Travel Essentials

Greetings come first

Tanzanians consider starting a conversation without a greeting rude. A simple “Jambo” works everywhere as a friendly hello (reply: “Jambo”); the slightly more local step is “Habari?” (“news?”), answered with “Nzuri” (good). Use your right hand for greeting, giving, receiving and eating. Greetings matter most with elders — take the extra second.

Dress modestly

• Cover shoulders and knees in towns, markets and villages — this applies to men and women.
• Zanzibar and the coast are conservative Muslim communities: dress even more modestly there, and reserve swimwear for hotel pools and the beach itself. Cover up when leaving the beach.
• Kilimanjaro and safari areas are relaxed about hiking and safari clothing.

Photography etiquette

• Always ask before photographing people. A smile and a gesture at your camera usually settles it; some people decline, some expect a small tip.
• Avoid photographing government buildings, airports, military sites, and the Zanzibar ferry terminals.

Village visits & Maasai communities

• Never photograph individuals, homes or ceremonies without explicit permission. If someone says no, accept it gracefully.
• Many Maasai villages charge a visitor fee that covers entry and photography — going through a community-run or lodge-arranged visit keeps the exchange respectful and benefits residents directly.
• Ask your guide to translate a request; the exchange of a few Swahili words for a photo changes the interaction completely.

Everyday etiquette

• Public displays of affection are frowned upon, especially on Zanzibar.
• During Ramadan, be discreet about eating and drinking in public in Muslim areas during daylight hours.
• Accepting offers of chai (tea) or food is polite when visiting homes or villages — even a small taste honours the host.
• A little Swahili earns outsized warmth: asante (thank you), karibu (welcome/welcome reply) and pole pole (slowly) go a long way.

Where to apply

• Tanzania eVisa — apply in advance through the official government portal at visa.tanzania.go.tz. Processing is typically a few days to two weeks. Beware of lookalike third-party sites that charge service fees; the government portal is the cheapest and most reliable route.
• Visa on arrival — available at Julius Nyerere International Airport (Dar es Salaam), Kilimanjaro International Airport, Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, and major land borders (Namanga, Tunduma, Horohoro). Queues vary from 20 minutes to two hours.

What it costs

• USD 50 — single-entry tourist visa for most nationalities.
• USD 100 — US citizens (12-month multiple entry).
• Payment on arrival is by cash in US dollars (clean bills dated 2009 or newer — worn notes are frequently refused) or card where the machines cooperate.

Length of stay

A tourist visa typically allows up to 90 days per entry. Extensions are possible through the Immigration Services Department in Dar es Salaam (apply before your current stamp expires; overstays are fined per day).

On arrival

Have ready: passport (valid 6+ months, blank pages), the visa fee, a return/onward ticket, and your accommodation address. Immigration may also ask for proof of sufficient funds — rarely, but it happens.

Zanzibar note

The same Tanzanian visa covers Zanzibar. Since 2024 Zanzibar also requires its own mandatory travel insurance (bought online or on arrival, separate from your regular travel policy) — check the current rules before you fly.

Before you fly

Entry rules, fees and insurance requirements change. Confirm the current situation with the Tanzanian Immigration Services Department, the official eVisa portal, or your embassy — not with blogs or taxi drivers at the border.

The Shilling

Tanzania uses the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS). Rates fluctuate — check a live source such as XE or your banking app shortly before departure rather than memorising a figure.

Cash & cards

• Cash is king in markets, dala dalas, local restaurants and small shops. Cards are accepted in mid-range and upmarket hotels and lodges, often with a 3-5% surcharge.
• ATMs are widespread in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Moshi and Mwanza — use bank-attached machines (CRDB, NMB, Exim, Equity) and withdraw shillings. Inform your bank you are travelling so cards are not frozen.
• US dollars in clean, post-2009 bills are practical for visas, park fees, and safari/Kilimanjaro balances. Worn or torn notes are frequently refused, and pre-2009 notes are rejected outright.
• M-Pesa (mobile money) is everywhere and powers daily life — helpful for longer stays; short-stay visitors can rely on cash.

Bargaining

Prices in markets and for street services are starting points. Bargain good-naturedly — agree taxi fares before getting in, counter market offers at around half and settle in the middle. Once you have agreed a price, honour it; haggling after the service is poor form.

Tipping norms

Tipping is voluntary but widely expected where service is good:

• Restaurants: 5-10% if no service charge is included.
• Safari driver-guide: commonly $15-25 per person per day.
• Kilimanjaro crew: significant and semi-structured — see the tipping guide on each route page (KPAP-aligned amounts per role).
• Hotel porters/cleaners: TZS 2,000-5,000.

Carry small denomination notes; tip in Tanzanian shillings or USD, matching whatever currency the price was quoted in.

Buying a local SIM

Buy at airport kiosks or official network shops in town. Bring your passport — SIM registration is mandatory by law — and a few thousand shillings. Staff will register the SIM, load a bundle and set it up; confirm data works before you leave the shop.

The networks

• Vodacom — the widest coverage and the most popular; the safe default for safaris and the coast.
• Airtel — good coverage, competitive data bundles.
• Yas (formerly Tigo) — strong in cities.
• Halotel — budget option with growing rural coverage.

eSIMs (Airalo, Holafly and similar) work with modern phones and skip the shop visit; local SIMs are usually cheaper per gigabyte.

Data bundles

Bundles are cheap by global standards — roughly TZS 5,000-15,000 for several gigabytes, bought via USSD codes or the network apps. Top up at kiosks everywhere (look for the network’s branded signs).

Wifi reality

• Cities and tourist hotels: common and usable, but speeds vary widely.
• Safari lodges and Kilimanjaro hotels: most have wifi in common areas; remote camps may have none (or paid satellite).
• Rural areas and villages: rely on mobile data.

Keep your home number alive

Banking OTPs and two-factor codes often will not reach a foreign SIM. Keep your home SIM on roaming (receiving SMS is usually free) in a second slot or simply switched to airplane-mode-with-wifi periodically. And download maps, guides and entertainment before leaving the city — that is exactly what this app’s offline mode is for.

⚠️ This is general guidance only, not medical advice. Vaccination and malaria-prevention decisions depend on your itinerary, health history and the season. Consult a doctor or a travel clinic (ideally 4-6 weeks before departure) for advice tailored to you.

Start at a travel clinic

Book a travel-clinic or GP appointment 4-6 weeks before departure — some vaccination courses need multiple doses spread over weeks. Bring your itinerary (coast vs mountain, safari vs city, season) so the advice fits your actual trip.

Vaccinations to discuss

• Yellow fever — a certificate is required if you arrive from (or transited through, 12+ hours) a yellow-fever-endemic country. Tanzania itself is not endemic, but neighbouring countries are; check your routing and carry the certificate if yours applies.
• Routine immunisations — ensure tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid and measles are current.
• Worth discussing — hepatitis B, rabies pre-exposure (recommended if you will be remote, long-stay, or working with animals), and cholera for certain itineraries.

Malaria

Mainland Tanzania — including Dar es Salaam, the safari parks and the Kilimanjaro foothills — is a malaria area year-round. Above roughly 1,800 m on Kilimanjaro the risk drops, but the coast and parks remain. Discuss prophylaxis options with your clinic, and layer on mosquito precautions: DEET repellent, long sleeves at dusk, and the treated nets most hotels provide.

Food & water

• Drink bottled or treated water; skip ice outside reputable hotels.
• Hot, freshly cooked food is the safe default; be more cautious with raw salads and pre-cut fruit from street stalls.
• Carry oral rehydration salts and ask your clinic about an antibiotic standby for traveller’s diarrhoea.

Sun & heat

The equatorial sun is stronger than it feels, especially at altitude. Sunscreen, a hat and steady hydration prevent the most common travel-ruining ailment of all.

Basic medical kit

Prescription medicines in original packaging (with a copy of the prescription), painkillers, rehydration salts, antihistamines, plasters, antiseptic wipes, insect repellent (DEET), and sunscreen. Pharmacies — duka la dawa — in cities are well stocked, but your own kit saves hunts.

⚠️ This directory is general information, not medical advice, and facility details change. For emergencies dial 112, contact your insurer’s 24-hour assistance line, and let your hotel help you reach the nearest appropriate facility.

Public vs private

Tanzania has both systems, and the difference matters to travellers: private hospitals and clinics are the usual choice — shorter waits, English-speaking staff, card payment — while public referral hospitals handle the most serious cases and are extremely busy. In an emergency, go to whichever is nearest; for anything planned, choose private.

Dar es Salaam

• Muhimbili National Hospital — Tanzania’s largest public referral hospital; handles serious emergencies and specialist care. Public system: expect queues.
• Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam — well-regarded private hospital popular with expatriates and travellers; 24-hour emergency service, modern imaging and laboratory. The default private choice in the city.

Arusha

• Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre (ALMC) — private, mission-founded hospital with emergency care, surgery and a strong reputation with travellers and safari operators.
• Mount Meru Regional Hospital — the main public regional referral hospital; capable, but busier and more basic than private options.

Moshi (Kilimanjaro area)

• Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) — major referral and teaching hospital near Moshi; the standard destination for serious altitude illness or injury from the mountain.
• Mawenzi Regional Referral Hospital and Moshi’s private clinics handle routine care; climb operators keep relationships with specific doctors for altitude cases.

Pharmacies

Maduka ya dawa (pharmacies; sing. duka la dawa) in cities are well stocked with antibiotics and malaria tests/treatment, often without appointment. For anything beyond minor ailments, a clinic consultation is the better route — pharmacies will usually say so themselves.

Practical notes

• Carry cash — public facilities expect payment up front for many services; private facilities take cards.
• Travel insurance with evacuation cover matters most on the mountain and in remote parks; see the Emergency entry on this page.

The realistic picture

Most visits are trouble-free. The common issues are petty theft (phones and bags in busy areas), overcharging by a minority of taxi drivers and street vendors, and — the biggest genuine risk in Tanzania — road accidents. Violent crime against tourists is rare.

City sense (Dar es Salaam especially)

• Avoid walking alone at night; use registered taxis or ride-hailing (Uber and Bolt operate in Dar es Salaam).
• Keep phones and cameras out of sight in crowded streets and dala dala minibuses.
• Carry a photocopy of your passport; leave the original in your hotel safe when practical.
• Agree taxi fares before getting in, or insist on the meter where available.

Common scams to recognise

• “School fees” and friendly guides — charismatic strangers offer a tour or ask for help with school fees; a polite, firm decline ends it.
• Official-looking parking attendants charging invented fees — park where your hotel or restaurant suggests.
• Inflated “fixed prices” — always agree taxi and tour prices before the ride.

ATMs & money safety

Use bank-attached ATMs in daylight, shield your PIN, and split cash between your day wallet and your hotel safe. Never count money in the street.

Tourist police

Tanzania maintains dedicated tourist police units in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Moshi and Zanzibar specifically to assist visitors with theft, scams and lost documents. Your hotel reception can call them for you, or ask at any police station for the tourist police desk.

Embassies & consulates

Most embassies are located in Dar es Salaam, with several countries operating from Dodoma (the capital since 2019) or running honorary consuls in Arusha and Zanzibar. Before departure, note your embassy’s address, phone number and out-of-hours emergency line — search “[your country] embassy Dar es Salaam” or check your foreign ministry’s travel pages.

If something happens

1. Get somewhere safe (your hotel is the practical refuge).
2. Call 112 or ask your hotel to contact the tourist police.
3. Report the incident and obtain a police report — required for insurance claims and passport replacements.

Before you go

Ten minutes of preparation beats an hour of scrambling:

• Save your insurer’s 24-hour assistance number in your phone — serious cases may require transfer to Nairobi or South Africa or air evacuation, which your insurer arranges.
• Note your embassy’s address, phone number and out-of-hours line.
• Keep your hotel’s contact saved — hotel staff are the fastest practical helpers in most situations.

In an emergency

• 112 — Tanzania’s national emergency line (police, fire and ambulance). English-speaking operators are not guaranteed; your hotel staff can usually call and explain on your behalf.
• Response times vary widely, especially outside cities. For medical emergencies, calling the nearest major hospital directly is often faster than waiting for a public ambulance — see the Hospitals entry on this page.

If you are a victim of crime

1. Get somewhere safe (your hotel is the practical refuge).
2. Call 112 or ask your hotel to contact the tourist police.
3. Report the incident and obtain a police report — required for insurance claims and passport replacements.

Medical emergencies

• Go directly to the nearest major hospital or clinic for urgent care — see the Hospitals & clinics entry under Health.
• For serious cases, contact your travel insurer first if you can do so safely: they direct which facility treats you and authorise evacuation. This is why cover that includes medical evacuation is strongly recommended for Tanzania — and effectively essential for Kilimanjaro climbs and remote safaris.

Quick reference

• 112 — national emergency line
• Your hotel — the fastest practical helper in most situations
• Your embassy/consulate — lost passports, serious legal or safety issues (most are in Dar es Salaam; see the Safety entry)
• Your insurer’s assistance line — medical and evacuation decisions