Why Visit Tanzania

You might have never heard of it. Well, that is a mistake

“Wildlife, beaches, friendly people, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Mt Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar Archipelago – Tanzania has all these and more wrapped up in one adventurous, welcoming package.”

Why Travellers Love Tanzania

It’s easy to fall in love with Tanzania for its big game attractions and natural beauty. The authentic safari style and the luxury you’ll experience here are just amazing.

Tanzania holds everything to suit every kind of travellers. From full of amazing wildlife, glorious beaches, and adventurous hiking to incredible culture and food, below are the reasons why you should visit Tanzania.

The Serengeti Great Wildebeest Migration- one of the most spectacular live wildlife shows on Earth

Mount Kilimanjaro- The highest mountain in Africa, an awe-inspiring sight to behold. Zanzibar-Spend some relaxing time on the white sand beaches

Stunning National Parks- Treasure of unique safari and African wilderness experience

The Ngorongoro Crater- A jewel in Tanzania’s crown and home to a wondrous array of animals

The Maasai People- The most well-known local tribes recognized for their distinctive customs and dress

Tanzania Coast and Islands: Tanzania is renowned for its wildlife, but the coast and islands of Tanzania could well stand alone as an African travel destination.

The Archipelagoes of Tanzania: The islands of Tanzania consist mainly of the Zanzibar and Mafia Archipelagos. Zanzibar consists of the main island of Unguja, or Zanzibar Island, and Pemba Island to the north, with a few smaller islands in between

Tanzania’s Top Attractions

Serengeti National Park- sweeping savannah harboring a wide variety of animals
Lake Manyara National Park- Graceful pink flamingos and the unique tree-climbing lions
Ngorongoro Crater-Home to the Big Five
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak
Mahale and Gombe- Chimpanzee trekking in the rainforests
Katavi, Ruaha, and Selous- Remote wildernesses
Zanzibar, Mafia, and Pemba Islands – Aromatic islands in the Indian Ocean

The Best Time To Go To Tanzania For General Game Viewing

The dry season from late June to October offers the best wildlife viewing. If wildebeest migration is considered, then June and July are the best, and for calving, January to February is great.

High season

Best time to see wild animals
June – October

This is the time of year when the weather is cooler and dry, and most days are sunny. Animal spotting is easiest as the foliage is sparse, and the animals congregate around dwindling water sources. The wildebeest migration in the Serengeti usually takes place in June and July. Hotels in popular areas are often full during this time, with high season prices in place.

Shoulder season

Wildebeest calving
November – February

The weather is hot during these months, especially December through to February, and the short rains fall, and the seasonal trade wind blows from late October. Wildebeest calving takes place from late January in the southern Serengeti. High-season prices apply from mid-December to mid-March.

Discounted stays

April – May

Heavy rains make secondary roads muddy and some areas inaccessible during these months, but it seldom rains all day, every day, and landscapes are lush and green. As it’s low season, some hotels close while others offer discounts. So, travelers can take advantage of lower rates and less crowded parks in the north of the country. Bird-watching is at its best at this time of year.

Weather & Climate

In equatorial Tanzania, the humidity you experience is noticeably less as you move away from the coast. In the Dry season (June to October) the temperature varies between 20°C/68°F and 30°C/86°F. It’s useful to remember the higher the altitude, the cooler it will be. The Wet season comes from November to May. From the start, there is less rainfall, and from March, heavy rainfall makes the land muddy.

Pros:

Superb wildlife viewing, including the great wildebeest migration in the Serengeti National Park.
Heaven for adventurous trekkers.
Off-the-beaten-track safaris in Selous and Ruaha parks.
The best destination for chimp trekking in Africa is Gombe and Mahale Mountains.
Beach holiday extensions in Zanzibar Islands.

Cons:

The popular parks can be crowded, so sometimes hard to find accommodations.
Relatively expensive safari destination.

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Getting To Tanzania

Visitors arriving into Tanzania will need to have an understanding of the country’s main airport, airlines and land borders providing visitors access to this east Africa gem and how much guests should expect to budget for this.

How to get to Tanzania: Options available

Flights

Most visitors access Tanzania by plane. As Tanzania has a limited selection of international flights, visitors typically arrive via Dubai, Amsterdam or Johannesburg, South Africa and take a connecting flight.

From the U.K and U.S, there are no direct flights to Tanzania at present, with visitors likely to choose from the airports above or Nairobi, Doha and Istanbul.

Tanzania has two major airports

Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam
Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), halfway between Arusha and Moshi.

From Dar es Salaam, visitors can expect a flight time of 65 minutes to Kilimanjaro International Airport, the closest airport to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater.

On the Tanzania safari circuit, the northern circuit includes the world-renowned Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater, a significant 560 miles/15-hour drive from Ruaha National Park in the centre of the country, Tanzania’s second largest national park.

In the interest of time, visitors often prefer to take domestic flights via chartered aircraft between the various national parks and African safari sanctuaries, covering this vast country from the island of Zanzibar in the east to the stunning Lake Tanganyika on the west.

The choice of airport for arrival and departure should be selected according to the particular safari destination and route which visitors will embark on, to avoid excessively long transfers.

Crossing into Tanzania from Kenya

The main route for entering Tanzania from Kenya is the road connecting Nairobi to Arusha via the Namanga border post. The Tanzania eVisa is accepted at the Namanga border post. Travelers can apply for the visa online and save time on arrival at the border crossing or receive a tourist visa upon arrival.

When and where to book a flight to Tanzania

Options

International flights to Tanzania can be booked:

Online, either directly on an airline website or via a price comparison site
Travel agency booking

Flights

For Tanzania safaris and beach holidays, traveller can travel to Tanzania by flying into Dar es Salaam (JNIA), Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) airports. The main air connects countries include:

UAE: Dubai (DXB) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) with Emirates Airlines as well as Abhu Dhabi (AUH) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA) with Etihad Airways

Netherlands: Amsterdam (AMS) to Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ)

Qatar:Doha (DIA) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA), Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) airports, often used by passengers from the United States, flying from Los Angeles

Turkey:Istanbul (IST) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA) (JR0) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) airports with Turkish Airlines

South Africa: Johannesburg (JNB) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA)

Kenya: Nairobi (NBO) to Dar es Salaam (JNIA)
- Nairobi (NBO) to Zanzibar (ZNZ)
- Nairobi (NBO) to Kilimanjaro (JRO)
- Mombasa (MBA) to Zanzibar (ZNZ)

Cost of getting to Tanzania?

Understanding the best time to visit Tanzania is important as this will impact accommodation, flight prices, availability and the weather that visitors can expect on their safari vacation.

Costs vary depending on origin, time of year and the fact that a connecting flight for international visitors including those from the U.S. and Europe may be required.