Yes, you can smoke at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR). Airside in Terminal 3, the CIP Lounge has an open-air smoking terrace for departing and transit passengers; landside, you can smoke in the open-air areas outside the terminal; the Terminal 3 interior is smoke-free from check-in to gate.
Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International is Tanzania’s busiest airport and its main international gateway, feeding long-haul, regional African, and domestic routes. Terminal 3, opened in 2019, is the modern building that handles almost all scheduled traffic, and its air-conditioned interior is entirely non-smoking from the check-in hall through immigration to the gates. That means the smoking spots are the open-air terrace beside the airside CIP Lounge and the open-air areas outside the building landside — plan a long layover around whichever you can reach.
Terminal 3 — Airside (After Security)
The airside smoking option is the CIP Lounge, reached after immigration: turn right toward Gate C6, pass the lifts, and take the first left after the shops. The lounge has a separate open-air smoking area just outside it, so lounge guests can smoke without leaving the secure zone. Access is through Priority Pass, Star Alliance Gold status, or a pay-in lounge fee where offered. Travellers also report a dedicated smoking lounge elsewhere in Terminal 3, so ask ground staff or the information desk for the nearest current spot. The general departures concourse and gate areas stay smoke-free, so the lounge terrace is the practical airside choice once you are through security. Because the terrace is open-air, expect it to be warm and humid year-round; there is no enclosed air-conditioned smoking cabin on the concourse. Transit passengers connecting through DAR who clear into the departures level can use the same lounge terrace when they hold access.
Terminal 3 — Landside (Before Security)
Before security, smoke in the open-air areas outside the Terminal 3 building — the forecourt and kerbside, away from doorways and entrances. This is the option for passengers without lounge access and for anyone arriving or meeting a flight. After collecting bags, step back outside to smoke before onward transport. Public smoking away from marked areas can draw a fine in Tanzania, so keep to the open-air spots and clear of the terminal doors.
Vaping at DAR
Tanzania has no specific e-cigarette law and no national vape ban, so treat vaping the same as smoking: use the CIP Lounge terrace airside or the open-air areas landside, and keep your device away from the smoke-free interior.
Summary Table
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 3 interior | No | Smoke-free from check-in to gate; no public indoor room |
| Airside (after security) | Yes | Open-air terrace at the CIP Lounge (Priority Pass / Star Alliance Gold / pay-in) |
| Landside (before security) | Yes | Open-air areas outside the terminal, away from doorways |
For Tanzania’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Tanzania airport guide.