Zanzibar (Stone Town) in brief
Zanzibar is a port where the old town is the main event, and the main event is close.
Stone Town is a tangle of alleys, carved doors, markets and a 17th-century fort. Two port guides time the walk from the port at about 10 minutes and under 15 — our Cruise Atlas card says about 15, so plan on the longer figure, not the shorter one.
How you reach the shore is the open question.
One guide says ships dock at Berth No. 3 of a single main terminal. Another says they anchor in the bay and tender in. A third says Malindi Wharf or the main quay, with larger ships possibly tendering. These are guides, not the port operator, so we can’t settle it.
Your ship’s port notes will say which it is on your sailing — treat that as the answer, not us.
The 2026–27 calendar is thin so far. The one call we could confirm from a line’s own site is Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa 2, arriving December 12, 2026 and sailing at 18:00 on December 13 — an overnight stay.
Ashore, the day runs on cash and judgment.
Dollars in small bills work at tourist businesses, markets are cash only, and taxis have no meter. That is manageable, though it does mean bringing the right notes.
Which tours earn their fare is the job of our Zanzibar shore excursion guide, so read it before you pay for a coach day.
On foot from the ship
Guides describe a berth at the main terminal, a wharf at Malindi or a tender from anchor. Whichever it is on your sailing, ask on board before you plan the morning.
Two guides time the walk at about 10 minutes and under 15; our map card says about 15. Go early or late, because the heat builds fast.
A cultural center with a courtyard, shops and occasional afternoon dance. One guide says the courtyard is free to enter and about half an hour covers it.
Open roughly 8 am to 5 pm, with a guide included in the ticket. No price is published in the sources we read.
The working food market, said to be at its best in the early morning. Carry your bag in front of you, because the lanes are narrow and pickpockets work where visitors are.
Food stalls on Mizingani Road beside the Old Fort, listed from 17:30 to 23:00 (the listing says to verify). That matters only if your call runs late — Europa 2’s does.
What's nearby, broadly
The first six on that list are walking distance. The old town covers about 100 hectares, and Makasa Tanzania says a walk in any one direction puts you back at the water inside ten minutes.
Two sights you may have seen in photos are shut. The House of Wonders has been closed since part of it collapsed on Christmas Day 2020, with no reopening date given, and the Palace Museum has been under restoration since about 2021. Check locally before you plan around either.
Prison Island is about 5 km offshore (roughly 3 miles), 20 to 30 minutes by boat. Spice farms and Jozani need a car, and the beaches mean a longer one.
Commonly reached from
Zanzibar sits off the Tanzanian coast, and ships usually pair it with Mombasa, Mauritius, Madagascar or the Seychelles. Hapag-Lloyd’s December 2026 Europa 2 voyage runs from Port Louis through Zanzibar and Mombasa to Mahe, so our Port Louis cruise port guide and Seychelles cruise port guide cover the two ends. Our Cruise Atlas card names Emerald, Hapag-Lloyd and Viking, and we could confirm only Hapag-Lloyd from a line’s own site. Third-party sites also name Seabourn, Regent and Azamara ships, with no dates we could check. Open Zanzibar on the Seabound Cruise Atlas, or browse our Cruise Guides.
Planning your Zanzibar (Stone Town) day
The tour-by-tour verdicts live in their own guide — this page sticks to the landing, the walk and the practical rules.
If you’re weighing a private driver, our comparison of Shore Excursions Group and Viator explains which booker suits which kind of port day.
Best Zanzibar (Stone Town) shore excursions
The old town on foot, Prison Island by boat, a spice farm and Jozani by car. Here’s which ones earn the fare.
See the full excursion guide →Practical notes
Cash is the default, and small US bills go a long way.
The currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS), and guides say US dollars are widely accepted by tourist-facing businesses and drivers — prices are often quoted in dollars. Bring small notes, because vendors may claim they have no change.
Cards work at major hotels and some larger restaurants, not at market stalls. Guides disagree on ATMs — one puts them in Stone Town, another says the port has few — so get cash before you land if you can.
Taxis don’t run a meter. Agree the fare before you get in.
No official port fare is published. One guide quotes $10 to $30 into Stone Town — a lot for a walkable distance, so treat it as an opening position, not a tariff.
For a longer trip, Jozani Forest is about 38 km (roughly 24 miles) away, and one guide puts a one-way taxi at about $25 to $35. A private driver for a full day is about £78 in World of Cruising’s guide.
Dala-dalas are a poor fit for a port day.
The shared minibuses stop often and fill up. That’s fine for locals, not for an all-aboard clock.
You need a visa, and your ship may or may not sort it.
US citizens need a tourist visa for Tanzania. Our map card and a visa guide put it at $100 for a multiple-entry visa, with the e-visa site at evisa.immigration.go.tz. The $100 figure comes from the map card and a visa guide, not an official page; we couldn’t read the immigration site, so confirm the fee and process there.
We found nothing on how cruise passengers are handled, so ask your line before you sail whether it arranges the visa — and don’t assume it does. A yellow fever certificate is needed if you arrive from a country at risk, per the same guide.
The U.S. Embassy lists Tanzania at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution.
Its homepage cites crime, terrorism, health, unrest, arbitrary enforcement of laws and the targeting of gay and lesbian individuals, and notes some areas carry increased risk. It also lists a security alert dated October 28, 2026 — we couldn’t read the alert or the full State Department page, so read both before you go.
Dress for a mainly Muslim island.
Guides advise covering shoulders and knees in town. During Ramadan, many Forodhani stalls close by day.
Dry season suits most calls.
The rains run March to May, and June to October is dry with clear skies. An October day averages a high near 87°F — so bring water and a hat, not just a camera.
A new terminal is coming, and the berth may change.
Construction on a passenger and ferry terminal at Maruhubi began in November 2024, with completion estimated for 2027. Authorities expect passenger operations now handled at Malindi to move there. The source doesn’t say what that means for cruise ships.
Sources: Hapag-Lloyd’s cruise finder (voyage EUX2628); CruiseMapper and CruiseTimetables schedules; CruiseSheet, Cruise Port Guides, About2Cruise, World of Cruising, Gangwaze and African Trek Travel port guides; Makasa Tanzania on closed and open sights; Zanzibar Guides and Pongwe on fees; Travel Zanzibar on Forodhani; Wikipedia on the Maruhubi terminal; Zanzibar Visit on visas; the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania’s homepage — all consulted October 29, 2026. We found no published taxi fare or cruise page from the port operator, and the guides conflict on dock versus tender.
Planning a Zanzibar (Stone Town) port day?
Tell us how much time you've got and who's with you.
Stone Town on foot, Prison Island by boat, or a drive to a spice farm — tell us your hours ashore and Seabound Journeys will tell you what fits before the heat does.
Answers verified against current pricing and itineraries before you book.
Zanzibar (Stone Town) FAQ
Can I walk from the cruise ship into Stone Town?
Yes. Two port guides time the walk at about 10 minutes and under 15, and our Cruise Atlas card says about 15.
Go early or late, because the heat builds, and expect narrow alleys once you’re inside.
Do ships dock or tender in Zanzibar?
Sources disagree. One guide says Berth No. 3 at a main terminal, one says ships anchor and tender, and one says a wharf or quay with larger ships possibly tendering.
The port operator doesn’t publish it that we could find, so your ship’s port notes are the answer.
How much is a taxi in Zanzibar?
No official fare is published, and taxis have no meter. Agree the price before you get in.
For Jozani Forest, one guide puts a one-way taxi at about $25 to $35.
What currency do I need in Zanzibar?
The Tanzanian shilling is official, but US dollars in small bills are widely accepted at tourist businesses.
Markets are cash only. Cards work at major hotels and some larger restaurants.
Do US citizens need a visa for Zanzibar?
Yes, a Tanzanian tourist visa. Our map card and a visa guide put it at $100 for a multiple-entry visa, applied for at evisa.immigration.go.tz.
We couldn’t read the immigration site. Confirm the fee, and ask your cruise line how it handles cruise passengers.
What is closed in Stone Town?
Two. Part of the House of Wonders collapsed on Christmas Day 2020 and the building is shut, and the Palace Museum has been in restoration since about 2021. We found no reopening date for either.
Our source is a tour operator, not an official site, so check locally.
Is Zanzibar safe for cruise passengers?
The U.S. Embassy lists Tanzania at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, citing crime, terrorism, health and unrest among other things. It also shows a security alert dated October 28, 2026 that we couldn’t read.
Makasa Tanzania calls Stone Town safe with ordinary big-city precautions, and warns that pickpockets work where visitors are. Keep to busy streets in the evening, and hire a licensed guide if you want one.
When do ships call at Zanzibar?
The one 2026–27 call we could confirm from a line’s own site is Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa 2, December 12 to 13, 2026, an overnight stay.
Third-party sites also name Seabourn, Regent and Azamara ships, but we couldn’t date those. Check your own itinerary.
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