African Galleria
African Galleria
3.7
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
About
African Galleria is a professional gallery that deals in antiques, art, tribal art, Tanzanite and other gems, clothing, Maasai art, custom made jewelry (18k gold) and a lot more varieties of items, namely all assortment of carvings in Ebony, Rose wood, Mahogany, Teak in all sizes. Also a very good place to find beautiful Tanzanian souvenirs to bring home.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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3.7
154 reviews
Excellent
62
Very good
36
Average
25
Poor
10
Terrible
21
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kgilbert78
Columbus, OH3,029 contributions
Feb 2023
We went here while on Safari. The place is amazing and so is the art. But it's pricy--mostly out of our price range. However, we did buy a nice pair of Tanzanite earrings for my wife (oddly enough, we ran into our sales person (an owner) and his brother later that night at our lodge's bar (as it is near their home in Karatu). Nice folks. We also bought a few shirts and some smaller trinkets. T shirts were $15-20 (we found similar at the airport for $10, though some here were higher quality). That's what one pays in the US these days, if not more. It was really amazing to see all of the wonderful art here (almost like a museum), and the section about how tanzanite is mined and finished was really interesting.
You will usually have a guide to help with purchases. There is an attached restaurant with bar. We did stop there for a Fanta. Bathrooms are good (but this was true everywhere we went in Tanzania)
One word of caution. They do sell ebony carvings here (and you can see this being done), but a number of species of ebony are on the CITES (endangered species) list and can be confiscated by US Customs. Caution is advised.
You will usually have a guide to help with purchases. There is an attached restaurant with bar. We did stop there for a Fanta. Bathrooms are good (but this was true everywhere we went in Tanzania)
One word of caution. They do sell ebony carvings here (and you can see this being done), but a number of species of ebony are on the CITES (endangered species) list and can be confiscated by US Customs. Caution is advised.
Written 11 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ettore B
22 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
It is not easy to go shopping in Tanzania, there are significant extremes between the local shops and all the others which are obviously for tourists. Personally, moreover, I went to Tanzania more for the safaris than for shopping, so it's not that I particularly cared about it, but it's always nice to carry a souvenir with you. Prices are high when you go to tourist places, and the same goes for African Galleria, but there is good room for discussion and this shop among those I visited seemed to me to be an EXCELLENT compromise between variety, quality and prices. I then met a good trader who supported me with a purchase that I wanted to make with intelligence and skill... as they say, to each their own job. However, it is always a pleasure to deal with qualified and smart people.
Written 14 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard F
Wilmette, IL122 contributions
Jan 2020
The African Galleria is a part museum with price tags and part tee-shirt/souvenir shop. There is exotic African (Tanzanian) art - with price tags. We fell in love with an elephant head sculpture but the price to ship it home was rather high. and this did not include the purchase price of the air.
Negotiating the price is expected, we purchased a set of earrings for my wife and negotiated 25% of the price (perhaps we achieved too little).
Negotiating the price is expected, we purchased a set of earrings for my wife and negotiated 25% of the price (perhaps we achieved too little).
Written 7 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick Ayala
Seattle, WA5 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
Really enjoyed stopping at the African Galleria where we were able to find souvenirs for the whole family. There was something at every price range, which was perfect for the various people back at home.
I bought a beautiful canvas paining to hang on my wall back at home. One thing that I appreciated was the quality of the canvas. One thing to keep in mind when buying canvas paintings is the thickness of the canvas. The paintings at African Galleria was semi-thick which holds better overall once professional mounted and framed!
I was also able to meet the artist of the painting at the galleria as well! That's always fun.
The wooden artwork that is made on-site was really nice as well. It's amazing to see how it's made from start to finish.
For the family that I was only buying something simpler for, there was a good selection of smaller things that I could easily pack in my suitcase and bring back (i.e. keychains, coasters, sculptures, etc).
If I had a larger budget, I would have definitely checked out the Tanzanite section. The gems and pieces there were beautiful!
I look forward to coming back here the next time I come to Tanzania!
I bought a beautiful canvas paining to hang on my wall back at home. One thing that I appreciated was the quality of the canvas. One thing to keep in mind when buying canvas paintings is the thickness of the canvas. The paintings at African Galleria was semi-thick which holds better overall once professional mounted and framed!
I was also able to meet the artist of the painting at the galleria as well! That's always fun.
The wooden artwork that is made on-site was really nice as well. It's amazing to see how it's made from start to finish.
For the family that I was only buying something simpler for, there was a good selection of smaller things that I could easily pack in my suitcase and bring back (i.e. keychains, coasters, sculptures, etc).
If I had a larger budget, I would have definitely checked out the Tanzanite section. The gems and pieces there were beautiful!
I look forward to coming back here the next time I come to Tanzania!
Written 19 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelWorm
India104 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
This is a must-visit place, no doubt. With many sections for different items, this store is very HUGE with massive inventory. We got all our souvenirs here, in addition to specialty items. The staff are very courteous & helpful. Prices are nominal compared to the curated shops in the camps & resorts. The store has pretty much everything in huge collection - art, crafts, face masks, magnets, book marks, postcards, t-shirts, bags, jewelry, fabric, Big 5 items, Ebony carvings etc. etc. One can get whatever Tanzanian souvenir they want in their budget. No pressure to buy or anything. We spent quite a bit of time here shopping. If it wasn't for our flight, we'd have spent some more time here definitely. The owner Mr. Punit chat with us & later educated us about the Tanzanite stone in detail, alongside hot masala tea & bajjis! African Galleria is an excellent one stop store for all your souvenir purchase..
Written 3 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mccobbay
La-Baule-Escoublac, France10 contributions
Dec 2022 • Friends
A souvenir shop not to be missed. Huge choice of painting, jewelry and original sculpture at higher prices than in small street shops but of superior quality and finish. Criticizing the prices when you have just done a safari costing several thousand euros is really not reasonable and it is completely “French”!!!
Written 8 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jlgmbk
holland1 contribution
Sept 2024 • Family
Nice gallery but prices even after so called discount are hyper inflated
Same items at dar Salem airport post control are 40% cheaper - ridiculous
Gallery price 390 usd before discount - post discount 280 usd and at airport 180 usd
Same items at dar Salem airport post control are 40% cheaper - ridiculous
Gallery price 390 usd before discount - post discount 280 usd and at airport 180 usd
Written 15 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback! We appreciate you visiting our gallery and sharing your thoughts. We strive to provide a unique experience and ensure the quality and authenticity of each item we offer. Our prices reflect the craftsmanship and the effort of supporting local artists. However, we understand your concerns, and we’ll definitely take them into account to improve. If you have any questions or need assistance in the future, feel free to reach out.
Written 4 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
E Field
Kingsport, TN124 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We were doing Safari’s for over 3-weeks and our travel guides brought us to these roadside gift shops and they had hundreds of each item in their stores with no prices. If they knew you were American the prices magically went up. We stopped
lease six of these places. On our last day in Tanzania our driver asked if we wanted to stop at a gift shop before we left Tanzania and we all said no thank you, that we were not interested in wasting our time. Our drive then told us he would stop at a really great place, which was the African Galleria. This place was amazing and we wished our drivers stopped at this place when we first arrived in Tanzania so we would know what a rip-off all the other places were.
The African Galleria is an all you need stop. The have very high end stuff as well as what you would expect in normal gift stops.
I highly recommend stopping at and of the African Galleria’s while you are in Africa.
lease six of these places. On our last day in Tanzania our driver asked if we wanted to stop at a gift shop before we left Tanzania and we all said no thank you, that we were not interested in wasting our time. Our drive then told us he would stop at a really great place, which was the African Galleria. This place was amazing and we wished our drivers stopped at this place when we first arrived in Tanzania so we would know what a rip-off all the other places were.
The African Galleria is an all you need stop. The have very high end stuff as well as what you would expect in normal gift stops.
I highly recommend stopping at and of the African Galleria’s while you are in Africa.
Written 19 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dianelorraineb
Athens, GA129 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
We make a point of stopping at the Galleria every year as we travel through Tanzania along the route to/from Karatu, Serengeti, etc.. This is a fabulous, huge "store" with just about everything you could wish to see and buy including jewelry, carvings and other curious, clothes, artwork, etc. The range of jewelry is immense, from expensive high-end Tanzanite to modestly priced beadwork.There is a museum of ancient and traditional artifacts and carvings. Every year the Galleria gets better. You can have a dress made on-site in Tanzanian fabric. The Ol Mesera Restaurant is an added adventure offering delicious local cuisine (and cooking classes) as well as a range of standard items.
Written 31 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex
Philadelphia, PA4 contributions
Mar 2021
This store has an incredibly expansive selection of art (including local from local and on-site artists), souvenirs, and gem stones. Honestly takes over an hour to really see everything the store has to offer! I particularly loved the masks they had from all over AFrica. I honestly spent over 30 minutes just looking at the hundreds of masks they have hanging on the walls in several areas of the gallery. They also directly employ several artists (painters and sculptures) who work on site and you can watch them create their masterpieces. The listed prices can seem high, but they are always willing to bargain. I bought a mask, a couple paintings, a couple statues, and a few small gifts to bring home. A lot of my co-tourists bought tanzanite and other gems and are thrilled with their purchases. The place also has a nice restaurant space.
Written 4 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I real appriciate The African Galleria for providing jobs and employment to various people .I remember i worked there as a painter whereby i decorated the roof with some paintings and they made a good payment for that..
Written 30 November 2016
I do not understand what exactly your question is, but yes the roof and restrooms of African Gallery has typically african paintwork.
Written 8 December 2016
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