10Best Places to Visit in Tanzania
From witnessing millions of wildebeest, zebra and other antelope traverse the plains of the Serengeti to ascending to the snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro or sipping chilled drink on the white-sand beaches of Zanzibar, Tanzania offers travellers some of the most diverse safari experiences in Africa.
A vibrant and beautiful country with exceptional parks and reserves, Tanzania is blessed with the winning combination of unparalleled game viewing and dazzling tropical beaches. Because Tanzania is so vast (almost 1.5 times the size of Texas), it helps to divide the country’s major holiday destinations into four areas:
- Northern Safari Circuit – the most popular Tanzania safari route comprising the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Kilimanjaro.
- Tanzania Coast and Islands – the country’s beaches, especially those on islands like Zanzibar, are breath-taking and very accessible.
- Southern Tanzania – includes the wonderfully wild and underrated Nyerere (previously Selous) and Ruaha, some of the best-kept Tanzania safari secrets.
- Western Tanzania – head to the far-flung corners of Katavi and Mahale for the ultimate off-the-beaten-path Tanzania safaris.
Where you go will depend on what you want to see and experience while on safari in Tanzania and the best time to visit Tanzania. While the Northern Safari Circuit is a favorite among first-time and experienced safari-goers, Southern and Western Tanzania are hidden gems of this multifaceted destination. Read our Tanzania safari guide to learn everything you need to know about planning your ideal Tanzania safari.
1. Serengeti National Park: A Safari Remember
Getting what you want to see and do on safari in Tanzania mainly depends on where you choose to go and the best time to visit Tanzania. No North circuit safari is the best place for first and even experienced safari goers, while the Southern and Western parts of Tanzania are hidden treasures for this multifaceted destination. Read our Tanzania safari guide to find all that you need to know to plan your very own ideal Tanzania safari.
2. Ngorongoro Crater: Haven for the Big 5
Place approximately 30,000 animals inside the crater of an extinct volcano, provide wetlands, forests, grasslands, and some mind-blowing cliff-top accommodations, and you get the Ngorongoro crater. This is a superb Tanzania safari destination where safari-goers enjoy some of the best game viewing in an unbelievably unique venue. It is well known for being the easiest and most reliable place in East Africa for viewing the Big 5, and it arguably provides the best safari in all of Tanzania.
3. Tarangire National Park: Discover a land of giants.
Tarangire is very close to Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, and certainly deserves much more than the regular day visit. This is also an area where one of the greatest concentrations of animals -particularly elephants- is along the Tarangire River from June to October, during the dry season. With over 500 bird species recorded for the park, a visit here is among the most rewarding of Tanzania safaris for twitchers, while the full range of large predators adds to the charm. The area is a wonderfully diverse wilderness, featuring riverine forest huge swamps, and open woodlands with Africa’s iconic baobab trees.
Discover a land of giants.
4. Lake Manyara National Park: Home to Tree-climbing Lions
It is part of Tanzania’s well-known Northern Safari Circuit and offers easy game viewing in a beautiful setting. The park prides itself with a good number of heavyweight species like buffalo, hippo, giraffe, elephant, leopard, and the famous tree-climbing lions. Lake Manyara is a particularly excellent birding locality. In the middle of the lake, you will mostly find flocks of pelicans and flamingos, while floodplains, woodlands, and evergreen forests luxuriate in profusion.
5. Zanzibar and Islands of Tanzania: Sweetness in Indian Ocean
Days far away from the hustle of city life would spend extraordinary in Zanzibar, the Spice Island of Tanzania. It caters to families and newlyweds alike and is the place to go to in Tanzania for beautiful beaches and coral reefs, sunset dhow boat rides, and wandering through fragrant back-street markets. Tanzania’s other islands in the Indian Ocean certainly won’t leave you disappointed either. Pemba, Mafia and Chole offer all that can be asked for in beach holidaying: outstanding diving, exclusive boutique accommodation, and pampering rival to the very best.
6. Ruaha National Park: A Hidden Gem
Ruaha’s wild and unbridled character is what sets it apart from other safari destinations. This hidden gem is Tanzania’s biggest national park and there are only a handful of safari camps despite its size. You won’t see other tourists around – only a plethora of animals like buffalo, giraffe, kudu, sable, roan, lion, cheetah and leopard. Its home to Tanzania’s biggest elephant population and a stronghold for rare African wild dogs.
7. Nyerere National Park: A Wild Dog Sanctuary
Nyerere National Park (previously Selous) is Africa’s largest game reserve – bigger than Switzerland. Its lifeblood, the colossal Rufiji River, forms an intricate network of channels, swamps, and lakes from which one of East Africa’s most magnificent ecosystems is born. Buffalo, hippo, crocodile, and lion thrive here, while the reserve is also one of Africa’s most important sanctuaries for endangered wild dogs. Don’t miss a boat safari, guided walk, or fly-camping excursions in this breathtaking wilderness.
8. Lake Tanganyika: Rainforests and Chimpanzees
The world’s longest freshwater lake is hemmed in by the mountainous walls of the Great Rift Valley. It’s one of our planet’s most biologically rich habitats, not least due to the lakeside presence of the Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream National Parks. These two far-flung destinations are worth the effort it takes to get to them, as both deliver some of Tanzania’s most unique safari experiences: tropical rainforest wildlife viewing and remarkable chimpanzee trekking
9. Mount Kilimanjaro: Africa's Tallest Peak
Whether you’re content with standing in its mighty shadow or yearning to climb to its icy summit, the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro won’t fail to stir your soul. At 5 895 meters (19 340 feet), it’s Africa’s highest mountain and the tallest free-standing mountain on Earth. But its snow-capped peaks are far more accessible than you may think. If you climb Kili in the dry season between July and October or January and March, no technical climbing is required. However, organizing and executing a hike to the summit does call for a fair amount of logistical planning.
10. Arusha: A Gateway to Safari
The undisputed safari capital of Tanzania, the city of Arusha is on the itinerary of virtually anyone visiting the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara, as logistics often dictate an overnight layover in or around the city. Set in the shadow of Mount Meru, Arusha has its international airport (Kilimanjaro International Airport) as well as the smaller Arusha Airport for charter flights to final destinations. If you spend some time in Arusha, you’ll have many opportunities to buy souvenirs, take in cultural activities, and visit local places of interest.
