Spice, Stone Town and Prison Island Tour: Experience History, Nature, and Local Zanzibar Spices

Immerse yourself in the rich history, vibrant culture, and natural beauty of Zanzibar with our Spice, Stone Town, and Prison Island Tour. Explore aromatic spice farms, wander through the charming streets of Stone Town, and relax on the pristine beaches of Prison Island. Book now!

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) - You will see the place that was used as a prison, you will see an old amphitheater which was used for ladies and without forgetting the tradational handcraft.
  • House of Wonders (Beit-el-Ajaib) - At the House of Wonders, one of Stone Town’s most iconic landmarks, travelers will learn about Zanzibar’s rich history…
What's Included
  • Pick up and drop off from your Hotel (Around stone town only)
  • Professional Tour guide
  • Service Entrance Fees
  • Spice lunch and Drinks
  • Shopping time
What's Not Included
  • Guide tip
  • Expenses of a personal nature
Additional Information

What sets our 3-in-1 Zanzibar tour apart is our commitment to providing a personalized and immersive experience led by passionate local guides who bring the island’s history, culture, and natural beauty to life. Unlike other operators, we keep our groups small to ensure every traveler receives individual attention and the flexibility to explore at their…

Location
Forodhani Park, Zaznzibar
Meeting point is near the house of wonder
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(127 Ratings)
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Hawi_i
Sep 25, 2024
Must try!! - I had such a wonderful day with Ismael on this tour. We started with the spice farm where I learned so much about Zanzibar’s spices and got to eat delicious pilau rice. Ismael was very knowledgeable and explained things very well. We then went on a tour of stone town and learned about the history of the East African slave trade and got to see the markets. Finally ended at prison island and got to spend time with the turtles and other animals on the island. I really appreciate Ismael’s explanations of everything, made my experience 10x better.
Review provided by Viator
Jennacevedo
Sep 10, 2024
Explore Zanzibar with Mady & Ali! - Mady is absolutely the best. If you book this tour, I recommend requesting him. He is knowledgeable, and so personable! Spice Farm Tour Our visit to the spice farm was a delightful sensory experience of both smell and taste. I was greeted by the lush greenery, scents and tastes of various spices. My guide, Mady, was incredibly knowledgeable and made the tour engaging with his insights about vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom (to name a few). I enjoyed a hands-on experience, of smelling & tasting fresh spices and learning about their uses in cooking and traditional medicine. The highlight was the lunch, which was hands-down the best meal I had the entire trip! The tour was educational and fun, suitable for all ages. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. There are fresh, organic spices, tea, coffee, soaps, and oils for sale. Bring plenty of schillings so you do not miss out on the opportunity to take these wonderful spices home! Stone City Walking Tour The Stone City walking tour was a journey through history. Wandering the narrow streets of Stone Town, we marveled at the stunning architecture influenced by Arab, Indian, and European cultures. Mady shared fascinating stories about the island’s rich history, including its role in the spice trade and the slave market. We visited key landmarks like the Old Fort, each with its unique charm and significance. Prisoner Island Tour The Prisoner Island tour was both a historical and natural highlight of our trip. The boat ride to the island was scenic and fun, with beautiful views of the coastline. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the iconic giant tortoises, some over a century old. Feeding them was a memorable experience, and I learned about the conservation efforts in place to protect these remarkable creatures. The island also has a history as a former quarantine station for yellow fever, which added an intriguing layer to the visit. We explored the remains of the old prison. This tour was a great blend of history, nature, and relaxation. The water can be choppy on the way back to the mainland, so take something for motion sickness if you don’t enjoy the ocean. Personally I enjoyed it, however I am a fish in water. I highly recommend these tours to anyone visiting the island! Additionally, Mady was exceptionally accommodating; he was flexible with my schedule and adjusted the pace of the tour to suit my preferences. This made the experience even more enjoyable and personalized. Ali, our driver, set the perfect tone with his music—definitely ask him to put on the DJ Lyta mix for an unforgettable vibe!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kwolannef
Sep 1, 2024
Great Tour as Woman Solo Traveller - My tour started off with Abkar at the spice farm and he was very kind, enthusiastic, and answered my questions with humor and patience. I really appreciated his expertise and thoughtfulness. I continued my tour with Mady in Stone town, and Prison island and he was terrific! He was very knowledgeable about the islands history, and gave me a lot of interesting information during our walking tour. He guided me to nice shops, and was very helpful when talking to locals. I deeply appreciate his well researched knowledge, thoughtful responses, great conversation, patience and professionalism. I could not recommend this guided tour enough, especially as a woman solo travelled I felt very safe and comfortable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ana
Aug 16, 2024
Note 10 - It was a wonderful experience. The Guide presented various information about the history of Zanzibar, was inquisitive throughout the tour. The Spice Farm is a tour delight, all very welcoming.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
215rasheedah
Jun 21, 2024
Bravo. - Bravo. Well done. Thoroughly organized from start to finish. Ten stars with highly quality service and attention. The spice farm was a pleasant surprise with great food and inspiring people. Shadow was very knowledgeable and presented with a great Sprit. We will always remember him. The second half of the tour was awesome. Maddi made us feel comfortable and pushed through the tour despite rain. This is a once in a lifetime experience with great people, Food, culture, and love of Africa. Book now.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marty
Sep 17, 2024
Spice farm tour and prison island and central Zanzibar all day excursion - This was a slightly different tour than the description provided. Ours was done in a different order. First we were picked up on time by a nice driver who took us to the “Jambo Spice Farm”. Very interesting and lovely people run this place. Our guide was a young man who knew his stuff but it was a wee bit difficult to understand him due to his heavy accent. We tasted and saw many varieties of plant life that are spices made for many uses. Then there is a lunch that was excellent!! Of course there were spices for sale! After that we headed back into Spice Town for a boat ride to Prison Island; Home of the oldest Tortoises alive. One was 200 years old. Our Guide Hassan was very informative and friendly. Then back on the boat back to spice town for a walking tour which ended up in the very large public market of Zanzibar. Outrageously large. By that time we’d been sightseeing for close to 8 hours and were getting tired. We were taken back to the area near our hotel. I highly recommend this tour for first time visitors to Zanzibar. You won’t regret it!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaleb_t
Sep 2, 2024
Good tour - I really enjoyed this tour and we got to see a lot. However, my only compliant is that it seemed a little overpriced for what was provided. It was advertised as "9 hours" however the tour didn't start until 9AM and we finished early. Also, two of the sites--People's Palace Museum and House of Wonders--are currently permanently closed (which is NOT mentioned in the itinerary provided), so you can only view the dilapidated exteriors of this sites. However, our guide did take me to Darajani Market instead, which was one of the highlights of the tour. Overall, good tour but overpriced for what I paid as a solo tourist.
Review provided by Viator
490kalebt
Sep 2, 2024
Good tour, slightly overpriced for solo traveler - Good tour but I felt like it was slightly overpriced for a solo traveler. Two of the main attractions--House of Wonders & People's Palace Museum--were advertised as "admission included"; however, these sites are currently permanently closed because the buildings are dilapidated. We did visit the Darajani Market instead which was a highlight. Also, the tour started a little late and ended a little early even though it was advertised as 9 hours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scott_b
Aug 13, 2024
Not as advertised - When booking the tour months ago., Viator advertised it as “reserve now - credit card will be charged 24 hours before tour commences”. In actuality, Viator charged the credit card at the time of booking. Between the time of booking and the actual tour, Viator “amended” the tour, but did not give specifics as to what was “amended”. On the date the tour, two of the included attractions for which entry tickets were originally included were closed. No credit given. When the tour was booked, the tour included entry tickets to the Freddie Mercury Museum. On the date of the tour, we had to pay the entry fee ($16 USD for two tickets). No credit given. Tour was led by Mady. A trainee guide also participated. When the trainee guide attempted to lead a portion of the tour, Mady had to take over because of the trainee’s lack of knowledge and proper English. Mady ended his tour leadership at the beach where we were led by the trainee and boarded the boat (which was not outfitted with life jackets) to cross the open Indian Ocean (where both large ships and speedy boats did cause sizable waves in relation to the size of our boat) to Prison Island. Trainee, yet again, demonstrated lack of knowledge and proper English. Mady was at the beach when we returned. Mady asked how we enjoyed the tour of Prison Island. We shared it did not go well and that the trainee needed more training. Mady told the trainee, then and there in front of us, what we said. We tipped Mady $40 USD on top of $280 USD we paid. Mady barely acknowledged the tip and did not look us in the eye when he accepted it. The tour was advertised as pick-up and drop off at same location (our hotel). Mady attempted to get us to walk back to our hotel from the beach market unaccompanied. We told Mady that was unacceptable. Finally, the trainee did accompany us back to our hotel. Lunch at the Spice Farm included a very small piece of cooked/cold/breaded fish, a very small piece of cooked/cold/bony chicken and lots of carbs and vegetables. Be mindful that everyone (tour leader, trainee, taxi driver, spice farm guide, space farm dessert preparer, etc.) is looking for a tip which we paid. The Spice Farm was the most interesting.
Review provided by Viator
Bradsimsbury
Aug 2, 2024
Tour not Safe don’t go - The land portion of this tour was quite good. The guides were knowledgeable and engaged. The problem is the last part of the tour is a boat ride to the Prison Island . We got into a small 17 foot skiff with the title Mr. Cheaper and I assumed it was going to ferry us to a larger boat for the 5 mile journey to the Prison Island across open ocean. Instead the skiff ( think large aluminum canoe) took off for the island directly and it was too late to turn them around. I am a Licensed Sailing Captain and know the boat safety rules well. This skiff had ONE life jacket for seven people. The boat was totally open with no storage .I doubt the skipper ( a kid) was licensed and there was no safety equipment what so ever on board. On the way back we hit 3 foot waves and we were all drenched by the time we reached the dock . Had the boat hit a wave wrong it could have easily flipped and sunk. No life jackets were available.This service would have been closed down by the Coast Guard in the US. In the US all participants would have been required to wear life jackets. I asked the Guide if this was normal not to have life jackets and he said yes- sheepishly. I expect Expedia to require its tour operators to meet basic safety standards and frankly they are ask risk legally if they don’t. I have been on dozens of boat tours around the world through Expedia and always check for their safety procedures which although often not as rigid as US Coats Guard are still acceptable. This operation was not. It’s not worth risking your life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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November 2024
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