Dar es Salaam

The capital of Tanzania in all but name, Dar es Salaam is a relatively new city having been founded in the 1860s by the then Sultan of Zanzibar, Majid. Following a series of ups and downs the city/port became established in the early 20th century as the main base of operations for the German empire and the heart of trade in East Africa.

Today, as one wanders through the dusty streets of the city, it is possible to see a few remnants of this history with architecture originating from Germany, Great Britain and, above all the Arabs. This does however still remain a predominantly Swahili city and, as such, there is a laid back and relaxed feel to both the pace of life and the people that reside here.

Without a huge amount of “sights” to be seen we rarely recommend more than a couple of nights in the city, but for those that are interested, it is a rewarding experience.

Do see our best camps & lodges in Dar es Salaam picks for 2026/27 on this page.

There are not many that come to Tanzania with Dar es Salaam as the main focus of the trip and, as such, the times to visit the city are consequential. Generally speaking the drier months between June and November and again from January to March are probably the recommended.

Do see our interactive best time to visit Dar es Salaam guide on this page as well as on our parent guide to tanzania page for more in-depth information on when to go.

Or call us on +44 1525 840 149. That’s what we’re here for.

As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149

This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.

With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.

Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.

As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149

This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.

With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.

Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.