Zanzibar: Day Trip Stone Town, Spice Tour, Prison Island

Definitely not worth the money. The spice farm was OK at best and that was it. the boat ride over to prison island was horrific, we thought we were going to die. The guide didn't give any information; he basically took us onto the island and made us go into the museum. the boat ride back was just as bad. We then were supposed to have a "GUIDED TOUR" of Stonetown, but all the guide did was show us the Freddie Mercury museum and then told us to go and look round by ourselves and do shopping. Then there was the issue that lunch and water were supposed to be included. We received nothing, they told us we could by lunch and drinks. To top it off we were asked what time we then wanted to meet the "guide" and return to the hotel. we said to him 14:30, when we met him, the driver had disappeared and said that he would not be back until 15:00 but had not advised us of this. We then had to sit around in the scorching heat to wait for the driver that should have been with us the whole day. Thoroughly disappointed and feel like we were conned out of nearly £200.

Very good guides were lovely and very knowledgeable Driver was great All went very well no issues at all

A good tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. He explained history and answered questions. Also gave us time to wander ourselves to take things in. A nice tour that allows you to see another side to Zanzibar away from the beach.

The experience was wonderful. However I think you need to be clearer on the booking. The thicket said it includes lunch and in small letters it excludes. This is co fusing to the traveller. We enjoyed Prison island, the animals there and the city tour and the history. Lovely

Total rip off, do not book the full day tour, paid £170 for 2 of us. Prison island, stone town tour. Lunch, bottled water and a guided tour of a spice farm. Walked round stone town, visited prison island ( which we could have done cor $22each. Should have been an 8hr excursion, no lunch, no water , no spice farm !! On our way back to hotel 3.5 hrs after we arrived. Tried to say iy was a different trip & even emailed a new booking confirmation. So it cost us over $200. Be aware before you book this trip, amazing place but this company is shocking !!!!

The spice farm tour guide was excellent, his knowledge was outstanding. The boat ride to Prision island was very good, a lot of history , tortises were huge & smallest deer we have ever seen. Worth the trip.

The tour description specified private pick up and transfer but did not specifically say if the tour was individual or group. When we found out that the tour was not individual we were surprised and this caused us some troubles. The guides in all places were very friendly and helpful. I think it is just needs to be better specified about group trout to set expectations right and manage better the group. If someone wants to do some shopping etc the rest should not wait for 15-20 minutes until they’re done. That was annoying. I would expect the tour guide to manage such moment better

Well organized. On time. Nice lunch. Good guides, well time management. Nice locations seen and flexibility where to go to

Good day. The spice tour was really enjoyable. It was amazing to learn about, smell, and taste so many wonderful spices and fruits strait from their source. It was powerful to learn about and experience the history of Prison Island and the kids loved the tortoises. Stone Town was beautiful and our tour guide Hassan was amazing.

The driver picked us up and dropped us back at the hotel without any issues. However, there was not much added value to seeing the spice farm. The local guide was constantly trying to upsell their products, claiming they were made right on the farm, but I ended up finding the exact same items later that day sold at the main market in Stone Town. The food provided was great, so no complaints there. Things derailed a little bit when we had to wait for an hour for other people to arrive at the meeting point in Stone Town, even though we all were part of the same spice farm tour earlier that day. It felt very disorganized and was a waste of time. After that, they started moving us around without explaining much, and the local guide was just okay. Please note that you pay for the Prison Island tour and the Slave Market separately. That is not much of an issue, but the guide did not add any additional information or contribute in a meaningful way. My main point is that you could easily do this entire tour on your own for a lot cheaper, and without the hassle of being expected to tip multiple times along the way.

The Spice farm tour was excellent. Usman the farm guide was a wealth of knowledge with a great sense of humour. We learnt alot. We were then transferred back to town for the prison Island and Stone town tour. Essentially the young guide Hassan was personable enough but basically just escorted us, he did not really give us much information. he spent a lot of time on his phone. As Australians, tipping is something we don't do much of and we found that we had to tip Usman, Usman's assistant, Hassan, and also the driver which makes the trip cost add up.

We had an incredible experience exploring Stone Town, visiting Jambo Spice Farm, and taking a trip out to Prison Island. Our main guide was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, bringing the history of Stone Town and Prison Island to life in a really engaging and insightful way. It made the whole experience much more meaningful. At the spice farm, the guide was absolutely amazing, his depth of knowledge about both traditional and commercial production of fruits and spices in the region was impressive. It was fascinating to see, smell, and taste everything firsthand. This tour is a must-do for anyone visiting Zanzibar. Highly recommended! Ps, be ready to tip and have waterproof covers for your phone and wallet if the weather changes.

The tour was very well organized and had no problems. Everything went smoothly. I would like to especially mention the guides. They are fully involved in their work and make you interested in what they are talking about. They are friendly and polite. Most importantly, they know their subject very well and are happy to share their knowledge. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the guide at the Spice Farm, but I am very grateful to him for his time and effort. Mohammed was our second guide. He showed us the island and the city. He is very professional and did a great job. I am very happy we were lucky to meet such a wonderful person.

I’ve done the tour with two friends that I’ve met on the way to Sansibar and I must say it was perfect. We had Hassan as our guide and we couldn’t have been happier. Hassan‘s passion and knowledge made the tour so much more enjoyable. He was extremely friendly, well spoken in English and German and very patient with us ladies stopping at ever shop. 😇 really happy with everything

If you are looking for a reliable and an excellent service/guide provider for touring places of interest in Zanzibar/Tanzania, you should book through Viator.

This was an excellent experience! All the guides were so knowledgable and kind and gave us a great experience!

The tour is split into 3 segments with different guides and drivers so be prepared to tip multiple people if that is your custom. We really enjoyed all the experiences as each guide was very knowledgeable and personable. The Spice tour included a lunch of local food sources and was quite tasty. The history of slavery in Africa, and especially in Zanzibar, is heartbreaking. Fortunately, Solidarity and Acceptance of differences both racially and spiritually is now the norm, and other countries should learn from this

A very immersive tour, through the history, culture, and local economy. At Jambo spice farm we are welcomed with hospitality and generosity; we are guided through the many cultures of local fruits and spices that end, as always, in spice and perfume stalls that the tourist hardly resists without taking something. Lunch is served generously and the flavors of the fruits are delicious. Next we go to Prison Island and we have the curiosities of the history, we have the unforgettable experience of interacting with giant turtles, some of them over 100 years old (I was having parties with one that was 158 years old!). The entry to the island is somewhat disorganized and some time was lost in bureaucracy, but everything is forgotten when we take pictures in idyllic settings and interact with almost mythical animals. The tour ends with a tour of Stone Town. Once again history makes its presence known, and we are also marked by the brutality of history and the impact of slavery on the Slave Market. It is always worth being confronted with the mistakes of the past so that we don't repeat them!