Soul of Tanzania by Unlimited Expeditions Design my safari
The parks of Tanzania

Tanzania,
park by park

From the endless plains of the Serengeti to the river country of the south, every park has its own season, its own wildlife and its own pace. Explore them on the map, see when each one is at its best and find the places that fit your journey.

Open the atlas Which park is yours?
Lions walking through golden grass below a hill dotted with acacias
Plate · A pride on the moveThe parks of Tanzania
The atlas

Choose a month, an animal
or a place on the map

Pick a month and the maps show which parks are at their best, and where the Great Migration usually is. Pick an animal and they show where to look. Every park opens with its season, its wildlife, the way in and the journeys and lodges we have there.

When are you going?
What would you love to see?

Map of Tanzania with its parks Simplified map: positions are approximate. The northern circuit is enlarged on the second map. Northern circuit · see the enlarged map Nyerere (Selous)Nyerere Ruaha
Plate I · TanzaniaSimplified map
Map of the northern circuit, enlarged The parks of northern Tanzania around Arusha, with the yearly circuit of the Great Migration through the Serengeti. Serengeti Ngorongoro Tarangire Lake ManyaraManyara Arusha NP Lake NatronNatron Lake EyasiEyasi Kilimanjaro
Plate II · The northern circuit, enlargedArusha at the star

Selected park

Pick a park on either map and it opens here.

Simplified maps: positions are approximate. Outline and lakes from Natural Earth; park boundaries on the enlarged map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

National park · Northern circuit

Serengeti

Endless plains, big cats and the Great Migration.

A lioness and her cub resting on a granite kopje
SerengetiNorthern circuit
Protected asNational park · UNESCO World Heritage Site
AreaAbout 14,750 km²
Best monthsDec–Feb, Jun–Oct
Stay3 nights or more

Tanzania’s oldest national park and its most famous: open plains running to the horizon, granite kopjes where lions sun themselves, and rivers in the north that the herds have to cross. More than a million wildebeest, with zebras and gazelles, circle through the Serengeti all year round. The only question is where they are when you travel.

Best time to go

Best: Dec–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, May, Nov. Wetter: Apr.

Good all year round: what changes is where the herds are. The long rains usually fall from March to May.

Wildlife

Known for

  • The Great Migration somewhere in the park all year
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Cheetah

Also found here

  • Elephant
  • Giraffe
  • Hippo
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Crocodile
  • Black rhino rarely seen

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Around 7–8 hours by road from Arusha to the centre of the park, usually broken with a night on the way.
  • Scheduled light aircraft fly from Arusha to airstrips across the park.

How long to stay

3 nights or more

Good to combine with Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara

Don’t miss

  • The Mara River crossings in the north, typically between July and October
  • Calving on the southern plains around Ndutu, typically from late January to March
  • The granite kopjes of the central plains, a favourite lookout for lions
  • A hot-air balloon flight at sunrise, as an optional extra

Journeys that include Serengeti

13 more journeys
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Where to stay

26 more camps & lodges
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Conservation area · Northern circuit

Ngorongoro

A world of wildlife inside a volcanic crater.

A dirt road on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, with the crater floor and its soda lake below
NgorongoroNorthern circuit
Protected asConservation area · UNESCO World Heritage Site
AreaAbout 8,300 km²; the crater floor is about 260 km²
AltitudeThe rim stands at about 2,300 m; the floor lies some 600 m below
Best monthsJan–Feb, Jun–Oct
Stay1–2 nights

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera: up to about 19 km across, with walls some 600 m high and a floor of grassland, swamp, forest and a soda lake. Wildlife lives here all year, and the crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to look for black rhino. Beyond the rim, the conservation area is shared with Maasai herders and holds Olduvai Gorge, one of the great sites in the study of human origins.

Best time to go

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, May, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Apr.

Wildlife stays in the crater all year. On the rim, nights are cold and mornings are often misty.

Wildlife

Known for

  • Black rhino never guaranteed
  • Lion

Also found here

  • Elephant
  • Hippo
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Flamingo on the crater’s soda lake; numbers vary
  • Leopard rarely seen

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Around 3–4 hours by road from Arusha to the crater rim.

How long to stay

1–2 nights

Good to combine with Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Lake Eyasi

Don’t miss

  • The first view of the crater from the rim
  • A morning game drive on the crater floor
  • Olduvai Gorge and its museum, on the road to the Serengeti

Journeys that include Ngorongoro

13 more journeys
Browse all our safaris

Where to stay

15 more camps & lodges
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National park · Northern circuit

Tarangire

Elephants, baobabs and a river that draws everything in.

A family of elephants walking along the edge of a waterhole
TarangireNorthern circuit
Protected asNational park
AreaAbout 2,850 km²
Best monthsJun–Oct
Stay1–2 nights, or a day trip from Arusha

A park of giant baobabs and big elephant herds, built around the Tarangire River. In the dry season the river is the only reliable water for a long way around, and wildlife gathers along it in numbers that few places in Tanzania can match. It is an easy drive from Arusha, which makes it a natural first stop.

Best time to go

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Mar. Wetter: Apr–May.

Strongly seasonal: from June to October the animals crowd the river; in the rains many of them spread out beyond the park.

Wildlife

Known for

  • Elephant

Also found here

  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Giraffe
  • Zebra
  • Buffalo

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Around 2 hours by road from Arusha.

How long to stay

1–2 nights, or a day trip from Arusha

Good to combine with Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti

Don’t miss

  • Elephant families along the Tarangire River in the dry season
  • Ancient baobabs scattered across the hills
  • The Silale swamps, green all year and rich in birds

Journeys that include Tarangire

6 more journeys
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Where to stay

7 more camps & lodges
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National park · Northern circuit

Lake Manyara

A green strip between the Rift Valley wall and a soda lake.

Two lions climbing a large tree
Lake ManyaraNorthern circuit
Protected asNational park
Best monthsJun–Oct
Stay1 night, often between Tarangire and Ngorongoro

A small park squeezed between the Rift Valley escarpment and the shallow, alkaline Lake Manyara. Within a few kilometres you pass from groundwater forest, loud with baboons and blue monkeys, to open floodplain and the lake shore, where flamingos and pelicans gather when the water is right. Its lions are famous for climbing trees, though seeing them up there takes luck.

Best time to go

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Mar. Wetter: Apr–May.

The dry months are best for large mammals; the wetter months bring more birds and a fuller lake.

Wildlife

Known for

  • Elephant
  • Flamingo numbers vary with the water level

Also found here

  • Lion famous for climbing trees; rarely seen
  • Hippo
  • Giraffe
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Baboon

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Around 2 hours by road from Arusha.

How long to stay

1 night, often between Tarangire and Ngorongoro

Good to combine with Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti

Don’t miss

  • The groundwater forest inside the park gate, with its baboons and blue monkeys
  • Flamingos and pelicans along the lake shore, when the water level suits them
  • The village of Mto wa Mbu, for a walk or a bike ride with a local guide

Journeys that include Lake Manyara

10 more journeys
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Where to stay

5 more camps & lodges
All camps & lodges
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National park · Northern circuit

Arusha National Park

Mount Meru, crater lakes and colobus monkeys, an hour from town.

A group of giraffes crossing a green plain
Arusha National ParkNorthern circuit
Protected asNational park
AltitudeMount Meru rises to about 4,560 m
Best monthsJan–Feb, Jun–Oct
StayA half or full day from Arusha

The small park on Arusha’s doorstep packs in a great deal: the forested slopes of Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second-highest mountain, the Momella Lakes with their waterbirds, and the forested bowl of Ngurdoto Crater. It is one of the few parks in the north where you can leave the vehicle, on a walking safari with a ranger or in a canoe on the lakes. There are no lions here, which is part of why walking works so well.

Best time to go

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Apr–May.

On clear days Kilimanjaro stands on the eastern horizon.

Wildlife

Known for

  • Giraffe
  • Colobus monkey black-and-white colobus

Also found here

  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Flamingo on the Momella Lakes; numbers vary

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Under an hour by road from Arusha.

How long to stay

A half or full day from Arusha

Good to combine with Tarangire, Kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara

Don’t miss

  • A walking safari with an armed ranger
  • Canoeing on the Momella Lakes
  • Black-and-white colobus monkeys in the forest canopy

Where to stay in Arusha

5 more camps & lodges
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Soda lake · Rift Valley

Lake Natron

A red soda lake, flamingos and an active volcano.

A camp on the plain near Lake Natron, below a volcanic cone and the Rift Valley escarpment
Lake NatronRift Valley
Protected asWetland of international importance (Ramsar site); not a national park
AltitudeAbout 600 m above sea level; hot all year
Best monthsJun–Oct
Stay1–2 nights

A shallow, intensely alkaline lake on the floor of the Rift Valley, close to the Kenyan border. Its waters turn red and pink with salt-loving micro-organisms, and it is the most important breeding ground for lesser flamingos in East Africa. Above the southern shore stands Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai “Mountain of God”, an active volcano. This is a place for landscape, walking and Maasai country rather than big game.

Best time to go

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Mar. Wetter: Apr–May.

Hot all year. Flamingo numbers and breeding vary from year to year with the water level.

Wildlife

Known for

  • Flamingo lesser flamingo; numbers vary

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Around 5 hours by road from Arusha, the last stretch from Mto wa Mbu on rough tracks.

How long to stay

1–2 nights

Good to combine with Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lake Manyara

Don’t miss

  • A walk across the lake flats to look for flamingos
  • The walk up the Engare Sero gorge to its waterfalls
  • Ol Doinyo Lengai rising above the plain

Journeys that include Lake Natron

Browse all our safaris

Where to stay

All camps & lodges
Design my safari
Seasonal soda lake · Rift Valley

Lake Eyasi

A morning with the Hadzabe, among the last hunter-gatherers.

Spring-fed pools and the pale flats of Lake Eyasi, seen from the deck of a camp
Lake EyasiRift Valley
Protected asNot a national park
Best monthsJan–Feb, Jun–Oct
Stay1 night

A shallow, seasonal soda lake at the foot of the Rift Valley wall, south-west of the Ngorongoro highlands. People are the reason to come: the Hadzabe, among the last hunter-gatherers in East Africa, and their neighbours the Datoga, herders and blacksmiths. A visit usually starts before sunrise, walking with Hadzabe hunters as they go about their morning.

Best time to go

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Apr–May.

The visit works all year. The lake itself shrinks in the dry season and may dry out almost completely.

Wildlife

People and landscape are the reason to come here, not big game.

Getting there

  • Around 4–5 hours by road from Arusha; about 2 hours from Karatu, on a rough road.

How long to stay

1 night

Good to combine with Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Serengeti

Don’t miss

  • Walking with Hadzabe hunters at first light
  • Learning how the Hadzabe make their bows and arrows
  • The lake shore at the end of the day

Journeys that include Lake Eyasi

2 more journeys
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Where to stay

All camps & lodges
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National park · trekking · Northern Tanzania

Kilimanjaro

Africa’s highest mountain, on foot.

The summit of Kilimanjaro above the rainforest at dusk
KilimanjaroNorthern Tanzania
Protected asNational park · UNESCO World Heritage Site
AltitudeUhuru Peak, 5,895 m
Best monthsJan–Feb, Jun–Oct
How long6–8 days on the mountain, depending on the route

At 5,895 m, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. A climb passes from rainforest through heath and moorland to alpine desert and the ice of the summit. We climb it on five routes: Lemosho, Machame, Marangu, Rongai and Umbwe.

Best time to climb

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, Dec. Wetter: Apr–May, Nov.

The drier months are the usual climbing seasons. High on the mountain, nights are below freezing all year.

Wildlife

A trekking destination: the mountain itself is the draw.

Getting there

  • Around 1.5–2 hours by road from Arusha to Moshi, the usual base; the trailheads are further on.
  • Kilimanjaro International Airport lies between Arusha and Moshi.

How long

6–8 days on the mountain, depending on the route

Good to combine with Arusha National Park, Serengeti, Ngorongoro

Don’t miss

  • Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the roof of Africa
  • Sunrise from the crater rim on summit morning
  • Giant groundsels and lobelias on the moorland

Our Kilimanjaro routes

1 more journeys
All about climbing Kilimanjaro

Where to stay before and after the climb

All camps & lodges
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National park · Southern Tanzania

Nyerere (Selous)

Boat safaris on the Rufiji and room to breathe.

Sunset over the Rufiji River, seen from the deck of a tent
Nyerere (Selous)Southern Tanzania
Protected asNational park; the Selous Game Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
AreaAbout 30,900 km²
Best monthsJun–Oct
Stay3 nights or more

Tanzania’s largest national park was created in 2019 from the northern part of the Selous Game Reserve, and many people still call it the Selous. The Rufiji River and its chain of lakes run through it, so a safari here can be done by boat and on foot as well as by vehicle. It is one of Africa’s strongholds for the African wild dog, and it sees far fewer visitors than the northern parks.

Best time to go

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Feb. Wetter: Mar–May.

One long wet season, roughly from November to May. Many camps close during the heaviest rains, around April and May.

Wildlife

Known for

  • African wild dog never guaranteed
  • Hippo

Also found here

  • Elephant
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Giraffe
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Crocodile

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Usually reached by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam, in under an hour, or from Zanzibar.
  • Not a drive from Arusha: the usual gateway is Dar es Salaam.

How long to stay

3 nights or more

Good to combine with Ruaha

Don’t miss

  • A boat safari among the hippos and crocodiles of the Rufiji
  • A walking safari with an armed ranger
  • Sunset over the river and its lakes

Journeys that include Nyerere (Selous)

Browse all our safaris

Where to stay

All camps & lodges
Design my safari
National park · Southern Tanzania

Ruaha

Baobab hills, big prides and very few vehicles.

The Great Ruaha River, with a lodge on its far bank
RuahaSouthern Tanzania
Protected asNational park
AreaAbout 20,200 km²: Tanzania’s second-largest national park
Best monthsJun–Oct
Stay3 nights or more

A vast, rugged park of baobab-covered hills and sand rivers, drained by the Great Ruaha River. In the dry season elephants, buffalo and the lions that follow them gather along the river, and Ruaha is known for its large prides. It lies where the wildlife of eastern and southern Africa overlaps, so greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope all occur here. Few parks of this size see so few visitors.

Best time to go

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: May, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Jan–Apr.

One wet season, roughly from December to April. The dry months, when the animals gather along the rivers, are the time to come.

Wildlife

Known for

  • Elephant
  • Lion

Also found here

  • Leopard
  • Cheetah
  • African wild dog never guaranteed
  • Giraffe
  • Hippo
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Crocodile

Wildlife is wild: sightings are never guaranteed.

Getting there

  • Usually reached by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam or from Nyerere National Park.
  • By road, the park is about 2–3 hours from the town of Iringa.

How long to stay

3 nights or more

Good to combine with Nyerere (Selous)

Don’t miss

  • Game drives along the Great Ruaha River in the dry season
  • Greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope
  • A walking safari among the baobabs

Journeys that include Ruaha

Browse all our safaris

Where to stay

All camps & lodges
Design my safari

A note on nature: seasons and animal movements vary from year to year. This guide describes typical patterns, and we will check the latest conditions for your dates when we design your safari.

At a glance

The whole country
on one page

What each place is known for and when it is usually at its best.

National park

Serengeti

Endless plains, big cats and the Great Migration.

Best Dec–Feb, Jun–Oct

Known for The Great Migration · Lion · Leopard · Cheetah

Open the dossier→
Conservation area

Ngorongoro

A world of wildlife inside a volcanic crater.

Best Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct

Known for Black rhino · Lion

Open the dossier→
National park

Tarangire

Elephants, baobabs and a river that draws everything in.

Best Jun–Oct

Known for Elephant

Open the dossier→
National park

Lake Manyara

A green strip between the Rift Valley wall and a soda lake.

Best Jun–Oct

Known for Elephant · Flamingo

Open the dossier→
National park

Arusha National Park

Mount Meru, crater lakes and colobus monkeys, an hour from town.

Best Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct

Known for Giraffe · Colobus monkey

Open the dossier→
Soda lake

Lake Natron

A red soda lake, flamingos and an active volcano.

Best Jun–Oct

Known for Flamingo

Open the dossier→
Seasonal soda lake

Lake Eyasi

A morning with the Hadzabe, among the last hunter-gatherers.

Best Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct

Open the dossier→
National park · trekking

Kilimanjaro

Africa’s highest mountain, on foot.

Best Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct

Open the dossier→
National park

Nyerere (Selous)

Boat safaris on the Rufiji and room to breathe.

Best Jun–Oct

Known for African wild dog · Hippo

Open the dossier→
National park

Ruaha

Baobab hills, big prides and very few vehicles.

Best Jun–Oct

Known for Elephant · Lion

Open the dossier→
Side by side

Two parks,
one decision

Choose any two and see how they differ: season, wildlife, the way in and how long to stay.

Serengeti

National park · Northern circuit

Character

Endless plains, big cats and the Great Migration.

At a glance
  • Protected as National park · UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Area About 14,750 km²
Best months

Best: Dec–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, May, Nov. Wetter: Apr.

Known for
  • The Great Migration
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Cheetah
Also found
  • Elephant
  • Giraffe
  • Hippo
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Crocodile
  • Black rhino
Getting there
  • Around 7–8 hours by road from Arusha to the centre of the park, usually broken with a night on the way.
  • Scheduled light aircraft fly from Arusha to airstrips across the park.
How long to stay

3 nights or more

Good to combine with

Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara

Open the dossier

Ngorongoro

Conservation area · Northern circuit

Character

A world of wildlife inside a volcanic crater.

At a glance
  • Protected as Conservation area · UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Area About 8,300 km²; the crater floor is about 260 km²
  • Altitude The rim stands at about 2,300 m; the floor lies some 600 m below
Best months

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, May, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Apr.

Known for
  • Black rhino
  • Lion
Also found
  • Elephant
  • Hippo
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Flamingo
  • Leopard
Getting there
  • Around 3–4 hours by road from Arusha to the crater rim.
How long to stay

1–2 nights

Good to combine with

Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Lake Eyasi

Open the dossier

Tarangire

National park · Northern circuit

Character

Elephants, baobabs and a river that draws everything in.

At a glance
  • Protected as National park
  • Area About 2,850 km²
Best months

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Mar. Wetter: Apr–May.

Known for
  • Elephant
Also found
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Giraffe
  • Zebra
  • Buffalo
Getting there
  • Around 2 hours by road from Arusha.
How long to stay

1–2 nights, or a day trip from Arusha

Good to combine with

Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti

Open the dossier

Lake Manyara

National park · Northern circuit

Character

A green strip between the Rift Valley wall and a soda lake.

At a glance
  • Protected as National park
Best months

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Mar. Wetter: Apr–May.

Known for
  • Elephant
  • Flamingo
Also found
  • Lion
  • Hippo
  • Giraffe
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Baboon
Getting there
  • Around 2 hours by road from Arusha.
How long to stay

1 night, often between Tarangire and Ngorongoro

Good to combine with

Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti

Open the dossier

Arusha National Park

National park · Northern circuit

Character

Mount Meru, crater lakes and colobus monkeys, an hour from town.

At a glance
  • Protected as National park
  • Altitude Mount Meru rises to about 4,560 m
Best months

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Apr–May.

Known for
  • Giraffe
  • Colobus monkey
Also found
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Flamingo
Getting there
  • Under an hour by road from Arusha.
How long to stay

A half or full day from Arusha

Good to combine with

Tarangire, Kilimanjaro, Lake Manyara

Open the dossier

Lake Natron

Soda lake · Rift Valley

Character

A red soda lake, flamingos and an active volcano.

At a glance
  • Protected as Wetland of international importance (Ramsar site); not a national park
  • Altitude About 600 m above sea level; hot all year
Best months

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Mar. Wetter: Apr–May.

Known for
  • Flamingo
Also found

—

Getting there
  • Around 5 hours by road from Arusha, the last stretch from Mto wa Mbu on rough tracks.
How long to stay

1–2 nights

Good to combine with

Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lake Manyara

Open the dossier

Lake Eyasi

Seasonal soda lake · Rift Valley

Character

A morning with the Hadzabe, among the last hunter-gatherers.

At a glance
  • Protected as Not a national park
Best months

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Apr–May.

Known for

People and landscape are the reason to come here, not big game.

Also found

—

Getting there
  • Around 4–5 hours by road from Arusha; about 2 hours from Karatu, on a rough road.
How long to stay

1 night

Good to combine with

Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Serengeti

Open the dossier

Kilimanjaro

National park · trekking · Northern Tanzania

Character

Africa’s highest mountain, on foot.

At a glance
  • Protected as National park · UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Altitude Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m
Best months

Best: Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct. Good: Mar, Dec. Wetter: Apr–May, Nov.

Known for

A trekking destination: the mountain itself is the draw.

Also found

—

Getting there
  • Around 1.5–2 hours by road from Arusha to Moshi, the usual base; the trailheads are further on.
  • Kilimanjaro International Airport lies between Arusha and Moshi.
How long to stay

6–8 days on the mountain, depending on the route

Good to combine with

Arusha National Park, Serengeti, Ngorongoro

Open the dossier

Nyerere (Selous)

National park · Southern Tanzania

Character

Boat safaris on the Rufiji and room to breathe.

At a glance
  • Protected as National park; the Selous Game Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Area About 30,900 km²
Best months

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: Nov–Feb. Wetter: Mar–May.

Known for
  • African wild dog
  • Hippo
Also found
  • Elephant
  • Lion
  • Leopard
  • Giraffe
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Crocodile
Getting there
  • Usually reached by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam, in under an hour, or from Zanzibar.
  • Not a drive from Arusha: the usual gateway is Dar es Salaam.
How long to stay

3 nights or more

Good to combine with

Ruaha

Open the dossier

Ruaha

National park · Southern Tanzania

Character

Baobab hills, big prides and very few vehicles.

At a glance
  • Protected as National park
  • Area About 20,200 km²: Tanzania’s second-largest national park
Best months

Best: Jun–Oct. Good: May, Nov–Dec. Wetter: Jan–Apr.

Known for
  • Elephant
  • Lion
Also found
  • Leopard
  • Cheetah
  • African wild dog
  • Giraffe
  • Hippo
  • Buffalo
  • Zebra
  • Crocodile
Getting there
  • Usually reached by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam or from Nyerere National Park.
  • By road, the park is about 2–3 hours from the town of Iringa.
How long to stay

3 nights or more

Good to combine with

Nyerere (Selous)

Open the dossier
Four questions

Which park
is yours?

Four quick questions and we will suggest where to begin. It is a first idea, not a verdict: we will shape it with you.

01 / 04When are you travelling?
Made for you

Tell us the month.
We will find the park.

Share your dates, who is travelling and what you would love to see. Every journey is tailor-made from Arusha, at your pace.

Design my safari When to go — the migration Open the collection