Dar Es Salaam hotels and tours

Dar Es Salaam Destination Guide

The city centre of Dar es Salaam is quite chaotic. It centres around Samora Avenue and has shops, exchange bureaus and banks among other amenities. Around the city are a number of interesting museums, plus natural attractions such as beaches and botanical gardens.

Dar es Salaam is a bustling, chaotic and colourful city.

This Dar es Salaam Destination Guide features information about some of the key attractions of the city and surrounding areas. Various tours and activities are presented on our Dar es Salaam Tours page. Some of the major tourist attractions in Tanzania can be found by visiting our Tanzania Destination Guides page.

Dar es Salaam - Things to See & Do

National Museum

The well-known fossil discoveries made by Leakey in Olduvai Gorge are displayed in this museum. The famous "Nutcracker Man" can also be seen here. Other exhibits depict the development of the slave trade, the German and British periods in the history of Tanzania and the various regional civilisations. The museum is located quite close to the Botanical Gardens.

National Museum
Shaaban Robert Street
Tel: (022) 212 2030


Village Museum

This is an open-air museum and is located 10km (6 miles) north of the city centre. The museum has an unusual collection of exhibits - 19 dwellings from all over Tanzania that have been authentically reconstructed to display the traditional lifestyles of the people. In the afternoons, you can also catch the traditional music and dance performances.

Village Museum
New Bagamayo Road at Makaburi Street
Tel: (022) 270 0437


Botanical Gardens

These lovely gardens are a remnant of the German era in Tanzania. Beautiful palms and many types of ferns grow here. Majestic peacocks can be spotted walking around the gardens. The gardens offer a haven of peace and tranquillity in the midst of Dar es Salaam's chaotic city life.

Botanical Gardens
Samora Avenue
Free admission

Nyumba Ya Sanaa (Nyerere Cultural Centre)

This handicraft centre is the place to watch young artists at work, look at the display of their products and buy from their collections. Prices here are quite reasonable.  Carvings, etchings, jewellery, paintings, pottery and textiles are all available here. You could participate in their activities too. During the weekends, a bar and a small restaurant are operated and the centre also puts up traditional dance performances.

Nyerere Cultural Centre
Ohio Street
Tel: (022) 213 1727
Free admission

Msasani Peninsula

The Msasani Peninsula is situated to the north of the city centre. There is an attractive Msasani fishing village on its west. The village is believed to be the site where one of East Africa's oldest coastal Arabic settlements thrived. There are a series of 17th century ruins further west. This site is believed to be Dar es Salaam's oldest graveyard.

Beaches

There are beaches, lined with resorts, about 25km (16 miles) north of Dar es Salaam. These are very popular getaways from the city. A little away from the beaches, you can see the Kunduchi ruins. These ruins include a 16th century mosque and 18th and 19th century Arabic graves. The coastline becomes more tropical to the south of the city. Just south of Kigamboni and near Gezaulole village, there are several good beaches.





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Your Local Connection

Jambo! Welcome to Dar es Salaam!

Dar Es Salaam hotels team

Meet Tehsin and the team at Escape Ltd, your local connection in Dar es Salaam and the surrounding coastal area. Our family has been involved in the Tanzanian travel and tourism industry for the past 52 years spanning over 3 generations, so if anyone knows the country inside and out, its us!

Part of our ingrained philosophy is sustainable tourism, and as a result you will see we give preference to hotels with a good 'caring for the destination' rating. We also ensure that the cultural tours we feature give back to the local communities being visited.

[more about us]


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