Tanzania

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Dar es Salaam

Tanzania's bustling Indian Ocean hub

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Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Currency: TZS
Time zone: UTC+3
Country: Tanzania

Photo: Chen Hualin, CC BY-SA 3.0

Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest city and financial hub, a humid Indian Ocean port blending African, Arab and South Asian influences. Most visitors pass through on the way to Zanzibar or safari, but its markets, beaches and islands reward a longer stay.

Largest cities

Dar es Salaam
Dodoma
Mwanza
Arusha
Mbeya

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Tanzania
Capital: Dodoma
City population: 4.7M
Population of Tanzania: 57.3M
Country area: 947,303 km²
Official language: Swahili and English
Currency: Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) · 1 USD ≈ 2,635 TZS
Time zone: UTC+3
Calling code: +255
Drives on the: Left
Elevation: 11 m
Plugs: D / G · 230V
Emergency numbers: 112 · 114 · 115
Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	31°	32°	32°	29°	29°	29°	29°	29°	30°	30°	30°	30°
Low	26°	26°	25°	24°	23°	22°	21°	21°	22°	23°	24°	25°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$27
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$90
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$250

Plan a trip to Dar es Salaam

Top things to do

Free
Kariakoo Market
Wander the city's biggest market for food, fabrics and hardware; go in the morning, keep your bag in front of you and bargain politely.
- Half day
- Kariakoo
- Good for kids
≈ $5
National Museum of Tanzania
See the country's history from early hominid finds such as Paranthropus boisei to the present; a good rainy-day stop near the centre.
- Half day
- Ilala and the Central Business District
- Good for kids
- Indoors
≈ $5
Makumbusho Cultural Centre & Village Museum
Traditional Tanzanian houses and craft demonstrations in one open-air site; check for dance or drum performances before you go.
- Half day
- Ilala and the Central Business District
- Good for kids
Free
Nyumba ya Sanaa (House of Art)
A cultural centre and workshop selling Tingatinga paintings and carvings, with works by George Lilanga at the entrance; prices are fixed-ish but friendly.
- Half day
- Ilala and the Central Business District
- Good for kids
- Indoors
Free
Oyster Bay Beach (Coco Beach)
The city's main white-sand beach, busy with joggers, food stalls and sunset crowds; swim with care and watch your belongings.
- Half day
- Masaki and Oyster Bay
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
≈ $1
Kivukoni Ferry to Kigamboni
Cross the harbour on the MV Kigamboni ferry for cheap views of the port and skyline; the Kigamboni Bridge is the alternative by road.
- Half day
- Kigamboni (South Beach)
- Good for kids
≈ $35
Bongoyo Island day trip
Boat from the Msasani Slipway to a marine reserve with snorkelling and a quiet beach; bring water, sunblock and cash for the boat and park fee.
- Full day
- Msasani Peninsula
- Good for kids
≈ $60
Bagamoyo day trip
Drive north to the old Swahili and German colonial town with slave-trade history and a quiet beach; arrange a car and driver for the day.
- Full day
- Ilala and the Central Business District

Before you go

Entry and visas

Most visitors need a visa for Tanzania: many nationalities can apply for an e-visa before travel or get a single-entry tourist visa on arrival at major ports of entry, while citizens of some Commonwealth and African countries enter visa-free. All visitors must have a passport valid for at least 6 months with one blank page, proof of onward travel, and mandatory Tanzanian government inbound travel insurance, plus a yellow fever certificate if arriving from a transmission-risk country. Rules vary by nationality, so check the official Tanzanian Immigration Department page before booking.

Official website

From the airport

Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) lies about 10 km west of the centre. A taxi into town takes 30–60 minutes depending on traffic and costs from TSh 30,000; bajaji (auto rickshaws) are about half that, and daladala minibuses cost under TSh 1,000.

Getting around

Daladala minibuses and the mwendo kasi bus rapid transit cover the city cheaply, while bajaji and bodaboda motorbikes are faster in traffic; taxis are best arranged by app or hotel.

Local tips

Dress modestly away from the beach; cover shoulders and knees in Kariakoo and around mosques.
Carry cash in Tanzanian shillings for markets and small shops; cards work in malls and hotels.
Avoid walking alone at night and keep valuables out of sight in crowded markets.
June to September is the most comfortable season; April–May and November–December are the rainy months.

Areas worth knowing

Kariakoo
Kigamboni (South Beach)
Ilala and the Central Business District
Masaki and Oyster Bay
Msasani Peninsula

Official travel advice

The UK Foreign Office last updated its advice for this country on October 9, 2026. The advice includes warnings against travel to some areas. Read it before booking.

Read the advice on GOV.UK