LAST UPDATED: 3/1/24 – The Ultimate Tanzania Safari Itinerary

Ever since Doctor David Livingstone ventured into the interior of Africa in search of the origins of the Nile River, people from around the world have been curious about the animals and landscapes on this beautiful continent.  In many ways, the Tanzania that Livingstone explored has changed a great deal since his time, but in other ways, it is much the same. 

The same incredible animals that he ran into and some of the beautiful landscapes that he traversed can still be enjoyed by visitors. Many of those landscapes are on my Tanzania safari itinerary and are some of the best places in all of Africa to see those incredible animals that Livingstone encountered.

Located in Southeastern Africa, the country of Tanzania is a wildlife traveler’s dream.   It is home to many of Africa’s most amazing animals, has some of the world’s best wildlife viewing destinations, and is home to Africa’s tallest mountain. 

In my Tanzania safari itinerary, I am going to help you start planning your safari trip to Tanzania by outlining some of the country’s top parks, helping you decide what time of year to plan your trip, and showing you what my recommended Tanzania safari itinerary looks like.

Before You Go on Your Tanzania Safari

Planning a trip to Tanzania to go on safari can be an incredibly exciting experience, but it can also be a little stressful and overwhelming if you haven’t been to Africa before. If you are planning your first big safari adventure, let me first tell you how excited I am for you. Going on safari, especially in an amazing country like Tanzania, will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life. It only took one visit to Tanzania to get me hooked, and I am sure the experience will be the same for you.

To make the process of planning your Tanzania safari itinerary easier for you, I have included links to some of my most popular safari guides for you to review below. If this will be your first time visiting Africa, I would strongly suggest you review my article on the 20 Tips for Those Visiting Africa for the First Time.

Even if you have been to Africa before, my Safari Packing Guide will help ensure that you have all of the gear and equipment with you to make sure your safari experience is a safe and memorable one. Finally, my Safari Photography Guide will give you plenty of valuable tips and tricks for photographing the wildlife that you see while on safari in Tanzania. Armed with this information, you can be sure that you will capture top-notch photographs to share with your family and friends.

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20 Tips for Those Visiting Africa for the First Time

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Tips for Photography on African Safaris

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The Essential Safari Packing List

Choosing Which Parks in Tanzania to Visit

One of the biggest decisions that you will need to make when starting to plan your Tanzania safari itinerary is which of Tanzania’s parks and wildlife areas you will visit during your trip. In this Tanzania safari guide, I include a map of all of Tanzania’s protected areas and my choice of Tanzania’s top national parks to visit.

I also outline each of these parks and discuss what the pros and cons of visiting each park are, what animals you can expect to see when you visit each park, and what time of year it is best to visit each park.

However, as you start to put together your Tanzania safari itinerary, you might have certain animals, landscapes, or events that you want to be sure to see while in Tanzania. For this reason, I have put together this quick reference guide to help you determine which park(s) are best for seeing certain things.

Simply click on the name of the animal or other category below to see which of Tanzania’s parks I would recommend adding to your Tanzania safari itinerary to give yourself the best chance of seeing those animals, landscapes, or events.

Click on the animal or park attribute below to learn more

Deciding When to Plan Your Tanzania Safari

The parks that I have highlighted in this guide are located in different regions of Tanzania, so the best times to plan your Tanzania safari itinerary are going to vary slightly depending on which parks you visit. 

For instance, parks like Gombe Streams, Ruaha, and Nyerere are much worse to visit in the rainy months of March and April than some of the other parks in Tanzania. 

If you would like to see the Great Wildebeest Migration, then you will want to coordinate your visit for when the Wildebeest are in the Serengeti, which tends to be between December and March.

However, for the most part, the best times to go on Safari in Tanzania is going to be in July through October.  These are the driest months of the year and the wildlife is much easier to spot because it is typically concentrated around the watering holes. 

Keep in mind, that these are also typically the busiest months of the year for safari in Tanzania, so you might want to target the shoulder months of June or November to have your best shot at good weather and lighter crowds.

Best Times to Plan Your Tanzania Safari Itinerary

My Recommended Tanzania Safari Itinerary

To hit all of the parks on my recommended list, I suggest that you target 6-9 days for your Tanzania safari itinerary, depending on whether or not you want to spend the optional days at the start or end of your trip to visit Kilimanjaro National Park, Arusha National Park, or both. 

Using the Tanzania safari itinerary that I outline below, you will be able to hit all six of the parks on my recommended list.  Keep in mind, that your permit for the Ngorongoro Crater will only allow you 24-hour access to the crater, so you will want to plan to arrive on night four and spend the night near the crater so that you can start your safari first thing in the morning.

If you would like to plan a shorter trip, I would suggest cutting out a stop at either Arusha National Park, Kilimanjaro National Park, or both.  If you would like to spend a longer amount of time on Safari, I would suggest either adding stops at one of the parks not outlined on my itinerary or adding an extra day in the Serengeti.

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Tanzania Safari Advice VLOG Episode

Planning a Tanzania safari itinerary is a big undertaking, which is why I am trying to be as detailed as possible when providing my tips on which parks to see, how long to spend there, and what to bring with you on your trip. If you would like to see more of my tips for planning a Tanzania safari itinerary, I would suggest watching my Travel Vlog episode on my Tanzania Safari Advice and Itinerary below.

Tanzania’s Protected Areas

Over the decades, the country of Tanzania has done an incredible job of identifying the most important wildlife areas within its borders and protecting those lands.  If you want to go on safari in Tanzania, you certainly won’t have a shortage of destinations to choose from. The country is home to:

• 18 National Parks
• 10 Major Game Reserves
• 2 Marine Park Reserves
• 13 Forest Nature Reserves
• and 3 Game Controlled Areas

While each of the country’s protected areas is spectacular in its own way, I have chosen to focus this Tanzania safari guide on my list of the top parks and conservation areas in Tanzania that I recommend visitors include on their Tanzania safari itinerary. 

However, that doesn’t mean that other parks, such as the incredible Katavi or Mikumi National Parks, aren’t worth exploring if you have the time. If you would like an overview of Tanzania’s parks and other protected areas and where they are located, I have included a map below for you to review.

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The Top 10 Tanzania Safari Destinations

To help you narrow down which parks and wildlife refuges to visit during your safari trip in Tanzania, I have narrowed down the list of options to my Top 10 Wildlife Viewing Areas in the country for you to review.  In some cases, I included areas that have very high concentrations of wildlife to see.  The Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks fall into this category. 

Other locations, like Gombe and Mahale National Parks, were chosen because of the unique wildlife viewing opportunities that they afford travelers. 

Finally, parks like Kilimanjaro and Arusha National Parks were chosen both because of their close proximity to the city of Arusha and the unique landscape features that are found within the parks. For an overview of my top 10 recommended safari destinations in Tanzania, please refer to the map below.

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Serengeti National Park

Home to the Great Migration and with the most diversity of wildlife that you will find almost anywhere in Africa, the Serengeti National Park is one of the most iconic wildlife destinations in the entire world.  It is one of the most coveted safari destinations in Africa, and for good reason. 

It has some of the most authentic wildlife viewing opportunities, is one of the best places to spot Africa’s big predators, has excellent accommodation options, and even offers hot air balloon safaris.  Best of all, it is one of the cheapest parks in Tanzania to visit.

If you are going to add the Serengeti to your Tanzania safari itinerary, I would recommend taking the time to tour both the North and the South ends of the park.  It is a big park and you will enjoy seeing as much of it as you can.  The Serengeti borders the Masai Mara in Kenya, so if you want to really extend your safari itinerary, you can book a tour of the Masai Mara on the tail-end of your Tanzania safari.

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READ MORE:

Serengeti National Park Safari Guide

Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro Crater is perhaps one of the best places in all of Africa to see all of the Big Five animals of Africa in one day.  This includes the increasingly endangered black rhino.  Because the crater is protected by steep walls and has available water year-round, the grazing animals in the crater don’t need to migrate. 

This attracts all of Africa’s big predators, who can also be found in the crater all year long.  The only downside to visiting the crater is that it can get quite busy during the peak safari season, so you will need to be sure to book your safari well in advance if you want to add the Ngorongoro Crater to your Tanzania safari itinerary.

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READ MORE:

Ngorongoro Crater Safari Guide

Tarangire National Park

With the second largest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania outside of the Serengeti, Tarangire National Park is definitely a park that you will want to have on your Tanzania safari itinerary.  It isn’t located on the traditional safari route, and therefore typically left off the itinerary for shorter safaris. 

This means that it is typically much less crowded than the other big parks in Tanzania.  During the peak safari season, the wildlife is typically very concentrated within the park, which means there are excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. 

The park even offers night safaris, which is an incredible experience.  If you want to see Tarangire National Park, I would recommend avoiding the wet season as the wildlife tends to be dispersed inside the big park and can be difficult to spot. 

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Lake Manyara National Park

What Lake Manyara National Park lacks in size, it makes up for in the show.  There are as many as 11 different ecosystems within this small national park, which means there is a wide variety of wildlife that calls the park its home. 

The big draw in Lake Manyara is the famous tree-climbing lions.  Few other places in Africa can you see lions who climb as often as at Lake Manyara.  In my opinion, that alone is worth adding Lake Manyara to your Tanzania safari itinerary.

However, one of the more underrated aspects of the park is that it offers probably the best opportunity in Tanzania to see elephants up close.  The wildlife in the park is typically concentrated in small pockets, which makes getting close much easier. 

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READ MORE:

Lake Manyara Safari Guide

Kilimanjaro National Park

Home to Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s tallest free-standing Mountain, Kilimanjaro National Park is a park unlike others that you will find in Tanzania.  Most who visit the park do so to climb the mountain, but it is also a decent safari location if you are looking to add on a park either at the beginning or end of your Tanzania safari itinerary.  It is far less likely that you will spot any of Africa’s big predators, such as lions, in the park, but you do have a good chance of seeing other wildlife.

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Arusha National Park

One of the biggest draws to visiting Arusha National Park is its proximity to the city of Arusha and Kilimanjaro National Airport, which makes it a great option if you would like to add on a park either at the beginning or the end of your Tanzania safari itinerary. 

It is relatively easy to get to and has some truly breathtaking landscapes that you can explore.  One of my favorite spots inside the park is the giant fig tree that has a tunnel carved in it you can actually drive your car through.  The park may not offer as good of opportunities to lions as other parks, but you do have a great chance of spotting other wildlife.

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READ MORE:

Arusha National Park Safari Guide

Gombe Stream National Park

Although Gombe Stream National Park is one of Tanzania’s smallest parks, it offers visitors some unique and spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities.  Made famous by Jane Goodall, who performed much of her Chimpanzee research in the park, Gombe National Park is one of the best places in Tanzania to spot wild Chimpanzees. 

Because of its remote location, you will either need to take a long bus or car ride from Arusha to get to Gombe National Park or take a bush flight.  The park typically isn’t crowded, which is a perk, but the amount of accommodations is limited.  Because of this, you will want to book your stay well in advance if you want to add Gombe Streams National Park to your Tanzania safari itinerary.

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Mahale Mountains National Park

One of the most underrated national parks in Tanzania is undoubtedly the incredible Mahale Mountains National Park.  In addition to having the best Chimpanzee tracking experience in all of Tanzania, the park also offers fishing and kayaking tours, spectacular beaches to enjoy, and a greater variety of wildlife for visitors to see than nearby Gombe National Park. 

However, its remote location means that you will either need to take a long car ride or a bush flight to get to the park and the accommodations near the park are limited.  In addition, Mahale Mountains is also one of the more expensive parks in Tanzania to visit.  Because of the limited accommodations, you will want to be sure to book your safari well in advance if you want to add Mahale Mountains National Park to your Tanzania safari itinerary. 

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Ruaha National Park

While it is no longer Tanzania’s largest Park, the beautiful Ruaha National Park still offers visitors some of the wildest and most authentic wildlife encounters in Tanzania.  The park is famous for its breathtaking beauty, incredible ancient baobab trees, picturesque rivers, and dramatic landscapes. 

If you are coming to Tanzania to see African Wild Dogs, which are quite rare, then adding Ruaha National Park to your Tanzania safari itinerary may be your best bet to see them.  The park is also home to some unusual antelope species that are harder to find in some of the country’s other parks. 

Because of its relatively remote location, Ruaha National Park doesn’t get as busy as the more famous parks in Tanzania.  However, the park also doesn’t have as many accommodation options as the busier parks do.  Because of that, you will want to book your safari in Ruaha well in advance to ensure you have a place to stay. 

When you visit, I will make sure to target the dry season in Tanzania.  During the wet season, wildlife can be much more difficult to spot because the animals are not congregating around watering holes. 

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Nyerere National Park

One of the newest national parks in Tanzania, Nyerere National Park is now also the country’s largest.  It was formed from a large portion of what was the northern region of the Selous Game Reserve.  The large expanses of raw African wilderness in the park really showcase the beauty of the African savannah. 

If you love elephants, then you will definitely want to add Nyerere National Park to your Tanzania safari itinerary as it is one of the best places in Tanzania to witness the annual elephant migration.  If you visit during the right time of year, you will get to see thousands of elephants in the park. 

Nyerere National Park is Very Remote

The park is rather remote, so you will either need to take a long drive or bush plane to get there, so plan accordingly if you want to visit.  The park is also in a malarial region of Tanzania, so you will want to ensure that you have proper mosquito netting and insect repellent for your safari. 

When you visit, I will make sure to target the dry season in Tanzania.  This is another park where wildlife can be much more difficult to spot because the animals are not congregating around watering holes during the rainy season. 

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