Region
Arusha and Kilimanjaro
Sleep in Arusha before and after the parks; do Arusha National Park or a coffee-farm day from the same bed, and leave the northern circuit and Kilimanjaro to pre-booked trips.
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Key facts · Tanzania
- Best months
- Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb
- Currency
- Tanzanian shilling
- Language
- Swahili (national)
- Plugs
- D · G · 230 V
- Time zone
- East Africa Time
Rules in force · 9Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Carry the yellow fever certificate on every leg of a mult…
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- East Africa ↗Carry the yellow fever certificate on every leg of a multi-country trip: Uganda and Burundi check it for all arrivals, and a stop in Kenya or Ethiopia makes the next border ask for it.
- East Africa ↗Advice for Ethiopia, Somaliland, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and the Congo border areas can change within days; read your government's page the week you fly and before every regional flight.
- East Africa ↗Price park, reserve and permit fees before comparing lodges: they are charged per person per day, often with VAT, and are fixed whatever bed you choose.
- Tanzania ↗Apply for the Tanzania e-visa only on the official immigration portal; Zanzibar and, from 1 October 2026, mainland Tanzania each require their own US$44 inbound insurance bought from the state insurer's site.
- Tanzania ↗Carry a yellow fever certificate if you arrive from or connect through a risk country such as Kenya or Ethiopia; see a travel clinic about malaria several weeks ahead.
- Tanzania ↗Plastic carrier bags are banned; leave shop and duty-free plastic bags behind before you arrive.
- Tanzania ↗Light aircraft between parks and to Zanzibar have strict baggage limits, usually soft-sided bags only and a low total weight (often around 15 kg); confirm the limit with your operator.
Arusha is the departure point for the northern parks and the Kilimanjaro routes. The trips that go wrong arrive with no bookings, buy safaris from street touts, or skip a rest night before a climb; keep one night either side and book in advance.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- ArushaTrip line
Clock tower for a walkable night, Kijenge for a quieter one.
Best Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
One or two nights
- Northern safari circuitGuide: planned
Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti as a multi-night loop.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Day trip
- Arusha National ParkGuide: planned
Half to full day by car; about 40 minutes each way.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Arusha 1 + park + Arusha 1
- 8 nights
- Arusha 1 + circuit 6 + Arusha 1
- Arusha + a Kilimanjaro climb + a safari in 5 days is a rushed trip: give a climb its own rest night.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arusha National Park | Arusha | 45 min | unknown | Operator or hotel car; back by dusk. |
Bags between cities
Your operator stores the town bag while you are in the parks; ask before you leave.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arusha | go | go | ok | × | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok |
| Tanzania (country-wide) | go | go | ok | × | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next
Go next
Northern safari circuit
planned4–7 nights
Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti
Zanzibar
planned3–5 nights
Stone Town and beach nights on Unguja
Southern parks
planned3–5 nights
Nyerere (Selous) and Ruaha, usually by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam
Arusha and Kilimanjaro: what we know, and what is coming
1 of 3 places open
On this page
- 3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
- How to split 2 or 8 nights
- 1 day trip with door-to-door time
- Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
- What to do with the big bag between beds
Coming as the guide grows
- Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
- Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
- Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
- Regional food: what, where and when it works
- A page for Northern safari circuit — Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti as a multi-night loop.
- A page for Arusha National Park — Half to full day by car; about 40 minutes each way.
Meanwhile
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 1 base
- Day trips
- 1, 45 min
- Nights suggested
- 2–8 nights
Trips that stop here
Northern circuit
7 days · 1 night here
Arusha → Tarangire → Ngorongoro → Serengeti
Safari and Zanzibar
10 days · 1 night here
Arusha → Tarangire → Ngorongoro → Serengeti → Zanzibar
Kilimanjaro then safari
14 days · 1 night here
Moshi → Kilimanjaro → Arusha → Ngorongoro → Serengeti
Local time
What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.
Arusha
…
Checking your clock…Africa/Dar es Salaam
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