Although African cities do not have a good reputation, Dar es Salaam is one of the safest.

The level of security here is even better than in more touristy cities such as Cairo or Cape Town.

The 10 best hotels in Dar es Salaam

Crime rate

Dar es Salaam is a safe city for tourists with a low level of very serious crime.

Armed robberies or even kidnappings are virtually non-existent here.

The only thing to watch out for are pickpockets, especially at Kariakoo or Ferry Fish Market, where there is a huge concentration of people in a small area.

There is also an increased risk of theft at dala dala bus stations, where poorer residents tend to be concentrated.

Scams and tourist traps

Although Dar es Salaam is not a tourist town, there are self-proclaimed guides offering their services, especially on the promenade around the port.

Basically, this is not directly a scam.

They will offer you a guided walk around Dar es Salaam for a very high price. However, the informational value of their interpretation is low.

Often they will argue that it is very dangerous for tourists to move around in the marketplaces alone. In reality, however, you are putting yourself in more danger if you go with similar guides who will just con you out of more and more money for virtually zero service.

Dangerous areas of Dar es Salaam

The least safe area is around Coco Beach at night. Homeless people or drug addicts flock here and we wouldn't recommend visiting this place after dark.

Another area with a high incidence of drug addicts is around Kinondoni Manyanya bus station (see location on map), but this is not a tourist area at all.

Thefts also happen on Toure Drive and Kenyatta Avenue, which run through the more affluent area of Msanai Peninsula, but especially at night.