Dar es Salaam | City & Beach Paradise

Soft Sands, Warm Waters, Endless Coastal Beauty

THE HARBOUR OF PEACE – DAR ES SALAAM (it’s amazing)

Dar es Salaam, famously known as “The Harbour of Peace,” has transformed over the last century from a quiet Zaramo fishing village into a vibrant tropical metropolis of more than four million people. Positioned along one of the world’s most important maritime routes, Dar es Salaam is East Africa’s second‑busiest port and Tanzania’s leading commercial hub.

The city’s architecture blends African, Arab, Indian, and German influences, now rising alongside modern high‑rises and bustling coastal districts. While many travellers pass through quickly, those who take time to explore discover a relaxed coastal vibe, rich cultural diversity, and authentic Tanzanian hospitality.

Getting there

Dar es Salaam is one of the easiest cities to access in Tanzania.

  • By Air: Fly directly into Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA). Domestic and regional flights also connect from Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, and Nairobi.
  • By Sea: Fast and reliable ferries operate daily between Zanzibar Island and Dar es Salaam.
  • By Road: Well‑connected highways link Dar es Salaam with all neighbouring regions and countries.
  • By Train: Travel via the historic TAZARA Train from Zambia or the luxury ROVOS Rail from South Africa.

When to Visit

Dar es Salaam is a year‑round destination, offering warm tropical weather and coastal breezes throughout all seasons.

Accommodations

The city offers a wide range of accommodation options, from central city hotels to beachfront resorts and fully serviced apartments. Travellers can choose from budget, semi‑luxury, and luxury stays ideal for holidaymakers, business travellers, researchers, and long‑term visitors. Expect warm Tanzanian hospitality wherever you stay.

WHAT TO DO IN DAR ES SALAAM BEACH

Beach Holiday

As a best therapy for your Mind, Body and Mind, while close your eyes, relax and let your mind’s eye take you to a beautiful white-sand beach, ………..

Dar es Salaam city tour

Privately guided tour to the top city’s attractions such askari Monument, Kariakoo Market, Central Railway Station, St. Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral and the Greek Orthodox Church. Mwenge Carver’s Market, National Museum and the open-air Village Museum, Tingatinga Shopping Central, Coco beach and nearby magnificent golden beaches and lush islands Dar is a great place to explore.

 Bagamoyo Historical tour

The historic town, will enlighten tourist of how and where slaves and slavery trade were conducted in East Africa, it will edify tourist about Colonial error by visiting which was the First German East Africa State House in East Africa, , get the history of Caravanserai, The First Cross erected by the Missionary on the coast of East Africa, Dr. Livingstone’s Church, the fish market and many others places if time permits

Zanzibar day trip tour

Enjoy day trip to Zanzibar Island from Dar es Salaam with Kilimanjaro fast ferry. Learn about the vast amount of history the island. Take a trip to Prison Island, stone town tour, spice farms, and enjoy lunch while visiting. Late transfer back to Dar es Salaam at the end of your day.

Getaway to Bongoyo Island or Mbudya Island

Moving away from mainland Dar es Salaam, Bongoyo or Mbudya Island is closest to the city. It’s an amazing

  • Wedding, Honeymoon, Dine out
  • Beach Holiday & Spa treatments
  • Snorkeling, fishing, sport Holidays
  • Natural walk, Shopping, fun & Nightlife
  • Tanzania foods, home stay & Cooking Class
  • 2 Days Safari Mikumi National Park
  • 3 Days Nyerere National Park (Selous game reserve)
  • 3 Nights Fly In/Fly out Serengeti National Park 
  • 2 Days Saadani National Park. “Where the beach meets the bush”
  • 2 Days Zanzibar & Mikumi National Park: Perfect quick escape with big‑game viewing.
  • 4 Days Zanzibar & Nyerere National Park: Africa’s largest protected area, rich wildlife, boat safaris.
  • 4 Days Zanzibar & Ruaha National Park: Authentic wilderness, large lion prides, dramatic landscapes.
  • 4 Days Fly‑In Luxury Safari: Zanzibar & Serengeti Premium lodges and world‑class wildlife.
  • 6 Days Fly‑In Luxury Safari: Zanzibar, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater. The ultimate northern circuit.
  • 7 Days Luxury Adventure: Zanzibar, Ruaha & Mahale Chimpanzee Trekking, Unique primate experience + romantic getaway.
  • 9 Days Luxury Dar es Salaam Beach & Serengeti Safari: Ideal for honeymooners, family, and long‑stay travelers.

Located in Jangwani beach in the North of the city centre, the white-sands is one of the long white sandy beaches that make Tanzania a haven for beach lovers. The weather, locations, sunrise and sunset, people, hotels contributes to the feeling of being in paradise.

At the eastern side of Dar es Salaam, the tones of beautiful beaches in Mbenzi to Kunduchi area, is set on a large stretch of white sand, and with a long row of attractive beach and the sunset is amazing.

Few listed !

  • Ramada Beach Resort By Wyndham
  • White Sands Beach Resort
  • Belinda Serene Beach Resort 
  • Landmark Beach Resort 
  • Water World Family Venue with pool & slide
  • Jangwani See Breeze Resort 
  • Jangwani Beach Hotel
  • Kunduchi Beach Hotel
  • Beach komba 
  • Mediterranneo Hotel & Restaurent 

Referred as South beach, it’s a clean, white sand beach with beautiful water for swimming and watersport, also a break from city life and the chance for dhow excursions to Sinda Island for snorkeling before setting up lunch on a deserted beach.

Few listed !

Set between the sea and a small lagoon on a wonderful stretch of beach, this lovely, barefoot luxury resort has spacious natural-style bungalows with beach-facing verandahs. Bird watching, forest walks, canoeing in the lagoon and snorkeling can be arranged. This lovely slice of paradise is a wonderful spot to unwind.

Few Listed!

  • Ras Kutani 
  • Protea Hotel By Marriott Dar Amaani Beach
  • Changani Beach Cottage 

North of the city Centre, the Msasani Peninsula is fringed with a long stretch of sand and coral rag beach along its eastern side. Swimming is only possible at high tide, but it’s a favourite weekend sport for locals, when the beach is dotted with food stalls, coconut stands and beer sellers. Weekends are the best time to enjoy lively, crowded Coco Beach.

Few Listed!

  • The Oster bay Hotel
  • Penunsula Hotel 
  • Colosseum Hotel 
  • Hotel Slipway Dar es Salaam
  • Alexandre’s Hotel 
  • Doubletree Hotel Dar es Salaam 
  • Sea Cliff Hotel Dar es Salaam 
  • Coral Beach Hotel Dar es Salaam

A white sand shoreline in eastern side Dar es Salaam central and in the northern suburbs of Ununio near an ancient fishing village that shares its name. Place to explore a clean beaches, interact with the locals, swim in the ocean, or buy some fresh seafood – raw or fried, and one of the less used beaches in the city, mostly empty during weekdays, with the exception of fishermen who can normally be seen tending their nets and boats during the day

Few Listed!

  • Ledger Bahari Beach 
  • Bahari Beach Castel Lodge
  • Dynast Beach Resort
  • The Beach House

Make the Holiday Inn Dar es Salaam City Centre hotel your relaxing retreat in the heart of the bustling Tanzanian capital. Just 20 minutes’ drive from Julius Nyerere International Airport, 

Few Listed!

  • Hyatt Regency Kilimanjaro Hotel
  • Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel
  • Southern Sun Hotel 
  • Holiday Inn Dar es Salaam
  • Golden Tulip Dar City Central 
  • Harbour View Suet Hotel 
  • Best Western CBD Hotel
  • Tiffany Diamond Hotel 
  • Sleep Inn Hotel Central/Sleep Inn Kariakoo
  • Fount Points By Sheraton Dar Salaam New Africa

Related Tours

luxury experience in tanzania

8-Days Luxury Tanzania Flying Safari; Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Beyond

$7941 $6985

5‑Day Flying Safari: Great Ruaha to Zanzibar Beach Escape

$2350

Tanzania Safari Magic: Family Adventures & Honeymoon Romance

$3998

12‑Day Tanzania Highlights: Serengeti, Nyerere and Zanzibar Escape

$8990

4-Day Zanzibar to Serengeti Flying Safaris

$3179 $2990

8‑Day Kilimanjaro to Serengeti Safari: Classic Tanzania Wildlife Adventure

$4200 $3550

Guest Reviews

 

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Fran Coleman profile picture
Fran Coleman
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We just got back from the safari of a lifetime! Gowitness Africa Safaris looked after us better than I could ever imagine and exceeded our expectations. From the moment I got in touch about booking a safari until the moment I landed back home I was looked after by this company. I love to support local businesses as they provide personal care and attention. This was definitely achieved by Gowitness, who took care of everything from the transfer to the airport, flights, 4wd and amazing safari guides, beautiful accomodation and a fabulous safari itinerary. A special thank you to our guides who did an incredible job at finding every animal on our list and more! They had a lot of knowledge and adjusted the route to find the best wildlife.
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Roger Miller profile picture
Roger Miller
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I went to the incredible Mahale mountains, the whole tour was outstanding from the first contact I made with Gogiraffe safaris, I was treated like a friend not just someone booking a tour, the communication was second to none as was the organisation of the entire trip, if I visit Tanzania again I wouldn’t book with anyone else

Owner's reply
Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We’re delighted to know your Mahale Mountains experience was exceptional and that our service made you feel truly valued. It was a pleasure arranging your journey, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Tanzania in the future. Hakuna Matata
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Spyros Zisopoulos profile picture
Spyros Zisopoulos
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Excellent treatment! We booked a 3-night tour to Gombe National Park and Kigoma Town. Chimp trekking is a unique activity and Kigoma Town is very interesting. Everything was made easy for us and Luice and his team replied immediately to all of our queries. We were also suggested alternatives when things took an unexpected turn! I definitely recommend.
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gianluca donelli profile picture
gianluca donelli
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Together with my wife and a friend, we contacted GoGiraffe to organize a 10 days trip in western Tanzania. Our goal was to visit Katavi National Park, Mahale and Gombe.While defining the Tour, I greatly appreciated the quick replies of Luice: easy to access and fast in responding to our request. The area we wanted to visit, is the less visited in Tanzania and the Parks are difficult to reach but can guarantee a very low presence of tourists. In the 3 parks visited, we were almost alone all the time!We met Luice at the ferry arrival from Zanzibar and immediately appreciated the capacity to be on time and of have constant communication via wupp which allowed us to feel safe and well followed.We flew to Mpanda where we met the local driver and the guide. We agreed on a medium budget tour, so we slept in the Bandas of the Park. The accommodation was simple but fair, same thing for the food provided at the Bandas restaurant. The Park is fantastic, and we saw all the animals expected with the only exception of the lions. We never met other tourists and really loved the 2 days of safari.From Katavi we moved to Mahale. It is almost impossible to go straight there as the road conditions are extremely poor, but the trip is a great opportunity to observe local life and people. So, we stopped in Kigoma, were we really loved the beautiful Kigoma Hilltop Hotel with its view on the lake, a beautiful swimming pool and a very good restaurant!Early the following day, another long and beautiful drive to reach Mahale including a very picturesque ferry, an amazing experience of local life!! Finally, we arrived to the Park with a final 90 minute ride on a boat on the Tanganika lake watching the superb and uncontaminated nature of the coast. The landscape in Mahale is extraordinary: I felt like I was in Jurassic Park movie! In the Park we were under the supervision of Hussein Mavumila: a great, experienced guide and very nice person. Bandas was ok and the food better than in Katavi. With Hussein, the following day, we started the trek seeking for chimpanzees which we met and observed for all the morning. Amazing!The following day, long trip: back to Kigoma to catch the boat to Gombe. The transfers in this trip were always long and not necessarily comfortable but, to me, those are the best moments in Africa as allowed us to see real life, including the fisherman’s villages with the Tanganika Lake always in our sight. The Gombe National Park was founded by Jane Goodall to preserve and study the Chimps. The Bandas there are very poor so, if you can, reserve at the tent at the camp very close there: little more expensive but by far cleaner and more comfortable! The following morning, another long trek in the forest watching several chimps relaxed and very busy with eating and delousing. Great day! After lunch, we decided to accelerate our trip back to Kigoma so to join the comfort of Kigoma Hilltop Hotel! This decision allowed us, the following day, to be at 8 am at the fishermen arrival from the fishing night and spend a couple of hour admiring the local women selling the sardines. Such a colorful and amazing show!! The morning was completed with the visits of the Kigoma Train Station (a very important piece of history for Tanzania), the Slave Road surrounded by huge mango’s trees, and the very interesting Livingston Museum, built in the place were Dr Livingstone and Mr. Stanley met.Our journey ended with a comfortable night in Dar where we had the opportunity to have a pleasant dinner with Luice, learning a lot of things on Tanzania and future opportunities of other trips!Overall, our experience has been very positive, knowing that this trip is not for everybody but mostly for experienced travelers. Visiting the less touristic part of Tanzania, can create some discomfort but the constant assistant of Luice via wupp helped to solve all the issues and the reward is fantastic: we will keep in our heart the beautiful images of people, nature and landscapes for the rest of our lives!!!

Owner's reply
Thank you for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful review. We’re delighted to hear that your journey through western Tanzania was memorable and that our team’s support, communication, and organization contributed to a positive experience. It was a pleasure arranging your adventure, and we truly appreciate your trust in Us. We look forward to welcoming you back for more unforgettable explorations in the future. Karibu Tena
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Justine Burel profile picture
Justine Burel
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Nous avons fait notre premier safari dans le sud de la Tanzanie avec Gogiraffe, à Mikumi, Ruaha et Nyerere — une expérience vraiment inoubliable ! Notre guide, Nazaret, était exceptionnel : plein d’histoires passionnantes sur les animaux et le pays, toujours souriant et rassurant. Nous avons eu la chance de voir le Big 4 — éléphant, lion, léopard et buffle (le rhinocéros n’étant visible que dans le nord) — ce qui a rendu ce premier safari encore plus magique. Vous pouvez faire confiance à Gogiraffe les yeux fermés. Et si vous partez avec Nazaret, foncez sans hésiter !

Owner's reply
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to have been part of your East African adventure. Your feedback inspires us to keep creating seamless, heartfelt experiences. Asante Sana
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Briag Mazodier profile picture
Briag Mazodier
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We had the most incredible experience with Gogiraffe Safaris on our 6-day journey through Mikumi, Ruaha, and Nyerere National Parks. From start to finish, everything was perfectly organized and exceeded our expectations. Our driver-guide was truly exceptional — knowledgeable, friendly, and deeply passionate about wildlife. He made every game drive exciting and educational, always going the extra mile to find the best sightings while ensuring we were safe and comfortable at all times. The accommodations throughout the safari were excellent, with each lodge offering a unique charm, great food, and warm hospitality. We especially appreciated the thoughtful selection of places that blended comfort with authentic safari vibes. What really stood out was the responsiveness and professionalism of the entire Gogiraffe Safaris team. From planning the trip to handling every detail during our stay, they were always available, proactive, and attentive to our needs. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to explore Tanzania’s stunning wildlife and landscapes. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a seamless and unforgettable safari experience!

Owner's reply
Thank you so much for your kind words. Your feedback inspires us to keep creating seamless, heartfelt experiences. Asante sana from all of us at GoGiraffe Safaris, we hope to welcome you again soon!
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Scott Moreland profile picture
Scott Moreland
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This was a private tour planned with us and Go-Giraffe Safaris. We went to Mahale, Tarangire, Ngonrogoro and Serengeti National Parks. In total we travelled to the parks with Go-Giraffe Safaris for two weeks. We had an exceptional two weeks filled with incredible care, expertise from the guides and drivers they provided. The lodges and camps where we stayed were top of the line with excellent facilities and the food was beyond excellent ! All my meals were gluten free prepared. The memories we will have of this journey through Africa was made even more special with Go-giraffe safaris. We thank Restituta, Hussein, Jacob and all the staff who made our stay in Mahale so very special. We thank Lemomo, our guide and driver who took us through Tarangire, Ngonrogoro and Serengeti showing us the parks with his expertise and passion for the animals. We love to hear his stories at dinner and we had fun meeting his mom near his village! All the staff at Go-Giraffe made our trip so very special. Karama Lodge in Arusha was exceptional! Thank you to Luice who kept in touch with my husband throughout the whole trip making sure all was going smoothly.

Owner's reply
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted you had such an amazing journey with us. It was our pleasure to ensure your trip was special and memorable. We look forward to hosting you again in the future. Karibu Sana.
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Celine Walquemanne profile picture
Celine Walquemanne
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Merveilleux safari ! Des images inoubliables gravées à jamais dans nos souvenirs ! Alpha et Edson sont des experts pour repérer les animaux ! Ils ont été patients et bienveillants, gentils et super pro ! Expérience incroyable !

Owner's reply
Merci de partager votre merveilleuse expérience de safari avec nous. Nous sommes ravis d'apprendre qu'Alpha ont rendu votre voyage inoubliable grâce à leur expertise et leur professionnalisme. Nous apprécions vos aimables paroles et nous nous réjouissons de vous servir à nouveau à l'avenir.
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k p profile picture
k p
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I can't recommend GoGiraffe Safaris highly enough for an everything-you-could-wish-for African safari experience. From pre-travel communication and aid, to designing a custom safari & Zanzibar trip for our group of 8, luxury accommodations and flexible schedules on each day of our tour, and not least, spending hours (upon hours!) with us each day as we reveled in the natural beauty of the landscape and took our 8000th picture of a zebra :), Luice and his guides Rama and Rajab were consummate professionals while also being friendly, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. I am convinced that Luice has the sharpest eyes in all of Serengeti and without him we would have missed much on the "endless plain." My heartfelt thanks to Luice and his crew for a truly amazing experience. Asante sana!

Owner's reply
Dear Kaela. Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had an unforgettable safari experience. Your kind words about our guides and accommodations mean a lot to us. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!” Stay Safe.
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David Matero profile picture
David Matero
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GoGiraffe Safaris were exceptional guides as they toured my wife and me and our friends through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. We saw an amazing number of animals and beautiful scenery. Its exhausting and exhilarating, and our accommodations were a nice respite from the long days in the wilderness. I would highly recommend Luice and GoGiraffe Safaris, as they not only educated us in the history and culture of East Africa, they are able to solve problems. Before the trip we had difficulty with our visas that Luice was personally able to resolve. While we were visiting Stone Town after our safari my wife left her earrings at a Zanzibar resort, Luice was able to make arrangements to retrieve her earrings. Luice and his drivers were great companions

Owner's reply
Dear David We are so pleased you enjoyed the safari. We home to see you soon! Stay Safe & healthy.
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