Dar es Salaam AFCON 2027 guide: the stadium, where to stay and staying safe
Dar es Salaam AFCON matches are expected at the 60,000-seat Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Tanzania's national ground, in the Temeke district south of the city centre. The tournament runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027, in the coast's dry season. Fans who stay on the Kivukoni waterfront or the Masaki peninsula, travel by Bolt or a hotel car, and arrive with both the e-visa and Tanzania's compulsory insurance will find the city warm, relaxed and an easy boat ride from Zanzibar.
This guide covers the stadium, the airport, where to stay, getting around, money, health and the rules that matter most here. CAF has not yet confirmed the venues, so check our hub before you book anything you cannot change.
The Dar es Salaam AFCON stadium
Benjamin Mkapa Stadium opened in 2007 beside the old Uhuru Stadium, on Taifa Road in Temeke, south of the centre. It holds 60,000 and is home to the national team and to big Simba and Young Africans matches. It closed for six months in April 2026 for its final AFCON works, including a new pitch, and Tanzania expects to hand its venues to CAF in January 2027.
The Dar es Salaam AFCON stadium is a car ride, not a walk, from the hotel districts. Allow 30 to 45 minutes from Kivukoni, and longer from Masaki, which sits further north. After the match, agree a pickup point with your driver away from the main gates, because the roads around Uhuru and Mkapa jam as the crowd leaves.
Arriving at Julius Nyerere airport
Julius Nyerere International (DAR) is about 12 km south-west of the centre. You need the e-visa and Tanzania's government travel insurance before you reach immigration, and Tanzania screens every arrival for Ebola and mpox, so allow time at the health desk.
For the city, Bolt and Uber charged about TSh 15,000–30,000 (about $6–12) when we checked, and airport taxis about TSh 40,000–70,000. Taxis have no meters, so agree the fare before you get in. The trip takes 25 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic. Several waterfront and Masaki hotels include an airport pickup: ask when you book.
Where to stay for the Dar es Salaam AFCON matches
Kivukoni and the city waterfront hold the big business hotels, closest to the stadium and to the Zanzibar ferry terminal. Guest favourites include the Hyatt Regency The Kilimanjaro (9.4 on hotels.com in November 2026), the Johari Rotana (9.2) and the Dar es Salaam Serena (8.6).
Masaki and Oyster Bay, on the peninsula to the north, have the best restaurants and beach bars, and hotels such as the Sea Cliff (8.6). The UK government notes that tourists are targeted for street crime here too, including on Coco Beach and Toure Drive, so take a car after dark.
Ratings come from hotels.com guest reviews in November 2026, before Dar es Salaam AFCON bookings began. Book a room you can cancel until the match schedule is out, and check whether the price includes the airport pickup, which saves you a taxi negotiation on the first night.
Getting around Dar es Salaam
Use Bolt, Uber or your hotel's own car. The UK government's travel advice reports express kidnappings in Dar es Salaam: visitors forced to withdraw cash at machines, often after taking an unlicensed taxi or accepting a lift from a new friend. Check the driver's ID, and never get into a car with someone who offers to "find you a taxi".
Dala dalas (minibuses), bajajis (three-wheelers) and boda-bodas (motorbikes) are cheap but have poor safety records, so they are best avoided.
Day trip or base: Zanzibar
Fast ferries to Zanzibar's Stone Town leave from the terminal on the city waterfront and take about two hours. Use one of the established operators and do not board a boat that looks overloaded. If you enter Tanzania at Dar es Salaam, the insurance you bought there also covers Zanzibar, but Zanzibar's dress rules are stricter than the mainland's.
Moving on from Dar es Salaam
Tanzania's other proposed venues are a long way from the coast. Arusha, in the north, is about 650 km away by road, a full day on a long-distance bus, so most fans will fly: domestic flights reach Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport in about an hour and a half. Zanzibar is two hours away by fast ferry or a short flight.
For Kenya and Uganda, fly. There are direct flights from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi and to Entebbe, and both crossings need the other country's own permit, plus Kenya's separate insurance if you go there. Book these flights early: with three host countries and limited regional seats, the routes between the host cities are likely to sell out first.
Money, phones and power
Tanzania uses the shilling (TSh). Hotels and bigger restaurants take cards, but taxis, markets and street food are cash or mobile money. Take shillings from bank machines inside banks or malls, not on the street. Buy a local SIM at the airport or a network shop with your passport. Plugs are mostly the British three-pin type, with some older round-pin sockets, at 230 volts.
Weather and health
June and July are Dar es Salaam's cooler, dry months: warm days around 28°C and nights near 20°C. The malaria risk is high on the coast, including the city and Zanzibar, so take the antimalarials a travel clinic prescribes, and use repellent at dusk. Drink bottled water.
Rules that matter here
- Filming protests or violence is illegal, and security services have checked visitors' phones.
- Police fines must come with a government control number. Paying cash on the spot is not the legal process.
- Same-sex activity is illegal, and public displays of affection can lead to arrest.
- Plastic bags are banned and are taken from you at the airport.
- Do not buy animal-skin souvenirs, and shells or horns need an export permit.
- Carry copies of your passport photo page and visa.
- Do not wear camouflage. It is regulated in all three host countries.
What we do not know yet about Dar es Salaam AFCON plans
CAF has not confirmed Tanzania's venues, the ticket prices or the match schedule, and the qualifiers run until March 2027. We will update this guide when it does. Until then, book what you can change, because tournament plans move. Our AFCON 2027 hub tracks every date as it is confirmed.
For the rest of your trip, see our Zanzibar and Arusha guide and our guide to where to stay.
Quick answers
- Where is the Dar es Salaam AFCON stadium? Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, on Taifa Road in Temeke, south of the centre.
- Where should I stay? Kivukoni for the stadium and the ferry; Masaki or Oyster Bay for restaurants.
- Is Dar es Salaam safe? Most visits are trouble-free. Use apps or hotel cars, never unlicensed taxis, and keep your phone out of sight on the street.
- Do I need malaria tablets? Yes, for Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.