The best hotels in Zanzibar City

Hurumzi and Shangani quarters in Stone Town. You are within a 10-minute walk of Forodhani Night Market, the Old Fort, and the ferry terminal. Hurumzi has the best boutique hotels including 236 Hurumzi and Zanzibar Coffee House. Shangani is more relaxed and where most of the budget guesthouses cluster.

Flamingo Guest House and similar budget guesthouses start at $45-75 per night. Mid-range boutique hotels like Tembo House on the seafront run $110-195. The top end is Park Hyatt Zanzibar and Jafferji House at $265-620. Prices jump 40-60% during Christmas-New Year week.

The main lanes around the seafront, Old Fort, and Forodhani Night Market are busy and safe until 10-11pm. Avoid Malawi Road and the bus station area on Creek Road after dark. Petty theft is the main risk. Do not carry expensive items visibly. Most visitors have no problems if they use common sense.

Daladala bus from outside the airport runs to Darajani bus station in Stone Town for 500 TZS (under $0.25). Takes 20-25 minutes. A taxi costs $10-15 and takes 15 minutes. Most Stone Town hotels charge $10-15 for a pickup. If a tout offers to carry your bag outside the terminal, negotiate before handing it over.

No swimmable beach within the city itself. The seafront near Forodhani has a narrow strip but it is not for swimming. The closest proper beach is Mbweni, about 5km south, or you take a 40-minute dala-dala to Mangapwani on the northwest coast. Most visitors use Stone Town as a base and do beach excursions.

Forodhani Gardens Night Market on the seafront. Grilled octopus on a stick costs 1,000 TZS ($0.40). Zanzibar pizza (a fried dough pocket with egg and fillings) is around 3,000 TZS ($1.20). The market runs from 6pm until around 10pm. Arrive by 7pm for the freshest fish. This is genuinely the best budget meal on the island.

At $350-620 per night it is the most expensive hotel in Zanzibar City. The pool, beach access, and rooms are excellent. But you pay a massive premium for the brand name. Jafferji House and Spa at $265-380 delivers 90% of the experience at 60% of the price. Only choose the Park Hyatt if you specifically want the rooftop pool and the brand consistency.

Two nights is the minimum to see the main sights and do a boat trip. Three nights lets you add a spice tour, Prison Island, and a proper wander through the medina. More than four nights in the city itself gets repetitive. Most visitors combine 2-3 nights in Stone Town with 3-5 nights at a beach resort in Nungwi or Paje.

Tower Top at 236 Hurumzi is the most atmospheric dinner in the city. Emerson Spice serves a set Swahili dinner on its rooftop at 7pm. Both require advance booking. For a more casual dinner, Lukmaan Restaurant on Gizenga Street serves local Zanzibari food at $5-8 per plate and is a favourite with both locals and long-term visitors.

Yes, from beach resorts elsewhere on the island. A dala-dala from Nungwi takes 45 minutes and costs under $1. A taxi is $35-40. Most people do a half-day Stone Town tour, hit Forodhani Night Market for dinner, and return to their beach base. If you are staying in Dar es Salaam, the ferry from Dar takes 2 hours and runs twice daily.

The Slave Market and Anglican Cathedral on Mkunazini Road is the most important historical site. The House of Wonders on Mizingani Road is the best museum. But the real experience is walking the unnamed lanes between Sokomuhogo Street and Kiponda Street without a map for an hour. That is where the city still lives.

The area around Malawi Road and Darajani bus station is chaotic and worth avoiding at night. Creek Road between the bus station and the old market is fine during the day but uncomfortable after dark. Ng'ambo east of Stone Town is safe but has nothing worth seeing unless you are visiting locals. Stick to the Stone Town medina and waterfront.