Cost per person (minimum 2) all tours originate from Stonetown, prices for other locations available on request. Single supplement 50%
Combine 2 tours on the same day & get a 10% reduction
Stonetown on Foot – 3hrs
This half-day guided tour includes: Town Market, Slave Market, National Museum of Zanzibar, High Court Building, Slave Chambers, Old German Consulate, Africa House (former English Club) Tip-Tip House, Kelele Square, Old British Consulate, Orphanage Home, Arab Old Fort, Forodhani Gardens, House of Wonders, Sultan Palace (now a Museum), Custom House, Old Dispensary, Old Harbour, Livingstone House, and Maruhubi Palace (Ruins).
The three-hour guided tour begins and ends at your hotel, with a combination of walking and driving in the historic Stone Town - so named for the many buildings built from local coral stone. The first stop is the city market (opened 1904). Here you will be able to see and buy and buy tropical fruits and spices. You will also feel the pulse of Zanzibar and hear different dialects being spoken by the people at the market. From there we proceed to the Anglican Church of Christ, built by Bishop Steers in 1874 on the site of the old slave market. You will see the tiny and dingy rooms where the slaves were kept.
You will then be driven or walk (optional) to National Museum of Zanzibar (opened 1925) to see many interesting relics from the time of the Sultans and the early Explorers. Then a drive along the beach road up to Forodhani Gardens where you will see the Old British Consulate (the house where the body of late Dr. Livingstone was kept and later sent to Britain), the Arab Fort (1700), The House of Wonders (built in 1883). Afterwards, take a leisurely walk through the narrow streets of the old part of Zanzibar town where most of the houses date back to more than one hundred and fifty years. In this part of town you will find a lot of exotic small bazaars and curio shops. Finally, you will be taken to Maruhubi Palace Ruins (1880) via Livingstone House (1866).
USD 32 p.p (includes local guide, entrance fees & transport)
Spice Farm – 3hrs
Without a guide, you'll never find nutmeg sitting on the forest floor or think to peel the bark off of a cinnamon tree but these are some of the fun things to do on a Spice tour. Almost like a big Easter egg hunt, visitors go from plantation to plantation and from plant to plant trying to find the spice within. A guide may use a knife to carve off a root or branch or bark and then ask you to smell or taste it to guess what it is. Nutmeg grows on a tree and is sort of the pit of an apple-like looking fruit. The nutmeg trees are huge and the under-forest is dark. Vanilla is a vine that grows on large trees , Cinnamon leaves are good for chewing and pepper is hot, green and fresh-tasting before it is dried and ground to become black pepper. The guides may offer you a green coconut while you're on the tour and they're very good. Green coconuts don't have sweet milk—it's more like subtly flavoured water—and the meat is delicious. All along the tour there are kiosks where tourists can buy packaged spices including the following: turmeric, tandoori, vanilla beans and extract, masala, hot chillies, black pepper ground or whole, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks or powder, and many others. The four hour guided tour begins and ends at your hotel. You travel by air conditioned vehicles to Kidichi via Kibweni Palace (Sultan Rest House) to view the Persian Baths built in 1850 by Seyyid Said bin Sultan (first Sultan of Zanzibar) for his wife Princess Shehrzard - granddaughter of Fateh Ali Shah of Persia. The Sultan owned many of the plantations in this area and the baths were constructed so that the royal personages could refresh themselves during visits to the plantations. The bathing and toilet facilities are still standing, with stucco plasterwork of peacock, clove and lotus flower symbols, typical of the Persian style. The underground furnace which maintained the supply of hot water can also be seen, but the rest-house that was once also on the site has disappeared altogether. Continuing to Kizimbani you visit the Spice Farms where you also find a variety of tropical fruits (jackfruit, breadfruit, pineapples, bananas, and coconuts) as well as other rare plants such as henna bush, the perfume tree and lipstick tree. Juice and mineral water is provided during the trip which ends up back at your hotel
USD 32 p.p (includes local guide, entrance fees & transport)
Giant Tortoises ( Prison Island) – 3hrs
Originally owned by an Arab who detained unruly slaves on it, In 1873, after the abolition of slavery the island was bought by General Lloyd Mathews, commander of the Sultan's army, who built a house here, followed by the Prison in 1893.The ruins of the prison (it was never used) still stand, but despite its name the small island is an attractive place, with fine beaches, pleasant woodland walks and a small restaurant. The woodland is inhabited by tiny suni antelopes, as well as variety of birds - including introduced peafowl. The animal which arouses most interest, however, is the giant land tortoise, originally from Aldabra. There are about 50 of these huge reptiles, which hiss like snakes when threatened but which are harmless.
A path leads right round the island (about an hour's easy stroll), also passing some old pits where coral has been dug out to make building stone. This half day guided tour begins and ends at your hotel and includes transfers by boat to and from this historical Island
USD 57 p.p (includes private guide, entrance fees & boat hire)
Dolphin Spotting – 4hrs
Situated on the southern point of the island, Kizimkazi fishing village is home to several schools of bottle-nosed dolphins and Humpback dolphins, which can often be sighted following a short boat trip from the village. If you are lucky, you may be able to swim quite close to the dolphins, which can be a very rewarding experience. It can be quite tiring for those who are not experienced swimmers. We are doing this trip in the afternoon to avoid the crowds of tourists in the morning, when the large numbers unfortunately disturb the dolphins. Kizimkazi is also the site of a 12th century mosque, the earliest evidence of Islam in East Africa, and is thus worth a visit for both natural and cultural reasons.
The trip includes transport, guide, boat, snorkelling equipment (excluding flippers) and lunch.
USD 94 p.p (includes private guide, entrance fees, transport & boat hire)
Red Colobus Monkeys – 3hrs
This guided tour of three hours takes you to Jozani Forest, one of the few remnants of the Tropical Rain Forest which once stretched the breadth of Africa from West to East. The trip starts by road and then you walk through the unique vegetation of this tropical rain forest. This tour consists of 3 sections: The lush Forest , the Mangrove passage & the home of the Colobus Monkeys. The smaller trees and shrubs make several sub-canopies under the highest canopy. Your guide will explain some of the flora and fauna during the walk through the nature trail of the forest which is a habitat for many species of animals and is famous for its rare Red Colobus Monkeys which you will see up close.
USD 57 p.p (includes local guide, entrance fees & transport)
Dhow Sunset Cruise – 2hrs
“The light of the colored hanging lanterns in the boat, together with the glittering starts above, cast a magic brightness
over the sea, and the oarsman pulled away, keeping time by the tune of a melancholy Arab song” Salme, Princess of Zanzibar and Oman
Retake the journey of Princess Salme in a traditional Arabian Dhow
Set sail from Stone Town towards the ruins of the Mtoni Palace while the sun sinks into the ocean painting the town with its pastel colors. Price includes Mineral water, Soft drinks local Beers and House wine
USD 44 p.p (includes drinks & snacks)
Swahili Breeze - full day
Swahili Breeze operates on Tuesday & Friday and begins at 09.30 from Kelele square (outside Serena Inn) with a walking tour called “authentic Stone Town” - this is quite different to a city tour as we do not visit any museums, or enter the House of Wonders, the Anglican cathedral or the market. Discover the house which is home to 42 different families, learn about the famous Zanzibari doors and what lies behind them, marvel at the architecture, listen to the local gossip, and take a history lesson and much more.
It is possible to miss out the Authentic Stone Town walking tour and hop on board the dhow at 11.00 when the walking tour finishes.
Traditional wooden dhows equipped with sunshade, life jackets and cold drinks cruises only 30mins from Stone Town to Nyange sandbank which is both beautiful and private. Conveniently, it is also close to an excellent reef which is ideal for snorkelers as the coral is in good condition and there are plenty of fish.
Swahili Breeze crew will guide you and of course, supply all the good quality equipment.
The beach at Nyange is perfect for swimming and there is plenty to entertain those who prefer not to snorkel. On the sandbank to provide shade, we have a sultan style tents with elegant furnishings. The crew serves a selection of beverages and delicious snacks before lunch which consists of grilled fish kebabs, Marinated beef kebabs, Zanzibar Urojo soup, cassava chips, coconut chutney, Mini sembe cakes, Barbecued bananas topped with ginger honey and vanilla ice cream, Coffee and Amarula liqueur.
On the sandbank and on the boat, a selection of sodas, mineral water, juice, iced tea and beer are available at no extra cost.
At around 15.30 we set sail and return to stone town at about 16.00, so there is still time for shopping.
Suitable shoes are advisable for walking around town and boarding the dhow as well as swim suits as undergarments for boarding the beach. Bring your beach towel !
USD 75 p.p. (Includes Stonetown Tour, guided snorkeling, dhow cruise, lunch & drinks)
Safari Blue – full day
This full day guided excursion begins at 09.00 when you are picked up from the hotel and transferred by minibus to the fishing village of Fumba, 18 kilometers away. Here you be given a safety demonstration followed by a briefing on the days excursion. You will then board the dhows and set off towards the sand bank. You may be lucky to spot dolphins on the way, the species frequently found at Menai bay are Spinner and Bottlenose.
Once at the sandbank, you will have the opportunity to snorkel while accompanied by a snorkeling guide to show points of interest and to assist beginners. Snorkeling equipment will be provided. Fresh fruit & coconuts will be served to refresh you after your magnificent snorkeling experience.
You will then move on to secluded island for lunch. Lunch is a traditional Zanzibari meal and typically includes a selection of barbecued fish, rice, lentils and fish curry. After lunch you will be served a selection of local fruits & your guide will explain them to you. Chilled fresh fruit juice, mineral water and bottled soft drinks are available throughout the day. You will spend the remainder of the afternoon relaxing, swimming or snorkeling. Return to Fumba by sail, if wind permits, setting off around 16.00 hours. The journey takes approximately one hour. You will be transferred back to the hotel.
USD 75 p.p ( Guided snorkeling, dhow cruise, lunch & drinks )
Princess Salme Tour
We start our tour at the birthplace of princess Salme; Mtoni Palace Ruins. Here we make a conservation tour around the Persian baths and the main palace.
From Princess Salme’s birthplace we enjoy a 20 minute boat ride to Bububu where we are introduced to a traditional coffee ceremony with Kashata, Halua and dates next to a beautiful Omani house which once belonged to the nephew of Sultan Said (Salme’s father). Here it is said that Salme rested on her way to her Kizimbani plantations. We take a stroll around the lush gardens and the impressive ruins. (Please note that this house is now a private hotel and not accessible if guests are staying)
After our coffee ceremony, we travel from Bububu to Kidichi by Donkey Cart like Princess Salme used to. We visit the spice area to go on a small spice tour at Mzee Yussuf’s plantation. On this plantation stands a beautiful old rest house which used to belong to Sultan Majid (Salme’s brother) who later sold it to Mzee Yussuf’s great-grandfather.
Mzee Yussuf’s wife will prepare traditional Pilau, fish masala, roast of meat, stewed bananas, kachumbari salad, several vegetarian dishes, an array of fruits, fresh fruit juice and spice tea. This special lunch is taken amidst of the spice plantations overlooking the Indian Ocean and even Stone Town (Highest point in Zanzibar!!).
After lunch we visit the impressive Persian baths in Kidichi which were built for Sultan Said’s second wife Sheherazade, who was the daughter of the Persian Shah. We now head back to Mtoni Marine by minibus enjoying the sights of Kidichi. (Detailed explanation of the above and Mtoni Ruins Info available on request)
USD 75 p.p. ex Mtoni Marine ( Boat ride , lunch, local guide & transfers )
USD 5.00 from each booking will be donated to the Mtoni Palace conservation project!!
Stonetown Evening Walk
This two hour guided walk includes return transfers from your hotel and takes you on a leisurely walk through the narrow streets of the Stone Town. Here, you mingle with almost every eastern race in their diverse attire shopping at the many small and exotic bazaars. A good view of the Sunset is to be found from the balcony of the Africa House Hotel - formerly The English Club and currently under renovation. Muaadhin, calling of the prayers will be heard from the loudspeakers of more than 50 Mosques (unpretentious by comparison with the minarets and domed places of worship in other Muslim countries) The walk concludes with a visit to the Forodhani Gardens via the House of Wonders and the Palace Museum. Here you may dine "al fresco" from the numerous food stalls whilst observing the colorful diversity of Zanzibari culture.
USD 30 p.p (Includes local guide and transfers)
Mangwapani - half day
This half day guided tour includes transfers from your hotel to Mangwapani and return. Shuttle departs at 10am from Serena Inn and returns 17h00. ” Arab Shore" was an important transit point on the miserable journey of the captured slaves on their way to be sold in the outside world and, even after the official abolition of slavery in 1873, the chambers were used as a place of concealment of the human cargo pending their disposal. The Slave Chambers start from a cave and extend to the seaside 2 kilometers away.
Today the area is peaceful and surrounded by varieties of indigenous trees such as breadfruit, Ramboutants and scented shrubs.
Lunch is served at Serena's Mangwapani Beach Restaurant and the afternoon is free to enjoy the secluded beach.
USD 70 p.p (Includes local guide, lunch and transfers)
