• Bagamoyo Museum - Bagamoyo, meaning “Lay down your heart,” is located 75 km north of Dar es Salaam. In the late 19th century, it was the most significant trading hub on the east central coast of Africa. Bagamoyo’s history has been shaped by Indian and Arab traders, the German colonial government, and Christian missionaries. Recently, the town was designated as Tanzania’s seventh world heritage site.

Depart early in the morning for Bagamoyo Town, north of Dar es Salaam, to explore historical buildings, a slave port, Coral Mosques at Kaole, graves dating back to the 13th century, the old ferry at the great Wami River, and remnants of the slave trade such as shackle rings and stone pens. Enjoy lunch at Paradise Local Restaurant before returning to Dar in the late afternoon.

Places to visit:

Kaole Ruins: These are the oldest Islamic mosque ruins in the region, dating back to the 13th century, located a few kilometers south of Bagamoyo near Kaole. It is possibly the oldest mosque on the East African mainland.

The Bagamoyo Church: Built in 1868, it is considered the first church on the East Coast of Africa. The site includes a cemetery where early missionaries were buried and a small shrine built by freed slaves in 1876. Between 1934 and 1991, 35 Dutch priests served here, with the last being Father Frits Versteijnen, who stayed in Bagamoyo for 30 years and established the first museum in the old Fathers’ House in March 1968.

The second Fathers’ House in Bagamoyo, constructed near the Mother of all Churches in East Africa, has also suffered from the region’s humid climate. The ground floor was built in 1873, the first floor in 1877, and the second floor in 1903.

Boma: Built between 1895-1897 as the residence and offices for the German colonial governor. In 1998, the roof collapsed, bringing down the balcony during the El Nino rains. The building remains fascinating but is in a state of disrepair.

Chuo cha Sanaa (College of Arts): This is Tanzania’s only major arts college, offering courses in dance, music, drama, and painting. Located along the Kaole road near the Kaole ruins, students give free performances on weekends, allowing visitors to experience traditional dances. It is also possible to learn to play various local musical instruments, but arrangements must be made in advance.

Bagamoyo Museum: A small museum showcasing Bagamoyo’s history and its interactions with foreigners. It features old photographs, documents, and relics from the slave trade. The compound also includes a small chapel known as the Anglican Church of Holy Cross, famous for being the place where David Livingstone’s remains were laid before being taken to Zanzibar and then to Westminster Abbey for burial.

After these tours, enjoy a local lunch, spend a few hours on the beach, and then drive back to Dar es Salaam.

• Bottled water
• Lunch
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• All fees and/or taxes

• Breakfast

Wandering the narrow, unpaved paths of Bagamoyo transports you to the heart of the 19th century when it stood as a major hub along the East African coastline and served as the endpoint of the trade caravan route connecting Lake Tanganyika with the ocean. Slaves, ivory, salt and copra were brought ashore here, and then shipped off to Zanzibar Island and other locations. Renowned European explorers such as Richard Burton, Henry Morton Stanley, and David Livingstone commenced and concluded their journeys here. Indeed, in 1868, French missionaries saw fit to establish Freedom Village in Bagamoyo as a haven for liberated slaves, and for the rest of that century, the town continued to function as a stopover for missionaries en route from Zanzibar Island to the inland regions.

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