The Ultimate Guide To A Tanzania Safari: Major Attractions, Top Destinations, Things To Do, And More

With more lions than any other country, along with substantial populations of elephant, cheetah, African wild dog, buffalo, and many other animals, Tanzania is one of Africa's most wildlife-rich countries. Tanzania also has more land dedicated to wildlife than any other African country.

Like its neighbor Kenya, Tanzania also has an incredible diversity of landscapes; including sandy beaches on the coast, flat savannas, dense forests, large mountains, numerous lakes (both fresh water and alkaline), and the Great Rift Valley.

This habitat diversity leads to an incredible diversity of animals and plants. The country has the third-highest number of bird species in Africa after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya. It also has a high level of endemism with numerous mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other biodiversity found only in Tanzania.

These factors along with the country's incredible cultural diversity combine to make Tanzania one of the world's most amazing safari destinations.

Here we have provided an overview of Tanzania as a safari destination in order to give you some insights that will help you plan your trip.

If you'd like to request a free Tanzania safari recommendation that fits your specific needs, click here.

Major Attractions In Tanzania

Some of the biggest attractions for safari-goers in Tanzania include:

  • The Big 5 - Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino (black rhino only). Highest number of lions in the world.
  • The Great Migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest, zebra, and various antelopes between the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania. The majority of the cyclical annual movement of the migration happens in the Serengeti, including the dramatic calving season in the southern short-grass plains.
  • Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro - Africa's highest mountain and the world's highest free-standing mountain.
  • Hot air balloon safaris - Most popular in the Serengeti but also available in a few other areas including Tarangire, Nyerere, and Ruaha National Parks.
  • The Great Rift Valley - Including the several alkaline and freshwater Rift Valley lakes. Lake Tanganyika is the largest of all Rift Valley lakes and is Africa's deepest lake.
  • Rich birdlife - Tanzania has the third-highest number of bird species in Africa after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya. It also has a high degree of endemism, most notably in the Eastern Arc Mountains. This makes Tanzania an attractive destination for birding safaris.
  • Chimpanzee trekking - In Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains National Parks.
  • Cultural safaris to experience the traditional way of life of local ethnic groups. The two most popular cultural tours in Tanzania are:
    • Visiting traditional Maasai villages - the Maasai people of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania are one of Africa's most famous ethnic groups, renowned for their pastoralist lifestyle and brave lion-hunting tradition (which is not practiced in most areas anymore for conservation reasons, as lions are now a threatened species).
    • Visiting the Hadza tribe - Also known as the Hadzabe, this ethnic group is one of the world's last hunter-gatherer communities. Inhabiting the semi-arid savanna and woodlands in the Lake Eyasi basin, they continue to live the same lifestyle they were living over 10,000 years ago.
  • Cradle of Man - Numerous fossil discoveries of prehistoric humans have been made in Eastern Africa (most notably in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia), contributing greatly to our understanding of our distant past. In Tanzania, significant discoveries have come from the Olduvai Gorge, Laetoli, Lake Natron, and neighboring areas of the Ngorongoro Highlands.
  • World's only natrocarbonatite volcano - Ol Doinyo Lengai is an active volcano in northern Tanzania that is known as the only volcano on earth to erupt natrocarbonatite - an unusually low temperature and highly fluid type of magma. Its eruptions, along with those of other neighboring volcanoes, are believed to be a major contributing factor to the great fertility of the Serengeti Plains.
  • Combining a wildlife safari with a beach holiday - Apart from abundant wildlife, Tanzania has a beautiful coastline, especially in the Zanzibar Archipelago, offering visitors a great chance to relax on the beach and experience the coastal cultures and cuisine before flying back home after their safari. There are also opportunities for snorkeling, scuba diving, boat tours, and other activities that allow you to see the country's marine wildlife.

Top Safari Destinations In Tanzania

Serengeti National Park

The word "Serengeti" comes from the Maa language (of the Maasai people) and means "endless plains". This vast area of savanna is the scene of the Great Migration and is home to the world's largest lion population.

The abundance of wildlife in the Serengeti is truly mindboggling and will leave any first-time visitor with their jaw dropped. Make sure to do a hot air balloon safari to appreciate the vastness of the plains and enjoy viewing the animals from an elevated vantage point.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area - includes Ndutu, the Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, and Ol Doinyo Lengai

This area is part of the Serengeti Ecosystem but is managed separately (although there are no fences between this and Serengeti NP, so the animals move freely). Ndutu hosts the annual calving season of the Serengeti wildebeest, with over half a million calves born in just a few weeks and about 8,000 born daily during the peak.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest volcanic caldera, formed from the collapse of an extinct volcano, and is one of the best places to see black rhino in Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area has also produced numerous important discoveries of prehistoric human life, including the world's oldest human footprints, which are dated at about 3.6 million years old and are preserved in prehistoric volcanic ash at Laetoli.

Tarangire National Park

Land of large elephant herds and enormous ancient baobab trees. There are also large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra here along with all the major large African predators - lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena, and African wild dog. Walking safaris are available in Tarangire.

Lake Manyara National Park

Abundant birdlife, tree-climbing lions, large tusker elephants, and a beautiful landscape for photography are some of the attractions of this national park.

Lake Natron

The most important flamingo breeding site in East Africa. Also known as the lake that turns animals into stone, as the caustic alkaline content of its water is able to calcify small animals that fall into it.

Lake Eyasi

This area is home to the Hadzabe tribe, which is one of the world's last hunter-gathered communities. Their way of life has not changed much over the last 10,000 years. A visit to a Hadzabe group can be arranged, where you would spend half a day with them and get to experience the way they live, including joining them on a hunt.

Ruaha National Park

A large, remote park in south-central Tanzania with plenty of wildlife. It offers a remote wilderness experience very different from the busier parks of the north. This park is rich in wildlife and, along with Nyerere National Park, is one of the best places in Africa to see the African wild dog.

Apart from regular game drives, other activities on offer here include walking safaris, night game drives, bush lunches and sundowners, boat safaris on the Great Ruaha River, and cultural visits to the local Barabaig and Gogo tribes.

Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve)

One of Africa's largest national parks. This southern park is dominated by a mosaic of vast Miombo woodlands, large swamps, the mighty Rufiji River, and open savannas, making it very different from most of Tanzania's other parks. It is also in a much more remote area that receives fewer visitors.

Nyerere offers varied experiences such as boat safaris, walking safaris, fishing, sundowners, hot air balloon rides, and cultural tours. This area hosts the largest population of African wild dog in East Africa and the wildlife here in general is abundant.

Mahale Mountains National Park and Gombe Stream National Park

Located on the forested shores of Lake Tanganyika, these two parks are the only place in Tanzania where you can go chimpanzee trekking. This is a surreal activity that is vastly different from game drives and other safari activities.

Katavi National Park

This is another of Tanzania's more remote parks, located in the southwest between lakes Rukwa and Tanganyika. This area has a great diversity of wildlife including elephant, buffalo, hippo, lion, leopard, African wild dog, cheetah, giraffe, and a lot more. Its remoteness means it is best accessed by air transport. It is best suited for private, small-group safaris.

Mikumi National Park

Mikumi is a fairly large park that lies just north of Nyerere National Park. It is also flanked on either side by the Uluguru and Udzungwa Mountains, both of which are rich in biodiversity and make especially good additional excursions for birders. Mikumi has several of the typical African savanna species, including 4 of the Big 5 (rhino are absent).

Zanzibar

The Zanzibar Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of Tanzania, with its main island containing a historical stone town and trade center. Zanzibar has a rich history, with both Swahili and Arab influence, that stretches back to the 11th century. It is also famous for its exotic spices.

Visitors to Zanzibar can relax on the white sandy beaches, enjoy the exotic cuisine, go on a tour of the historic stone town and Prison Island, see one of the world's largest tortoises (the Aldabra giant tortoise), and do a range of outdoor activities including snorkeling, horse riding, swimming with dolphins and turtles, skydiving, and a sunset dhow cruise.

    Things To Do On Safari In Tanzania

    The following are just some of the activities available to safari-goers in Tanzania. The list is not exhaustive. Availability of specific activities depends on the destination you visit and/or the tour operator you travel with.

    • Standard game drives - includes morning game drives, afternoon game drives, and full day game drives
    • Night game drives
    • Walking safaris
    • Horseback safaris
    • Remote camping safaris - including mobile camping and fly camping
    • Birding safaris
    • Chimpanzee trekking
    • Hot air balloon safaris
    • Cultural tours
    • Boat rides
    • Mountain climbing
    • Bush breakfasts, bush lunches, bush dinners
    • Sundowners
    • Hide photography
    • Marine wildlife tour
    • Beach holiday - including activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving

    Best Times Of Year To Visit Tanzania

    The cool dry season from June to October offers the most comfortable safari experience for most people as the weather is not too hot and it's not raining either. This is also the time when the dramatic Mara River crossings of the Great Migration in the Serengeti are happening on the Kenya-Tanzania border.

    The wildebeest calving season in the southern Serengeti/Ndutu area occurs in late January-early March and is also a spectacle worth seeing. This period is also generally dry, with occasional brief showers, but it is warmer than June-October.

    The remote parks of the south and southwest, such as Ruaha, Nyerere, and Katavi, are best visited in the dry season months. They tend to be difficult to access and navigate in the wet months. The northern parks are more accessible and navigable year-round.

    Dry months are also best for game viewing in most places since animals congregate near water sources and are easier to see. They tend to be more dispersed during the wet season. The dry months are, however, also the high season months, so keep that in mind if you are keen on a quieter safari with few vehicles.

    For the birders, the wet season offers the best chance to see the resident birds in their full brilliant breeding plumage. Palearctic migrants from Eurasia are present from November to early May, so this is the best time to visit if you're keen on getting the longest bird list possible.

    What To Carry On Your Tanzania Safari

    Here are some of the key things to pack for your Tanzania safari.

    • Tanzania is a very sunny country. Sun screen is often useful to carry.
    • A hat and sunglasses also come in handy.
    • Wear comfortable clothing and anticipate mostly warm weather, but it can get cold in the evenings and early mornings so don't forget to pack some warm clothing.
    • Comfortable walking shoes and open shoes. Carry hiking boots if you plan to do a walking safari or a challenging hike.
    • Insect repellent can also come in handy (although lodges, hotels, and tented camps have mosquito nets in the rooms)
    • Some people also like to take anti-malaria drugs (please consult your doctor)
    • Any other medication you may need depending on your specific medical situation (please consult your doctor)
    • You'll have plenty of great photographic opportunities so a camera is always great to have.
    • Binoculars can help spot distant wildlife, and if you're a birder you already know these are a must-have for you.

    Other Basic Facts About Tanzania

    • Size - 947,403 sq. km (365,794 sq. mi)
    • National/Official Languages - English and Swahili
    • Official Currency - Tanzanian Shilling (TSh/TZS)
    • Capital City - Dodoma
    • No. of Ethnic Groups - 125-130
    • Rainy Seasons - March-May (long rains) and November-December (short rains)

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