Explore
The National Parks
Tanzania is a feast for the senses. The country’s natural beauty, unique wildlife sightings and rich culture are unparalleled. The landscape is shaped by extremes. Mountains, lakes, grasslands and rainforests are often found in the same area. Safaris in Tanzania are also among the very best in the world. Therefore, it is not surprising that tourism is increasing in this beautiful East African country, and a visit to one of Tanzania’s breathtaking national parks is not to be missed. Each of them offers unique natural spectacles, adventurous activities and cultural experiences that will amaze even the most experienced traveler.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Serengeti National Park
Arusha National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Tarangire National Park
Lake Victoria
Nyerere National Park
Ruaha National Park
Kilimanjaro National Park
Maswa Game Reserve
Lake Natron
Mkomazi National Park
1. Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the world famous Ngorongoro crater, the largest inactive, intactvolcanic caldera. At the top of the crater, a unique and majestic view awaits all travelers. The area is home to a unique wildlife with approximately 25,000 large animals. Amongst them is the black rhinoceros, the African or Cape buffalo as well as one of the densest lion populations on earth.
2. Serengeti National Park
As Tanzanians oldest national park, Serengeti is the heart of the Northern Safari Circuit and has mesmerized visitors with its unique biodiversity and wildlife for numerous decades. The parks area is covered by seemingly endless grassland plains, aweing savannah, as well as riverine forest and beautiful woodlands. The different areas are home to an incredibly rich wildlife and passed through by the great migration of wildebeests and countless other animals.
3. Arusha National Park
Arusha’s very own national park lies just 25 kilometers outside of northern Tanzania’s safari capital. Its rather small area is filled with a diverse wildlife, whilst covering an impressive and beautiful landscape divided into three distinct areas. The Arusha National Park is home to Mount Meru, the highest mountain in Tanzania, aside from Kilimanjaro. Furthermore, the park is inhabited by some of the most unique creatures one can find.
4. Lake Manyara National Park
In the region of Tanzanian Arusha and Manyara, this beautiful national park ranges from the stunning Lake Manyara to the breath-taking Great Rift Valley. The extreme fluctuation in the lake‘s size, results in vastly different visiting experiences and changes in scenery. The area around the lake is covered by extensive marshlands, along flats and grassy floodplains. Near the parks entrace, a beautiful mahogany and evergreen fig forest awaits. In the west, the astounding riff valley wall rises high.
5. Tarangire National Park
The Tarangire National Park is considered one of the most underappreciated national parks on the continent, as it is largely overshadowed by the more famous parks in the area, such as Ngorongoro and Serengeti. Nevertheless, this wildlife reserve has some of the most beautiful scenery. Tarangire’s breath taking beauty is strongly defined by its dominant population of elephants and the majestic baobab trees, which is the reason the park is also called «Land of the Giants».
6. Lake Victoria
- Safari Tour on Request
Lake Victoria is located in East Africa and is part of the states of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. It is the second largest lake in the world and the largest in Africa. The lake and the surrounding area offers several tourist activities such as fishing trips, bird watching, hiking and boat rides.
7. Nyerere National Park
- Safari Tour on Request
The Nyerere National Park, which is a part of the Selous Game Reserve, is for sure a unique, picturesque, and pristine safari destination. It is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, as it’s considered the largest and the oldest protected nature reserve in Tanzania. With an increasing number of animals, it is the ideal place for an adventurous safari.
8. Ruaha National Park
- Safari Tour on Request
Being one of the largest national parks in Tanzania, Ruaha National Park offers exceptional wildlife viewing. It is in fact considered to be one of the best places to spot predation in action. Given that the park is generally less busy than other parks, you will enjoy the feeling of remoteness and exclusiveness.
9. Kilimanjaro National Park
- Safari Tour on Request
In the northeast of Tanzania, near the city of Moshi, lies the 755 km² Kilimanjaro National Park. The park offers a wide range of landscapes and is home to numerous animals, including elephants, leopards, buffaloes, primates, and antelopes. The Mount Kilimanjaro is unquestionably the highlight of the park. It is the highest free-standing mountain on earth and also the epitome of beauty in East Africa.
10. Maswa Game Reserve
- Safari Tour on Request
Maswa is an important buffer zone separating the villages in the west from the Serengeti National Park. Originally these were hunting concessions, but the area is now used more and more for photographic safaris and some exceptional camps have sprung up. Maswa offers beautiful open plains along the southern edge of the Serengeti. It has a rich and diverse wildlife, including a high concentration of lions and leopards.
11. Lake Natron
- Safari Tour on Request
In the far north of Tanzania, on the border with Kenya, lies a unique natural region – Lake Natron. If you look at it from above, Lake Natron reveals all its beauty: its red coloration, which is partly visible even from space. It is caused by special algae that live only in highly alkaline water. The area around the lake is a habitat for many species and an important migration corridor. More than two million flamingos fly here every year.
12. Mkomazi National Park
- Safari Tour on Request
The Mkomazi National Park is located in northeastern Tanzania on the border with Kenya. As the southernmost tip of the Sahel, the park is considered a typical East African dry savanna. Giraffes, eland, wildebeest, zebra, oryx antelope, impala, Thomson’s, and Grant’s gazelles live here, sharing the land with buffalo and numerous predators such as lion, leopard, hyena and cheetah.
The Safari Tours
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Safari
Tour Name |
Serengeti National Park
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Ngorongoro Conserv. Area
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Tarangire National Park
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Lake Manyara National Park
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Arusha National Park
|
Hazabe
Tribe |
Kilimanjaro Day Hike
|
Lake Duluti Canoeing
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Kikuletwa Hot Springs
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The Big Five
The term «Big Five» comes from the time of the «big game hunters» and refers to the five animals that were the most challenging to hunt and kill. The term has nothing to do with the animal’s size, per se. With a little luck you may spot the Big Five on your safari.
#1 Lion
Males lions tend to leave their pride after 2 years and usually live between 8-12 years. Female lions live between 10-15 years and tend to never leave their pride.
#2 Leopard
Leopards are loners and come together only for mating. Usually they are discovered on a tree branch where they retreat with their prey.
#3 Elephant
Male elephants can weigh up to seven tons. They drink around 150 liters of water a day and eat about 250 kilos of grasses, roots and fruits.
#4 Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros have no real predators in the wild, other than humans as they are hunted for their horns. For this reason, rhinos are an endangered species.
#5 Buffalo
The buffalo is common throughout Africa and impresses with its powerful horn, which is fused in the middle of the forehead. A male can weigh up to 990 kilos.
The Mountains
Tanzania is home to some of the most biodiverse mountain landscapes on earth, from towering volcanoes to lush forests, alpine rocky desert, and endless ice. The journey doesn’t end with the summit of Kilimanjaro – there is so much more to see!
Kilimanjaro, Kibo, Uhuru Peak
Kilimanjaro, Mawenzi Peak
Mount Meru, Socialist Peak
1. Kilimanjaro, Kibo, Uhuru Peak
- 5,895 m | 19,341 ft
2. Kilimanjaro, Mawenzi Peak
- 5,148 m | 16,890 ft
Mawenzi, known as «the Dark» is the second highest peak in the Kilimanjaro massif and the third highest mountain in Africa after Kibo and Mount Kenya. Although separated by a saddle for only less than 6 km, the two mountains, Kibo and Mawenzi, could not be more different: Mawenzi is steep, rugged, and rises to a series of peaks and pinnacles on a narrow north-south ridge. Kibo on the other hand, presents itself with gentle slopes as a massive, truncated cup with a circular crater. The Mawenzi Peak is very challenging to climb. A lot of experience and expertise and very special equipment is needed to conquer the peak.
3. Mount Meru, Socialist Peak
- 4,566 m | 14,980 ft
Mount Meru rises from the wildlife-rich Arusha National Park. It is Tanzania’s second highest mountain and one of the most beautiful volcanoes in all of Africa. The summit offers magnificent views of the vast Tanzanian steppe, with the incredible Momela Lakes and the world famous Kilimanjaro Massiv. It offers ideal trekking conditions with up-close animal encounters and is preferably suitable as a preparation and acclimatization mountain for a subsequent Kilimanjaro climb.
The Routes
Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro isn’t a walk in the park, but with a bit of preparation it’s an achievable goal for most people – and a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Besides the preparation and the travel time, the choice of route is one of the most important factors for success at Africa’s highest mountain. The way to the summit is possible through six well-secured hiking routes ranging in length from seven to ten days. Every Route has their own beauty and goes through a variety of microclimates including rainforests, alpine meadows and glaciers.
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro
Mount Meru
|
ID
|
Route
|
Mount
|
Overnight
|
Trekking
|
Distance
|
Elevation ↑
|
Elevation ↓
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1.
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Kilimanjaro
|
Camp
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7 days
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68 km
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4510 m
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5140 m
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2.
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Kilimanjaro
|
Camp
|
8 days
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65 km
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4480 m
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5230 m
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3.
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Kilimanjaro
|
Camp
|
9 days
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77 km
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4500 m
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5290 m
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4.
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Kilimanjaro
|
Camp
|
7 days
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58 km
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4990 m
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5170 m
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5.
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Kilimanjaro
|
Camp
|
6 days
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47 km
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4500 m
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4550 m
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6.
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Kilimanjaro
|
Hut
|
6 days
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68 km
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3980 m
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3990 m
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7.
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Kilimanjaro
|
Camp
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7 days
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70 km
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3970 m
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4150 m
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8.
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Meru
|
Hut
|
4 days
|
39 km
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3060 m
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3050 m
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1. Shira
Shira is a varied and beautiful route with panoramic scenery. However, it is one of the hardest routes as acclimatization can be tougher due to the high starting point.
2. Lemosho
The Lemosho route is often considered the most beautiful and original of all Kilimanjaro routes. You will walk through beautiful rainforests and pass the unique Lava Tower.
3. Northern Circuit
The Northern Circuit is the youngest, longest, and also one of the most ideal routes on Kilimanjaro. It is highly praised by organizers, mountain guides and hikers for its ideal conditions and high success rate.
4. Machame
Machame is one of the most
beautiful and most popular
routes to the top of Kilimanjaro. The days are longer, and the climbs are tough, but you can look forward to the varied nature and the beautiful landscape.
5. Umbwe
Umbwe is a more difficult, yet
incredibly spectacular route to
the top of Kilimanjaro. Even though it is the shortest and most direct path to the summit, it is challenging and requires good preparation and stamina.
6. Marangu
Marangu is the most popular
route on Kilimanjaro, as it has well-maintained paths and only few steep sections. Furthermore, this is the only route where you can stay in huts, which makes it the best option during rain season.
7. Rongai
Rongai is one of the easier routes, as it has a rather gradual and steady climb. It traverses several climate zones with distinct views, whilst offering a remote and unspoilt wilderness experience.
8. Momella
There is only one route to Mount Meru. Due to the danger of free-ranging wildlife, hikers must always be accompanied by a ranger. The trail leads in steep terrain close to the crater rim. A head for heights and surefootedness are a prerequisite.
5. Umbwe
- Trekking Tour on Request
Machame is one of the most beautiful and most popular routes to the top of Kilimanjaro. The days are longer, and the climbs are tough, but you can look forward to the varied nature and the beautiful landscape.
6. Marangu
Umbwe is a more difficult, yet incredibly spectacular route to the top of Kilimanjaro. Even though it is the shortestand most direct path to the summit, it is challenging and requires good preparation and stamina.
7. Rongai
- Trekking Tour on Request
Marangu is the most popular route on Kilimanjaro, as it has well-maintained paths and only few steep sections. Furthermore, this is the only route where you can stay in huts, which makes it the best option during rain season.
8. Mt. Meru
- Trekking Tour on Request
_
The Islands
Apart from its mighty mountains and indescribably beautiful national parks, Tanzania has even more to offer. Imagine yourself relaxing on white-sand beaches, alongside the crystal clear water of the Indian ocean. Beach holidays on Tanzania’s dreamy Islands should definitely be on everyone’s bucket list. Each island offers something a little different – be it world-class diving, spectacular snorkeling, excellent seafood, or a historic town worth exploring.
Unguja Island, Zanzibar
Mafia Island
Pemba Island
1. Unguja Island, Zanzibar
Zanzibar is called a mystical island, where anything is possible. It is considered by many visitors as the most beautiful tropical island in the world, with some of the best activities available. Whatever you wish to experience on your trip, here you can do it. Whether you want to party until the sun comes up, explore an astounding underwater world with offshore coral reefs or just to relax at the most beautiful beaches, it has it all.
2. Mafia Island
Mafia Island is one of Tanzania’s best kept secrets. A real insider tip for your Tanzania vacation! The island and the surrounding waters belong to a protected park, the Mafia Marine National Park. This means that only a limited number of visitors are allowed on the island. This way they try to preserve the beauty of Mafia Island. Since it is quieter here than Zanzibar, the island is also very popular as a honeymoon destination. The pearly white and sandy beaches are covered with palm trees and the water is crystal clear, perfect for an unforgettable experience
3. Pemba Island
- Offer on Request
Pemba Island is known as the «green island» because of the dense tropical vegetation and rainforest in the interior of the island. This explains the name «Jazirath-Al-Khuthera» (the green), which dates back to the time of the Arab sailors. Pemba is much hillier than Zanzibar. The island is about 68 km long and 23 km wide on average. Pemba’s charm lies in the unspoiled nature of the island, its hilly, green interior and the countless bays, beaches and beautiful diving and snorkeling areas.
