NORTHERN TANZANIA CIRCUIT
Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park (542 sq km) located in north eastern Tanzania has spectacular landscapes in three distinct areas.
Game drives, nature walks and boat rides are offered in and around the shallow alkaline Momella Lakes in the north-east; the lakes have varying algal colours and are known for their wading birds.
In the west, the Meru Crater funnels the Jekukumia River; the peak of Mount Meru (4,566 m) lies on its rim. Ngurdoto Crater in the south-east is grassland.
For all-year round game drives, Arusha National Park has a rich variety of wildlife including giraffe, Cape buffalo, zebra, warthog, the black-and-white colobus monkey, the blue monkey, elephant and bushbuck. Birdlife in the forest is prolific, with many forest species more easily seen; flamingoes, Narina trogon and bar-tailed trogon are possible highlights.
Arusha National Park is a perfect trip for day safaris, as it is close to both Arusha and Moshi. The park's highlights can easily be seen in a single day, with a morning or afternoon game drive accompanied by either a walking safari or canoeing in Small Momella Lake where the hippos are at play. With terrain that ranges from open savannah to tropical rainforest, the park is dominated by the shadow of Mt. Meru – whose summit offers an unparalleled view of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
For climbing Mount Meru, the best time is June-February. For views of Kilimanjaro, the best time is December-February.
Kilimanjaro National Park
Size: Over 1500 square kilometres.
Location: Northern Tanzania near Moshi.
Best Time: December to February or July to September.
To Do: Six trekking routes to the summit, nature trails, and cultural experiences.
Known For: Home to the highest mountain in Africa.
Home to Africa's highest mountain and the tallest free standing mountain in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro is dominated by the stunning vista that 'Kili' provides.
Standing at 5,985 metres tall, Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most accessible summits. That isn't to say that reaching Uhuru Point isn't a massive achievement, but its lower reaches can be explored without any formal climbing training or professional equipment.
Beyond the climbing experience, Kilimanjaro offers the opportunity to explore a number of distinct climate zones as it ascends from the tropical savannah all the way up to the icy Arctic of its peak.
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park offers a fantastic game driving experience all year round.
In the wet season the parks swamps and waterholes are home to cape buffalo and elephants, but really comes into its own when the dry season forces its animal population to move closer and closer to the Tarangire River.
Home to Tanzania's largest population of elephants, Tarangire is the best place to see these gentle giants in their natural habitat – from the adorable calves all the way up to the intimidating bulls. It is also an ideal place to snap photos of the boabab tree (the Tree of Life), as it grows in great numbers throughout the park. Tarangire is also the best place to see the fringed-eared oryx, greater kudu, and ashy starling in the wild.
Tarangire is a particularly enchanting prospect for bird-watchers, with a massive 550 species of bird calling the park home. These range from the sizable ostrich and Kori bustard all the way down to tiny weavers and warblers.
Predators such as the lion and leopard also call the park home, and lucky visitors might get to see these ferocious hunters in action as the dry season forces herbivores to move closer and closer to the Tarangire River.
Like nearby Lake Manyara, Tarangire is a perfect starting or finishing point for a trip through the Northern Circuit.
Short Overview
A short drive from Arusha, the Tarangire National Park offers a fantastic game driving experience all year round. Home to Tanzania's largest population of elephants, Tarangire is the best place to see these gentle giants in their natural habitat – from the adorable calves all the way up to the intimidating bulls. It is also an ideal place to snap photos of the boabab tree (the Tree of Life), as it grows in great numbers throughout the park.
Info
Size: 2,850 square kilometres.
Location: 118km southwest of Arusha.
Best Time: Year round, but dry season (June to September) is the best.
To Do: Guided walking safaris, game drives, and cultural visits to nearby villages.
Known For: Elephants.
Lake Manyara National Park
With a variety of landscapes, Lake Manyara National Park offers a compact safari experience that gives visitors the chance to see everything from the vibrant flamingoes to the fearsome lion.
Named for the seasonal alkaline lake at its heart, Lake Manyara National Park is a great place for canoeing in the wet season and traditional game drives year round. Described by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I have seen in Africa”, Lake Manyara is an ideal starting or finishing point for the northern circuit.
In addition to its flamingo population, Lake Manyara is perhaps most famous for the tree climbing lions who call it home. Found nowhere else in Tanzania, these agile predators cut a striking figure as they lounge lazily in acacia trees.
Also calling the park home are Africa's most iconic animals such as elephants, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, and cape buffalo, as well as less well known but no less intriguing Kirk's dik-dik and klipspringer.
Short Overview
With a variety of landscapes, Lake Manyara National Park offers a compact safari experience that gives visitors the chance to see everything from the vibrant flamingoes to the fearsome lion.
Info
Size: 330 square kilometres.
Location: Northern Tanzania. Roughly ninety minutes drive from Arusha.
Best Time: July to October for game or November to June for bird-watching.
To Do: Game drives, canoeing, cultural tours, mountain biking, abseiling, and forest walks.
Known For: Elephants and flamingoes.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Size: 8,300 square kilometres.
Location: Between Lake Manyara National Park and Serengeti National Park.
Best Time: Year round.
To Do: Game drives, Olduvai Gorge, visits to nearby Empakaai Crater or Olmoti Crater, and cultural visits.
Known For: Rhinoceros, the starting point of the Great Migration, and stunning views.
Your first glimpse of stunning Ngorongoro will likely come from the heavily forested viewpoint that looks down upon its sun-drenched, cloud dappled magnificence. Ringed on all sides by the tropical forest draped walls of the caldera, Ngorongoro looks like something out of myth. One of the best places in the country to see the endangered black rhinoceros, the park is home to the entirety of the big five and is a particularly good place to see lions and cape buffalo year round.
The verdancy of the park means that animals can be seen here year round, although a large number of them participate in the Great Wildebeest Migration as it emigrates north to the distant Masai Mara in Kenya. As you wind your way down into the vast bowl of the collapsed caldera, you're immediately able to see vast herds of buffalo, wildebeest, gazelles, and zebra moving about apparently unphased by the stalking hyenas, the prowling lions, and the opportunistic jackals.
In the great alkaline Makat Lake, a vast flock of colourful flamingo can be seen, while the Ngorongonro Picnic Area is highlighted by a hippo pool where you can observe these deceptively peaceful looking creatures while eating your lunch. On the fringes of the crater, where the forest hugs the steep walls, leopards and the black rhino can occasionally be seen moving through the undergrowth. Playful baboons can also be seen going about their foraging all day long.
Another fascinating aspect of the Crater is that it is also home to the Maasai people, and they live in harmony with the wildlife as they raise their cattle and go about their daily lives. Nearby landmarks such as Olmoti Crater, Empakaai Crater, Lake Ndutu, and the Ol Doinyo Lengai Volcano also offer exciting day trips for those who wish to remain in the area for more than a single day.
Short Overview
Your first glimpse of stunning Ngorongoro will likely come from the heavily forested viewpoint that looks down upon its sun-drenched, cloud dappled magnificence. Ringed on all sides by the tropical forest draped walls of the caldera, Ngorongoro looks like something out of myth. One of the best places in the country to see the endangered black rhinoceros, the park is home to the entirety of the big five and is a particularly good place to see lions and cape buffalo year round
Info
Size: 8,300 square kilometres.
Location: Between Lake Manyara National Park and Serengeti National Park.
Best Time: Year round.
To Do: Game drives, Olduvai Gorge, visits to nearby Empakaai Crater or Olmoti Crater, and cultural visits.
Known For: Rhinoceros, the starting point of the Great Migration, and stunning views.
Serengeti National Park
The home of the legendary Great Wildebeest Migration, the name Serengeti has become synonymous with the African safari experience. The seemingly unending savannah plains of the park are home to Africa's most famous animals as well as a cast of lesser known but no less interesting animals.
Most famous for the Great Migration that sees more than 2 million animals migrating north into the Masai Mara before returning to the Ngorongoro region, the park is no less fascinating at any other time of the year. It is the best place in East Africa to spot lions and leopards in the wild, and is home to the entirety of the 'Big Five'.
Home to more than 9000 hyena, almost 3000 lions, and more than a thousand leopards, the park is a great place to see predators going about their grisly but essential business.
Perhaps most startling about the park is just how ever present the animals are. Your entire drive will be accompanied by game-viewing, meaning there's never a dull moment.
It is important to appreciate the sheer size of the Serengeti when planning to visit the park, as it is often divided into North, South, East, West, and Central. Each region offers a different game drive experience as well as different accommodation options, and the Great Migration passes through some regions more than others.
Serviced by everything from humble camp sites to the luxurious Four Seasons Serengeti, the sheer scope of the park means it can be explored in a single day or over the course of weeks.
Short Overview
The home of the legendary Great Wildebeest Migration, the name Serengeti has become synonymous with the African safari experience. The seemingly unending savannah plains of the park are home to Africa's most famous animals as well as a cast of lesser known but no less interesting animals.
Info
Size: 14,763 square kilometres kl.
Location: 335 north-west of Arusha.
Best Time: December to July for the Great Wildebeest Migration. June to October for predators.
To Do: Great Migration, hot air balloon safaris, game drives, Olduvai Gorge, Lake Natron, Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano, and flying safaris.
Known For: The Great Wildebeest Migration. The world's most famous game viewing park.
WESTERN TANZANIA CIRCUIT
Mahale Mountains National Park
Size: 1613 square kilometres.
Location: Western Tanzania near Lake Tanganyika.
Best Time: May to November.
To Do: Chimpanzee trekking, hiking, camping, and fishing.
Known For: Chimpanzees.
Like its northern neighbour Gombe, Mahale National Park is best known for having a wild chimpanzee population of around 800 individuals.
Only accessible by boat or plane, Mahale National Park is a wild frontier that offers brilliant hiking and the opportunity to climb the imposing Mount Nkungwe. The park's dense undergrowth and mountainous setting make it a park for the physically fit, but it rewards intrepid explorers with a wealth of animal and bird life.
Nearby Lake Tanganyika is a great place for snorkelling, swimming, and fishing as well.
Short Overview
This remote park offers some of the greatest visitor attractions, from walking safaris, chimpanzee viewing in their natural habitat, a climb to Mount Nkungwe and snorkeling in Lake Tanganyika. Accessible is only by boat or by air, so it makes it the least accessible and least visited.
Gombe Stream National Park
The smallest of Tanzania's national parks is one of its most unique, offering the opportunity to see the chimpanzees that Dr. Jane Goodall observed as part of her landmark study into primate behaviour.
Gombe is a park without roads, making it a perfect place to get out and stretch your legs as you seek to spot some of the park's native inhabitants in their natural habitats. In addition to chimpanzees, the park is also home to a number of other primate species including the beachcomber olive baboons, bush babies, and the red colobus monkeys that the chimpanzees hunt. The park is also home to hippos, crocodiles, and leopards
Birdwatchers will be particularly fascinated by the park, whose forest offers a cross-section of East African grassland birds and West African forest species. Over 200 species of bird call the park home.
Short Overview
It's a great place to see chimps up close and personal as many of the family groups are habituated to humans. With the possible exception of Mahale Mountains National Park , no other park in Africa can offer such a magnificent experience with chimpanzees.
It is a park without roads, where you can walk and experience nature with all your senses. Although the chimpanzees are the park's star attraction there are many other primates, and mammals. The birdlife is extraordinary, as there is a great crossover of East African grassland birds and West African forest species.
Info
Size: 52 square kilometres.
Location: 16km north of Kigoma on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Best Time: July-October or December.
To Do: Chimpanzee trekking, hiking, swimming, Dr. Livingstone's camp site, and dhow building.
Known For: Chimpanzees!
Rubondo Island National Park
A series of eleven islands at the heart of Lake Victoria, the world's second largest lake, Rubondo National Park is a picturesque paradise populated with a mix of native animals and introduced species such as the chimpanzee, elephant, and giraffe.
The park's beaches and virgin forest are a sight to behold, and in the wooded interior can be found a dizzying array of bird life as well as the semi aquatic sitatunga antelope that is hard to spot elsewhere in the country.
More a place for relaxation and fishing than game viewing, Rubondo makes for a great add on to a longer safari along the Northern Circuit or between Tanzania and Kenya.
Short Overview
Officially Tanzania's smallest national park, tiny Rubondo Island on the heart of Africa's largest lake packs a lot into its 240 square kilometres. Known as the Jewel of Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park bvoasts a unique diversity of flora and fauna including the endemic Sitatunga.
Other animals you're likely to spot in the park include hippos, otters, bushbucks, mongoose, elephants, suni antelope, and a variety of primates that has even been known to include the park's resident chimpanzee population.
In addition to all of this animal life, the park is also a recognised destination for bird lovers, with a huge variety of bird-life calling the forested island home.
Info
Size: 258 square kilometres.
Location: Northwestern Tanzania.
Best Time: June to August.
To Do: Walking safaris, boating, fishing, and chimpanzee trekking.
Known For: Birding.
SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL TANZANIA CIRCUIT
Mikumi National Park
Frequently compared to the Serengeti in the north, Mikumi is a sprawling national park that borders the massive Selous Game Reserve.
The broad Mkata floodplain is an ideal place to spot lions as they lazily survey the vast herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and impala that roam the grasslands. Elephants seek the shade of acacia stands while hippopotamus wallow in pools close to the entrance gate.
Perhaps most unique to Mikumi are its African Wild Dog population and its large eland population. The largest member of the antelope family cuts a striking figure as it grazes on the open fields, and the park's huge array of bird life (over 400 species) make it a birder's paradise as well.
Short Overview
Info
Size: 3,230 square kilometres.
Location: 283 km west of Dar Es Salaam.
Best Time: Year round.
To Do: Game drives and guided walks.
Known For: Hippopotamus and eland.
Selous Game Reserve
Weighing in at over four times the size of the Serengeti, the wild frontiers of the Selous Game Reserve are home to a dizzying number of animals including over 200,000 cape buffalo, 80,000 wildebeest, 30,000 elephants, and the country's most stable African wild dog population. The park is also home to Tanzania's largest hippopotamus and crocodile populations.
Selous is a difficult park to get to, but it rewards its visitors with its sheer size and the opportunity to explore its varied landscapes without ever having to bump into another human being. It is a wild and isolated place, and Tanzania's largest river (the Rufiji) flows through it accompanied by a network of channels, lagoons, and swamps that are home to a huge variety of birds.
Short Overview
Weighing in at over four times the size of the Serengeti, the wild frontiers of the Selous Game Reserve are home to a dizzying number of animals including over 200,000 cape buffalo, 80,000 wildebeest, 30,000 elephants, and the country's most stable African wild dog population. The park is also home to Tanzania's largest hippopotamus and crocodile populations.
Info
Size: 55,000 square kilometres.
Location: A day's drive from Dar Es Salaam.
Best Time: June to October or December to March.
To Do: Game drives, boat safaris, walking safaris, fishing, and hunting.
Known For: Tanzania's largest reserve.
Ruaha National Park
As wild as Katavi but considerably more accessible, the Ruaha National Park is a fantastic place for those with a thirst for for blood to see predators and prey interacting as they have for millennia.
When the Great Ruaha River dwindles during the dry season, the park's herds of impala and waterbuck must risk life and limb to get a sip of life-giving water. There to take advantage of this are large prides of lions as well as the solitary but no less lethal cheetah and leopards who call the park home.
The park is also a great place to see the diversity of Tanzania's antelope population, with the Africa's largest population of greater kudu calling the park home alongside other antelope of all shapes and sizes.
Over 10,000 elephants call the park home, and the park's trees and skies are also home to more than 430 species of birds as well.
Short Overview
The Ruaha National Park is a fantastic place for those with a thirst for for blood to see predators and prey interacting as they have for millennia.
Info
Size: 10,300 square kilometres.
Location: Central Tanzania.
Best Time: Mid May to December.
To Do: Game drives, stone age ruins, and hiking.
Known For: Predator-prey viewing, elephants, and kudu.
Kitulo National Park
The first national park in tropical Africa to be set aside specifically for its floral signifiance, Kitulo National Park comes alive with colour between December and April each year as its fertile volcanic soils foster the growth of a vibrant rainbow of stunning flowers.
Sometimes called the Garden of God, Kitulo is only sparsely populated with big game such as the mountain reedbuck.
Where Kitulo excels is as a hiking and bird watching destination, making it a rare treat for those who are interested in flora or ornithology.
Short Overview
One of the most important watersheds for the Great Ruaha River, Kitulo is well known for its floral significance – not only a multitude of orchids, but also the stunning yellow-orange red-hot poker and a variety of aloes, proteas, geraniums, giant lobelias, lilies and aster daisies, of which more than 30 species are endemic to southern Tanzania.
Info
Size: 412.9 square kilometres.
Location: Southern Tanzania.
Best Time: December to April.
To Do: Hiking, bird-watching, wild flowers, and swimming.
Known For: Stunning wild flowers.
EASTERN TANZANIA CIRCUIT
Mkomazi National Park
On the shores of the Umba River, Mkomazi translates into 'The source of water' in the Pare language.
Offering spectacular views of Kilimanjaro as well as a game viewing experience that includes the rare black rhinoceros and African wild dogs. Other rare inhabitants include the endangered gerenuk (which can be found nowhere else in Tanzania) and the African elephant.
The park is also home to crocodiles, leopards, lions, cheetahs, buffaloes, elephants, and zebra to name a few. Its semi-arid conditions make it a great place to spot the regal oryx, and the park is also home to a large variety of bird life and exotic plants.
Short Overview
Offering fantastic views of Kilimanjaro and a large population of African game, Mkomazi is an often overlooked Tanzanian gem with a number of species easier to see here than anywhere else in Tanzania.
Animals large and small call the park home, including big cats, silver-backed jackals, kudu, giraffes, Grant's gazelle, hyenas, hartebeest, warthogs, buffaloes, elephants, and zebras.
Info
Size: 3,245 square kilometres.
Location: Northern Tanzania between Kilimanjaro and Tanga.
Best Time: Late June to early September.
To Do: Game viewing, bird watching, camping, hiking, and walking safaris.
Known For: Black rhinoceros and African wild dogs.
Saadani National Park
One of the only places on earth where you can watch elephants and lions during the day and then relax on the beach in the evening, Saadani National Park offers a unique opportunity to observe both Africa's land-dwelling animals and its diverse marine life.
If the idea of seeing herds of elephants playing on the beach doesn't enchant you enough, the park also offers the chance to explore the ruins of Saadani, a former European port settlement that has since reverted to a much humbler settlement.
Short Overview
One of Tanzania's newest parks and its best kept secrets, Saadani National Park is where the Indian Ocean meats the East African bushlands.
East Africa's only beachfront national park, a visit to Saadani is something truly unique.
Info
Size: 1,062 square kilometres.
Location: North coast of Tanzania. Roughly 100km north of Dar Es Salaam.
Best Time: Year round, although may be impassable during the April-May wet season.
To Do: Game drives, guided walks, boat trips, swimming, and the Saadani fishing village.
Known For: The only wildlife sanctuary in East Africa to border the Indian ocean.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Not your conventional game viewing destination, mountainous Udzungwa is best known for its network of hiking trails through its tropical rainforest. Hikers may wish to pay a visit to the startling 170m high Sanje Waterfall or brave the more challenging two day trek to the top of the Mwanihana Peak for its spectacular views of the park.
Along the way, hikers can expect to see some of the park's endemic flora and fauna, the most famous of which is the beautiful African violet.
Large game cannot be found in the park, but birds exist in plenty – with more than 400 species calling the park home. Six species of primate can also be spotted cavorting in the trees as well.
Short Overview
A paradise for bird watchers, flower lovers and the primate seeking visitors.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is perhaps Tanzania's most important sanctuary of terrestrial biodiversity. Udzungwe has many other mammals and maybe safari is not typical safari game you'd expect of Tanzanian National Parks. Is an esoteric safari destination for true nature lovers.
Its mountains are fascinating to bird watchers, with at least 400 recorded species, 25 endemic.
Info
Size: 1,990 square kilometres.
Location: Five hours from Dar es Salaam.
Best Time: June to October.
To Do: Game drives and waterfall hikes.
Known For: Hiking.
Katavi National Park
Less well travelled than Tanzania's more iconic parks, Katavi National Park is a truly wild experience for those wanting to get off the beaten track.
Katavi is home to the Katuma River and the floodplains that it spawns each wet season, but it is in the dry season that the best game viewing experiences can be had as thousands of elephants, buffalo, zebras, and giraffe gather around the rapidly drying streams in search of water.
The predators – from the park's huge number of crocodiles to leopards & lions – have a field day during the dry season, and it's a fantastic opportunity to see the predator prey dynamic in action.
The park's huge numbers of hippopotamus are also a spectacle to behold in the dry season, as territorial males engage in bloody fights to decide who dominates the rapidly dwindling pools.
Short Overview
The Katavi National Park offers the few visitors who make it there a taste of true wilderness with large wildlife herds such as buffaloes, elephants and hippos. Some of the attractions of Katavi National Park are Lake Katavi, the Katuma River and the Lake Chada floodplains.
Info
Size: 4,471 km²
Location: Southwestern Tanzania
Best Time: The dry season. May to October
To Do: Walking, driving, and camping safaris
Known For: Tanzania's densest hippopotamus and crocodile population
