- \n
- Yachts lie at anchor off Stone Town. Ferries and cargo ships berth at Malindi Harbour on the northern edge of the old town.<\/li>\n
- The international airport is about five kilometres south of the town, and the fast ferries from Dar es Salaam take between 1 hour 20 minutes and about two hours to reach Malindi, depending on the vessel.<\/li>\n
- Travellers from Germany require a visa and compulsory Tanzanian travel insurance for entry; the passport must be valid for at least six months.<\/li>\n
- A supermarket is about 700 metres from the harbour; you'll find other small shops in the lanes of the old town.<\/li>\n
- Zanzibar has two rainy seasons, from March to May and from October to December. January and February as well as June to August are drier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Where is the anchorage off Stone Town?<\/h2>\n
Stone Town is the old town of Zanzibar City and lies on a headland on the western side of Unguja. The anchorage lies in the water off the old town, only a few hundred metres from the ferry terminal at Malindi Harbour, which forms the northern edge of Stone Town. From there, Malawi Road and the narrow lanes of the old town lead to shops, pharmacies and sights.<\/p>\n
Malindi is the cargo and passenger harbour of Unguja. The fast ferries from the mainland berth here, and the ferry companies' offices are also based here. The harbour area is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site \"Stone Town of Zanzibar\", which has been listed since 2000 and covers about 125 hectares.<\/p>\n
Arriving for trip start in Stone Town<\/h2>\n
You can reach Zanzibar by air directly to the island or via Dar es Salaam and from there by ferry.<\/p>\n
From Zanzibar Airport to Stone Town<\/h3>\n
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, code ZNZ, is on Unguja about five kilometres south of Zanzibar City, which includes Stone Town. It has direct flights from many countries.<\/p>\n
From the airport, take a taxi to the old town. Use only registered taxis: you can recognise them by white number plates and a green, yellow or blue horizontal stripe on the white bodywork, and their drivers collect passengers from the airport terminal. Alternatively, book the ride through an app that lets you track the driver and the route. Give your destination as Malindi harbour or the ferry terminal on Malawi Road, from where it is only a few steps to the water.<\/p>\n
Entry: visa and compulsory insurance<\/h3>\n
Travellers from Germany need a visa for Tanzania, and the same rules apply to Zanzibar. The e-visa is recommended; you apply for it online and should allow at least ten working days for processing. A visa on arrival is possible but not guaranteed, and costs 50 US dollars per person, including for children, payable by credit card or in cash in exact 50- or 100-dollar notes (as of November 2026). Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the end of your trip; an ID card is not sufficient.<\/p>\n
In addition, compulsory travel insurance is required: for Zanzibar this is the policy from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, and for the mainland, since October 2026, a policy from the insurer NIC, each costing around 44 US dollars for a stay of up to 92 days. One of the two policies is enough, as both are valid throughout the country. Other travel insurance is not accepted for this purpose. If you are coming from a yellow fever area, proof of vaccination is required. The current requirements can be found in the travel and security advice of the Foreign Office (Ausw\u00e4rtiges Amt)<\/a>.<\/p>\n
By ferry from Dar es Salaam<\/h3>\n
Several companies operate fast ferries between Dar es Salaam on the mainland and Zanzibar every day, and the crossing takes between 1 hour 20 minutes and about two hours, depending on the vessel. As things stand today (November 2026), Zan Fast Ferries alone departs from Dar es Salaam four times a day, at 7:00, 12:00, 14:15 and 16:30. With Azam Marine, an economy seat for non-residents of Tanzania costs 35 US dollars, with a 25 kg baggage allowance included (as of November 2026). Foreign passengers pay there in US dollars, euros or pounds sterling, and also need their passport on this route within Tanzania. Buy tickets at the company's offices or from official agencies, not from street vendors. You arrive at the ferry pier in Malindi harbour. In storms or thunderstorms, and on ferries that are clearly overcrowded, it is best not to make the crossing.<\/p>\n
Parking<\/h3>\n
The harbour and ferry terminal are on Malawi Road at the edge of the old town. The lanes of the old town are narrow and winding. You can reach the supermarket, pharmacies and the sights of the old town on foot from the harbour.<\/p>\n
Those travelling on Unguja by hire car will find petrol stations close to the harbour: the Mlandege petrol station just under a kilometre east of the ferry terminal and another just under one and a half kilometres away.<\/p>\n
Shopping for the trip<\/h3>\n
The nearest supermarket is Kwality Supermarket, about 700 metres or roughly ten minutes' walk from the harbour. In addition there are several mini-markets in the old town. On the eastern edge of Stone Town is the Darajani market quarter.<\/p>\n
Plastic bags are banned in Tanzania. Bring your own bags or crates for shopping; plastic bags in luggage are confiscated on entry. Only small zip-lock bags for cosmetics and liquids in hand luggage are permitted.<\/p>\n
Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services<\/h3>\n
Two pharmacies are about 500 metres from the harbour in the old town, Fahud Pharmacy and Nizar Pharmacy. On the southern edge of the old town on Vuga Street is Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.<\/p>\n
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- 112: general emergency number (does not work reliably everywhere)<\/li>\n
- Mnazi Mmoja Hospital ambulance: +255 773 204 740<\/li>\n
- At sea: VHF channel 16<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What does the anchorage off Stone Town offer?<\/h2>\n
The anchorage is off the old town, and on shore lies Malindi harbour with the ferry pier and the ferry companies' offices. It is operated by the Zanzibar Ports Corporation (ZPC). Around 95 per cent of Zanzibar's imports and exports pass through Malindi, and the passenger terminal handles an average of about 1.5 million passengers a year. There is a berth with 240 metres of quay length for large ocean-going ships and one with 113 metres for coastal vessels; ships with a draught of up to 10 metres can berth.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n \nFeature<\/th>\n Details<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Anchorage position (approximate)<\/td>\n 6\u00b0 09,4′ S, 39\u00b0 11,3′ O<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Type<\/td>\n Anchorage off the old town, on the Zanzibar Channel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Harbour ashore<\/td>\n Malindi harbour, cargo and passenger port with ferry pier; operated by Zanzibar Ports Corporation (ZPC), tel. +255 24 2230000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Port of entry<\/td>\n Visa issuing at Stone Town seaport<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Facilities<\/td>\n Supermarket around 700 m, pharmacies around 500 m, petrol stations from just under 1 km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n ZNZ Airport<\/td>\n around 5 km south of the town<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Dar es Salaam ferry<\/td>\n 1 hr 20 min to about 2 hrs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n What's the sailing weather like around Zanzibar?<\/h2>\n
Zanzibar has two rainy seasons: the long rains Masika from March to May and the short rains Vuli from October to December. January and February are relatively dry, as are the months from June to August.<\/p>\n
From June to August the wind blows predominantly from the south-east. For these months, the Tanzanian Meteorological Authority TMA has repeatedly forecast periods of strong winds along the coast in its seasonal outlooks, varying by year from southerly to easterly.<\/p>\n
In strong winds and heavy seas, TMA issues advisories and warnings for the coast, including for Unguja and Pemba. A yellow advisory means wind of up to 40 km\/h (around 22 knots) and waves of up to 2 metres, while an orange warning means wind and waves above that. Most of these alerts for Zanzibar are issued between May and August.<\/p>\n
Which sailing destinations can you reach from Stone Town?<\/h2>\n
From Stone Town, Changuu lies directly off the town, the northern tip of Unguja and Dar es Salaam are day passages, Pemba and Mafia are long passages or overnight runs. The distances are rounded routes over water on the usual course; for precise planning the chart applies.<\/p>\n
![\"Historic](\"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/toernfinder-altstadt-stone-town-sansibar-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \nDestination<\/th>\n Distance<\/th>\n Kurs<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Changuu (Prison Island)<\/td>\n around 3 nm<\/td>\n to the north-west<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Nungwi (northern tip of Unguja)<\/td>\n about 30 nm<\/td>\n northwards, along the west coast<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Mnemba (off the north-east coast)<\/td>\n about 40 nm<\/td>\n round the northern tip, then south-eastwards<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Dar es Salaam<\/td>\n about 40 nm<\/td>\n southwards through the Zanzibar Channel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Mkoani (Pemba)<\/td>\n around 60 nm<\/td>\n round the northern tip, then north-eastwards across the Pemba Channel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Kilindoni (Mafia)<\/td>\n around 110 nm<\/td>\n southwards, along the mainland coast<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Changuu (Prison Island)<\/h3>\n
Changuu lies close off the old town; excursion boats take about half an hour. From the 1860s onwards, the sultans held rebellious slaves here; later the British built a prison that was completed in 1894 but served only as a quarantine station for possible yellow fever cases. Today the island is home to giant tortoises whose ancestors came from the Seychelles in the 19th century; some are over a hundred years old. Around the island you can snorkel on coral reefs.<\/p>\n
Nungwi and Mnemba in the north<\/h3>\n
Nungwi lies at the northern tip of Unguja, Mnemba around 4.5 kilometres off the north-east coast. The island and the waters around it are a marine protected area for which visitors pay an entrance fee.<\/p>\n
Pemba and Mafia<\/h3>\n
Pemba is the northern sister island of Unguja and also belongs to Zanzibar. Ports for cargo and passengers are at Mkoani in the south-west and Wete in the north-west. Mafia lies far to the south off the mainland coast. Off the island lies Mafia Island Marine Park with Chole Bay; the main town on the west coast is Kilindoni.<\/p>\n
What can you do on a harbour day in Stone Town?<\/h2>\n
Stone Town is considered the largest surviving Swahili town on the East African coast; everything important is within walking distance from the harbour.<\/p>\n
Alleyways and carved doors<\/h3>\n
Stone Town was built on an old coral reef. The alleyways are narrow and winding, the houses mostly low-rise. Typical are the richly carved wooden doors for which the old town is known. Facing the sea stand large historic town palaces.<\/p>\n
Old Fort and Anglican Cathedral<\/h3>\n
The Old Fort stands on the site of an earlier Portuguese church; later the Arabs expanded it into a garrison fortress. The Anglican Cathedral stands on the grounds of Zanzibar's last open slave market and commemorates David Livingstone's campaign for the abolition of the slave trade.<\/p>\n
Malindi Mosque and Darajani<\/h3>\n
In the harbour quarter of Malindi stands the Malindi-Bamnara Mosque, which also counts amongst the old town's historic main buildings. At the other end of Stone Town lies Darajani with its market, where the old town merges into the newer quarters.<\/p>\n
For skippers: entry, anchoring and sea weather off Stone Town<\/h2>\n
Entry by sea<\/h3>\n
Visas are issued by the immigration authority on Zanzibar at the seaport of Stone Town and at Wete harbour on Pemba. A multiple-entry visa costs 100 US dollars. On entry you receive a residence permit for up to three months initially; for this you must be able to prove sufficient funds for your stay and a return or onward ticket.<\/p>\n
Approach and safety<\/h3>\n
Stone Town lies on the Zanzibar Channel between Unguja and the mainland. The anchorage lies off the old town north-west of the Malindi ferry terminal, about three nautical miles south-east of Changuu. Cargo and passenger ships call at Malindi harbour, and the fast ferries to Dar es Salaam also depart regularly from here. Channel 16 is the international distress and calling channel.<\/p>\n
The port operator ZPC provides a 24-hour pilotage service and vessel traffic monitoring (VTS), and contact with port control is via VHF. ZPC also maintains the buoys, lights and beacons in the approach and the anchorage areas. You can reach the harbour office in Malindi on +255 24 2230000.<\/p>\n
The Foreign Office points to a risk of pirate attacks off Somalia and neighbouring states, including off Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. It recommends the utmost caution to vessel masters and registration with the Maritime Security Centre (MSCIO) before voyages in at-risk waters.<\/p>\n
Which sea weather forecast applies around Zanzibar?<\/h3>\n
The authoritative source is the Tanzanian weather service TMA (Tanzania Meteorological Authority). It publishes a sea weather forecast<\/a> for coastal waters on its website.<\/p>\n
TMA also provides marine weather information through its own advisory offices in the ports on the Indian Ocean (Marine Briefing Offices). Warnings of strong wind and high waves are also published under the severe weather warnings on the website.<\/p>\n
Trips from Stone Town on T\u00f6rnfinder<\/h2>\n
Im Oktober 2026 gibt es auf T\u00f6rnfinder 1 T\u00f6rntermin in den n\u00e4chsten zw\u00f6lf Monaten mit Start oder Ziel Stone Town.<\/p>\n