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Voykit pocket guide · Tanzania
Bagamoyo
Go for one night, or a day trip from Dar es Salaam: 70 km on tar, 1.5–2 h by car. Two nights if you want Kaole ruins and the salt flats without rushing.
Bagamoyo was the capital of German East Africa from 1885 to 1890 and a caravan terminus where slaves were held before shipment to Zanzibar. The old town is small, walkable and partly falling down, and the art college keeps a working studio scene. Most travellers come from Dar es Salaam for a day or a single night; the coast north of town holds the resorts.
- Country
- Tanzania
- Best months
- Jun–Oct, Dec–Feb
- Avoid
- Mar–May (long rains; unsealed roads and the Msata road can be impassable)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TZS
- Money
- Currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS). Tourism is still quoted in US dollars, but since 2025 the central bank requires local transactions to be priced and paid in shillings — check how your lodge bills; dollar notes older than 2013 or damaged are refused.
- Daily spend
- Budget TSh 45,000–80,000 excl. bed · Mid TSh 80,000–160,000 excl. bed · High TSh 160,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodacom, Airtel, Yas (Tigo) and Halotel sell SIMs at airports; registration takes fingerprints and a passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 112 · Fire 114
- Plugs
- Types D, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · UK three-pin is most common; some older round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Safari guide: About US$15–25 per vehicle per day from the group — check.; Kilimanjaro crew: About 10–15% of the climb price, shared per a published scale — check your operator's guide.; Camp staff box: About US$10 per guest per day.; Restaurant: 5–10% where no service charge.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; lodges provide filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and lodges; long-drops at some gates and picnic sites; squat toilets at bus stops.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Local plate of rice, ugali or pilau with meat and sauce | TSh 1,500–3,000 |
| Chipsi mayai | TSh 2,000 |
| Simple main at Poa Poa | From TSh 7,500 |
| Pizza at Poa Poa | From TSh 10,000 |
| Beer at a bar | TSh 2,000–4,000 |
| Bajaji ride in town | From TSh 1,500 |
| Taxi ride in town | From TSh 3,000 |
| Museum or ruins entry, per person | TSh 10,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DAR · Julius Nyerere International, Dar es Salaam
- About 75 km (47 mi) south; 1.5–2 h by road depending on traffic leaving the city.About 47 mi (75 km) south; 1.5–2 h by road depending on traffic leaving the city.
Typical fares
- Daladala Dar es Salaam → Bagamoyo
- TSh 1,100 to Bunju Sokoni plus TSh 1,500 to Bagamoyo, 2.5–3 h (check)
- Bajaji in town
- from TSh 1,500
- Taxi in town
- from TSh 3,000
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable. For longer hops use a bajaji (from TSh 1,500) or taxi (from TSh 3,000); motorcycle taxis are cheapest but exposed. Bicycles rent for about TSh 2,000 a day — check brakes and lights before you take one.
See and do
Known for
- German colonial ruins and carved doorways
- Slavery and Missionary Museum
- Kaole ruins and mosque
- Bagamoyo College of Arts
- Art market and painting workshops
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kaole ruins | Bajaji or bicycle 5 km (3.1 mi) south of town, then a short walkBajaji or bicycle 3.1 mi (5 km) south of town, then a short walk | About 30–45 min each way |
| Dar es Salaam | Daladala to Bunju Sokoni (TSh 1,100), then a second daladala to Dar (TSh 1,500); or a car on the tar trunk road | 2.5–3 h by daladala with waiting; 1.5–2 h by car |
| Mafia Island | Road back to Dar, then a light aircraft from Julius Nyerere or a coastal flight | Half a day |
| Kilwa | Long road south via Dar es Salaam and the coast | A full day or more |
Sleep
- Old town centre
- Walk to the port, art market and museum; guesthouses are basic and can be noisy.
- Beach strip north of town
- Resorts with pools and western menus; 15+ min walk or a short bajaji ride to the centre.
- Kaole side, south
- Quieter lodges near the ruins; 3 km (1.9 mi) from the centre along an unsealed coast road.Quieter lodges near the ruins; 1.9 mi (3 km) from the centre along an unsealed coast road.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | JamboJAM-bo |
| Thank you | Asantea-SAN-te |
| How much is it? | Bei gani?BAY GAH-nee |
| Thief! | Mwizi!m-WEE-zee |
| I don't want it | Sitakisee-TAH-kee |
| Where is the toilet? | Choo kiko wapi?CHO kiko WAH-pee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Shikamoo' to elders, a handshake and small talk first; avoid: Rushing straight to business
- Hands: Right hand for eating, giving and receiving; avoid: Using the left hand
- Dress on Zanzibar: Cover shoulders and knees in town; avoid: Beachwear in Stone Town
- Photos: Ask first; pay agreed fees in Maasai bomas; avoid: Photographing women on Zanzibar without asking
- Affection: Keep it private; avoid: Kissing in public, especially on Zanzibar
- Pace: 'Pole pole' — slow down; avoid: Showing anger in public
Scams and watch-outs
- Muggings and robberies are reported; do not walk outside after dark and avoid the slum area east of town.
- Do not walk the mangrove beach or the Kaole coast road alone.
- Police response is unreliable; locals usually help if you call out, but self-justice is common, so think before shouting 'mwizi'.
- The only ATM taking international cards is the CRDB machine in town; carry cash from Dar es Salaam.
- The Msata and Miandizi roads are unsealed and can be impassable after heavy rain.
- Dhow crossings to Zanzibar are cheap but slow and have sunk before; take the ferry from Dar es Salaam instead.
Daytime in the centre is usually fine; the risks are after dark, on empty beaches and on the Kaole coast road. Carry cash, keep to lit streets and use a bajaji or taxi at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bagamoyo yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- German colonial ruins and carved doorways
- Slavery and Missionary Museum
- Kaole ruins and mosque
- Bagamoyo College of Arts
- Art market and painting workshops
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tanzania Tourist Board: www.tanzaniatourism.go.tz/
- OpenStreetMap — Bagamoyo: www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/-6.4333/38.9000
- Wikivoyage: Bagamoyo, revision 5273084 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5273084
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bagamoyo
Nipeleke kwenye anwani hii, tafadhali
Take me to this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Bagamoyo; most are in Dar es Salaam. US citizens: the US embassy is in Dar es Salaam (check the address).
Buy a drink at the Millenium Old Post Office Hotel (from TSh 2,000) and ask for the roof for a view over the port and fish market.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bagamoyo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.