Stone Town& Spices

TypeCulture

DurationFull day

Pick-up09:00

Back23:00

Zanzibar has been called the Spice Island for two centuries, and Stone Town has been its heart for even longer. This day brings the two together: the morning among the plants that made the island rich, the afternoon in the alleys of the old town, the evening on a rooftop as the sun sets over the harbour.

Everything is private: your own driver for the whole day, a farmer who walks you through the plantation, an official guide who knows every corner of the old town and tables booked for sunset and dinner. You decide the pace; we take care of the rest.

It is a long day, best enjoyed with comfortable shoes, light clothes that cover shoulders and knees, and a little cash for the markets.

It is the most complete way to understand Zanzibar in a single day, and a favourite of families with older children, couples and anyone curious about history, food and culture.

10+spices to see, smell and taste

2 hwalking with an official guide

Onesunset over the old town

14 hof Zanzibar, door to door

Morning · The spice farm

Where the island
got its name.

Cloves arrived in Zanzibar in the early nineteenth century, under the Omani sultans, and within a few decades the island became the world’s main producer. Plantations of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper turned Zanzibar into one of the richest trading posts of the Indian Ocean.

On the farm a local guide leads you along shaded paths and lets you discover each plant with your hands and nose: you scratch the bark of the cinnamon tree, open a nutmeg to find the red mace wrapped around the seed, rub the leaves of lemongrass and paint your cheeks with the seeds of the lipstick tree.

At the end a coconut climber sings while he climbs the palm barefoot, and you taste fresh coconut water, tropical fruit and spiced tea.

You will never look at a cinnamon stick the same way again.

Afternoon · Stone Town

A town built
by the monsoon.

For centuries the monsoon winds brought dhows from Arabia, Persia and India to this harbour, and each of them left something behind. The result is Stone Town, Mji Mkongwe in Swahili, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000: coral-stone houses, mosques, Hindu temples, churches and bazaars squeezed into a maze of alleys too narrow for cars.

With an official guide you walk past the Old Fort, built by the Omanis at the end of the seventeenth century, the seafront with the House of Wonders, the palace that was the first building in East Africa with electric light, and the Anglican Cathedral, raised on the site of the last open slave market of East Africa, closed in 1873. It is a moving stop, told with care.

In between there is time for the noisy Darajani market, for a cup of strong Swahili coffee from a street vendor and for the house where Freddie Mercury lived as a boy, now a small museum.

Every corner hides a carved door, a smell of spices or a story.

Evening · Sunset and dinner

The best seat
for the sunset.

As the light turns golden you climb to the rooftop of Upendo, a boutique hotel with a pool overlooking the old town. From here you see the minarets, the cathedral spire and the dhows sailing home, while the sun disappears into the sea.

Dinner is a few steps away, at the Park Hyatt beach club on the seafront, with your feet almost in the water. Then your driver takes you back to the villa, under the stars.

On the farm

Ten scents
to discover.

Hover or tap a spice to bring out its colour. On the farm you will see, touch and taste every one of them.

ClovesThe flower buds that made Zanzibar famous, picked by hand and dried in the sun.

Nutmeg & maceOne fruit, two spices: the seed and its bright red lace.

CinnamonThe inner bark of the tree, rolled into sticks as it dries.

VanillaAn orchid that has to be pollinated by hand, one flower at a time.

Black pepperGreen berries on a climbing vine, black only after drying.

CardamomSmall green pods with an intense, fresh perfume.

TurmericA root that colours everything it touches bright yellow.

GingerThe root behind Zanzibar’s famous spiced tea.

LemongrassRub a leaf between your fingers and smell the citrus.

Lipstick treeIts seeds give a red dye once used as make-up.

Stone Town

Look up,
look at the doors.

Stone Town has hundreds of carved wooden doors, and each one tells something about the family behind it. The rectangular Arabic doors have a carved frame and an inscription from the Koran; the Indian ones have a rounded top and big brass studs, said to come from India, where they protected doors from elephants. Your guide will show you the most beautiful ones.

The day

Hour
by hour.

09:00

Private pick-up

Your driver collects you at the villa.

1 hour

Private spice farm tour

See, smell and taste cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric and coffee where they grow. A coconut climber sings local songs while picking coconuts from the top of the palm, and the spice table is the place for unique gifts to take home.

2 hours

Stone Town with an official guide

Mji Mkongwe, the “ancient town”, is a maze of narrow streets, carved Arabic and Indian doors, colourful markets and antique shops. You see the House of Wonders, the Old Fort, the Anglican Cathedral built on the site of the old slave market, and stop for a local coffee or ginger tea.

Optional

Freddie Mercury Museum

The museum is housed in the family home where Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, lived in Zanzibar before his family left for England in 1963.

Free time

Shopping in the old town

Wander the typical shops, with the chance to buy Tanzanite, one of the rarest gems in the world.

Sunset

Aperitif at Upendo

Cocktails on the rooftop of the Upendo boutique hotel, with the sun setting over the whole town.

Dinner

Park Hyatt beach club

Dinner in front of the Indian Ocean.

23:00

Back at the villa

Practical tips

Before
you go.

What to wear

Light clothes that cover shoulders and knees, out of respect for the local culture in the old town.

Shoes

Comfortable, closed shoes: the alleys are paved with stone and the farm paths can be muddy after rain.

Cash

Some shillings or small dollar notes for the markets, a coffee on the street or a gift from the spice table.

Photos

Stone Town is very photogenic, but always ask before photographing people.

Children

Children love the farm and the coconut climber; we can shorten the walk in town for the little ones.

Fridays

Some shops close around midday prayers on Friday; we plan the route around it.

Included

What’s in

Private driver for the whole day
Private spice farm tour
Official Stone Town guide (about 2 hours)
Table bookings at Upendo and the Park Hyatt

Good to know

Your day, your pace

Times are indicative and can be adjusted. Tell us if you are travelling with children, if you have food preferences or if you would like to add a stop: we tailor every day to you.

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