How to visit Bagamoyo

Bagamoyo is located 75 km north of Dar es Salaam, a 1-1.5-hour drive away. Daily buses run between Dar es Salaam’s Mwenge Local Bus Station and Bagamoyo Town.

Bagamoyo Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to world-class historical sites with a rich cultural heritage.

Bagamoyo was once the most important trading port along the East African Coast and the capital of German East Africa.

Bagamoyo is home to many ethnic groups, including the Wazaramo, Wazigua, and Wakwere. Bagamoyo’s diverse communities, including people of Arab descent, make the town a peaceful and welcoming destination for visitors from around the world.

The town of Bagamoyo was one of the most important trading ports on the East African coast and the final stop for slave and ivory caravans traveling on foot from Lake Tanganyika to Zanzibar.

Missionaries active in abolishing the slave trade made Bagamoyo, whose name means ‘bury my heart’ in Kiswahili, a center for their work.

Bagamoyo is a quiet village with a few German colonial buildings still standing. In the past, Bagamoyo was one of the most important ports of trade on the East African coast.

Its port was the penultimate stop for slave and ivory caravans that traveled on foot from Lake Tanganyika.

Once the caravans reached Bagamoyo, the slaves and ivory were shipped by dhow to Zanzibar, where they were then dispatched worldwide.

These days, Bagamoyo is a center for dhow building in the region and along the Tanzanian Coast.

Things to do in Bagamoyo

  • Expect to go on biking tours in Bagamoyo
  • Enjoy the Kaole ruins tour
  • Visit the Bagamoyo Stone Town tour
  • Visits to Caravanserai Museum
  • Enjoy the Crocodiles farm tour
  • Visit the Mangrove forest tour
  • Visits to the Catholic Old church & Museum
  • Practise Fishing with local fishermen
  • Visit Ngome Kongwe
  • Enjoy Marine tours
  • Take a tour of the Old Port
  • Enjoy the white sand beach
  • Explore the Coral reef
  • Visit the slave prison
  • Visit the Art market
  • Experience Swahili traditional weddings
  • Experience Swahili music performances and Traditional dances

Half-Day Tours in Bagamoyo

Bagamoyo stone town tour (2-3 hours)

Bagamoyo is surrounded by old buildings from the previous generation, featuring beautiful Arab architecture with thick earth walls and well-carved doors made of African hardwood.

On your walk through the narrow streets between the old buildings of Bagamoyo Stone Town, you will visit the German Colonial Administrative Block, the Art Market, the Old Post Office, the 1st Tanzania Primary School, the Old Mosques, the Hanging Tower, the Caravan Serai Museum, and the Fish Market.

On your walk along the Indian Ocean beach, visit a dhow sailboat construction center to learn how local people build boats.

Kaole ruins tour (1-3 hours)

Kaole village, formerly known as ‘Pumbuji,’ is one of the oldest villages chosen by immigrants from Arabic countries upon landing on East Africa’s coast. The town has ruins dating back to the 13th century. In this village, the Sultan of Oman decided to settle and establish administrative and military headquarters.

Today, the ruins consist of earth and coral, and the Kaole Museum tells many stories about the ivory trade, the movement of traders, brutal slavery, and the living culture of today’s Kaole people, who are mainly of Asian origin.

Beyond the ruins, there is an old port surrounded by a mangrove forest, where visitors can get closer to nature and enjoy the fresh air.

Bagamoyo Catholic Church & Museum tour

You will visit the Old Tower of the first Catholic Church in East Africa, one of the oldest baobab trees, cemeteries (Catholic, German, and Indian), Dr. Livingstone Tower, Old Fathers’ House, and the Cross at the beach.

Explore the museum to learn about the slave trade, missionaries, people’s lives, and collections of artifacts from indigenous tribes.

Mwambakuni coral reef tour (1-3 hours)

During your marine experience, explore the Mwambakuni coral reef and listen to stories about local people’s beliefs about coral reefs and their uses.

Crocodile Farm Tour (2-5 hours)

Visit a crocodile farm and learn how these wild predators are kept. Please familiarize yourself with their social behavior, growth, live-capture techniques, feeding and hunting techniques, and local uses of various products.

Mapopo Island Tour (2-5 hours)

Take an evening or morning boat tour to Mapopo Island, where thousands of bats have inhabited the island. Learn about the bats’ lives and the ecological importance of these flying mammals.

Ruvu River cruising (2-3 hours)

Take a boat ride along the Ruvu River, which flows from the Uluguru Mountains and parts of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, to see crocodiles, hippos, and birds. Learn how locals fish in the rivers and how river water is used.

Fishing with local fishermen Experience (1-4 hours)

Come and join a team of experienced village fishermen for a fishing experience. Do your best to catch what will be prepared for you during your lunch or dinner.

Learn how to prepare traditional Swahili dishes.

Participate in cooking Swahili dishes with local Swahili Mamas from Kaole village.

Visit Bagamoyo College of Arts (1-2 hours)

The Bagamoyo College of Arts (“Chuo cha Sanaa”) is an internationally renowned arts college in Tanzania that offers instruction in traditional Tanzanian painting, sculpture, drama, dance, and drumming. The college hosts monthly cultural events open to public participation.

Local Home visits (1-2 hours)

Visit a local home to learn how coastal communities live. Listen to local stories and spend time with local people by engaging in various household chores and daily activities.

Full-day & multiple-day tours

Various tours can be combined to fully explore Bagamoyo. Tour programs can be tailored to your time and budget. Extended tours to neighboring villages, such as Saadani and Mlingotini, and game drives in Saadani National Park can be arranged upon request. Saadani National Park is closer to Bagamoyo than any other town in the coastal region.

Get an opportunity to visit the art market, see artists at work, and learn how to do sculpture, fine art, and Makonde carving

Tanzania Travel Tips

Our team carefully researched and focused on trips which attract people with the same interest and naturally get on well with each other through their shared interests.

Once you confirm your booking on a tour you will be sent further practical information – packing tips, detailed itineraries, including advice on health, passport and visa requirements, and minimum and maximum numbers of guests on tours.

Memorable meals are one of the hallmarks of an excellent holiday. With the support of the best cooks, the quality of food and drink service is guaranteed. Depending on the service level or type of tour you have chosen, pre-discussion with your tour planner is a win-win situation for an enjoyable diet. Other tours are accompanied by our cook and others are inclusive service from our accommodation partners include hotels, private camps, and luxury lodges.

The answer is absolute yes! The areas where safaris are organized are safe and free of political chaos. We conduct safaris in places that are politically stable to assure our clients’ safety and enjoyment.

Our Professional Safari Guides are well trained about wild animal behaviors and they have enough experience to lead our clients in the wilderness. Our vehicles are 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser and Land Rovers with a hutched roof to give maximum visibility of a game.

African safaris guarantee unlimited sightseeing; millions of animals, birds, and plant life are the core characters of the African savanna. You roam across the countryside in search of Elephants, Lions, Rhinos, Cape buffalo, and Leopards (the so-called “Big Five”). On any given day, you will encounter Blue Wildebeests, Zebras, a large variety of antelope species, Gazelles, Giraffes, Baboons, and Hippos. The birdlife is fantastic – in some areas, up to 400 bird species have been identified! Think of the majestic Baobab tree (some tribes believe that the tree was indeed planted upside-down!), and there are hundreds of varieties of thorn trees! You will also see the acacia-dotted landscape, endless plains, majestic mountains, and the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises one could ever imagine! Think of a late afternoon thunderstorm, short but violent, and then the beautiful rainbow.

Tanzania destinations are accessible throughout the year but we advise you to take your tours during the dry session for the safari so as you can enjoy the best sightings at this time as the grasses and bush are at their least dense. July to October and December through February. The green session includes March through June. Discuss with us for the best option if you have also a plan to coincides with Wildebeest Migration in Serengeti National Park’

(We suggest you remember) insect repellent (the best way to prevent malaria and other insect-borne diseases), sunscreen, cap or hat, sunglasses, binoculars, detergent powder if you want to wash some clothes yourself, hand-wipes small flashlight, aspirin, diarrhea medicine, rain jacket, poncho, or collapsible umbrella, plastic bags (for wet clothes, swimsuit and for keeping dust away from camera equipment), Kleenex/toilet tissue a neck chain for eyeglasses if you take them off to use binoculars and cameras, any medical prescription you need, masking tape or labels for marking exposed films cans, film, extra camera batteries.

Although more than 200 languages and dialects are spoken throughout Africa, this presents no problem as English is spoken throughout East and Southern Africa. Apart from English, all our professional guides are multilingual so we get you covered.

African safaris guarantee unlimited sightseeing; millions of animals, birds, and plant life are the core characters of the African savanna. You roam across the countryside in search of Elephants, Lions, Rhinos, Cape buffalo, and Leopards (the so-called “Big Five”). On any given day, you will encounter Blue Wildebeests, Zebras, a large variety of antelope species, Gazelles, Giraffes, Baboons, and Hippos. The birdlife is fantastic – in some areas, up to 400 bird species have been identified! Think of the majestic Baobab tree (some tribes believe that the tree was indeed planted upside-down!), and there are hundreds of varieties of thorn trees! You will also see the acacia-dotted landscape, endless plains, majestic mountains, and the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises one could ever imagine! Think of a late afternoon thunderstorm, short but violent, and then the beautiful rainbow.

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