Old Fort

As the name suggests, Old Fort truly lives up to its heritage a city built from stone, rich in history and timeless beauty. Dating back to around the 18th century, this was once the royal palace area, and walking through it feels like stepping into another era. You’ll come across old cannons, gun storage areas, and elevated platforms once used for defense fascinating reminders of the town’s strategic past. There’s also a theater space where performances and cultural plays are held, adding a touch of artistry to the historical setting. One thing that stood out to me and something every cat lover will appreciate is how many beautiful cats freely roam around the gardens. They’re calm, friendly, and almost part of the town’s charm. You can easily spend time just taking photos of the cats, the stone buildings, and the lush gardens around. The view from Stone Town is spectacular, especially facing the ocean. From here, you can spot large ships, ferries, and container vessels gracefully moving across the turquoise water a perfect blend of history meeting modern trade. As the sun sets, Stone Town transforms into a lively scene with its night market. The air fills with the aroma of freshly prepared street food seafood, grilled meat, and local treats. One drink I particularly enjoyed was a refreshing sugarcane juice mixed with ice, made fresh by local vendors. Stone Town is more than just a historic site; it’s a place that combines culture, ocean views, architecture, and authentic street life. Whether you’re exploring during the day or enjoying the lively evenings, it’s a spot that captures the true essence of Zanzibar historic, vibrant, and full of character.

Under construction. Didn't get to see inside. Having been to Oman, I could feel the influence upon seeing this architecture. However, it was not well preserved. Quite unlike the architectures in Oman. I saw some old canyons at the sea front and the local barbeque people were casually placing their stuff against the canyons.

A nice place to visit! Doesn't take long to look around and there's a cafe inside.

Free entrance Nice to walk around. Not much to see though. Has a lot of shops, can get nice souvenirs and paintings

Old Town in Tanzania is such a fun place to wander around full of history, small shops, and plenty of surprises. One tip: buy the vanilla! It’s affordable, smells amazing, and you’ll probably end up wishing you bought more. The place can get crowded, but that’s part of the charm just go with the flow (literally). And don’t forget to stop by the Freddie Mercury Museum… because when else are you going to visit the childhood home of a rock legend while shopping for vanilla?

Absolutely great place to walk around and do shopping, a lot of spices and they are so cheap, nice places to eat, you can’t get lost in there walking around, friendly people, just take a taxi or if you already have a hired car drive there plenty of free or cheap parking.

Not really worth the visit, fortunately it's free. There's a story behind the fort's construction, extensions etc which is of minor interest. A few market stalls are set up inside the grounds which don't actually hassle too much. It's all just fairly quiet. Lots of rubbish and rubble strewn around and the remains of a large fire. But this isn't really that different to most villages I've seen on the island.

During the day it's just another beach front walk, but night you get to watch the sunset, and the area transforms into a food market. Try the shawarma stalls, cheap and well worth the money. We really liked the guy asking chicken tikka shawarma. The guys selling mixture of meat and fish stick are more expensive.