Visitors arriving into Tanzania will need to have an understanding of the country’s main airport, airlines and land borders providing visitors access to this east Africa gem and how much guests should expect to budget for this.
How to get to Dar - Available Options
Dar Es Salaam is easily accessible by car (for visitors already in the country) and via flight. Julius Nyerere International Airport is located 12 kilometres away from the city centre and receives flights from all over the world.
By Air: The nearest international airport to Dar es Salaam is Julius Nyerere International Airport that is based in the city of Dar Es Salaam and is connected by major international airlines. From there you can hire a taxi or cab to reach your desired destination.
By Road: There are plenty of busses that ply daily to and fro to the city of Dar es Salaam. Ubungo Terminal is the central station in Dar es Salaam as most buses leave from there. Choose the right bus operators for your journey by bus to Dar es Salaam.
By Train: Dar es Salaam is the hub for all rail travel in Tanzania and is easily accessible via rail. Tanzania Railway Limited operates a train which travels through the center of the country. Tourists should try to travel in groups, and/or buy out a first class cabin for safety reasons.
Best Time To Visit Dar-Es-Salaam
The city of Dar es Salaam is a year round destination that is visited by the travelers all throughout the year. Though the equatorial weather remains nearly the same throughout the year, it is believed that the best time to visit Dar es Salaam is during June to October, and mid-December to March which is the dry season.
For wildlife lovers, it is the best time to visit Dar es Salam as the weather remains cool and pleasant and you can witness wild beasts strolling in the lush green grassland.
During the dry season that lasts from June to October, rainfall is rare so you can be mostly assured of clear, cloudless skies, lots of sunshine and sapphire blue Indian Ocean waters.
Getting Around Dar-es-salaam
To get between the city and the beaches north or south of Dar, or to explore the Msasani Peninsula, you’ll need to hire a cab or get a car and driver for the day. Dar’s taxis are white with a thin stripe (usually green) and are ubiquitous; if you don’t see one when you need one, you can be pretty sure that a taxi driver will make himself known to you (even when you don’t need one).
Traffic within the city can be a little hectic, so consider self-driving there only if you’ve plenty of patience and are accustomed to a chaotic driving culture. With good directions (and a decent map), you should be able to negotiate the coastal roads north and south of the city, but you’ll want off-road capability for inevitable stretches of dirt road when you venture off the main highway.
A novel way of seeing the city — if you can deal with the traffic fumes — is by tuk-tuk, the motorized three-wheeler that’s ubiquitous in Asia; they’re officially banned in the city center, but Serengeti Trips (tel/WhatsApp: + 255 759 694 668. ; www.serengetitrips.com) offers a tour of the city’s main attractions using a specially designated tuk-tuk.
Although you can wander about the city’s central hub with little difficulty (apart from incessant offers of a taxi ride), Dar tends to feel very spread out, and if you’re in any way nervous about being here, you’d do well to hire a car and driver for the day or join a tour.