Tanzania

Ask a guide who has worked across East and Southern Africa where they would take their own family, and Tanzania comes up more than anywhere else. Not because any single park is unbeatable, but because no other country puts so many different kinds of safari inside one border.

In the north, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro deliver the classic big-sky, big-cat safari most people picture. Two hours away, Tarangire is elephant and baobab country with a completely different feel. Fly south and Ruaha and Nyerere offer wilderness on a scale the north can no longer match, with a fraction of the visitors. Go west to Mahale and you are tracking chimpanzees on a forested lakeshore. Finish on Zanzibar or Mafia Island and the same trip ends in warm water.

Kenya has the Mara and Botswana has the Delta. Tanzania has all of the above, and the wildlife is exceptional in every month of the year.

Serengeti National Park. The heart of it all — 14,750 square kilometres of plains, kopjes and river forest, and home to the Great Migration. Predator density is among the highest in Africa, and resident game keeps the viewing exceptional whether or not the herds are nearby. Most first safaris anchor here for three to five nights, and the region you stay in should follow the season.

Ngorongoro Crater. A collapsed volcanic caldera 600 metres deep and 260 square kilometres across, holding one of the densest concentrations of large mammals on the continent, including some of Tanzania's last black rhino. A single full day on the crater floor is one of the great safari experiences; two is rarely necessary.

Tarangire National Park. Ancient baobabs, seasonal swamps and one of the largest elephant populations in East Africa. At its best from June to October, when the Tarangire River draws game from the surrounding ecosystem. Far quieter than the Serengeti, and an excellent first or last stop on a northern circuit.

Lake Manyara National Park. A compact park between the Rift Valley escarpment and a soda lake, known for tree-climbing lions, flamingos in season and groundwater forest. Usually a half-day en route to the crater or a night on the way north.

Ruaha National Park. Tanzania's largest national park and one of its wildest, with large lion prides, wild dog, sable and roan, and a fraction of the northern circuit's traffic. Reached by light aircraft from Arusha or Dar es Salaam.

Nyerere National Park. The former Selous Game Reserve, now Africa's largest national park, built around the Rufiji River. The only major Tanzanian park where boat safaris and walking are part of the standard experience.

Mahale Mountains and Katavi. The far west: chimpanzee trekking in forested mountains that fall straight into Lake Tanganyika, paired with Katavi's dry-season hippo spectacle. Remote, expensive to reach and unlike anything else in the country.

Zanzibar and Mafia Island. Where most Tanzania safaris end. Zanzibar for Stone Town, spice farms and a wide choice of beach hotels; Mafia for whale sharks, diving and almost no other tourists.

Tanzania is a year-round safari destination, and the honest answer to "when is best" is: it depends what you want to see. Below is how we think about it when we plan.

January – February. Calving season on the southern Serengeti and Ndutu plains. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest are born within a few weeks, and predator action is the best of the year. Warm, green, and one of our favourite times to travel. Zanzibar is hot and dry.

March. Herds still in the south, moving as the grass dries. Excellent viewing, fewer visitors, and the long rains begin late in the month.

April – May. The long rains. Some camps close, roads can be difficult, and the Serengeti is dramatically green and empty. Prices are at their lowest, and for photographers the light and skies are exceptional. Not ideal for a first safari with children.

June. The rains end and the dry season begins. The Migration is moving north through the Western Corridor and Grumeti; Tarangire starts to fill with elephants. An underrated month with lower prices than July.

July – August. Peak season. The herds reach the northern Serengeti and Mara River crossings begin. Weather is dry and cool in the mornings. Camps book out a year ahead, and prices are at their highest.

September – October. Still peak in the north, with crossings continuing and the herds spread between Kogatende and the Mara. Tarangire is at its best. October is hot, dry and excellent across the whole country.

November. The short rains arrive and the herds begin moving south. Fewer visitors, lower prices, dramatic skies. Good viewing in the central Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

December. The herds return to the southern plains, the calving cycle begins again, and the Christmas period is busy. Early December is one of the best-value windows of the year.

Tanzania is not a cheap country to safari in, and it is worth understanding why before comparing quotes. Park fees are among the highest in Africa — the Serengeti alone charges around $70–$80 per person per day plus 18% VAT, and Ngorongoro Crater carries a separate vehicle fee of several hundred dollars per descent. Fuel, guides, vehicles and camps all sit on top of that.

As a guide, for a private safari with a dedicated guide and vehicle, budget:

From around $350 to $500 per person per day for well-chosen mid-range lodges and tented camps. Comfortable, well located, and how most of our guests travel. Around $600 to $1,000 per person per day for premium camps, fly-in access and the most sought-after Serengeti locations in peak season. $1,000 per person per day and upwards for the top tier of luxury camps and private mobile safaris.

These figures exclude international flights and are for two people sharing. Solo travellers, single-supplement seasons and very short trips push the daily rate up; longer trips and green-season travel bring it down. Our quotes include all park fees, transfers, accommodation, meals on safari, your guide and vehicle, and AMREF evacuation cover, so the number you see is the number you pay.

Every Emnel safari is private and built from scratch, but these are the routes most people start from:

10 Day Classic Tanzania Safari — Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti at an unhurried pace. From $4,375 per person. 10 Day Safari & Zanzibar — the northern circuit followed by four nights on the coast. From $3,750 per person. 8 Day Tanzania Family Safari — shorter drives, family-friendly camps and a guide used to travelling with children. From $4,900 per person. 9 Day Luxury Safari — fly-in access and the best camps in each region. From $8,200 per person. 4 Days Fly-in Serengeti Safari — the Migration in a long weekend. From $2,018 per person.

See all itineraries at /tours, or tell us what you have in mind and we will design something around you.

Most safari companies you will find online are selling somebody else's guides. The itinerary is written by a consultant in another country, the vehicle belongs to a ground operator you have never heard of, and the guide finds out who you are the morning you arrive.

Emnel was built to be the opposite of that. We are based in Arusha, we own our vehicles, and the guides in the field are the same people who plan your trip. When you send us your dates, the reply comes from someone who knows which camp has the best view of the crater rim in May and which one is a long drive from the airstrip. That is the whole idea behind the company, and it is why our guests keep coming back to us for their second and third safaris.