to their move to the UK. It covers Freddie’s birth and early childhood in Zanzibar.
- Gizenga Street - Discover the ancient life of the city, culture and their folklore. The discovery of ancient buildings the doors owe their distinctive brass studs to India.Countless shops to buy various goods (antiques, pictures, traditional clothes, valuable handcrafts
- Old Slave Market/Anglican Cathedral - Visit The Anglican cathedral Church and the old Slave Market. The Church is one of the most prominent examples of early Christian architecture in East Africa.The church is located in the center of the old town, and occupies a large area where the biggest slave market of Zanzibar used to be; the construction of the cathedral was in fact intended to celebrate the end of slavery.
- Darajani Bazaar - Visit the Old Market of Fish Vegetables & Fruits. Spices and various things…
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water
- Entrance fees to Prison Island Park
- Guided tour with a professional art historian
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water
- Entrance fees to Prison Island Park
- Guided tour with a professional art historian
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fees
- Food and drinks
- Entrance fees
Additional Information
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Location
Prison Island - Changuu Private Island
Off the Coast From Stone Town, Shangani
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(47 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Andrea_h
Oct 7, 2025
Impressive, Guide went... - Impressive, Guide was completely responsive to us and had a great knowledge. First visited Prison Island as it doesn't have that many visitors in the morning.
Prima organizes everything!
Review provided by Viator
Gabriel_k
Oct 4, 2025
Wonderful tour to Stone Town and Prison Island - Have a wonderful tour with Mau the nice driver and Alex the excellent guide, recommend it warmly to anyone.
Review provided by Viator
James_l
Oct 19, 2024
Wonderful experience - Fantastic boat ride and tour guide Mohamed was so knowledgeable and friendly, we really enjoyed our trip around Stone Town and Prison Island. The tortoises and peacocks were fascinating as were the stops around town. I just wish we had more time at each of the major sites. This was a true life-changing experience.
Review provided by Viator
Shangaraivilla
Sep 15, 2024
Memorable Experience!!! - An Incredible and beautifu Island with an incredible culture and historical background. The prison Island and the old building. Make it a Stanning Destination.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brahim_i
Aug 18, 2024
Good experiance - We had a great time in this tour. Prison island was good, it was very nice to see giant turtles. In Stone island part, we can see historical places and Zanzibar streets.
Tour guide Muhammed was very nice and explain very well
Review provided by Viator
Sandra_e
May 23, 2024
Flexible and knowledgeable - The guide Yakop was very knowledgeable and accommodating. My husband had difficulty walking so he quickly changed the tour to accommodate my husband's handicap.
Review provided by Viator
Glen_m
Sep 3, 2023
Everything included in... - Everything included in the trip was amazing experience the package was perfectly put to gether for amazing memories
Review provided by Viator
Annelisse_p
Sep 4, 2025
Interesting history but... - Interesting history but not a whole lot to see on the island besides reading the history and seeing a building but was neat to see the tortoises. Stonetown tour was interesting… would have liked to have gone into freddie mercury museum. Our guide was great and knowledgable but at times was hard to hear and understand.
Review provided by Viator
Ibrahima_j
Dec 20, 2023
Good tour but not great - Overall experience was good a few suggestion and a few comments.
- it is almost a whole day experience, so have a heavy breakfast or plan lunch.
- The spice store is worth it as long as the giant tortoises.
- The tour of Stonetown could be skipped especially if you don’t have a super knowledgeable and energetic guide. This is the reason why we give three stars to the experience or guide was not great.
Review provided by Viator
Gingin2014
Jun 10, 2025
Stone Town - Prison Island - We paid 250€ for two for the visit to Stone Town, the spice market and Prison Island with Dertour. Unfortunately we were very disappointed. Prison Island is not worth visiting because there is not much to see. We imagine a prison, but not at all. Spice market we were only shown a stand. And Stone Town we had to go to a souvenir store that was his guide. Freddy Mercuri Museum only from the outside. So too expensive for everything. Conclusion We took a taxi and we went back to Stone Town and we quietly visited all of us and harmlessly for $120 taxis for two.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
More activities from this operator
