Chauffeur service in Tanzania

BlaakLane.com provides chauffeur, black car and limousine service in 3 Tanzania cities: Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Arusha. Every city page lists the airports served, the pickup rules, the business districts and hotels we drive to most and the intercity runs booked from there. Trips are booked on one account at a fixed fare shown before you confirm, with flight tracking on every airport pickup.

Chauffeur service across Tanzania: what to know

Tanzania's three main gateways each serve a different kind of trip. Julius Nyerere International (DAR) in Dar es Salaam, with its Terminal 3 handling most international flights, is about 12 km from the city centre, but traffic can stretch the drive to Masaki or the Kivukoni waterfront to 30-60 minutes. Kilimanjaro International (JRO) sits between Moshi and Arusha, about 45 minutes from Moshi and around an hour from Arusha, and it is the arrival point for northern safari circuits. Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ) on Zanzibar is about 15 minutes from Stone Town.

Chauffeurs track every flight and wait in the designated pickup area, with 60 minutes included on international arrivals and 30 minutes on domestic flights such as Dar to Zanzibar. A name-board meet and greet in the DAR, JRO or ZNZ arrivals area is an add-on, and add-ons are only available in selected locations. Trips are driven by vetted Tanzanian affiliates, and the confirmation names the operator and chauffeur.

Most visitors need a visa, which can be obtained through the Immigration Department's e-Visa system at immigration.go.tz. Zanzibar has introduced a mandatory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors, so check the current requirement before flying.

Road routes

Airport choice matters on the northern circuit. JRO handles the international flights, while Arusha Airport (ARK) on the western edge of town serves small domestic and charter flights to the Serengeti airstrips and Zanzibar. A chauffeur can link the two in about an hour, which helps when an international arrival connects to a bush flight the following morning, with an overnight in an Arusha lodge in between.

Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar are linked by fast ferries from the Kivukoni terminal, a crossing of around two hours, so a chauffeur at each end is the usual pattern.

Driving realities and the safari calendar

Tanzania drives on the left. Dar es Salaam's traffic is heavy at peak hours, with the bus rapid transit corridors limiting where cars can stop. Outside the cities, trucks, speed bumps at village entrances and police checkpoints slow long drives. Inside the national parks, game drives are done in licensed safari vehicles, so a chauffeured transfer suits the road legs between airport, town and lodge. If the chauffeur pays airport parking, that amount and any gratuity are added at actual cost.

The long rains usually fall from March to May and the short rains in November and December. The dry season from June to October is peak safari time, when the Great Migration herds cross the Mara River in the northern Serengeti, usually from July to October. Calving in the southern Serengeti usually happens in January and February. Sauti za Busara, the music festival in Stone Town, is usually held in February.

Which vehicle for which trip

• Standard Black SUV or Executive Black SUV: JRO to Arusha lodges, and transfers to the Tarangire or Ngorongoro gates with safari luggage.
• Luxury Executive Sedan: business meetings in Dar es Salaam's Masaki, Oyster Bay and city centre.
• Sprinter Van: groups of up to 12 moving between Zanzibar's airport and beach resorts on the east and north coasts.
• Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach): VIP and government visits in Dar es Salaam.

See the fleet, rates and private airport transfer.

Business and leisure hubs

Dar es Salaam is the commercial capital and main port. Arusha is the safari base and hosts regional institutions, and Zanzibar combines Stone Town's heritage with beach resorts. The Tanzania Tourist Board publishes parks and events at tanzaniatourism.go.tz. For East African connections, see Nairobi.