A river pool full of hippos below green acacia woodland

Plan with confidence

Tanzania safari travel guide

Straight answers to the questions travellers ask us most, checked and dated.

guides: 4
questions answered: 16

Planning

How to shape a Tanzania safari: comfort levels, trip length, travelling with children, and adding Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar.

A canvas safari tent standing in grassland in evening light

4 questions answered

Mid-range, luxury or ultra: what changes on a Tanzania safari?

On a Tanzania safari, the comfort level changes where you sleep and how the days are arranged, not where you go. Mid-range trips use comfortable lodges and tented camps, often just outside the parks. Luxury trips use premium camps, more often inside the parks or on the crater rim. Ultra trips use the smallest, most exclusive camps, often reached by light aircraft. The parks, the park rules and the wildlife are the same at every level.

How do you combine a Kilimanjaro climb with a safari?

Kilimanjaro and the northern safari parks share the same gateway, Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), so a climb and a safari fit well into one trip. Most climbs take about six to nine days on the mountain, depending on the route. Many travellers climb first and then rest on a three- to five-day safari in Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater or the Serengeti. The drier months, roughly January to early March and June to October, suit both.
How do you add Zanzibar to the end of a safari?

Zanzibar is a short domestic flight from Arusha or Kilimanjaro, which makes it the easiest beach to add after a northern Tanzania safari. Three to five nights suits most travellers. The north coast, around Nungwi and Kendwa, has smaller tides for swimming, while the east coast has long beaches and wide tidal flats. Stone Town is worth a night or two. The driest months are usually June to October and December to February.
How do you plan a family safari in Tanzania?

A family safari in Tanzania works best with a private vehicle, fewer parks and at least two nights in each place, so children are not in the car all day. Many camps set minimum ages, especially for walking activities, so check them when choosing where to stay. Lodges with family rooms and a pool help in the hot middle of the day. Speak to a travel health clinic well before you travel about malaria prevention for each child.