Overview

Enjoy your private tour in Stone Town, a city of prominent historical and artistic importance in East Africa. Its architecture, mostly dating back to the 19th century, reflects the diverse influences underlying Swahili culture, giving a unique mixture of Arab, Persian, Indian and European elements. For this reason, the town was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Start by exploring the Old Slave Market site and Anglican Church, before strolling through the narrow streets towards the City Market. Marvel at the fresh products and fruits and watch how locals buy and sell anything here. Observe the hustle and bustle of the fish auction. After this, take a sightseeing tour of the main buildings in Stone Town including the Palace Museum and the House of Wonder, which is the largest and tallest building in the town, also known as Bait-al-ajab. Continue on to see the Old Fort, Tippu Tip, and of course, the most famous, Freddie Mercury’s House. Also visit the Peace Memorial and Natural History Museum, amongst other attractions.

Next, learn about one of the main industries in the region: spices. Discover how the islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. For this reason, the Zanzibar Archipelago, together with Tanzania’s Mafia Island, is sometimes called the “Spice Islands”. There are many spice farms in Zanzibar and for the next portion of the tour, you will visit a real organic spice farm.

When you arrive, the spice farm guide will explain how the spices are farmed and utilized for medicine and flavoring in meals. Spices include vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg, and many others. It will be possible to touch, smell, and taste spices and herbs straight from the plants. Later, take advantage of the opportunity to help pick cassava leaves, produce coconut milk, and learn cooking. Furthermore, a coconut tree climber will gather some fresh young coconut fruits for you to sample. Finish the journey with lunch at the spice farm and the opportunity to buy spices from the shop.

Highlights

• Explore the popular sights in Stone Town like the Palace Museum and Old Fort
• Taste fresh coconuts harvested straight from the tree
• Visit a local food market and observe the live fish auctions
• Take a picture near Freddie’s Mercury’s House