Giant Tortoises, Turquoise Lagoon & 20-Minute Boat from Stone Town
Prison Island 3-Day Itinerary
Three perfect days combining Stone Town’s UNESCO heritage with Prison Island’s giant tortoises, turquoise lagoon & historic quarantine station.
Your 3-Day Stone Town & Prison Island Schedule
A carefully balanced itinerary that pairs Stone Town’s rich cultural heritage with Prison Island’s extraordinary natural and historic experiences.
Day 1: Arrive Stone Town — Settle & Explore
Morning
Arrive at Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport. Transfer to your Stone Town hotel or riad — ideally located in the historic medina within walking distance of the waterfront. Check in and take a short rest if needed after your flight.
Afternoon
A gentle first afternoon walk through Stone Town’s labyrinthine lanes. Visit the Arab Fort (Ngome Kongwe) — the city’s oldest surviving building and a perfect introduction to Zanzibar’s layered history. Wander the nearby Mercury’s Bar area (named for Freddie Mercury, who was born in Stone Town) and browse the craft market on the seafront.
Evening
Head to Forodhani Night Market as the sun goes down — Stone Town’s legendary open-air street food market on the seafront. Dozens of vendors cook Zanzibar pizza, freshly grilled lobster and octopus, sugar cane juice and Urojo soup (the famous Zanzibar mix) over open charcoal fires. Your guide points out the best stalls. Return to your hotel for the night, already captivated by the city’s extraordinary atmosphere.
Day 2: Prison Island Full Day — Tortoises, Snorkel & Sunset Cruise
Morning
Early breakfast at 7:30am, then a short walk to the Forodhani seafront for your 8:30am dhow departure. The 20-minute crossing to Prison Island passes along Stone Town’s historic waterfront with superb views of the Palace Museum, Arab Fort and the old Customs House. Arrive at Changuu Island and head straight to the tortoise sanctuary for a 60-minute visit with the Aldabra giant tortoises — some estimated to be over 100 years old. Your guide provides fascinating context on their origin and conservation.
Afternoon
After the tortoises, a guided 30-minute tour of the 19th-century British quarantine station buildings. Then change into swimwear for 90 minutes snorkeling in the crystal-clear lagoon — parrotfish, triggerfish, angelfish and the occasional hawksbill turtle are regular sightings. A fresh beach lunch of grilled fish, rice and salad is served at the island restaurant. Take your time to swim, relax on the beach and enjoy the extraordinary quiet of the island in the early afternoon.
Evening
Return dhow to Stone Town (departing around 4pm), arriving back at Forodhani in time for a short rest at the hotel. At 5:30pm, board a traditional sunset dhow cruise from the seafront — sail along Stone Town’s historic waterfront as the sky turns gold and the city’s mosques and minarets glow in the evening light. Sundowners are served on board. Return to shore for dinner at one of Stone Town’s excellent rooftop restaurants.
Day 3: Stone Town Walking Tour, Spice Market & Depart
Morning
Breakfast at your hotel, then a 2-hour guided walking tour of Stone Town’s historic core. Highlights include the Slave Market & Anglican Cathedral (built on the site of Zanzibar’s last slave market), the House of Wonders (the first building in East Africa to have electricity), the ornately carved door trail through the medina’s oldest streets, and the spice market at Darajani — where merchants sell cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon in fragrant piles.
Afternoon
A final lunch at a favourite Stone Town restaurant — try the Swahili pilau rice, biryani or the excellent seafood at the seafront restaurants. Browse the last few craft stalls for kangas (printed Swahili cloth), Zanzibar chests and carved wooden souvenirs. Check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Evening
Depart Zanzibar or continue to the Tanzanian mainland. Three days in Stone Town and Prison Island leaves a lasting impression — the carved doors, the ancient tortoises, the taste of grilled octopus at Forodhani, the view from the dhow of the old city at sunset.
Why Stone Town and Prison Island Are Perfect Together
Stone Town and Prison Island are natural travel partners. Both destinations are historically connected — the island was developed during the same era of Omani and British influence that shaped Stone Town’s architecture and culture — and geographically they are just 20 minutes apart by dhow. Visiting both in a single trip creates a coherent narrative of Zanzibar’s extraordinary Indian Ocean history alongside some of its finest natural experiences.
Three days is sufficient to do both destinations justice. Stone Town rewards at least one full day of exploration — its UNESCO-listed medina, Arab Fort, Slave Market and spice market each deserve proper time rather than a rushed visit. Prison Island similarly deserves a full day: the tortoises, snorkeling and historic site each offer an hour or more of engagement, and the island rewards those who linger on its beach rather than rushing back on the first available dhow.
Getting the Most from Forodhani Night Market
Forodhani Night Market is one of East Africa’s most atmospheric street food experiences and an essential first-evening activity for any Stone Town visitor. The market sets up on the seafront from around 6pm as the sun goes down, with dozens of vendors grilling, frying and steaming fresh food over charcoal fires. The iconic dish is the "Zanzibar pizza" — a thin dough pancake filled with eggs, minced meat or seafood and vegetables, folded and fried on a flat griddle.
Other Forodhani highlights include fresh sugarcane juice pressed to order, Urojo soup (a thick turmeric-based broth with fried bhajia, potatoes, boiled egg and mango), grilled octopus on skewers, and stalls selling cold coconut straight from the shell. Prices are very modest — a full meal of Zanzibar pizza, grilled seafood and sugar cane juice costs under $5. Going with a local guide on your first evening helps you navigate the stalls and avoid the persistent but good-natured hawkers that target first-time visitors.
Best Time of Year for the Prison Island Itinerary
This 3-day itinerary works well year-round, with a few seasonal considerations. The dry season (June–October and December–February) offers the best sea conditions for the Prison Island dhow crossing and the clearest snorkeling visibility. The wet season (March–May and November) brings lower hotel prices and a lush, green atmosphere to Stone Town’s gardens, but dhow crossings can occasionally be disrupted by rough weather.
December is a particularly magical time in Stone Town: the Christmas and New Year period brings cultural events, special dinners and a festive atmosphere to the old town. The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) in July is another excellent time to visit — open-air screenings in the Arab Fort courtyard and live music events throughout the medina add a vibrant cultural layer to the usual historic attractions. Prison Island’s tortoises are resident year-round, so there is never a bad time for the island visit.
Extending the Itinerary — Adding Beaches or Outer Islands
Many visitors use this 3-day Stone Town and Prison Island itinerary as the cultural bookend to a longer Zanzibar trip, combining it with 4–7 nights on the northern or eastern beaches. Nungwi and Kendwa on the northern tip offer the calmest beach swimming and are the most popular extension. Paje and Jambiani on the east coast appeal to kite surfers and those seeking a quieter, more traditional beach village atmosphere.
For a more adventurous extension, our Mnemba Atoll snorkeling and diving packages operate from Matemwe on the northeast coast and can be combined with 2 nights in Stone Town and a Prison Island day trip for a comprehensive 6–7 day Zanzibar experience. Alternatively, Mafia Island further south offers a completely different register of remote marine wildlife that pairs extremely well with Stone Town’s cultural richness. Contact our team to build a bespoke multi-destination itinerary.
Booking the Prison Island 3-Day Itinerary
Our Stone Town & Prison Island Combo package at $499 per person covers two nights in a carefully chosen Stone Town heritage hotel, return dhow transfers to Prison Island, all entry fees and guided tours, and a guided Stone Town walking tour. The package does not include flights to Zanzibar or international travel insurance, which you should arrange separately.
Booking at least 3–4 weeks in advance is recommended for peak season (July, August, December–January). A 20% deposit secures your booking, with the balance due 30 days before arrival. We accept all major credit cards. All activities in this itinerary are led by licensed, experienced local guides with deep knowledge of Stone Town’s history, Prison Island’s ecology and the Zanzibar archipelago’s extraordinary cultural heritage.
Day 3 Stone Town Highlights — What Not to Miss
The Slave Market and Anglican Cathedral deserve particular attention on Day 3’s walking tour. The Cathedral of Christ Church was built in 1873 by Bishop Edward Steere directly on the site of Zanzibar’s last slave market — its altar stands on the exact spot where the flogging post once stood, and the original slave chambers beneath the cathedral have been preserved as a sobering memorial. This is one of the most historically significant sites in East Africa and should be experienced with a knowledgeable guide who can contextualise the island’s role in the 19th-century Indian Ocean slave trade.
The Darajani spice market is Stone Town’s most authentic market experience — far less tourist-oriented than the spice farm tours that depart from the city. Piled high with cloves, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, dried limes and fresh ginger, it captures the sensory essence of what earned Zanzibar its historic title of "The Spice Island". The market is most active in the morning from 7am to 11am — another reason why our Day 3 itinerary builds in a late morning departure to give you time in the market before airport transfer. Your guide can help you buy spices at fair local prices with no tourist markup.
Book Your 3-Day Prison Island Itinerary
Stone Town’s UNESCO heritage & Prison Island’s giant tortoises — the perfect Zanzibar short break. Packages from $499. Enquire today.
Enquire Now