Stone Town and Spice Farm
The UNESCO old town and a working spice plantation
- Location Stone Town and the spice farms, Unguja
- Duration Full day, approximately 7 hours
- Tour type Private or shared
- Availability Daily
Price on request Send the form and we reply with a firm quote, usually within a few hours.
Overview
One of our most requested full-day combinations, and a good introduction to what makes Zanzibar different from any other beach destination.
The morning covers Stone Town on foot with your own guide: Darajani market, the former slave market, the Old Fort, and the seafront views of the House of Wonders and the Sultan’s Palace. Your guide fills in the people behind the buildings, from Princess Salme to Farrokh Bulsara, and helps you bargain in the craft and souvenir shops tucked into the narrow lanes.
After a morning of history the afternoon explains the island’s other name. A short drive from Stone Town brings you to the spice farms, where pepper, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric grow alongside tropical fruit. This is a walking tour on a working farm: your guide pulls, scrapes and splits the plants as you go, so you smell each spice before you are told what it is.
You finish knowing how the spices you have been eating all week are grown, used in local medicine and used in ceremony, and usually with a bag of them bought at farm prices.
Highlights
- Guided walk through the UNESCO old town
- Darajani market, the Old Fort and the former slave market
- Help bargaining in the craft and souvenir shops
- Walk a working spice farm with a farming family
- Smell and taste cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom
- Seasonal tropical fruit tasting
Itinerary
- 08:30
Hotel pickup
Collection and transfer to Stone Town.
- 09:30
Stone Town walking tour
Darajani market, the former slave market, the Old Fort and the seafront, with the stories behind them.
- 12:00
Craft shops and lunch break
Time in the souvenir shops with your guide, and a break for lunch.
- 13:30
Spice farm walk
Drive to the plantation for a two-hour walk through the crops, smelling and tasting as you go.
- 15:30
Fruit tasting and farm shop
Seasonal fruit, a coconut climbing demonstration and time at the farm shop.
- 16:00
Return transfer
Drive back to your hotel.
What is included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- All entrance fees and taxes
- Spice and fruit tasting
- Bottled water
Not included
- Lunch and drinks, where not listed as included
- Personal shopping and souvenirs
- Gratuities for your guide and driver
- Travel insurance
- Anything not named under what is included
- Spices bought at the farm shop
Pickup and meeting point
Pickup time: Around 08:30.
Meeting point: Hotel reception.
We collect from these areas:
- Stone Town
- Zanzibar City
- Maungani
- Nungwi
- Kendwa
- Matemwe
- Kiwengwa
- Pwani Mchangani
- Uroa
- Pongwe
- Chwaka
- Michamvi
- Paje
- Jambiani
- Makunduchi
- Kizimkazi
- Fumba
- Mangapwani
What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sun cream, hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Small notes in Tanzanian shillings or US dollars
- Camera
- Clothing covering shoulders and knees for Stone Town
- Insect repellent for the farm
Important information
- A traditional Zanzibari lunch on the spice farm is available as an extra.
- Farm paths are earth and grass, so closed shoes work better than sandals.
- Which spices and fruits are ripe depends on the season.
- Modest clothing is appreciated in Stone Town.
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
Is lunch included?
Not by default. A traditional lunch on the spice farm is available as an extra, and your guide will also suggest options in Stone Town.
How much walking is there?
Around two hours in Stone Town and two on the farm, both at an easy pace with regular stops.
Are we able to buy spices?
Yes, at the farm shop, at farm prices. Bring small notes.
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