Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest city and commercial centre, with a population of roughly 7.8 million in 2023. Founded in the 1860s by Sultan Majid of Zanzibar, it served as the national capital until the government's move to Dodoma, and its port still handles around 90% of the country's cargo. For travellers it is the main entry point to the southern safari circuit — Nyerere and Mikumi are reachable by road or light aircraft — and the departure point for ferries to Zanzibar. Within the city, the Kivukoni waterfront with its fish market, the National Museum with its palaeontological collection, the Kariakoo market and the Askari Monument give a half-day of sightseeing, and the Kigamboni beaches and Bongoyo Island lie a short boat ride away. The climate is hot and humid year-round; the long rains fall from March to May, with the driest and most comfortable months from June to September.
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