Tours in Stone Town

Walk into Stone Town without a map and you will be lost within ten minutes. Good. The lanes are narrow and they twist, the walls lean in, and every few steps there is a carved wooden door with brass studs standing in a doorway that looks too grand for the alley it opens onto. Somebody is always sitting on a stone bench outside, the baraza, watching you work out which way to turn.

Give it an evening and the town shows its habits. Around sunset people drift down to the seafront at Forodhani, where the food stalls set up and the smell of grilled seafood, sugarcane juice and charcoal drifts back into the lanes. Cats own the corners. Bicycles and scooters squeeze past with no warning, so keep to the wall and listen for the bell.

The landmarks are worth your time. The Old Fort is close to the water and easy to find, with a courtyard that is cooler than the street. The House of Wonders sits along the waterfront and is hard to miss. Darajani Market is the place for spices, fish and fruit, loud and a little overwhelming in the best way. Ask a local guide and you can also arrange visits to the Anglican Cathedral, the old slave market site, or the palace museum.

A day here goes further with someone who knows the doors, the stories and the shortcuts. Our current tour pairs a guided walk through the alleys, fort and markets with a boat trip to Prison Island and its giant tortoises, then a spice farm lunch. If there is a corner of the town you want to see that is not on the list, ask. A guide can build it in.