Top 7 culturally immersive things to do in Stone Town

In 2000, Stone Town in Zanzibar was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not surprising. There simply isn't anywhere else in the world even remotely similar to it.

When you look at a map of East Africa, you can see that Zanzibar sits in relative proximity to both Oman and India. It's also easy to reach because it lies in the path of monsoonal winds.

For these reasons, Stone Town became a powerhouse port in nineteenth century Indian Ocean trade. And all of those maritime comings and goings in turn led to the development of a society that's a unique mix of African, Arab, Indian and European DNA and influences.

You can see and experience Stone Town's trademark blend of cultures everywhere, from its food to its architecture and everything in between. But how can you get to know Stone Town in the most authentic way possible?

Here's our pick of the best things to do in Stone Town to enjoy a culturally immersive experience that will elevate your visit to this storied city above the hackneyed hunt for trophy photos.

In the centre of Stone Town is an open-air courtyard where four alleys converge and there are murals of the massive shark from the Spielberg movie Jaws. Thus dubbed Jaws Corner, this is where many locals meet in the mornings to sit on shaded steps and enjoy cups of black coffee and chitchat. (You might say all of that talking actually lends a double meaning to the name Jaws Corner.)

For a truly immersive cultural experience, why not ask to drink your coffee alongside some locals and listen to their thoughts or stories, if they're willing to share? Naturally, having learned a few words and phrases of Swahili beforehand will help immensely with initiating a friendly exchange.

If you're more of an introvert, simply find a spot to park your posterior and absorb the atmosphere and view. No cars are allowed here, so you can enjoy some fume-less people-watching, from passing pedestrians and bicyclists to your fellow caffeine fans. There's also the weathered facades of the courtyard's historic buildings to appreciate.

Speaking of Zanzibari architecture ...

Pointed arches are part of the Arabic legacy in Stone Town

Stone Town is a delight for anyone who appreciates beautiful old buildings. And that's all of us, right?

Most Zanzibaris get about the city on foot, so we encourage you to do likewise. Moreover, many alleyways and courtyards don't admit vehicles, so you need to walk to visit the quieter corners of the city.

During your walk you'll see an array of beautiful old buildings, some restored, others crumbling and peeling and not hiding their age. These buildings are full of interesting architectural details that point to the city's unique melding of African, European, Arab and Indian influences. For instance, the pointed arches above many windows come from the Arab culture.

By far the most popular architectural detail of Stone Town, however, is its famous wooden doors. These are ubiquitous. While they vary greatly, they're also of a piece, so to speak. You can expect doors that are thick, dark and sturdy. And they're often in better condition than the buildings in which they're embedded because their craftsmen used durable hardwoods like teak or mahogany.

The doors also often sport brass studs and knockers, and have detailed carvings, particularly on their frames and transoms. They were used to advertise the status and culture of the house's inhabitants; the more elaborate the carvings, the wealthier the inhabitants, for instance.

Stone Town's wooden doors are incredibly beautiful works of art and they make for a fun sort of treasure hunt. Happily, Stone Town is pretty compact, so you can walk around and see most of it (and its doors) within a morning. That timeframe does, of course, depend on how often you stop to admire the different architectural details, and also how many cool shop interiors you decide to duck into.

And yes, that's our segue to talk now about shopping ...

Colourful kangas and kitenges on sale in an alley

Attending a daylong (or even multiday) workshop where you're taught a traditional handicraft is a fantastic way to learn about Stone Town's cultural heritage.

You could, for instance, learn how to do glass painting in the Zanzibari style, which has Arabic, Indian and European influences. Or you might like to head to a woodcarving shop to see how Zanzibar's famous wooden doors and bed frames are made. You could even attend a boat-making workshop to learn how traditional dhows are constructed.

Other handicraft workshops on offer include mat and fabric knotting, basketmaking, painting and pottery.

If you don't want to learn a new skill but are keen to buy souvenirs that support local artisans, you should try to avoid the big tourist hotspots. These sites usually sell cheap and imported goods.

Look instead for small independent shops. You might also like to wander around Darajani Market, Shanga Street and Gizenga Street, known for their artisanal wares like jewellery and handwoven textiles. Mtoni Palace also has shops selling authentic Zanzibari crafts. And Memories of Zanzibar is a well-known shop offering a range of locally made crafts like spice boxes and hand-carved wooden bowls.

Often a shop or stall owner is the craftsperson behind their goods, so we encourage you to ask questions about any items you like. What artist (who also hopes to make a sale) isn't keen to talk about their work? Asking questions will also help you to learn something about the skills involved in the crafting process. We usually value things more when we understand the time and effort that went into making them.

Finally, just a quick safety note: please be aware that there are pickpockets in Stone Town. You should always keep your money and any other valuables carefully tucked away.

The Anglican Cathedral and slave pit memorial

You can't properly understand the history of Stone Town without engaging with the unsettling topic of its past slave trade.

Zanzibar had one of the largest slave trades in the world. In fact, for centuries the sale of slaves was one of the Sultanate of Zanzibar's three top sources of income, along with cloves and ivory.

Stone Town was the most notorious of the archipelago's slave trading posts. For roughly a millennia, slaves were brought here from the continent to be sold on to the Arab market.

Zanzibar ended up being the last open slave market in the world, closing only in 1873. (The trade did, however, continue in other less easily observable quarters of the archipelago, most notably on the neighbouring island of Pemba.)

We recommend going on a guided tour to learn the full story of the Zanzibari slave trade and better understand its present-day legacy.

On this tour, your guide will take you to the cellar that was the holding cell for slaves, as well as the haunting slave market memorial in what are now the grounds of the Christ Church Cathedral. The memorial shows life-sized statues of slaves standing chained together in a pit, just as the flesh-and-blood humans were once exhibited during the trade's heyday.

Finally, you'll also be taken into the cathedral, which was built between 1873 and 1883 to mark the end of the slave trade. Its altar was constructed on the site of the old whipping post, and the red stones surrounding it are symbolic of all the blood that flowed there.

Known as kahawa (the Swahili word for coffee), the coffee ceremony of Zanzibaris is a social ritual which visitors can enjoy for a literal taste of local culture.

A key component of the Zanzibari coffee ceremony (as elsewhere in the Arab world) is its social side. Yes, you can go to a café where a semblance of the coffee ceremony is enacted for the sake of tourists. Yet it's better, in our opinion, to ask your tour operator to organise a visit to someone's home where you can take part in a truly traditional coffee ceremony. In this way, you'll be able to see and join in the whole ceremony. That said, some establishments, like Jafferji House, also offer guests the chance to engage with the entire ceremony.

So, what does a Zanzibari coffee ceremony entail? Well, it starts with the roasting of fresh coffee beans in a small pan over a charcoal stove. The roasted beans are then ground in the traditional manner, which means someone works on their arm muscles by using a wooden pestle and mortar. The ground beans are then brewed in boiling water. Sometimes a touch of cardamom or cinnamon is added for extra flavour.

Once ready to serve, Zanzibari coffee is usually poured from a height (to create some froth) into small, handle-less porcelain cups. Locals tend to drink it without sugar. Enjoying chitchat both during the coffee-making process and while enjoying the freshly made brew is truly taking part in local tradition.

The House (or Palace) of Wonders

The historic buildings, streets and monuments of Stone Town have many compelling stories to tell. But you won't hear them unless you're accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide. So one of the best things to do in Stone Town is to go on a guided history tour.

Stone Town was only established in the early 1800s. (Though we do want to note that there was previously a fishing village on the site.) That's not terribly old. Yet the layers of multicultural history represented by the promenade buildings alone are quite astonishing.

There's the House of Wonders Museum, for instance. This is the largest and tallest building in Stone Town, and overlooks Forodhani Gardens and the promenade. It was built in 1883 for the second sultan of Zanzibar, and earned its moniker because it was the first building in Zanzibar to have electricity, and the first in all of East Africa to have an elevator! It also introduced a new style of architecture to the island, and the enormous front door is said to have been built large enough to allow the sultan to ride in on an elephant.

Next to the House of Wonders are the imposing ruins of the Arab Fort, the city's oldest remnant. It was built by the Omanis after they'd expelled the ruling Portuguese in 1699. (Ruins of a Portuguese church can still be seen inside the courtyard.) The fort became a garrison and prison in the nineteenth century, and then a terminal for the railways in the early twentieth century.

Another neighbour to the museum is the Old Dispensary, which showcases yet another side to Stone Town's history. A distinctly British structure that was influenced by colonial design trends in India, it was built in honour of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It's a pretty building that is dripping in broekie lace and has been painted a surprising aquamarine. In 2023 it became a clinic, but your guide will be able to tell you about its patron, Sir Tharia Topan, who was the sultan's financial advisor and also banker to the infamous slave trader Tippu Tip.

Seafood kebabs for sale in Forodhani Gardens

Every evening between 6 and 9 pm, Fordhani Gardens becomes the site of a popular seafood market. Here you'll see other tourists, for sure, but also plenty of locals.

A must-try dish while in Stone Town is Zanzibar pizza, a popular street food. And nobody does it better than the vendors of Forodhani Night Market. You can expect to be served a square of thin dough that's filled with a mix of ingredients, such as ground meat, eggs, cheese, onions, peppers, and sometimes even mayonnaise. You can also buy a sweet Zanzibar pizza, with toppings like banana, mango or Nutella.

Other local favourites at Forodhani Night Market are the grilled seafood kebabs, samosas and urojo (a tangy, spicy soup with staples like potatoes, boiled eggs, cassava, chutney and bits of crispy dough). You can then wash it all down with some popular cane sugar juice.

Delightfully, the market has a plum spot along the promenade. So once you've claimed your grub, find a spot to sit and watch the city lights reflected in the dark waters.

While your tastebuds enjoy the sensational and creative flavours associated with Stone Town's food, your ears will enjoy the soundtrack of Bongo Flava (Tanzanian pop) mixed with chatter in Swahili and other languages. Or, if you're lucky, you might be there on one of the evenings where there's live music. Listening to the music that Stone Town's own inhabitants enjoy is the very essence of an immersive visit.