St. Joseph's Cathedral
A Roman Catholic cathedral near the harbour, built by German missionaries in the early 1900s. Its tall spire is a landmark, and visitors are welcome outside services.
Dar es Salaam
Fast ferries to Zanzibar, nearby beaches and busy markets add to this largest city and main port.
Attractive locations
National Museum of Tanzania
The country's main national museum, with exhibits on early human fossils, the coastal slave trade, German and British colonial rule, and the independence movement.
Makumbusho Village Museum
An open-air museum with traditional homes built to represent different Tanzanian ethnic groups. Dance and drumming performances and craft demonstrations are held here.
Askari Monument
A bronze statue of an African soldier at a central crossroads, honouring local men who served as porters and soldiers in the First World War.
Bongoyo Island
A small island with white-sand beaches, snorkelling and short nature trails. Boats cross from the Msasani peninsula, making it a popular half-day escape from the city.
Mbudya Island
A small uninhabited island with pale sand and shallow clear water, reached by a short boat ride from the mainland. People come for swimming, snorkelling and picnics.
Kunduchi Ruins
The remains of a mosque and tombs from an old Swahili coastal settlement, north of the city centre. A quiet stop for those interested in the region's trading past.
Airports
Julius Nyerere International Airport DAR
It is about 10 km in a straight line from Dar es Salaam.
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport ZNZ
It is about 66 km in a straight line from Dar es Salaam.
Mafia Airport MFA
It is about 130 km in a straight line from Dar es Salaam.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Tanzania page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan27.8 °C90 mm
- Feb28.0 °C80 mm
- Mar28.0 °C155 mm
- Apr27.4 °C258 mm
- May26.4 °C151 mm
- Jun25.4 °C24 mm
- Jul24.9 °C12 mm
- Aug25.1 °C14 mm
- Sep25.7 °C24 mm
- Oct26.7 °C68 mm
- Nov27.4 °C128 mm
- Dec27.9 °C127 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Wettest months: Mar, Apr, May.
Costs
Prices here are about 28% of US prices (World Bank, 2024). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
112. Your safari operator or hotel can give you local police and ambulance numbers.
ngo
Tanzania Red Cross Society
Helps with: Tanzania's national Red Cross society, with headquarters in Dar es Salaam. Its site lists a hotline, said to run 24 hours a day, and a separate counselling service line.
Who qualifies: People in Tanzania who need to reach the Red Cross, including its hotline or counselling line.
Phone: 0800 750 150
Email: info@trcs.or.tz
Address: Mwai Kibaki Road, Plot No. 53, Block C, Mikocheni B, P.O. Box 1133, Dar es Salaam
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Tanzania
Helps with: The UN migration agency's country office in Dar es Salaam. Contact it about migration matters in Tanzania.
Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +255 689 103 096
Email: iomdar@iom.int
Address: Plot 17 Ruhinde Rd, Kinondoni, P.O. Box 9270, Dar es Salaam
embassy
Foreign embassies and high commissions in Tanzania (official list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or high commission. The Tanzanian foreign ministry lists missions in Dar es Salaam with postal addresses, phones and emails.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or high commission.
local government
Emergency number 112 (police, ambulance and fire)
Helps with: Reaches police, ambulance and fire services. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 112