Things to do in Tanzania

A walking tour of historic Stone Town

Explore UNESCO-listed Stone Town, from its decorative Arabic doors to daily market life and Freddie Mercury’s former home…

By Pascal Dzombo

Manager at GoVacation, Alfred&'s partner in Tanzania

Discover UNESCO-listed Stone Town on this half-day tour, from its decorative Arabic doors to daily market life and Freddie Mercury’s former home. The aim of the trip is for visitors to soak up Zanzibar’s culture and get an insight into how locals live. Zanzibaris traditionally make a living fishing or farming and there’s still a barter trade system on the island, which you’ll learn about on the tour.

Our trip starts in Stone Town’s slave market, which lies next to the Anglican church and has a moving memorial sculpture. Here, you’ll learn the sobering legacy of the slave trade in Zanzibar. You’ll get the chance to explore Darajani Market too, which is a hive of activity for locals. We’ll wander around the stalls which are filled with colourful produce, nuts, meat and spices, spotting the town’s famous carved doors along the way. Guests really enjoy visiting juice corner, where you can watch sugar cane being squeezed and buy a cup of juice to taste.

Next, we move on to visit the former home of famous Queen singer, Freddie Mercury, who was from Zanzibar. This is a highlight of the tour for guests who know and love his music. The house is close to the Old Fort and the House of Wonder, which was built by some of the island’s first British settlers. After learning about these key landmarks, you’ll have time to go shopping for wooden carvings, batiks, spices or Tanzanite jewellery.

The tour usually ends with a visit the Forodhani food market. This is the most popular place for locals and tourists to gather in the evening on Zanzibar, as it’s full of Swahili food stalls and eateries selling all kinds of seafood, pilau dishes and Indian cuisine. If your tour is in the afternoon, we’ll end here and you can enjoy a golden sunset from this popular meeting place.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Bush, Beach and Culture
by Dagmar Marrocco

Length11 Days

Price range£5,575 - £5,895pp

Alfred & Pascal Dzombo

Pascal Dzombo is originally from Kenya and completed his tourism diploma in Nairobi. He's been working in the tourism industry for over 15 years in different roles, from tour guide to resort representative. For the last three years, Pascal has been a resident manager for Go Vacation and is based in Zanzibar. He loves to collaborate with the island's resorts and guides to provide incredible tour experiences.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Gemma, who's travelled extensively in Tanzania. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it on their own. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - the rangers who'll ensure you'll spot the best wildlife, the village chiefs who'll give you a genuine insight into local life and the camp managers who can recommend the very best spot to enjoy your sundowner.

Gemma Wilson-Dines

Travel Expert for Alfred&

Gemma has been a regular visitor to South Africa favouring the spectacular mountains and cinematic Winelands that draw her back time and time again. Her most recent trip to Tanzania offered a whole new perspective of the Great Migration from the romantic heights of a hot air balloon. On the other side of the world, in extraordinary India, Gemma holds vivid memories close to her heart; of cooking chapatis in Amritsar’s shimmering Golden Temple and the soft summer breeze in Shimla's alpine forest.
Joseph Awe

Cultural guide

Joseph Awe has been a cultural guide in the Lake Eyasi region for over 12 years. He grew up on his family's dairy and onion farm in the region and has close connections with the nearby Hadzabe and Datoga communities. Able to speak their native languages, Joseph has worked as a translator and interpreter for guests visiting the tribes around Lake Eyasi since he was a teenager.
Mary Milanzi

Lemala Tour Guide

Mary Milanzi is proud to be one of Tanzania’s first female guides. Born in Mto wa Mbu, she grew up with a deep love of wildlife and dreamed of getting a job that allowed her to stay close to nature. After completing her tour guide training with Lemala, Mary now leads tuk tuk tours of her home town. She often goes into colleges to give talks that inspire female students to seek out jobs in the tourism industry.
Charles Kisaka

Assistant Manager at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge

Charles Kisaka is from the north-east of Tanzania and studied tourism at college. After graduating, he joined the Serena hotels group and has worked with them for over 15 years. Charles loves his current role as the manager of Lake Manyara Serena Lodge because it allows him to meet guests from different countries and introduce them to the wilds of Tanzania.
Hazel Gumpo

General Manager, Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge

Hazel Gumpo is a German-trained General Manager with over 25 years of experience in hospitality. She has worked all over Africa and in 2017, was named one of the top 100 most influential tourism personalities in West Africa by the Accra Weizo West African Travel Fair. Hazel is passionate about people development, interior design, creative cooking and hosting.
Philip Mbeke

Camp Manager, Roving Bushtops

Originally from Kenya, Philip Mbeke started his career with Bushtops over 10 years ago as a ranger in the Maasai Mara. Since then, he's worked his way up to become camp manager at Roving Bushtops. Philip loves working in the Serengeti and enjoys the thrill of moving camp around the savannah. He especially likes to see the sparkle in guests' eyes when they first arrive at the roving camp and enjoys spending evenings with them around the campfire.