# Zanzibar, Tanzania: Self-Guided Walking Tour **Things to Do in Zanzibar: A Guide to Stone Town** The best things to do in Zanzibar begin in Stone Town, the historic heart of Zanzibar City on the western coast of Unguja. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth visiting for its carved wooden doors, seafront palaces, fortifications and buildings shaped by Arab, Persian, Indian and European influences. Neywo has a free audio guide for Zanzibar with 27 narrated places, available in 11 languages. ## What to See in Zanzibar ### Stone Town Stone Town is the old part of Zanzibar City and the former capital of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Its nineteenth-century buildings reflect the island’s connections with the Indian Ocean world, while landmarks such as the House of Wonders, the Sultan’s Palace, the Old Fort and the Anglican Cathedral reveal the town’s complex history. Stone Town grew in importance during the nineteenth century as a centre of the spice trade and the Indian Ocean slave trade. Its development accelerated after Sultan Sayyid Said moved his capital from Oman to Unguja in the 1830s. Today, walking through its narrow streets is the best way to appreciate the mixture of architectural styles and the layers of history behind them. ### Old Dispensary The Old Dispensary, also known as Ithnashiri Dispensary, stands along the Stone Town seafront. Its carved wooden balconies and stained-glass panels show a strong Indian influence, while the building combines Zanzibari coral rag and limestone with European neo-classical stucco. Built in the early twentieth century, it served the local community as a dispensary during the first half of the 1900s. Its covered courtyard and carved bridges connect the floors, and a small museum displays photographs and artefacts connected with Zanzibar’s past. ### Old Fort of Zanzibar The Old Fort of Zanzibar, or Ngome Kongwe, is a square fortress of dark stone walls and crenellations on the seafront. Built by Omani Arabs in the late seventeenth century to defend Zanzibar against Portuguese attacks, it is the oldest building in Stone Town. The town grew around the fort after its construction. Inside the walls, remnants of earlier structures include a Portuguese church and other remains from the site’s changing history. After its military use, the fort became a prison and then a barracks. In the early twentieth century, it was also used as a depot for railway materials. ### House of Wonders The House of Wonders, known locally as Jumba la Maajabu or Beit-al-Ajaib, is one of Stone Town’s most recognisable landmarks. It stands between the Old Fort and the Palace Museum and is the largest and tallest building in Stone Town. Sultan Barghash bin Said ordered its construction in 1883 as a ceremonial palace. It was the first building in Zanzibar with electricity and the first in East Africa to have an elevator. The building later served as a royal residence, a government palace and the headquarters of Chama Cha Mapinduzi. Its original lighthouse was destroyed during the Anglo-Zanzibar War and later replaced by a clock tower. ### Palace Museum The Palace Museum, also called the Sultan’s Palace or Beit el-Sahel, is a three-storey seafront building with white walls and battlements. It was built in the late nineteenth century as a residence for Zanzibar’s sultans and remained their home until the 1964 revolution. After the revolution, it was renamed the People’s Palace and used as a government seat. Since 1994, it has housed a museum dedicated to Zanzibar’s royal family. Exhibits include personal writings, clothing, everyday accessories, furniture and other belongings that offer a glimpse into royal life during the nineteenth century. ### Old Slave Market The Old Slave Market is a difficult but essential part of Stone Town’s history. The site recalls Zanzibar’s role in the Indian Ocean slave trade and stands near the Anglican Cathedral, which was built on the former slave market. The market’s history is closely connected to Stone Town’s growth as a commercial centre. Visiting this area adds important context to the wealth, trade and political power that shaped the city, while also confronting the human cost of that past. ### Peace Memorial Museum The Peace Memorial Museum is one of Zanzibar’s museums and forms part of the city’s historical landscape. It can be included in a wider visit to Stone Town’s museums and landmarks. ### Ijumaa Mosque Ijumaa Mosque, also known as the Friday Mosque, stands among Stone Town’s narrow alleys. It was completely renovated in 1994, and its current appearance follows a modern Arabesque Swahili style that combines traditional motifs with contemporary elements. ### St. Joseph’s Cathedral St. Joseph’s Cathedral rises above the Baghani area of Stone Town. Its bright white tower is visible from a distance, making it a useful landmark among the narrow lanes of the old town. The cathedral is regarded as one of Stone Town’s important historic buildings. ### The Anglo-Zanzibar War The Anglo-Zanzibar War took place on 27 August 1896 after the death of the pro-British Sultan Ḥamad bin Thuwayni. His successor, Sultan Khālid bin Barghash, had not received the approval required under the British protectorate agreement, and the British issued an ultimatum demanding that he leave the palace. The conflict lasted between thirty-eight and forty-five minutes, making it the shortest war in recorded history. Zanzibar suffered roughly five hundred casualties, while only one British sailor was wounded. The sultan’s royal yacht was sunk and the palace was set ablaze. The damaged royal buildings along the seafront help explain why this brief conflict remains so closely tied to Stone Town’s history. ## Explore Zanzibar with Neywo A Zanzibar self-guided walking tour is an easy way to discover Stone Town without joining a group or following a fixed timetable. Neywo’s free Zanzibar audio guide includes three walking tours: - **Sultans on the Seafront:** 0.8 km, 45 minutes and 5 narrated stops. - **Mosques, Baths and the Slave Market Church:** 0.88 km, 46 minutes and 6 narrated stops. - **Stone Town in Eleven Stops: From the Slave Market to Tippu Tip:** 2.08 km, 97 minutes and 11 narrated stops. The tours cover places including the Palace Museum, House of Wonders, Old Fort of Zanzibar, Old Dispensary, Ijumaa Mosque, Christ Church and St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Download Neywo and explore Zanzibar while the app tells the story of each landmark around you. ## Places with an audio guide in Zanzibar 8 places in Zanzibar with a Neywo audio guide. Each one starts telling its story as you reach it. - Stone Town - Old Dispensary - Old Fort of Zanzibar - House of Wonders - Palace Museum - Old Slave Market - Ijumaa Mosque - Anglo-Zanzibar War ## Self-guided tours in Zanzibar 3 tours in Zanzibar, free in the Neywo app. Each stop tells its story as you reach it. - [Sultans on the Seafront](https://app.neywo.com/tours/zanzibar/sultans-on-the-seafront?lang=en) — Walk, 0.8 km · 45 min · 5 stops: Palace Museum, House of Wonders, Old Fort of Zanzibar, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Zanzibar, Tippu Tip's House - [Mosques, Baths and the Slave Market Church](https://app.neywo.com/tours/zanzibar/mosques-baths-and-the-slave-market-church?lang=en) — Walk, 0.9 km · 46 min · 6 stops: Old Dispensary, Ijumaa Mosque, Malindi Mosque, Aga Khan Jamat Khanna Mosque, Cultural Arts Center, Christ Church, Zanzibar - [Stone Town in Eleven Stops: From the Slave Market to Tippu Tip](https://app.neywo.com/tours/zanzibar/stone-town-in-eleven-stops-from-the-slave-market?lang=en) — Walk, 2.1 km · 97 min · 11 stops: Christ Church, Zanzibar, Cultural Arts Center, Aga Khan Jamat Khanna Mosque, Malindi Mosque, Ijumaa Mosque, Old Dispensary, Palace Museum, House of Wonders, Old Fort of Zanzibar, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Zanzibar, Tippu Tip's House ## Walk Zanzibar with Neywo Neywo turns Zanzibar into a self-guided audio tour. Stories arrive as you reach the place they belong to, and the route reshapes when you wander off it. ## More in Tanzania - [Arusha](https://neywo.com/destinations/tanzania/arusha.md) --- HTML: https://neywo.com/destinations/tanzania/zanzibar App: https://app.neywo.com Español: https://neywo.com/es/destinations/tanzania/zanzibar.md Français: https://neywo.com/fr/destinations/tanzania/zanzibar.md Deutsch: https://neywo.com/de/destinations/tanzania/zanzibar.md