Some intercity coaches sell through-tickets straight from DAR
Airport City Coach is mentioned as an option from Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), but there is no solid evidence of a fixed, public airport–city coach line beyond the regular DART buses and taxis that serve terminals 1, 2, and 3. Most reports from Dar es Salaam still point first to DART city buses from the main road outside the airport and to private taxis waiting directly outside arrivals.
Timetables, fares, and exact stops for anything branded "Airport City Coach" are not consistently published as of 2024, unlike DART routes that list specific lines and ticket prices in Tanzanian shillings for city trips. If a private operator offers an airport–city seat on an intercity bus, it usually runs only around that company’s long-distance departure times, not as a high-frequency shuttle like you see at bigger hubs.
For through-tickets, some long-distance bus companies in Tanzania sell a single ticket from Julius Nyerere International Airport (airport code DAR) to another city such as Morogoro or Arusha, but pick-up can vary between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 depending on the airline. In those cases, the “city coach” portion is often just a short transfer segment bundled into their normal intercity schedule rather than a dedicated airport bus line.
Most guides still recommend walking or taking a short airport taxi ride to the DART stop on Nyerere Road, about a few minutes from Terminal 3, and then using DART buses that cost a fraction of a standard airport taxi fare. Until a clearly branded Airport City Coach publishes a schedule, assume any such coach operates on limited runs linked to intercity departures rather than every 15–20 minutes like a regular city shuttle.
Step-by-step if you plan to use a coach from DAR
- 1. On arrival at Terminal 2 or 3, check your intercity bus confirmation for any mention of “airport pick-up” or “city coach” and note the exact company name.
- 2. Ask at your airline’s information desk or the airport information counter at Terminal 3 if that specific bus company sends vehicles directly to the terminal on the day you land.
- 3. If they confirm a coach, ask for the exact meeting point (for example, outside the main exit of Terminal 3) and the scheduled time in 24-hour format.
- 4. Build at least a 60–90 minute buffer between your flight’s scheduled landing time and the stated coach departure, since immigration and baggage at DAR can easily take 45 minutes.
- 5. If staff can’t confirm the Airport City Coach, switch to the default plan: take a licensed airport taxi or walk to the Nyerere Road DART stop, then continue by DART bus toward downtown Ubungo or the main intercity bus terminals.
One practical tip: print or save offline screenshots of your bus booking and any coach instructions before landing at DAR, since mobile data around terminals 2 and 3 can be patchy right after arrival.