Must Visit National Parks in Tanzania

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult (above 16 years) – TSH 10000, Child (age 5 – 15 years) – TSH 2000
Residents: Adult - $35, Child - $10
Non EAC: Adult - $70, Child - $20

Serengeti National Park, located in northern Tanzania, is one of the world's most iconic wildlife parks. Spanning across an impressive 15,000 square kilometres, it is home to some of the most spectacular wildlife on earth, including the Big Five, the park is a must-visit for any wildlife enthusiast. Serengeti offers incredible opportunities for game viewing, including the annual migration of the wildebeest, when millions of animals make their way across the park. There's also a wide range of activities on offer, such as walking safaris, hot-air ballooning, night game drives and cultural tours.

Best Time: January - March, June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 10,000, Child – TSH 2,000
Residents: Adult - $30, Child - $10
Non-EAC: Adult - $60, Child - $20

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located west of Arusha City in Tanzania and spans approximately 8,292 square kilometres. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, its main attraction is the astounding Ngorongoro Crater, famous for being the largest inactive and intact volcanic caldera in the world. The crater teems with a diverse wildlife population, including approximately 25,000 animals, featuring ungulates, four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhinoceros), and other large mammals.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 10,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $25, Child - $7.5
Non-EAC: Adult - $50, Child - $15

Tarangire National Park is situated in northeast Tanzania, near Arusha. It spans about 2,850 square kilometres and gets its name from the Tarangire River that flows through it. Renowned for its incredible wildlife diversity, Tarangire is particularly famous for its large elephant population, including the old tuskers - big bull elephants with impressive tusks, as well as its baobab trees. It has an exceptionally high density of animals per square kilometre compared to other national parks in Tanzania.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 10,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $25, Child - $7.5
Non-EAC: Adult - $50, Child - $15

Lake Manyara National Park is located in the Great Rift Valley region in Tanzania and spans an area of approximately 330 square kilometres. The park is named after Lake Manyara, a stunning alkaline lake that covers around two-thirds of the park’s total area. Renowned for its diverse wildlife, the park is particularly famous for its large herds of elephants and unique tree-climbing lions. Four out of the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard) are found in Lake Manyara National Park, except the rhinoceros.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 07:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 10,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $35, Child - $10
Non-EAC: Adult - $70, Child - $20

Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, situated in northeast Tanzania, encompasses an area of approximately 1,688 square kilometres. The park is most renowned for sheltering Africa's highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro, rising from 4877 metres above surrounding plains to a majestic 5895 metres at its peak. Kilimanjaro National Park is distinguished by its focus on mountain climbing rather than traditional safaris, drawing travellers worldwide to conquer Africa's highest peak.

Best Time: January - March, September - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult (above 16 years) – TSH 10,000, Child (age 5 – 15 years) – TSH 2,000
Residents: Adult - $35, Child - $10
Non EAC: Adult - $70, Child - $20

Nyerere National Park is situated in south-eastern Tanzania and covers an impressive area of 30,893 square kilometres, making it Africa's largest stand-alone National Park and one of the largest in the world. Despite its vast size, the park remains relatively unexplored, renowned for its abundant wildlife. It is home to a dense population of various species, including the iconic Big Five - lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, and rhinos.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 5,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $15, Child - $5
Non-EAC: Adult - $30, Child - $10

Ruaha National Park is a massive wildlife reserve in Tanzania's Iringa region, covering an area as big as 20,000 square kilometres. It became Tanzania's largest national park in 2008 when the nearby Usangu Game Reserve merged with it. Ruaha is home to around 10% of the world’s lion population and ranks third in Africa for its wild dog population. The park boasts rich wildlife, including more than 10,000 elephants, about 30,000 buffalo, over 20,000 zebras, and various animals as well as over 400 species of birds.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 5000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $15, Child - $5
Non-EAC: Adult - $30, Child - $10

Mikumi National Park, situated near Morogoro in Tanzania, is a vast wildlife reserve that shares borders with the renowned Selous Game Reserve. Covering an expansive area of 3,230 square kilometres, it offers the chance to encounter four of the big five animals, except for rhinos. The park's broad Mkata floodplain provides an ideal spot to observe majestic lions in their natural habitat. One of its distinguishing features is the thriving population of African Wild Dogs, along with its sizeable eland population and unique “midget” elephants, different from the larger African elephants found elsewhere.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 10,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $50, Child - $10
Non-EAC: Adult - $100, Child - $20

Located in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania, Gombe Stream National Park stands out as one of the smallest national parks in the country, covering a mere 35 square kilometres. Despite its size, this park holds immense significance due to its association with the legendary primatologist Jane Goodall. Jane Goodall's research revolutionized primatology and wildlife conservation. The park's most prominent and captivating attraction is the population of wild chimpanzees that inhabit its protected boundaries.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 5,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $15, Child - $5
Non-EAC: Adult - $30, Child - $10

Katavi National Park, located in western Tanzania, is a vast, exclusive and remote wilderness, covering an area of approximately 4,471 square kilometres (1,727 square miles). As the third-largest national park in Tanzania, it remains relatively untouched. Visitors to Katavi can spot four out of the Big Five - elephant, lion, buffalo, and leopard. The park is renowned for having some of the world's largest herds of large mammals, including a thousand-strong buffalo herd and dense populations of hippopotamus and crocodiles.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 10,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult – $25, Child - $7.5
Non-EAC: Adult - $50, Child - $15

Arusha National Park is located northeast of Arusha city in Tanzania, covering approximately 552 square kilometres. It is home to Tanzania's fifth-highest mountain, Mount Meru, and renowned for its abundant wildlife, including the world's largest population of giraffes. Though it does not have the Big Five, the park boasts an abundance of Cape buffalo, elephants, hippos, and zebras. The standout experience is the exhilarating three-night hiking trail to the summit of Mount Meru.

Best Time: June - October

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Fees: EAC: Adult – TSH 5,000, Child – TSH 2000
Resident: Adult - $40, Child - $10
Non-EAC: Adult - $95, Child - $23.60, Guide - $23.60

Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania, named after its mountain range, is one of two protected areas for chimpanzees in the country. It hosts the largest population of eastern chimpanzees and is unique for the coexistence of chimpanzees and lions. Accessible only by foot and boat, with no roads or infrastructure within the park, Mahale promises an undisturbed and authentic wilderness encounter.

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Price: Adult - $20, Guide per tour party - $10, Guide for longer hikes - $20

In Kilolo District, Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a diverse natural area with rainforests, mountain forests, miombo woodlands, and vast grasslands. It's home to over 400 bird species, 2,500 plants (25% found only here), and six primate species. Ranking second in African biodiversity, the park's forest covers an uninterrupted range from 250 to over 2,000 meters. A great spot for nature and conservation enthusiasts.

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Price: Adult - $20 per day

Kitulo National Park, the first of its kind in tropical Africa, is a floral haven, celebrated for its vital floristic importance. Home to a breathtaking spectacle of 350 vascular plant species, including 45 types of terrestrial orchids, it is aptly dubbed the "Serengeti of Flowers" by botanists. Locals affectionately refer to the Kitulo Plateau as "Bustani ya Mungu" ("The Garden of God"). This park is a captivating destination for nature enthusiasts and botany lovers, showcasing the extraordinary floral diversity of the African landscape.

Timings: 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM
Price: Adult - $20 per day

Saadani National Park, Tanzania's 13th national park, is unique as it protects both land and sea habitats. It's a crucial breeding site for endangered Green Sea Turtles and the only Tanzanian park preserving mangrove forests. Along the Indian Ocean coast, rare Black and White Colobus Monkeys thrive in Saadani's coastal forest.