Tanzania travel guide
Tanzania has some of Africa's greatest wildlife areas, including the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, as well as Mount Kilimanjaro and the spice islands of the Zanzibar archipelago. It suits safari-goers, climbers and beach lovers, and many trips combine all three: a week on safari in the north followed by a few days on the Indian Ocean coast.
Places worth the trip
Serengeti National Park
Vast plains crossed each year by the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra, followed by lions, cheetahs and hyenas. River crossings in the north usually happen from around July to October, and calving in the south from about January to March.
Ngorongoro Crater
A huge volcanic caldera with steep walls and a floor of grassland, swamp and a soda lake, home to dense populations of animals, including black rhino. Game drives descend into the crater for the day.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Africa's highest mountain can be climbed without technical skills on routes such as Machame, Lemosho and Marangu, usually over six to eight days with a licensed guide and porters. Acclimatisation is the main challenge.
Stone Town, Zanzibar
A UNESCO-listed old town of narrow alleys, carved wooden doors, Omani-era houses and markets. Visit the former slave market site and the Anglican cathedral built over it, and the Forodhani Gardens food market at dusk.
Zanzibar's beaches and Pemba
White-sand beaches line the east and north coasts of Unguja, the main island, with tides that retreat far out on the east coast. Pemba, to the north, is quieter, with clove plantations and deep-water diving.
Tarangire National Park
Known for large herds of elephants, especially in the dry season, and landscapes dotted with ancient baobab trees, a short drive from Arusha.
Nyerere National Park and Ruaha
Large, less-visited parks in the south. Nyerere, formerly part of the Selous Game Reserve, offers boat safaris on the Rufiji River, and Ruaha is known for big lion prides and rugged scenery.
Gombe and Mahale
Remote forested parks on the shores of Lake Tanganyika where you can trek to see wild chimpanzees. Gombe is where Jane Goodall began her long-term chimpanzee research in 1960.
Interesting facts about Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world, rising to about 5,895 metres from the plains around it.
- Tanzania was formed in 1964 by the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, and its name combines the two.
- Tanzanite, a blue-violet gemstone, has been found commercially only in a small area near Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Freddie Mercury, the singer of Queen, was born in Stone Town, Zanzibar, in 1946.
- Olduvai Gorge, near Ngorongoro, has produced some of the most important early human fossils and stone tools ever found.
Best time to visit Tanzania
The long dry season, from roughly June to October, is the best time for safaris: animals gather near water and vegetation is thinner. It also coincides with the Serengeti river crossings. January and February are another good period, drier and hot, with calving season in the southern Serengeti. The long rains fall from about March to May, when some lodges close and roads in the south become difficult, and short rains come around November. Zanzibar is pleasant from June to October and December to February. Kilimanjaro is best climbed in the dry seasons.
Getting around
Most safaris are run by tour operators from Arusha, using 4x4 vehicles with pop-up roofs. Distances between the northern parks are manageable by road, but light aircraft link the parks, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam and save long, bumpy drives. Fast ferries connect Dar es Salaam with Zanzibar. Long-distance buses link major towns, and a modern standard-gauge railway has opened between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. In cities, ride-hailing apps and bajaj (tuk-tuks) are common. Self-driving is possible but challenging.
Practical details
- Capital
- Dodoma (Dar es Salaam is the largest city)
- Currency
- Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
- Languages
- Swahili, English
- Plug types
- D, G
- Voltage
- 230 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency
- 112
- Driving side
- left
- Tipping
- Expected for safari guides, Kilimanjaro guides and porters, and appreciated in restaurants and hotels.
Staying online in Tanzania
Mobile coverage is good in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Moshi, Stone Town and other towns, with 4G widely available. In national parks it varies: some lodges and areas of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro have signal, but large areas have none, and coverage on Kilimanjaro is intermittent, mainly near some camps. Many safari lodges offer Wi-Fi, but it is often slow. Download offline maps and expect to be offline at times. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
Tanzania eSIM plans
1 GB
1GB eSIM Data for 3 Days for Tanzania, V2
Ilimitados
Unlimited eSIM Data for 1 Day for Tanzania, V2
Ilimitados
Unlimited Plus eSIM Data for 1 Day for Tanzania, V2
3 GB
3GB eSIM Data for 3 Days for Tanzania, V2
Useful apps
- Uber and Bolt: Ride-hailing in Dar es Salaam and some other cities, including for bajaj and motorbikes.
- Google Maps: Navigating cities and Zanzibar; download regions offline for the parks.
- Google Translate: Swahili translation, though English is widely spoken in tourism.
- WhatsApp: Commonly used to contact safari operators, drivers and lodges.
Tanzania travel FAQs
The herds move in a roughly annual circuit. River crossings in the northern Serengeti usually happen between July and October, and calving on the southern plains around January to March. Exact timing depends on the rains.
Sometimes. Towns have good coverage, but signal in the parks is patchy and absent in many places. A travel eSIM gives you data in towns, lodges and on Zanzibar, but expect gaps while on game drives.
No climbing skills are needed, but it is physically demanding and the main risk is altitude. Choosing a longer route of seven or eight days improves acclimatisation and your chances of reaching the summit.
Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim. In Stone Town and villages, cover shoulders and knees; swimwear is fine on resort beaches.