Overview
Take a trip to Dar Es Salaam on your Tanzania Vacation
Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, is located on a massive natural harbour on the eastern coast of Africa. It is the country’s richest city, serves as an important economic centre and can easily be combined with a Tanzania safari.
The Germans were the first to arrive in Mzizima (a healthy town), the former name of Dar es Salaam in 1859. By 1866 the Sultan Seyyid Majid of Zanzibar gave the city its current name. The German East Africa Company established a trading station in 1887, overthrowing the Arabic rulers. They began to colonise the East Africa Coast and Dar es Salaam became the administrative and commercial centre of the company.
During the First World War, the territory was occupied by the British forcing Germany to relinquish control. Following the Second World War, Dar es Salaam continued to grow, and when Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania in 1964, it became the capital. (The capital was later changed to Dodoma in 1973).
The name Dar es Salaam translates to “haven of peace” and is an apt description of the lifestyle found there. In a multicultural society, African, Arabic and Asian influences are found everywhere and various cultures, Arabic, Indian, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu coexist. Visits on travel to Tanzania to the beaches and nearby islands as well as the museums and local markets highlight what the city has to offer. An exciting culture with a laidback attitude, there is much to do in Dar es Salaam.
The name Dar es Salaam translates to “haven of peace” and is an apt description of the lifestyle found there. In a multicultural society, African, Arabic and Asian influences are found everywhere and various cultures, Arabic, Indian, Muslim, Sikh and Hindu coexist. Visits on travel to Tanzania to the beaches and nearby islands as well as the museums and local markets highlight what the city has to offer. An exciting culture with a laidback attitude, there is much to do in Dar es Salaam.
At a Glance
Languages
Swahili, EnglishCurrency
Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)What do the experts say?
An ideal first-time itinerary starts in Arusha and ends in Zanzibar. To maximize time, “Sky Safari” packages using small aircraft to fly guests directly between lodges offer breathtaking aerial views of Tanzania’s diverse landscapes as well as convenience.
The people and wildlife are amazing. You always feel safe at the tented camps, even knowing animals are around. The locals treat you with such warmth and respect.
We provide local experiences, manage client expectations, and work with trusted suppliers so travellers feel safe and enjoy every moment of their trip.
Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Park are simply spectacular. There’s no place quite like the massive crater or the migration-covered plains.
Tanzania’s hospitality is incredible. You’ll always feel welcomed, wherever you go.
An aerial view of Dar es Salaam
The waterfront is a popular photo spot to take ...
Fishing boats close to Dar es Salaam
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
Dar Es SalaamPartly Cloudy
32°C / 90°F
43mm / 1.7"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
-
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ExcellentBased on 5,333 ReviewsVanessa from Goway Travel did a fantastic job pulling together a really comprehensive itinerary for our trip to Egypt. Her advice about "must see" sites was extremely helpful and she also provided great tips based on her own experience travelling to Egypt. Excellent planning by Vanessa meant we were able to thoroughly enjoy our trip. OlgaI want to Thank Vanessa Lloyd for putting together the most perfect itinerary for my husband and my dream trip to Santorini, Greece. Every detail was perfectly executed. From the pick ups, to tours and most certainly our hotel location, it was truly a dream!! We were so happy and completely blown away, that we couldn't help but shared our experience with several folks we met during our trip... and I just bet they will be using Goway Travel for any future plans of theirs, just like us. Africa, here we come....Tanya KashExceptional Customer Service, Accountability, and Leadership — Thank You, Goway Travel!
As a Canadian travel advisor with Discover Joy Travel, affiliated with TravelOnly, I want to recognize three exceptional individuals at Goway Travel: Jaime Vargas-Hernandez (Destination Specialist – North America and Latin America), Sean Hebert (Vice President, The Americas), and Jason Stratford (Business Development Manager).
I recently booked a cross-Canada vacation for my clients, and while the itinerary offered many wonderful experiences, there were several unexpected challenges along the way, particularly involving transportation, transfers, and certain aspects of the overall travel experience.
As a travel advisor, one of the most difficult situations is hearing that your clients are disappointed, especially when you've worked hard to create a memorable and seamless vacation for them.
What truly impressed me was how Goway responded when things didn't go as planned.
From the beginning, Jaime was responsive, professional, and genuinely committed to addressing our concerns. He listened carefully, communicated with the appropriate teams, and made sure our clients' feedback was taken seriously.
Jason Stratford was equally supportive, demonstrating the value of having a Business Development Manager who genuinely advocates for travel advisors and their clients.
I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to Sean Hebert, Vice President of The Americas, for his outstanding leadership and personal attention to our situation. His involvement demonstrated that customer satisfaction and accountability are priorities at Goway, even at the executive level.
What impressed me most was that Goway didn't simply acknowledge the challenges — they listened, took ownership, and made a genuine effort to rebuild our clients' confidence and trust.
In fact, despite the difficulties they experienced, my clients were so impressed with how Goway handled their concerns that they expressed interest in booking another international vacation through them, with another couple potentially joining!
To me, that speaks volumes.
Exceptional customer service isn't about everything going perfectly. It's about how a company responds when things go wrong.
As a travel advisor, I value supplier relationships built on trust, transparency, accountability, and genuine care for travellers. Knowing that I have a team willing to listen, take responsibility, and work toward a resolution gives me greater confidence when recommending Goway to my clients.
Jaime, Jason, and Sean — thank you for your professionalism, patience, dedication, and for making me feel genuinely supported as a travel advisor. You didn't just help resolve a difficult situation; you helped restore confidence and strengthen a valuable business relationship.
Goway is fortunate to have individuals like you representing the company.
I look forward to continuing our partnership and creating many more memorable travel experiences for our clients.
Highly recommended — not because everything was perfect, but because Goway demonstrated what genuine accountability, strong leadership, and exceptional customer service should look like.
— Evangeline Fiset
Discover Joy Travel | TravelOnly
Fort St. John, British Columbia, CanadaEvangeline de Torres - FisetThank you Vanessa, always a pleasure dealing with you and knowing you'll give us the perfect customized trip. Everything was spot on with excellent guides, drivers.Terry F.Every detail was managed and executed beyond our expectations and everything flowed from one destination to the nextClinton G HughesThis is a review for my Goway travel guide in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. PHẠM HỮU THIỆN (TONY) was a very kind and knowledgeable guide during our 5 day stay in the city. Friendly, likeable and funny, Very accommodating to our needs during our visit. He and his driver were always early for every excursion as well as the final day for our airport departure. He gave us wonderful recommendations for sights and restaurants for our personal time. I highly recommend Mr. Pham (Tony) for your stay in the Ho Chi Minh area.George C.Brooke Theron has booked 3 trips for us, France and Tunisia in 2025 and we have just returned from a 2 week trip from China.
The entire trip was flawless, from the research to the booking Brooke is always soo helpful in whole process.
Brooke always works with us to answer any questions and make sure any request we have can be added.
Our tour guides James, Helen, Felicity and Keira and drivers were all top notch with lots of information on each stop and sent us onto our next stop with no problems.
The hotels, trains and tours were all excellent. We couldn't have asked for more
I look forward to working with Brooke and Goway tours on our next vacation.MaddieBijal and Martin (tour guide in Kenya) made this the trip of a lifetime. I felt safe every minute of the trip. I did not care for the travel from the Serengeti to Ngorogoro Crater. I felt the last hotel was too far from the crater i was exhausted not wanted to travel to the crater. The travel was absolutely brutal for 6 hoursKathie BeckerJosie was incredible to work with. She replied to all emails quickly and effectively. She was very knowledgeable and always willing to help. Would definitely work with Josie again!! Clients had an incredible 14 days in Italy with no complaints. A dream vacation!!Chattell BlueOur safari in Tanzania was excellent. Brooke Theron, our Goway representative, was easy to work with, responsive and knowledgeable. Our guide in Tanzania, Anwar Razak, was outstanding. His knowledge and his driving ability was impressive. He was also engaging. We enjoyed our time with Anwar. The camps that Goway recommended were comfortable, welcoming and surprisingly luxurious while capturing the essence of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. We had a wonderful trip. Jack B.
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