Tanzania · Zanzibar Urban/West Region · Zanzibar
Stone Town, Zanzibar — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Stone Town, or Mji Mkongwe, is the old quarter of Zanzibar City on Unguja, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2000.
Hotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Where to stay in Stone Town
The practical side of choosing where to sleep.
A bed inside Stone Town puts the Old Fort of Zanzibar and the House of Wonders at the end of the lane, while Ng'ambo, the newer half of Zanzibar City, spreads its rooms further back from the water. That is the whole trade-off. Walking distance to the Palace Museum and the Old Dispensary costs space; Ng'ambo returns the space and takes the walk away.
Find hotels in Stone Town
Direct booking searches for these neighbourhoods.
Stone Town
The Palace Museum, Tippu Tip's House and the Old Dispensary stand inside the same 19th-century street grid of Mji Mkongwe.Find hotels in Stone Townstays that swap the Mji Mkongwe lanes for room across in Ng'amboNg'ambo
Ng'ambo, the other side of Zanzibar City by its Swahili name, sits back from the Old Fort of Zanzibar and the museum fronts along the water.Find hotels in Ng'amboHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Zanzibar
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
2- Palace Museum Heritage
- Princess Salme Museum, Zanzibar
Churches & Religious Sites
1- Aga Khan Jamat Khanna Mosque Heritage
Landmarks & Notable Places
2- House of Wonders Heritage
- Ndio
worth knowingacross 3 categories in and around Zanzibar
About Stone Town
What are the main landmarks in Stone Town?
The Old Fort of Zanzibar and the House of Wonders anchor the list, and the Palace Museum, once the seat of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, stands among the 19th-century stone fronts of Mji Mkongwe. Tippu Tip's House sits inland. The Old Dispensary shows the Indian strand of an architecture that also draws on Moorish, Arab, Persian and European work, and the Aga Khan Jamat Khanna Mosque and the Princess Salme Museum stand on the same list.
What is the history of Stone Town?
Spice and the Indian Ocean slave trade ran through this port in the 19th century, when the town served as capital of the Sultanate of Zanzibar and drew Moorish, Arab, Persian, Indian and European builders to its lanes. British protectorate rule followed. Zanzibar later joined Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania, keeping a semi-autonomous status, with Stone Town as the seat of its local government.
The UNESCO World Heritage List took it in 2000.
Where is Stone Town?
Stone Town holds the western coast of Unguja, main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, and Ng'ambo spreads inland behind it.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Stone Town?
Stone Town: travellers who want the Old Fort of Zanzibar and the House of Wonders within a lane's walk. Ng'ambo: stays that swap the Mji Mkongwe lanes for room across in Ng'ambo.
Good for
Updated October 2026