🇹🇿

Dar es Salaam

Tanzania

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Route info

Timezone

GMT+3

CurrencyTSh TZS

LanguageSwahili

Airport transfer~25 minTaxi / Bolt / Uber / Dala-dala

About Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam does not try to be a postcard — it is Tanzania's beating commercial heart, a sprawling, salt-aired Indian Ocean city that rewards curiosity over itinerary-ticking. The Swahili name means 'House of Peace', and there is a genuine ease to the place: sunset seafood along the Msasani Peninsula, the sensory overload of Kariakoo Market, ferry journeys to pristine offshore islands, and an undercurrent of Swahili culture that runs deeper here than almost anywhere on the coast. It is also your gateway to Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, and the Serengeti.

Visa requirements

Visa on Arrival

Visa requirements depend on your passport — check your government's travel advice before booking.

Good to know

✓Pre-book the fast ferry to Zanzibar via Azam Marine rather than buying at the port
✓Use Bolt or Uber instead of street taxis for fair pricing
✓Carry small Tanzanian shilling notes — card payment is patchy outside hotels

Popular airlines on this route

KLM

Ethiopian Airlines

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✈️ Getting there

DARJulius Nyerere International Airport

📍 12 km⏱ 25 min🚕 Taxi🚌 Bolt🚌 Uber🚌 Dala-dala

Bolt and Uber operate from Terminal 3 and are the most transparent option — expect TZS 35,000–40,000 (around €12–14) to central Dar. Official DATTA taxis (white with a blue stripe) at the terminal rank are reliable but negotiate the fare firmly before departure.

Julius Nyerere's Terminal 3, opened in 2019, is a spacious, modern international facility handling all long-haul arrivals — used by KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, and Condor, making it one of East Africa's better-connected hubs.

Don't Miss

Hidden gems and local experiences in Dar es Salaam — beyond the tourist trail.

🏝️Take the morning ferry to Bongoyo Island — the boat leaves from Slipway on the Msasani Peninsula (takes 20 minutes, costs around USD 10–15 return) and the island has clear water, good snorkelling over coral gardens, and a beach bar doing fresh grilled fish. Go on a weekday morning to have the island largely to yourself before the weekend crowds.

🛒Kariakoo Market in the morning is the real Dar — the city's vast wholesale and retail market sells produce, spices, textiles, and livestock across a multi-block labyrinth. Arrive at 7–8 AM for the best energy and the freshest produce. The surrounding streets have excellent street food — fried cassava chips and fresh mango juice from street vendors are the right breakfast for this.

🌅Cape Town Fish Market restaurant at Msasani Bay has some of Dar's best sunsets and reliably fresh seafood — arrive at 5:30 PM for a waterside table before they fill, order the daily grilled catch, and watch the sky turn over the Indian Ocean. The location makes even an average meal feel extraordinary.

🏛️The Village Museum (Makumbusho) is 10 km north of the city centre in Mikocheni — traditional dwellings from Tanzania's 120 ethnic groups spread across 15 acres, with resident artisans demonstrating carving, weaving, and painting. Visit Saturday afternoon when cultural performances are sometimes staged. A taxi from the centre costs around TZS 15,000.

⛴️The Zanzibar ferry from Dar Port is one of East Africa's great short journeys — two hours on a fast ferry through the Indian Ocean, arriving into Stone Town's ancient harbour. Buy tickets at the port the day before (around USD 35 economy) and go for the early morning departure when the sea is calmest. It is an easy day trip or the natural next chapter of any Tanzania trip.

Travel Plans

Suggested itineraries for Dar es Salaam — tap a plan to see day-by-day details.

More in Tanzania

Zanzibar

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to visit Dar es Salaam?▾

Visa requirements depend on your passport — check your government's travel advice for the latest entry requirements before booking.

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