Recently Viewed
Zanzibar History: Explore Stone Town & Nakupenda
4.7
103 Ratings
Stone Town
Explore Stone Town’s rich history, meet giant tortoises on Prison Island, and snorkel in crystal-clear waters at Nakupenda. Enjoy a seafood lunch on a stunning sandbank.
Explore Stone Town’s rich history, meet giant tortoises on Prison Island, and snorkel in crystal-clear waters at Nakupenda. Enjoy a seafood lunch on a stunning sandbank.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Stone Town - This historic district in Zanzibar’s capital is a hub of history and diverse influences, including British, Portuguese, Indian, Omani, and Swahili. It is the only tour that allows exploration of Zanzibar’s Old City, which holds the oldest historical significance in East Africa, as Stone Town was the first town in the region. Visitors…
- Stone Town - This historic district in Zanzibar’s capital is a hub of history and diverse influences, including British, Portuguese, Indian, Omani, and Swahili. It is the only tour that allows exploration of Zanzibar’s Old City, which holds the oldest historical significance in East Africa, as Stone Town was the first town in the region. Visitors can explore historical buildings such as the Old Fort, House of Wonders, Old Dispensary, Freddy Mercury House, and many other fascinating historical sites.
- Prison Island - Changuu Private Island - Known as Prison Island due to its initial use as a prison built in 1893, it later served as a quarantine hospital and is now home to giant tortoises, which were relocated from Stone Town. Enjoy a 30-minute boat ride with views of the Stone Town skyline. Upon arrival, a guide will share the island’s history and introduce the giant tortoises. This intriguing trip also includes a visit to the museum, rich with Zanzibar’s history and culture.
- Nakupenda Beach Nature Reserve - Nakupenda, meaning “I love you” in Swahili, is a stunning sandbank in the Indian Ocean, named for its beauty. Enjoy the clear, crystal waters of the Indian Ocean at this vanishing island, where snorkeling offers a glimpse into Zanzibar’s incredible marine life. The refreshing ocean breeze accompanies a serving of tropical fruits, soft drinks, and a seafood platter, ensuring an unforgettable experience on Zanzibar Island.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Tour guide
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- All Fees and Taxes
- Use of snorkeling equipment
- Private transportation
- Tour guide
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- All Fees and Taxes
- Use of snorkeling equipment
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information
Travelers will explore the historic district, the capital of Zanzibar, known for its rich history and diverse influences, including British, Portuguese, Indian, Omani, and Swahili. This unique tour offers the opportunity to discover the oldest historical area in East Africa, as Stone Town was the first town established in the region.
Following the Stone…
Travelers will explore the historic district, the capital of Zanzibar, known for its rich history and diverse influences, including British, Portuguese, Indian, Omani, and Swahili. This unique tour offers the opportunity to discover the oldest historical area in East Africa, as Stone Town was the first town established in the region.
Following the Stone Town visit, enjoy a 30-minute boat ride with stunning views of the Stone Town skyline. Upon arrival at Prison Island, a guide will share its history and introduce the Giant tortoises. Visitors can also explore a museum filled with the history of Zanzibar Island.
After visiting Prison Island, embark on a boat ride to the breathtaking sandbank known as Nakupenda, which means “I love you” in Swahili. Delight in the clear, crystal waters of the Indian Ocean, with time for snorkeling to experience the incredible marine life of Zanzibar. A delicious seafood platter lunch, along with tropical fruits and soft drinks, will be served.
Location
Stone Town
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(103 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Kerrih207
Apr 30, 2026
Zanzibar Explorer - Was met on time by Harley but had a bit of waiting time at the shore for transport over to prison island , once sorted it was a fabulous day and Harley was very informative and English was excellent . on the sandbank where there was snorkelling available if wanted or just relaxing on the sandbank where a wonderful seafood lunch and fresh fruit was provided with plenty of water and sodas were available and enjoying the water and sun .
The walk around stone town was great and interesting.
Walking through the markets looking at all the produce etc was interesting.
Definitely recommend Harley and Chidi for tour guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Luciahelena_f
Apr 16, 2026
Perfect tour - It is a wonderful tour, especially if the guide is the Sharif who was amazing from beginning to end, in every detail. A combination of must-see places. Super recommend
Review provided by Viator
Henrique_v
Mar 19, 2026
Our guide Abdull Majid... - Our guide Abdull Majid was great, provided all information about customs and about the places visited, even sang with us the traditional music of Tanzania. The tour is great, the highlight being the lunch in Nakupenda, prepared there, with a great variety of seafood. The tour in Stone Town is also imperative, where we could learn more about the history of Zanzibar and the dynamics of the place.
Review provided by Viator
Edith
Mar 1, 2026
Great tour - Amazing guided tour. Everyone was really friendly and helpful
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marvin7100
Feb 24, 2026
Beautiful day - Really beautiful day! Our guide Sultan was very caring from start to finish. She is a very beautiful person, always smiling, cheerful and caring — we felt in good hands all day.
We started with Prison Island: perfect because there were not too many people. We were able to discover the history quietly and enjoy the turtles and peacocks, it was great.
Then head to Nakupenda... and there, just beautiful. Sultan and his team set up an arbor to stay in the shade and prepared us a waaaaw 😍 meal as beautiful as delicious. We had our private table in love with squid, langoustines, octopus and fruit — a real dream moment. The sellers did not bother us: just refuse nicely and they respect.
We didn’t snorkel because we wanted to enjoy the sandbar and the meal. Useful little info: we had some little jellyfish when we put our legs in the water — nothing serious, but a little unpleasant.
Finally, Stone Town... just beautiful. History, alleys, culture, architecture, carved doors, craftsmen... really must see.
Many thanks to Sultan for a perfect day. I recommend without hesitation 👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suzanne
Feb 11, 2026
A great way to learn about the history of Zanzibar - We had a wonderful tour.
Our guide Abdul-Majid was so knowledgeable. He was kind, funny, helpful and was genuinely concerned that we were enjoying ourselves.
Our driver was also very friendly and a very safe driver in the chaos that is found on the roads.
The spice farm tour was full of information from Abdul and the guide at the farm climbed trees to get samples for us to smell. We also were treated to a taste of about 20 different fruits.
The prison island tour starts with a great boat ride across to the island. The sea at the island was beautiful and Crystal clear. We got to meet the giant tortoises there. Again Abdul was full of information for us.
Stone town is full of history and little streets with shops selling everything you can want.
Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Wise Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roving35135410623
Feb 9, 2026
Stonetown Sandbar Proson Island from Cruise Ship - We arrived from a cruise ship and Jacob met us at the gate. Jacob was willing to take it easy and go at our pace. He was always attentive and paused when we requested. He was all about making us happy.
We joined a delightful couple for our boat ride to the sandbar. The lunch was amazing under the tent and they took care to ensure my husband had a nice lunch even though he is allergic to shrimp and lobster!
We were concerned about arriving back on time, but Jacob made sure we were taken care of.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D1246yumarcor
Jan 23, 2026
Day of relaxation - Excellent organization and explanation in Italian. The guide came to pick me up outside the hotel as agreed. Recommended tour. Hearty and good lunch
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roberta_l
Jan 5, 2026
Very nice experience!... - Very nice experience! there is not much to see in prison iland, net of giant turtles! Too bad only for the strong wind that did not allow us to snorkel, otherwise all crazy, both the guide (Sharif) and the "captain" of the boat (private) who cooked an exceptional lunch in Nacupenda! The advice :)
Review provided by Viator
Lynn
Jan 13, 2026
A decent tour that covers some of Zanzibar’s main highlights. - Stone Town was interesting, especially learning about its mix of cultures and long history, and the boat ride offered nice views of the coastline. Prison Island was enjoyable, with a short history overview and a chance to see the giant tortoises. Nakupenda sandbank was nice with clear water. Unfortunately, it was very windy so we couldn’t snorkel as the sea was rough. We were unpleasantly surprised at Nakupenda because the entire sandbank was packed full of tourists (like us). Our guides cooked us a delicious lunch of lobster, shrimp, calamari, fries, and a variety of fresh fruit.
Overall, it was a good experience and a convenient way to see several popular spots in one day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
