Senior travel: Arusha
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 3 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 49 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Tanzanite ExperienceStep-free: yes · about 45 minGround-floor showroom; flat entrance from the car park.
- Maasai Market (curio and craft market)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 50 minUneven ground between stalls; no dedicated path.
- Uhuru Monument and Clock TowerThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 20 min
- Central marketThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 45 min
- Cultural Heritage CentreThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 60 min
- Kijenge café and craft stretchThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 60 min
- Natural History Museum (Old Boma)The guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 60 min
Getting around in Arusha
Arusha is hard going on wheels or with a stroller. Pavements are uneven or absent, kerbs are high, and step-free access exists mainly in hotels and newer buildings. Plan door-to-door taxi rides and a hotel with ground-floor or lift access.
- Pavements:
- Broken, uneven or missing on most streets; you often walk in the road edge alongside traffic.
- Getting around:
- A pre-booked car is the practical step-free option; ride-hailing coverage is inconsistent, so confirm with your hotel.
- Hotels:
- Larger hotels near the clock tower have lifts and accessible rooms; smaller guesthouses often do not — ask for photos of the entrance and room before booking.
- Toilets:
- Accessible toilets are mainly in larger hotels; rare elsewhere.
- Crossings:
- No signalled crossings in most of the centre; cross with a local companion where possible.
Medicines and health on the ground
The Tanzania guide lists no medicine paperwork. Check the official customs page for your medicines.
- Malaria:
- Present at Arusha's altitude and lower during a safari extension; use repellent, sleep under a net where provided, and discuss prophylaxis with a travel clinic before you go.
- Altitude:
- At about 1,400 m, Arusha itself rarely causes altitude symptoms, but it is the last stop before Kilimanjaro's much higher elevations — read the Kilimanjaro page separately before a climb.
- Food and water:
- Bottled or filtered water only. Busy grills and stalls with fast turnover are generally safer than food that has sat out.
- Rabies:
- Do not approach stray dogs. After any bite or scratch, see a doctor the same day; ALMC and other private clinics can advise on post-exposure treatment.
- Travel insurance:
- Confirm your policy covers medical evacuation: this matters more here than in most cities because of onward safari and Kilimanjaro plans.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.