Tanzania Tours January 2024

Tanzania Travel Guide

Tanzania Tours Things To Do

• 
  Gombe Stream National Park - Seeing Chimpanzees

  Jane Goodall, the primatologist, studied chimpanzees in the wild in Gombe Stream National Park. The chimps live on the wooded banks of Lake Tanganyika. You can find them by their shrieks or trails of discarded food.   

  Best Time To Visit

  Avoid the long rains of Tanzania's "green season," which occurs during March, April, and May. After that time, it is best to go during drier times, such as June through July when more animals congregate at water holes. The climate is cooler from June to August.  

   

  You Should Know

  Gombe Stream National Park is not normally included on Tanzania trip itineraries. If you can have it added, you will be glad you included this destination. You will only find wild chimpanzees in Africa. They live about 50 years in the wild or around 60 years in captivity. Chimpanzees walk on all fours, and their arms are longer than their legs. Therefore, they are called "knuckle walkers." Males stand about 4 feet tall and are 5 times stronger than humans. They are considered endangered, as only 170,000 to 300,000 remain in the wild.

• 
  Tarangire National Park

  One of Tanzania's largest national parks, Tarangire National Park provides a sanctuary for a large population of elephants. Besides elephants, you can see a diversity of wildlife, including lions, leopards, and cheetahs.  

  Best Time To Visit

  You will see more wildlife at the Tarangire River if you visit the park during the drier times, or from June to August.  

   

  You Should Know

  An interesting feature of the park is its baobab trees. The ancient trees can live for over 3,000 years. When they die their insides rot away and they collapse. The trees are sturdy, as they can resist fires, termites, and drought conditions. Some people call them upside down trees because their branches resemble roots. Legend has it that if you pick a flower from the tree, you will be eaten by a lion, so keep away from the tree's flowers.

• 
  Lake Eyasi

  Lake Eyasi is known more for the people who live there versus its wildlife. The lake area is home to the Datoga tribe. The body of water, which is a saltwater lake, lies on the floor of Africa's Great Rift Valley, at the foot of the Serengeti Plateau or south of Serengeti National Park. It also lies southwest of the Crater Highlands and the Ngorongoro Crater.  

  Best Time To Visit

  Visit Lake Eyasi during the drier season of June through August.  

   

  You Should Know

  The Datoga tribe members are distinguished by their circular tattoos that many of the tribal women display around their eyes. The tribe is known as hunter-gatherers. For hundreds of years, the Datoga people have lived on the food provided by nature.

• 
  Lake Manyara

  Lake Manyara is a national park in Tanzania and serves as a  home to flamingos - just one of the 380 types of birds that have been seen around the area's grasslands, waters, shrubs, and forests. You can also see large elephant herds, wildebeest, hippos, baboons, zebras, and giraffes.  

  Best Time To Visit

  Plan an escape to Lake Manyara from June to August.  

   

  You Should Know

  The natural area is also home to lions, who like the park's greenery. What is unique about the lions in the park is that they also climb the trees. Therefore, you can get a lot of great pictures of the cats cooling off up high in the shade of the canopies.

• 
  Mafia Island

  This marine natural wonder is fairly quiet when it comes to visitors. The white sand beaches provide nesting sites for turtles, and the island's coral reefs make it a  premier diving location. A secluded accommodation fits in naturally with the rest of the isle.  

  Best Time To Visit

  Visit Mafia Island from June to August. Temperatures are cooler during August, so you can enjoy more of the island's attractions with fewer crowds.  

   

  You Should Know

  The marine park features tropical forests as well as mangrove swamps. Some of the animals that live on the Tanzanian island include fruit bats, wild pigs, and monkeys.

• 
  Mount Kilimanjaro

  Also known as Kili, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, standing at 19,341 feet tall. People challenge themselves every season to reach the summit, at either Uhuru Point or Kibu Peak.  

  Best Time To Visit

  Try out your hiking boots or climbing shoes during September or October - the best months to attempt a climb or hike up Mount Kilimanjaro.  

   

  You Should Know

  Several routes across the barren and frigid slopes that lead to the mountain's ice fields and its 3 volcanic cones at the top. About 23,000 people attempt to reach the "roof of Africa" annually. Those who take longer routes finish more often than those who try to trek up the mountain in record time. Going too fast up the incline can lead to altitude sickness, which can only be remedied by turning around and descending the mountain.

• 
  Ngorongoro Crater

  You might call this crater an earthen bowl filled with animals. Some of the animals seen at the site include the black rhino, bull elephants, and leopards. Also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Ngorongoro Crater is one of the easier places to view the Big Five of Africa year-round.  

  Best Time To Visit

  Temperatures are more tolerable during August.   

   

  You Should Know

  The Olduvai Gorge, at the site, is home to some of the oldest human remains in the world, one of which is a skull that dates back 1.75 million years.

• 
  Ruaha National Park

  Ruaha National Park is designed for the adventurous traveler. The Great Ruaha River bursts its banks, following the rains of March through May, and creates a flurry of wildlife activity. As the pools begin to shrink in the drier season, you can see lions to hyenas along the river banks.  

  Best Time To Visit

  You will see more animals along the river from June to August.  

   

  You Should Know

  The national park borders several game reserves, which makes it a wide wilderness area - an area that can also support large herds of elephants.

• 
  Selous Game Reserve

  The Selous Game Reserve rivals the Serengeti with respect to size, as it is larger and more expansive. Its wildlife numbers also are greater than the popular Serengeti. The thousands of antelopes and elephants in the reserve make the park more of a haven for animals than tourists.  

  Best Time To Visit

  Schedule a trip to the Selous Game Reserve from June to August, or after the rains of the "Green Season," from March to May.  

   

  You Should Know

  The Selous Game Reserve is also home to wild dogs, usually not seen in northern Africa. You can take a boat cruise on Lake Tagalala to get an up close look at birds, crocodiles, and hippos. Only a few lodges can be found on the remote reserve.

• 
  Serengeti National Park

  Not really needing an introduction, the Serengeti National Park and the Serengeti Plain are known for the Great Migration, an event that occurs when the wildebeest move into the northern Serengeti plains before crossing the Mara River.  

  Best Time To Visit

  Although the best time to tour the Serengeti National Park is from January to February or June to September, you should plan your travel time around the Great Migration, which takes place from July to October, which is considered by many travel experts as the most desirable time to visit.  

   

  You Should Know

  Also known as a gnu, a wildebeest represents a large antelope that measures about 50 inches at the shoulder and weighs from 300 to 600 pounds. The animal is about 5 to 8 feet in length and has a tail that is about 18 inches long.

Tanzania Tour Packages

Tanzania Tours Frequently Asked Questions

• What are Tanzania Tours?

  Tanzania tours are African tours that take in most of the popular attractions of Tanzania, including Serengeti National Park, and the Great Migration, the Ngorongoro Crater, Mafia Island, Zanzibar, and Tarangire National Park.

• What’s Included in a Tanzania Tour?

  A Tanzania tour includes visits to national parks and wildlife reserves, including river cruises and hikes. Tours are themed to draw the interests of specific travelers and include the accompaniment of an English-speaking and knowledgeable tour guide. An all-inclusive tour package includes most meals, the admission prices for attractions, airport and hotel transfers, and hotel or guesthouse accommodations. Your airfare is usually separate from the Tanzania tour price.

• What’s the Best Tanzania Tour?

  The best Tanzania tour is a trip that meets your travel interests with respect to destinations and activities. It should be priced according to your budget and travel availability. To make sure your trip meets your expectations, contact an experienced tour representative to help you plan your once-in-a-lifetime trip.

• How Much Do Tanzania Tours Cost?

  What you pay for a Tanzania tour will depend on how long you wish to travel, where you plan to travel, and when you plan to embark on your trip. Generally, you will pay about $520 per person for a Tanzania tour covering one week.