Welcome to the new home of A Chef's Tour. Bigger, bolder and tastier than ever.

Zanzi Eats

Urojo mishmash bright with tamarind, mishkaki charcoal skewers and coconut curries scented with cloves. Stone Town still eats the trade routes.

Stirring factory.Old town fruit vendor.Traditional Stone Town bakery.Boga la nazi and beans.Stone Town minaret.Drying clothes.Courtyard restaurant.Darajani Market.Urojo bowls.Date shake with spices.Wood-fired oven.Freshly baked bread.Cooking on Oryx.Old doorway.Dhows on the water.

Hosted by one of our Zanzibar tastemakers

Experience hosted by Maryam, Muna & other local tastemaker guides

What you can expect

Zanzibar food tour - Stone Town was built on trade, and you can taste the evidence. For centuries, dhows crossed the Indian Ocean carrying spices, rice, coconuts and recipes between East Africa, Arabia, Persia and India. Portuguese arrivals added ingredients from farther afield, while generations of Swahili cooks turned the lot into something unmistakably Zanzibari.

1

Support local

Every stop on this tour keeps money in the hands of the families, cooks and market traders.

2

Original tours

Every route is curated hand-in-hand with our local tastemakers, not a template licensed from another operator.

3

More tastings

There's more tastings on our experiences than any other food tours, offering a proper introduction to Zanzibar's culinary scene.

The essentials

Destination

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Duration

3.5-4 hours

Tastings

15+ tastings

Language

English

Days of the week

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun

Group size

Small group up to 8 guests

* Interested in ?

Transport

Walking tour with 7-8 stops

Included

  • More tastings than any other Zanzibar food tour
  • Smallest group size in Zanzibar
  • Led by Zanzibar tastemaker guides
  • Bottled water and other drinks included

Excluded

  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Pick up and drop off from hotel excluded

Field archive

Zanzibar

No. 001

—

Zanzibar

01 / 07

Route notes

Tours are subject to change depending on vendor opening hours, time of year and other factors.

1

Elegant late-19th-century building with elaborate Indian & European elements, now home to a museum.

2

Local eatery.

You’ll try

Beans in coconut saucePumpkin in coconut sauceRice cake

3

A neighbourhood food factory.

You’ll try

Jelly sweet

4

A neighbourhood local eatery at Malawi Rd.

You’ll try

Calamari coconut curry

Boat noodles at Wattana, poured through the same copper strainer since 1972.

No. 002

Boat noodles at Wattana, poured through the same copper strainer since 1972.

Zanzibar

Field notes

1

Included

More tastings than any other Zanzibar food tour, Smallest group size in Zanzibar, Led by Zanzibar tastemaker guides, and Bottled water and other drinks included.

2

Not included

Alcoholic drinks and Pick up and drop off from hotel excluded.

3

Meeting point

Yaowarat. Your guide will meet you at the exit ten minutes before departure; a WhatsApp thread lands in your inbox within an hour of booking.

4

Good to know

Rain or shine, this tour still runs. Vegetarians are catered for with substitutions; the route isn't suitable for wheelchairs.

5

Dietary honesty

Vegetarian works with some substitutions. Gluten-free means several tastings are omitted. Vegan isn't recommended for this particular tour.

6

Cancellation

Reserve now, pay later. Cancel any time up to 24 hours before departure at no charge; after that, the booking is non-refundable.

Meet your tastemakers

Maryam Mkwende

Maryam

Maryam M

Maryam leads this tour in Zanzibar — one of our chef-guides on the ground. Ask them anything: they've spent years finding the counters, kitchens and stalls behind the door.

Meeting point

Where the tour starts (and ends).

Start

Old Dispensary

R5RV+P22, Malindi Rd, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Reviews

Reviews

Coming soon. Guest reviews from the first departures land here.

Ready?

Eat Zanzibar with us.

An evening of charcoal smoke, family recipes and the stories behind them. From US$35 per guest.