Why visit Tabora
Townapedia lists 1 park or trail, 54 places to eat, 54 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Weather in Tabora
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About Tabora
Tabora () is the capital of Tanzania's Tabora Region and is classified as a municipality by the Tanzanian government. It is also the administrative seat of Tabora Urban District. According to the 2012 census, the district had a population of 226,999.
From the Wikipedia article Tabora (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Tabora on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Tabora
Things to do3
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes54
42 more on the map.
Where to stay54
Boniventure
Motel and hotel · 2.2 km
Self contained rooms 15,000 TSh. Mosquito net, fan. Quiet area. (Oct 2021)
42 more on the map.
History
In the early 1830s, coastal traders increasingly settled in the region to take advantage of the ivory and slave caravan trade. Swahili and Omani traders established Kazeh, near present-day Tabora, in the 1850s. By 1870, Tabora was home to a population of 5,000-10,000 people living in roughly fifty large square houses. These homes accommodated up to several hundred people each and had inner courtyards, adjacent garden plots, store rooms, servant quarters, and outbuildings for slaves.
The town was surrounded by Nyamwezi villages, whose people provided produce and caravan labor. In this period the Sultan of Zanzibar appointed a representative there. It was part of the Kingdom of Unyanyembe. Tabora was a center of trade for traders from as far North as the Buganda Kingdom. By August 1871, one-quarter of the town was burned when the forces of the Nyamwezi ruler Mirambo sacked it.
Although the German East Africa protectorate was proclaimed over the region in 1885, as late as 1891 travellers reported it to be a lawless town. The German colonial administration did not gain control of it until later that year. As a major station on the Central Line, it became the most important administrative centre of central German East Africa.
Read more of the history
In 1916 the colonial garrison had an emergency mint at Tabora, making some gold pieces as well as large numbers of crude copper and brass German East African rupie minor coins, Mint marked with a "T".
During the Tabora Offensive in the East African Campaign of World War I, colonial armed forces of the Belgian Congo (Force Publique) under the command of General Charles Tombeur captured the town on 19 September 1916 after 10 days and nights of heavy fighting.
From the History section of Tabora on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Tabora
Education
Tabora is home to a number of educational institutions, including:
A public boarding school located in Tabora, Tanzania. It was established in 1928 by the British Colonial rulers. It is one of the oldest girls only school in Tanzania. The school was originally established to educate the daughters of local chiefs as prospective wives of other chiefs sons who were also educated around the same area at Tabora Boys Secondary School.
The school has produced students who were among the first women leaders in the country, such as Anna Abdallah one of the first woman district commissioners, Julie Manning the first woman to study law in Tanzania, Getrude Mongella the first President of the Pan-African Parliament.
A public school in Tanzania founded in 1922. The school was established to educate sons of African Chiefs and wealthy tribesmen. The school first followed a tribal structure where students were assigned to dormitories based on their tribe, and received education on their respective tribal customs. In its early days the school was considered the 'Eton of Tanganyika'.
The first self-government cabinet in 1961 had eight ministers whose five were all from Tabora Boys.
Among the famous people who studied at this school are Rashidi Kawawa and the father of the Tanzanian nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
From the Wikipedia article Tabora, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Tabora
Faustine MussaTanzanian distance runnerPhoto: Peter Mooney, CC BY-SA 2.0
Lil OmmyTanzanian media personalityPhoto: Paulchazzy98, CC BY-SA 4.0- Jonathan KingdonTanzanian British artist and naturalist (born 1935)
- Hamisi KigwangallaTanzanian Member of Parliament
- Ian Adamsnovelist
- Edward Charles ManyamaTanzanian footballer
- Patricia ConollyAustralian actress
- Grace Gobbobotanist
Born in Tabora, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Churches and places of worship23
Shopping12
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries35
Healthcare30
Map of Tabora
219 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Tabora Airport (TBO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 km away.
- Tumbi 12 km southwest, about 12 min by car
- Mabama 35 km west, about 35 min by car
- Mambali 54 km north, about 54 min by car
- Usoke 55 km west, about 55 min by car
- Sikonge 69 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Urambo 86 km west, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Bukene 87 km north, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
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Local news
Headlines from INDB.
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Deutsch-Ostafrika, Reise Bernhard Dernburg, Unknown Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Tabora Railway Station Front, Cheyo Ward, Halidtz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tabora Railway Station 2, Cheyo Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tabora Hotel, Cheyo Ward, Halidtz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Facade at Tabora Hotel, Cheyo Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hallway at Tabora Hotel, Cheyo Ward, abora City, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tree Planting Monument Kitete Ward, Tabora City, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tabora Regional Capitol Kitete Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Front of Tabora Capitol Kitete Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tabora Capitol Gate, Kitete Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gongoni Masjid Facade, Gongoni Ward, Tabora City, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gongoni Mosque, Gongoni Ward, Tabora City, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tabora Zoo Kitete Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tabora City Bicycle Driver, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tabora Zoo landscape Kitete Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- King Mirambo Avenue, Kitete Ward, Halidtz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Masjid in Kanyanye Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Landscape in Tabora Zoo Kitete Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ostrict in Tabora Zoo, Kitete Ward, Mangapwani, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.