Stone Town and Prison Island Private Tour in Zanzibar

Last week I had an opportunity to visit a famous museum in prison island , I'm not a fan of art but visiting a museum has been an enjoyable for me

It is a discovery full of emotions given that one was accompanied by an experienced guide.Who knew the history of zanzibar colonized by Muslims and of that time already existed the living together the evidence testifies mosque built next to a church that is still maintained and resplendent.

It was boring (except for the tortoises) and hot. The tour could have been so much better. Our guide was not really into it and he was very hard to understand. Plus we started with one guide and were handed off to another. The booking with Viator included the guide but you need cash for tips (boat ride) and entrance fees to Prison Island, Slave Museum, and the Sultan's grave. The guide took us through the food market and was very considerate in asking first if we are OK to walk by the meat and fish. We did, and I lost my appetite! Instead of a neighborhood food spot that the guide recommended, we opted for air conditioning and lunch at the Park Hyatt. Stone Town has a real appeal to it but does not deliver unfortunately. They have not maintained their history well and our guide did not help us tap into the vibe. Wandering the alleyways on our own was more fun.

Ahmed and Mohammed were so nice and knowledgeable. I really liked the view of Stone Town from Zanzibar Coffee House. Also, the visit to Prison Island is a must! if you are in Zanzibar. It’s a beautiful island and there’re many interesting things to see. Both of my tour guides took wonderful pictures of me ☺️ I have great memories to share with family and friends. I recommend this tour 1000%

September 2024 ‘Stone Town and Prison Island Private Tour Zanzibar’ with Lazuli Tours - DO NOT BOOK THIS!! We paid $249.39 (for two people) for what should have been a 5 hour tour. The Stone Town potion should have been in an air conditioned vehicle with water provided. Instead we were picked up by foot by a guide (who was 15mins late) and walked to the boat to go to Prison Island. When we returned to Stone Town we were handed over to another guide who informed us the tour was walking in 30+ degree heat. Nowhere in the tour description did it say the tour was a walking tour. The guide had absolutely no specialist knowledge and the entire tour took about 3.5 hours. When the tour company owner was questioned about the tour description he blamed Viator and Viator blamed the tour company. The tour operator said the air conditioned vehicle part of description was for pick up and drop off - we were not picked up or dropped off in a vehicle. We asked for a partial refund which had to be agreed by the tour company which of course they rejected. DON’T WASTE MONEY WITH THIS TOUR- JUST MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS YOURSELF!

Of all my years traveling, this was the worst private tour I’ve ever taken. The guide was about 15-20 mins late even though our tour was supposed to start at 10am. I set it at 10 because it wasn’t too early. He walked at least a few yards in front of us the whole time and I felt he was just winging it. No badge. He wore flip flops. Was not professional at all. The boat ran out of gas on the way back from prison island. So, we had to hop on another boat that already had some guests in it. Then it dropped us off at the beach instead of a dry dock where we originally gotten picked up at. Because we had to jump off the boat at the beach, we all got our shoes wet then had to walk all the way back to the hotel with dirty, sandy, and wet feet. It was not a good experience.

Great private tour! First part was small boat ride 20 minutes to Pridon Island. Achmec was our well versed guide. Irony is never used as prison. I’ll let him tell rest of the story. See the giant tortoise preserve including nursery! Next Stone Town…. With Said “the teacher”. Phenomenal guide perfect English and his knowledge was that of a teacher. Took us to the sites including those inside off the main routes. The culture and history of the are was very interesting , well worth taking this tour.

The trip was very interesting and varied. We were picked up from the hotel on time, then we took a boat trip to Prison Island. We had plenty of time to admire and photograph the giant tortoises that live there. This was followed by a tour of the historic Stonetown, including the lively, typically African market. All in all, highly recommended!

We had a good time on the Prison Island and Stone Town tours. The transport pick up from and back to Nungwi was punctual and comfortable. Our Prison Island guide Abuu was friendly and provided a good experience in learning about the Island and spending time with the giant tortoises. Our Stone Town guide Said was exceptionally knowledgeable and accommodating. He is a passionate and great tour guide and we learned a lot about the intricate history of the city from him!

You see and learn a lot about the history of the slave trade. The tortoises on prison island are HUGE and a must see if you are in Zanzibar.