Tanzania
Dar es Salaam
East Africa's great Swahili port city: fish auctions, street food, Tingatinga art and island beaches on its doorstep.
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's biggest city and its working port, a sprawling Swahili metropolis on a deep natural harbour facing the Indian Ocean. Most travellers pass through on the way to Zanzibar or the southern parks, but the city repays a stop: a dawn fish auction, German-era churches on the waterfront, a vast market district, Tingatinga painters and a coastline of islands and beaches.
Suggested stay
1–3 days
Language
Swahili, English
Currency
TZS
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Dar es Salaam
Swahili port life Dhows, ferries and container ships share the harbour, and the fish market by the ferry terminal is loudest at first light.
Street food Mishkaki skewers, chipsi mayai, grilled cassava and nyama choma, eaten roadside or on the beach at dusk.
Tingatinga and Makonde The city is the home of bright Tingatinga painting and a centre for carved Makonde ebony.
Islands offshore Bongoyo and Mbudya are short boat rides from the northern shore, with white sand and reef.
Best time to visit
Jun-Oct, Jan-Feb
30-33° days
6.816° S, 39.280° E
UTC+3 · Africa/Dar es Salaam
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Weather & when to go to Dar es Salaam
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Jun-Oct, Jan-Feb
Watch for Nov-Apr cyclones & hurricanes risk · Apr monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Dar es Salaam
April is the heart of the long rains, when heavy downpours flood low-lying roads and stall the already slow traffic. The months either side can be wet too. It is hot and humid all year, most of all from December to March, so plan sightseeing for the mornings.
Top things to do in Dar es Salaam
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Kivukoni Fish Market - the dawn auction by the harbour
food culture arts 👍 PopularBeside the Kigamboni ferry terminal, the night's catch of tuna, kingfish, octopus and prawns is auctioned off the boats from first light, then scaled, fried and sold on the spot. Go early, keep valuables tucked away and ask before photographing.
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Kariakoo Market - the city's great bazaar
shopping culture arts 👍 PopularA whole district of trading grows around the central market hall, selling spices, fabrics, kanga cloth, electronics and everything in between. It is crowded and intense, and pickpockets work it, so carry little and consider going with a local guide.
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Bongoyo Island - beach and snorkelling off Msasani
nature wildlife scenic 👍 PopularA small uninhabited island in a marine reserve, reached by boat from the Msasani Peninsula in about half an hour. Expect a sandy beach, simple grilled fish and shallow reef for snorkelling. Check boat times back before you settle in.
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Tingatinga Arts Cooperative - painters at work in Oyster Bay
culture arts shopping ⭐ Highly recommendedThe cooperative carries on the style founded by Edward Saidi Tingatinga in the 1960s: flat, glossy, brightly coloured animals and village scenes. Artists paint in open workshops, and you can watch, talk to them and buy directly.
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Coco Beach - weekend street food on Toure Drive
food culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedThe public beach along the Oyster Bay shore is where the city comes to relax, especially on weekend evenings. Vendors grill mishkaki and corn, crack open coconuts and sell spiced cassava, with music and football on the sand. Not a swimming beach.
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National Museum and House of Culture - Olduvai fossils and colonial history
history culture artsNear the botanical gardens, the national museum holds hominid finds from Olduvai Gorge alongside galleries on the Swahili coast, the slave trade, the German and British eras and independence.
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Village Museum (Makumbusho) - traditional houses of Tanzania
culture arts historyAn open-air museum on Bagamoyo Road with full-size homesteads built in the styles of different Tanzanian peoples, from thatched round houses to coastal mud-and-coral homes. Traditional dance performances are held here.
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Askari Monument and the German-era waterfront
historyA bronze askari soldier marks the heart of downtown, a memorial to the African troops and carriers of the First World War. Walk from it to the harbour for the twin German churches: the Gothic St Joseph's Cathedral and the red-roofed Azania Front Lutheran Church.
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Mwenge Carvers Market - Makonde woodcarving
shopping culture artsA warren of stalls and workshops where carvers shape ebony and other hardwoods into Makonde figures, masks and the intricate tree-of-life sculptures. Watching the work is part of the visit; bargain patiently.
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Mbudya Island - a beach day from the northern shore
nature wildlife scenicBoats run from the Kunduchi coast to this small island in the same marine reserve as Bongoyo, with a long white beach, thatched shade and reef for snorkelling. A quieter alternative to Bongoyo if you are staying north.
Best areas to stay in Dar es Salaam
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Masaki and Oyster Bay
First-time visitors $$$Leafy peninsula, embassies, ocean views
Explore hotels in Masaki and Oyster Bay →
City Centre (Kisutu and Kivukoni)
Ferry connections $Busy downtown, harbour, ferry terminals
Explore hotels in City Centre (Kisutu and Kivukoni) →
Kigamboni
Beach breaks $$Beach lodges across the harbour mouth
Explore hotels in Kigamboni →
Mbezi Beach and Kunduchi
Resort stays $$Northern beach resorts, island boats
Explore hotels in Mbezi Beach and Kunduchi →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Dar es Salaam
Getting to & around Dar es Salaam
Getting there
Fly into Julius Nyerere International (DAR), or arrive by fast ferry from Zanzibar into the harbour downtown.
Flight
Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR)
The airport is about 12 km southwest of the centre. Most people take a taxi, ride-hailing car or hotel transfer: around half an hour downtown when roads are clear, and well over an hour to Masaki in rush-hour traffic.
Ferry
Zanzibar ferry terminal, Kivukoni
Fast ferries cross from Stone Town several times a day in roughly two hours. Buy tickets at the operators' own offices, not from touts outside.
Train
The electric standard-gauge railway runs inland to Morogoro and Dodoma, and the TAZARA line heads southwest to Zambia.
Coach
Magufuli Bus Terminal, Mbezi
Long-distance buses link Dar with Arusha, Moshi, Mbeya and Nairobi, leaving early in the morning from the terminal on the western edge.
Getting around
Ride-hailing
App-booked cars and bajaji are the easiest way to get around and avoid haggling.
TBC
Bajaji
Three-wheeled tuk-tuks for short hops. Agree the fare before you set off.
TBC
Rapid-transit bus (DART)
Dedicated bus lanes run from the city centre and Kariakoo out along Morogoro Road, skipping the worst of the traffic.
TBC
Dala-dala
Crowded minibuses on fixed routes, cheap but confusing for newcomers and a target for pickpockets.
TBC
Kigamboni ferry
Frequent car and passenger ferries cross the harbour mouth from Kivukoni to the Kigamboni beaches in minutes.
TBC
Day trips from Dar es Salaam
Zanzibar Stone Town
1-2 daysSwahili island old town
The coral-stone lanes, carved doors and Omani palaces of Stone Town are the obvious next step from Dar. A same-day return is possible on early and late ferries, but most people stay on to see the island's beaches.
Getting there
ferry | flight
About 2 hr by fast ferry, or a short flight
Bagamoyo
Full dayHistoric caravan port
The old end of the caravan route from the interior and the first capital of German East Africa, with a crumbling German boma, the Catholic mission museum and the medieval Kaole ruins of mosque and pillar tombs just south of town.
Getting there
car | bus
About 1.5-2 hr north by car
Mikumi National Park
1-2 daysSavanna safari
The nearest classic game-viewing to Dar, on open floodplain where elephant, giraffe, zebra, buffalo and lion are regularly seen. Best done with an overnight stay rather than a punishing same-day return.
Getting there
car | tour | train
About 4-5 hr west by road, or by train to Morogoro then road
Nyerere National Park
2 daysRiver safari
The former Selous Game Reserve, Africa's largest protected wilderness, is known for boat safaris on the Rufiji River among hippos and crocodiles, walking safaris and wild dog. Fly-in stays of two nights or more are the norm.
Getting there
flight | car | tour
About 45 min by light aircraft, or a long drive
A little history of Dar es Salaam
Before the city there was Mzizima, a Swahili fishing village on the harbour. In the 1860s Sultan Majid of Zanzibar began building a new port and palace here and named it Dar es Salaam, the harbour of peace, but after his death in 1870 it faded. The Germans revived it, making it the capital of German East Africa in 1891, and laid out the waterfront churches and offices that still stand.
British forces took the city in 1916, and the name of Kariakoo comes from the Carrier Corps camped there. Dar became the capital of Tanganyika at independence in 1961 and of Tanzania after the union with Zanzibar in 1964. The seat of government has since moved inland to Dodoma, but Dar remains the country's largest city and commercial heart.
Sultan Majid of Zanzibar founds Dar es Salaam on the site of the village of Mzizima
The German East Africa Company establishes a station in the town
Dar es Salaam replaces Bagamoyo as capital of German East Africa
British forces capture the city during the First World War
Tanganyika becomes independent with Dar es Salaam as its capital
Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar creates the United Republic of Tanzania
The government decides to move the capital inland to Dodoma
The TAZARA railway linking Dar es Salaam to Zambia is completed
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+255
Cyclones & hurricanes risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Tanzania eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Dar es Salaam
▸ When is the best time to visit Dar es Salaam?
The dry months from June to October are the most comfortable, with sea breezes and less humidity, and January and February are hot but mostly dry. April, in the middle of the long rains, is the month to avoid, with flooding and gridlocked roads.
▸ How many days do you need in Dar es Salaam?
One full day covers the fish market, the waterfront, the National Museum and an evening on Coco Beach. A second or third day adds Bongoyo Island, the Village Museum, Tingatinga workshops or a trip to Bagamoyo.
▸ Is Dar es Salaam the capital of Tanzania?
Not officially. Dodoma is the capital and the seat of government, but Dar es Salaam is the largest city, the main port and the commercial centre, and many embassies remain here.
▸ How do I get from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar?
Fast ferries leave the harbour downtown several times a day and take about two hours to Stone Town. Book at the operators' own offices or online and ignore touts. Short flights also run from the airport.
▸ Is Dar es Salaam safe?
Most visits are trouble-free, but bag and phone snatching, sometimes from passing motorbikes, is the common problem. Carry little, avoid walking downtown or on empty beaches after dark, and use ride-hailing apps or hotel taxis at night.
▸ Is Dar es Salaam worth visiting or should I go straight to Zanzibar?
If you only have a night, many people move straight on. But a day or two shows a side of Tanzania the island does not: a big, busy African city with a working harbour, superb street food and its own art scene.
More in Tanzania
Arusha
Where the northern safari circuit starts, with an overlooked national park and a volcano to climb on the doorstep.
✓ best Jun-Nov, Jan-FebKilimanjaro (Moshi)
The roof of Africa, and the only 5,000-metre summit most people can simply walk up, given enough days to let the altitude catch up.
✓ best May-MarNgorongoro Crater (Karatu)
One of the densest year-round gatherings of big game in Africa, sealed inside the walls of a single volcanic caldera you can see across in one look.
✓ best May-Oct