Prison Island Tour & Stone Town Tour

Spice Discovery and Colonial Charm: Immerse Yourself in Zanzibar's Fragrant Past

Take off on a day trip to the picturesque and secluded Prison Island on this tour from Stone Town, Zanzibar. This small island is just 3.5 miles (6 km) from Stone Town, and was the site of a prison complex built in the late 1800s during British colonial rule. The prison was never used, and the island is now home to a tortoise sanctuary. From Stone Town, take the 20-minute ride northwest to arrive at Prison Island. Once there, enjoy some great snorkeling before seeing the island’s tortoises up close.

If you are feeling active, feel free to explore one of the hiking trails, or go for a refreshing swim in the warm and crystal clear waters. Soak up some of the tropical sun on the white sandy beach and enjoy this secluded spot before taking the boat back to Stone Town for lunch before exploring the narrow alleys and winding streets of stone town on this historic look at Zanzibar’s oldest neighborhood. Check out spice bazaars and palaces, see where Rock Legend Freddie Mercury was raised, and pay a visit to a 19th-Century church built atop the site of a former slave market.

Named because of its prevalent use of coral as a building material, Zanzibar’s Stone Town is filled with dense roadways too small for most modern cars. Explore the area by foot with your guide, starting at the House of Wonders. Built as a palace for the second Sultan of Zanzibar, this modern-looking residence was the first building in Zanzibar to have electricity and then continued on to uncover the hidden treasures elsewhere in stone Town.