Top 10 Places To Visit Along the Tanzania Coast

By Anthony Ham

Tanzania’s long and lovely coastline stretches for 1,424km/885mi along East Africa’s Indian Ocean shore. From the country’s border with Kenya in the north to its frontier with Mozambique in the south, Tanzania’s ocean frontage consists of a string of islands, a coastal national park, its largest and most dynamic city, glorious beaches with beach resorts to match, coral reefs, small fishing villages far from the tourist world and even medieval ruins that tell an intriguing historical story.

That story reaches its fascinating high point in Zanzibar, the city-state archipelago that seems to have it all. But even Zanzibar is just a starting point for a coast that you could very easily spend a lifetime exploring. Below are our favorite 10 focal points for exploring the enchanting Tanzania coast.

867 Tanzania Beach Packages

1. Zanzibar

Aerial view over Stone Town on Zanzibar Island

There is nowhere like Zanzibar anywhere along the Tanzania coast, and certainly nowhere that matches its combination of natural beauty and exotic history. This most celebrated of island archipelagoes offers one of East Africa's best beach destinations. You can expect the usual postcard views of abundant palm trees, white-sand beaches, crystal waters and delightful beach resorts.

But Zanzibar is also about Stone Town, a labyrinth of lanes and byways that dates back to Zanzibar’s history as a major spice-trading port. You’ll love exploring the gilded architectural treasures, or wandering its atmospheric alleyways and markets filled with warm sea breezes and the haunting Islamic call to prayer.

Where to stay: Zanzibar has fabulous accommodations across all its islands, from beach resorts to converted Stone Town palaces
Things to do: City tours, diving, snorkeling, water sports, beach visits
Best time to visit: June to February
How to get there: Flights from Dar es Salaam and elsewhere in East Africa, as well as catamarans from Dar es Salaam that take 2 hours one-way and ferries that take 6 hours one-way

373 Zanzibar Tours

2. Dar es Salaam

Waterfront area in Dar es Salaam at night

Tanzania’s largest city and the country’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam (commonly referred to as ‘Dar’) has a real buzz about it. Look forward to markets, museums and some excellent beaches within striking distance of the city. It also has terrific places to eat and some lively nightlife. But one of the best things about any visit here is the relaxed feel of the city: it’s one of the more pleasant and hassle-free large cities in Africa. And when you tire of city life, Dar is the gateway to the country’s south and the rest of the Tanzania coastline.

Where to stay: Dar has excellent hotels across all budgets, with some of the best located close to the beach
Things to do: City tours, beach visits, boat trips
Best time to visit: June to September
How to get there: Flights from Arusha, and from elsewhere in Tanzania and across East Africa, with a few transcontinental flights

440 Dar es Salaam Tours

3. Saadani National Park

Nile crocodile in Saadani National Park

Welcome to the only national park in Tanzania where you can see elephants and giraffes (as well as crocs and hippos) within sight of the ocean. It adds a whole new dimension (not to mention a cooling sea breeze) to your safari experience, and makes it that much more difficult to decide where to go when considering a trip to the Tanzanian coastline. Other highlights here include Sange Beach, a boat cruise on the Wami River and even a bushwalk. It’s so close to Dar es Salaam that many locals come for the weekend. Visit during the week and it may be yours alone.

Where to stay: There are simple campsites and bungalows inside the park, with more choices (including luxury tented camps) just outside
Things to do: Game drives, bushwalks, boat cruises
Best time to visit: January and February, June to August
How to get there: Flights from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, or 3 to 4 hours by road from Dar es Salaam

Saadani Tours

4. Mafia Island

Mafia Island’s Utende beach

When considering where to go along the Tanzania coast, the island of Mafia should be close to the top of every list. It has few peers when it comes to natural beauty, including turquoise waters, beaches surrounded by mangroves and sandbanks, and some of the best coral reef ecosystems in East Africa. But this soulful place also has nesting sea turtles, and a long human history that lives on in ruins and the strong echoes of coastal Swahili culture.

Where to stay: Mafia has good accommodations across most budgets in Kilindoni, Utende and Chole Bay, as well as on offshore Chole Island
Things to do: Diving, snorkeling, fishing, beach visits
Best time to visit: October is best for diving and snorkeling, with whale sharks present from November to February
How to get there: Flights to Mafia’s small main airport from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and elsewhere in Tanzania, and slow ferries to Mafia from Nyamisati on the mainland

Mafia Island Tours

5. Pemba Island

Baobab trees on the rocky shore of Pemba Island

Pemba has long sat in the shadow of Zanzibar, and that’s just how we like it. More mountainous and tree-covered than Zanzibar, Pemba arguably has more natural beauty than its better-known neighbor. Some of its coves and beaches feel like lost-world discoveries, and Pemba’s coral reefs are the richest you’ll find anywhere along the Tanzania coast. But it’s the recurring sense of peace and tropical island tranquility that you’ll love the most.

Where to stay: Pemba has plenty of accommodations across the island, but largely lacks the sprawling mass-tourism resorts you find elsewhere along the Tanzania coastline
Things to do: Diving, snorkeling, beach visits
Best time to visit: June to February, with the best diving and snorkeling from September to February
How to get there: Flights from Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam and Tanga, and twice-weekly ferries that take 5 hours between Pemba and Zanzibar

Pemba Tours

6. Pangani

Palm-lined beach on Pangani

History infuses everything in Pangani, a wonderfully laid-back town south of Tanga, along Tanzania’s north coast. Architectural traces and flourishes from the colonial era, as well as even older echoes of the spice trade coexist here with big groves of coconut palms and a few baobabs. Beaches extend north and south along the coast, while the offshore area is beautiful, both for boat excursions and for diving and snorkeling.

Where to stay: There are far more hotels and beachside cottages and guesthouses than you might imagine for a town of this size
Things to do: Boat trips, beach visits, diving, snorkeling
Best time to visit: June to February, with the best diving and snorkeling from September to February
How to get there: Flights from Mashado airstrip near Pangani to/from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Arusha, and boats to Zanzibar

Pangani Tours

7. Bagamoyo

Old Bagamoyo Customs House on the waterfront in Bagamoyo

Charming Bagamoyo boasts an enchanting old town with 19th-century houses and the 13th-century Kaole ruins (including one of East Africa’s oldest mosques). The coast here, too, is rather special with a pretty mangrove-lined lagoon, the Ruvu River delta and the stunning Mwambakuni Sandbar.

Where to stay: Bagamoyo has a sprinkling of hotels and guesthouses, but no luxury choices
Things to do: City tours, boat trips, beach visits
Best time to visit: June to February
How to get there: About 1 hour north of Dar es Salaam by road

Bagamoyo Tours

8. Kilwa Kisiwani

Fort on Kilwa Kisiwani

Kilwa Kisiwani may be small, but its history far outstrips its present. Here you’ll find beautifully restored ruins that range from the 12th to the 19th centuries, from a mosque to a fort and all manner of medieval municipal buildings. A guide will take you through the site, unveiling its riches as you go. The nearby fishing village is a wonderfully quiet contrast to all this history.

Where to stay: Most visitors stay at one of the hotels in Kilwa Masoko on the mainland
Things to do: Historical site guided tours
Best time to visit: June to February
How to get there: Boats from Kilwa Masoko

Kilwa Kisiwani Tours

9. Songo Songo

Loungers on the beach on Fanjove Private Island

Not far from where the Rufiji River empties into the sea, the Songo Songo Archipelago is a rarely visited gem of sea turtles, seabirds, swaying coconut palms and superb reef systems. Fanjove Private Island is the height of rustic exclusivity. It’s all a beautiful escape from the world of mass island tourism, and a reminder of how all of the Tanzania coast must once have been.

Where to stay: A simple guesthouse and exclusive Fanjove
Things to do: Diving, snorkeling, beach visits
Best time to visit: June to February, with the best diving and snorkeling from September to February
How to get there: Flights from Dar es Salaam, Kilwa Masoko and Mafia, and boats from Kilwa Kivinje

Songo Songo Tours

10. Tanga

Sunset on Tanga. Source: flickr.com/photos/juanmiglez/8205784260

Don’t be put off by Tanga’s size: this big coastal city has a wonderfully sleepy feel in some areas, and it’s a fine place to get a glimpse of provincial urban life, Tanzanian style. There’s a museum and some fascinating ruins at Tongoni and Toten Island. Tongoni, in particular, has extensive ruins and is wonderfully overgrown. And not far away are the Amboni Caves, East Africa’s largest cave network.

Where to stay: Lots of hotels and guesthouses, but very little for top-end travelers
Things to do: City tours, visits to historical sites, swimming, caving
Best time to visit: June to February
How to get there: Flights to/from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha and Pemba, and buses passing through on their way up and down the coast

Tanga Tours