Description: Dar es Salaam is a major African city with more than 3 million people. Unless you have a particular reason for spending some time in Dar, we feel it just doesn’t fit in well with most itineraries. Due to the timing of flights, we do occasionally recommend overnights in Dar. The best bet for a half-day in Dar is to head to Mwenge where there is some good souvenir shopping, especially wood carvings. And near there is the Makumbusho Village Museum where you can find a collection of authentic homes from 18 Tanzanian tribes. You can get a short tour and a broad overview of village life in Tanzania. There are also some decent beach hotels in/near Dar es Salaam, but for anything more than a 1 or 2 night visit, these are mostly outshined by nearby Zanzibar, which is where most people go. Near Dar, just a couple hours north, is Bagamoyo. This is a laid-back large village that has several very nice beach hotels.

Accommodations

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Heritage Motel

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Harbour View Suites
Holiday Inn Dar es Salaam City Centre
Hotel Slipway
Peacock Hotel
The Retreat Dar es Salaam
Hotel Sea Cliff
Southern Sun

$$$
Amani Beach Hotel
Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro
Mövenpick Royal Palm Hotel

Marianne D. (USA)

October 24, 2025

“If you’re looking for a doorway into the world of Tanzania’s parks and wildlife, look no further! We’re very happy with our experience with A2T. From Casey’s initial response to the final itinerary, Casey helped us plan a memorable and exciting trip, asking many questions, listening to our feedback and changing things as necessary. He and Karen provided timely service and essential information about traveling to Tanzania and life on safari. Their lists, videos, and visa instructions were so helpful. Our itinerary was very well calibrated, so that each camp and park experience was different from the other, becoming progressively more exciting and magical in totally different ways! The transfer from the Seronera Airport to Stone Town was seamless, despite our bittersweet kwaheri to the mainland and Barney. Casey recommended we stay at Rivertrees Inn in Arusha on arrival, which was a good call for a soft landing after a long couple days of international travel. Thank you for helping us plan an incredible adventure!”