Shot from the plane on my first trip to Dar es Salaam.

Dar es Salaam

Over the last century, Dar es Salaam has grown from a quiet Zaramo fishing village into a thriving tropical metropolis of over four million people. Straddling some of the most important sea routes in the world, it is East Africa’s second-busiest port and Tanzania’s commercial hub. Despite this, the city has managed to maintain a low-key, down-to-earth feel.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, National Museum

    National Museum & House of Culture

    Dar es Salaam

    The National Museum houses a copy of the famous fossil discoveries of zinjanthropus ('nutcracker man') from Olduvai Gorge, plus other archaeological finds…

  • Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, the Village Museum is a series of authentic dwellings depicting the traditional lifestyle of various regions of the country

    Village Museum

    Dar es Salaam

    This open-air museum features a collection of authentically constructed dwellings illustrating traditional life in various parts of Tanzania. Each house…

  • Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System

    Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System

    Dar es Salaam

    The uninhabited islands of Bongoyo, Mbudya, Pangavini and Fungu Yasini, just off the coastline north of Dar es Salaam, form this marine reserve system…

  • Fish Market

    Fish Market

    Dar es Salaam

    Head down to the Kivukoni fish market in the early morning to see fishers flog their catch to restauranteurs and homemakers with all the zeal of Wall St…

  • Azania Front Lutheran Church

    Azania Front Lutheran Church

    Dar es Salaam

    A striking edifice, with a red-roofed belfry overlooking the water, a rather stern Gothic interior and a marvellous, new handmade organ, this is one of…

  • Nafasi Art Space

    Nafasi Art Space

    Dar es Salaam

    Aiming to be the leading contemporary art centre in Tanzania, Nafasi is a complex of studios housed in an old industrial warehouse in Mikocheni. Many…

  • Kunduchi Ruins

    Kunduchi Ruins

    Dar es Salaam

    These overgrown but worthwhile ruins include the remnants of a late 15th-century mosque as well as Arabic graves from the 18th or 19th centuries, with…

  • St Joseph Cathedral

    St Joseph Cathedral

    Dar es Salaam

    This spired, Gothic-style, Roman Catholic cathedral was built at the turn of the 19th century by German missionaries. In addition to the striking stained…

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