What makes Tanzania special as a destination?
Tanzania is a dual state made up of mainland Tanganyika and the semi-autonomous island region of Zanzibar, united since 1964. On the mainland lie the great safari parks Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire as well as Kilimanjaro; Zanzibar, with Stone Town and its beaches, forms its own destination with its own dedicated page.
The starting point for the north is usually Arusha, at roughly 1,387 m elevation and gateway to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park. From there, Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is also within reach.
This page summarizes the northern national parks, the timing of the Great Migration compared with the Masai Mara, best time to visit, entry, health, and the current safety advisories from Switzerland's FDFA, Germany's Federal Foreign Office and Austria's BMEIA (as of September 2026); Zanzibar is deliberately only briefly mentioned here since the island has its own page.
What kind of destination is Tanzania?
Tanzania counts over 120 ethnic groups but is considered one of the more politically stable countries in East Africa, partly because Swahili as a common language bridges ethnic divides. Geographically, the country ranges from the coastal plain over the highlands around Arusha to the glaciated summit of Kilimanjaro.
At 5,895 m, Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain and the world's tallest free-standing mountain; it can be climbed without technical mountaineering equipment, but its altitude demands serious preparation.
Swahili, as the trading language of the east coast, has deep roots here: over centuries, Bantu languages mixed with Arabic, Persian and Indian influences along the spice and slave trade routes, which also shapes the architecture of Stone Town on Zanzibar.
The north around Arusha is also home to the Maasai, who traditionally move with their cattle between grazing lands; some of these lands overlap with the protected areas of Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.
Which regions of Tanzania are worthwhile?
The "Northern Circuit" around Arusha links the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park into a classic safari route. Those with more time add a Kilimanjaro climb or a short extension to Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam.
Serengeti
The Serengeti covers roughly 14,763 km² and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Together with the Masai Mara in Kenya, it forms a continuous ecosystem through which around 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebras migrate annually in search of fresh grass.
Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater, with roughly 8,292 km² of protected area and a 610 m deep, largely intact volcanic caldera, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, and since 2010 a mixed cultural and natural heritage site. On the crater floor, at around 1,800 m, an estimated 25,000 larger animals live, including one of Africa's densest lion populations; the drive from Arusha takes around three to four hours.
Tarangire
Tarangire, reachable in a good two hours from Arusha, is known for its high density of elephants and its characteristic baobab trees; during the dry season from June to November, thousands of zebras, wildebeest and buffalo gather at the Tarangire River, the last reliable water source in the area.
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park, around 90 minutes southwest of Arusha, is known for its bird diversity — more than 350 species and, in the rainy season, large flocks of flamingos on the lakeshore — and is regarded as a compact entry point into the Northern Circuit.
Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro can be climbed on seven official routes, from the popular Marangu route (around six days) to the more demanding Umbwe route; the average success rate for reaching the summit is around 70 to 80 percent, depending on the route and pace of ascent.
Dar es Salaam
With over 7 million residents, Dar es Salaam is East Africa's largest city and Tanzania's economic and financial center; its port handles around 90 percent of the country's freight volume, including for landlocked countries such as Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia. Most travelers use the city as a stopover en route to Zanzibar.
Zanzibar (brief overview)
Off the coast lies the semi-autonomous island region of Zanzibar with the UNESCO World Heritage city of Stone Town and extensive beaches; as a destination in its own right with its own detail page, it is not covered further here.
Travelers venturing further south into Tanzania will find in the Ruaha and Nyerere National Parks (the former Selous) considerably less-visited alternatives to the Northern Circuit; they fall outside the scope of this page.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia
Destinations
Regions with their own page
Islands and regions
- IslandMafia IslandMafia Island lies off the Tanzanian coast in the Pwani region, separated from the mainland by the roughly 20 km wide Mafia Channel, and therefore…
- IslandPemba IslandAt 988 km², Pemba is the second-largest island of the Zanzibar Archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, around 50 km north of the main island of…
- Island Group / RegionZanzibarZanzibar is the main island of the archipelago of the same name off the coast of Tanzania, and with its historic core Stone Town has been a UNESCO…
When is the best time to visit Tanzania?
In the north around Arusha, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, the dry season from June to October is best for safaris, with clear visibility and animal herds concentrated around the remaining water sources. On the coast near Dar es Salaam it is warm year-round; the "long rains" fall from March to May, the "short rains" from November to December.
Like neighboring Kenya, Tanzania has two rainy seasons: a pronounced long rainy season in spring and a shorter one toward the end of the year, with two dry spells in between. In the higher-lying Arusha, nights in the dry season are noticeably cooler than on the tropical coast.
Dar es Salaam and Arusha
| Dar es Salaam | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 33 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 |
| Low °C | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 25 |
| Rainfall mm | 90 | 80 | 155 | 258 | 151 | 24 | 12 | 14 | 24 | 68 | 128 | 127 |
| Arusha | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| Low °C | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
| Rainfall mm | 88 | 73 | 105 | 147 | 90 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 66 | 133 | 110 |
Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rainfall. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station MWALIMU JULIUS K NYERERE INTL (10 km, 56 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020. Temperaturen: Mittel der täglichen Höchst- und Tiefstwerte 2010–2024 der Station ARUSHA (6 km, 1387 m). Niederschlag: NASA POWER, Monatsmittel 2001–2020.
For Kilimanjaro, the months of January/February and June to October are considered the most stable windows with lower chances of precipitation on the upper stretches of the route; the heavy rain months of April and November are usually avoided for climbs.
Those wanting to see the river crossings of the Great Migration near the Masai Mara border are best off planning their stay in the northern Serengeti between July and October (see the Experiences section).
Sources: NASA Langley Research Center · Wikipedia
What do you need to enter Tanzania?
Swiss, German and Austrian nationals need a visa: either as an e-visa applied for in advance online through the official immigration portal, or as a visa on arrival at the Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro airports, for a fee of USD 50 for single entry. The passport must still be valid for at least six months on entry and have several blank pages (as of September 2026).
- Switzerland: apply for the e-visa at least ten working days before departure, or get a visa on arrival by paying in USD or EUR.
- Germany: same options; according to Germany's Federal Foreign Office, the visa on arrival can also be issued at official land border crossings.
- Austria: according to Austria's BMEIA, a visa is required with the same options; carry a travel document with sufficient blank pages.
- Other nationalities: separate rules apply; information is available from Tanzanian embassies or the official immigration portal.
The e-visa is applied for via eservices.immigration.go.tz or visa.immigration.go.tz; single entry (90 days) costs USD 50, multiple entry (1 year) USD 100.
When entering from a yellow fever area, proof of vaccination must be presented; this does not apply when entering directly from Switzerland, Germany or Austria.
The current information from Switzerland's FDFA, Germany's Federal Foreign Office, Austria's BMEIA and the Tanzanian immigration authority is what applies.
Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, Switzerland · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria · Immigration Services Department, Tanzania
What vaccinations and health precautions do you need for Tanzania?
No vaccination is mandatory for direct entry from Europe; the CDC classifies yellow fever as generally not necessary for travelers from the US, but requires it when entering from a yellow fever transit country. Malaria is common below roughly 1,800 m — that covers Dar es Salaam, large parts of the Northern Circuit and Zanzibar.
The CDC additionally recommends hepatitis A for practically all travelers, typhoid for most, and notes active cholera transmission in the country along with a recent polio detection in wastewater, underlining the importance of a complete polio primary immunization.
For active travelers, for example with contact with bats in caves or with dogs and monkeys, the CDC recommends a preventive rabies vaccination.
Medical care is best in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, and often limited outside the larger cities; clinics frequently require a credit card or advance payment.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
How safe is Tanzania for travelers?
Austria's BMEIA classifies the border region with Mozambique (Ruvuma and Mtwara, roughly 20 km on either side of the border) as a higher-risk area because of the conflict in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, and the rest of the country as carrying the usual security risk of international travel. Following the presidential and parliamentary elections of October 2025, the domestic political situation remains tense; for the anniversary on 29 October 2026, Germany's Federal Foreign Office warns of possible renewed protests.
Germany's Federal Foreign Office advises against non-essential travel to the southern part of the Mtwara region and expects government-critical protests, heightened controls and possible movement restrictions around 29 October 2026, especially in Dar es Salaam and other larger cities.
Switzerland's FDFA lists as recurring risks urban crime, occasional maritime piracy in coastal waters, and poorly lit, unguarded beaches away from hotel grounds; it advises against walking there after dark.
The classic safari areas of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and around Arusha are not singled out for warnings by any of the three bodies; demonstrations should nonetheless generally be avoided, and photographing security forces or protest situations is not advisable.
Sources: Federal Foreign Office, Germany · Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, Switzerland · Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria
How do you travel to Tanzania and get around the country?
Intercontinental flights land mainly at Dar es Salaam (Julius Nyerere, DAR) and at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) between Arusha and Moshi, the direct gateway to the Northern Circuit. Small propeller planes connect Arusha to airstrips in the Serengeti and Tarangire between the safari parks, while the Ngorongoro Crater is usually reached by four-wheel-drive vehicle.
| From | Examples |
|---|---|
| JRO (Arusha/Moshi) | Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Entebbe |
| DAR (Dar es Salaam) | Amsterdam, Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Johannesburg |
Via Kilimanjaro International Airport, the Northern Circuit can be reached without a detour via the coast; in 2024, Dar es Salaam Airport handled around 2.9 million passengers, and Terminal III for international flights has been in operation since August 2019.
For domestic flights to the safari camps, a passport is usually sufficient; most lodges organize the transfer from the nearest airstrip. The road between Arusha and the central Serengeti runs over long stretches of gravel and takes considerably longer than flying.
What money do you need in Tanzania and how do you pay?
The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS); national park entry fees, mountain permits and many lodges are billed in US dollars, while cash TZS is used outside tourist areas. Credit cards are accepted mainly by larger hotels in Arusha and Dar es Salaam; cash dominates in the countryside.
ATMs are found in Arusha, Dar es Salaam and other larger cities; they are usually absent inside the national parks themselves, so it makes sense to carry enough cash and US dollars for tips and smaller expenses.
For the visa on arrival and many park fees, clean, newer US dollar bills are required; older or damaged bills are sometimes not accepted.
Tipping drivers, guides, mountain guides and porters is customary on safari and during Kilimanjaro trekking, though not legally fixed; tour operators usually provide a guideline amount per day and person.
Sources: Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), Austria · Immigration Services Department, Tanzania
Where is the best place to stay in Tanzania?
Arusha serves as a starting point with hotels of all categories; within the national parks themselves, you stay in lodges or tented camps inside or at the edge of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire. For the Kilimanjaro climb, you usually stay in Moshi or Arusha before and after the tour, and in simple huts or tents along the route during the ascent.
Along the Ngorongoro crater rim lie several lodges with views into the caldera itself; the drive down to the crater floor is reserved for day trips, with lodging above.
In the Serengeti, fixed lodges differ from mobile tented camps, which follow the migration of the herds and change location depending on the season.
Arusha itself ranges from international hotel chains on the outskirts to smaller guesthouses in the center; many travelers spend just one night there before and after the safari or Kilimanjaro tour.
What do you eat in Tanzania?
On the Tanzanian mainland too, ugali, a firm maize porridge, is a daily staple, usually served with beans, vegetables or nyama choma, grilled meat. On the coast and on Zanzibar, spices such as cloves and coconut milk shape Swahili cuisine, with dishes such as pilau or grilled fish.
Around Arusha and Kilimanjaro, high-quality arabica coffee is grown; many lodges and farms offer tours of the plantations.
On safari, full board with fixed meal times is standard; tap water should be avoided, and bottled water is available everywhere in lodges and cities.
What culture shapes Tanzania?
Tanzania counts over 120 ethnic groups, from the Sukuma in the northwest to the Maasai in the north, with no group forming a majority; Swahili as a common language has served as a unifying element since independence. The 1964 union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar remains to this day a dual state with a semi-autonomous island government.
Music, from traditional taarab to modern bongo flava, connects mainland and island culture; Arusha and Dar es Salaam have lively music and art scenes.
Many safaris offer visits to Maasai villages around Ngorongoro and Arusha; those who take part should pay attention to fair payment and the hosts' willingness to participate.
In Arusha and Dar es Salaam, craft markets display tingatinga painting, colorful everyday scenes on canvas, as well as Makonde wood carvings from the south of the country.
What experiences are worthwhile — and when does the Great Migration reach the northern Serengeti?
The migration cycle of the Great Migration begins with calving in the southern Serengeti from January to March, moves through the Grumeti river crossings in the center and west from April onward, and usually reaches the northern Serengeti at the Masai Mara border between July and October. Those who prefer to see the big herds on the Tanzanian side plan their stay in the northern Serengeti during this window rather than in the Mara itself.
Serengeti or Masai Mara: a question of timing
| Period | Focus area | Event |
|---|---|---|
| January–March | Southern Serengeti, around Ngorongoro | Calving, around 500,000 young animals in a short period |
| April–June | Central and western Serengeti | Migration northward, Grumeti river crossings |
| July–October | Northern Serengeti / Masai Mara border | Mara river crossings, alternating on both sides of the border |
| November–December | Return journey south | Herds follow the "short rains" back into the Serengeti |
At around 14,763 km², the Serengeti is nearly ten times the size of the Masai Mara's roughly 1,510 km²; the calving season in the southern Serengeti can only be observed there, while the densest river crossings occur more often in the narrower border area with the Mara.
Further highlights
- Ngorongoro Crater: one of Africa's densest lion populations in a confined space, easily experienced on a day trip.
- Tarangire: large elephant herds among centuries-old baobabs, especially in the dry season.
- Kilimanjaro trekking: a multi-day climb on one of seven routes, without technical mountaineering equipment but with real altitude risk.
- Balloon flights over the Serengeti: views of migrating herds in the morning light, usually with a champagne breakfast on the plain.
- Stone Town on Zanzibar: UNESCO World Heritage city with carved doors — as a short extension, covered in detail on its own Zanzibar page.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Wikipedia
How do you travel responsibly in Tanzania?
The Ngorongoro Crater is deliberately managed as a "Multiple Land Use Area" so that conservation and the Maasai's traditional grazing economy can coexist; anyone who pays park fees and follows the trail rules supports this balance. Vehicles stay on designated tracks, and minimum distances to wildlife must be kept.
- Stay on designated tracks; driving off-road damages vegetation and additionally stresses wildlife.
- During village visits, pay attention to fair payment and consent for photos.
- Do not buy products made from ivory, tortoiseshell or other protected species.
- During Kilimanjaro trekking, consistently carry trash back down and pay mountain guides and porters fairly.
Sources: Wikipedia
Which countries can be combined with Tanzania?
The most obvious choice is Kenya, since the Serengeti flows directly into the Masai Mara and many safaris combine both countries in a single trip. For gorilla trekking, Rwanda and Uganda are good options, and for a quieter extension, Tanzania's own island of Zanzibar or a side trip to Malawi in the south.
Between Arusha and Nairobi there are both small aircraft connecting the safari camps and overland connections crossing the border at Namanga.
Those wanting to combine the north with southern Tanzania will find quieter, less-visited alternatives in parks such as Ruaha or Selous; they are not covered in detail on this page.
Who is Tanzania a good fit for, and who is it less suited to?
Tanzania suits travelers who want to combine large, pristine-feeling safari landscapes with the option of a demanding mountain climb or a beach extension. It is less suited to very short trips, to anyone without tolerance for long drives on dirt roads, and to those who expect a guaranteed sighting of the river crossing at any time of year.
Tanzania suits photographers well, experienced hikers eyeing Kilimanjaro, and couples or families who want to round off a safari with a few days on Zanzibar.
Anyone planning to travel to the border region with Mozambique, or who will be in Dar es Salaam around 29 October 2026, should follow the current advisories from Germany's Federal Foreign Office, Switzerland's FDFA and Austria's BMEIA especially closely.