Destinations

Set on the slopes of Mount Meru, Arusha National Park is small but varied — the Momella Lakes draw flamingos and waterbirds, the forested Ngurdoto Crater hides buffalo and colobus monkeys, and open glades are home to giraffe and zebra. It's one of the few parks in Tanzania without lions, which means it's one of the only places you can leave the vehicle for a guided walking safari with an armed ranger. On a clear morning, Kilimanjaro is visible beyond Meru.

Featured in: Arusha to Serengeti Northern Circuit (7 Days)

A narrow but strikingly varied park below the Rift Valley escarpment — shady groundwater forest gives way to open floodplain grazed by elephant and buffalo, while the soda lake itself draws flamingos, pelicans, and storks, with hippos wallowing in the spring-fed pools. Lake Manyara is also one of the few places in Africa where lions are sometimes seen resting up in the trees.

Featured in: Arusha to Serengeti Northern Circuit (7 Days)

Tarangire is famous for two things: its ancient baobab trees and the largest concentration of elephants anywhere in Tanzania. In the dry season, the Tarangire River becomes the only water source for miles, drawing herds of up to 250 elephants alongside zebra, wildebeest, and buffalo — with lion, leopard, and cheetah following close behind. The birdlife is excellent too, from bee-eaters to the giant kori bustard.

Featured in: Tarangire Day Trip, Crater & Coffee Escape, 7-Day Northern Circuit, and the 8-Day Tanzania Holiday

The Serengeti is the reason most people picture Tanzania when they think of safari — endless open plains, the Great Migration, and one of the highest concentrations of predators on Earth: over 4,000 lions, 200+ cheetahs, and a thousand leopards are estimated to call it home. The central Seronera area is prime ground for spotting big cats year-round, while the wildebeest migration draws visitors chasing the river crossings in season.

Featured in: Serengeti: Fly In, Fly Out, 7-Day Northern Circuit, and the 8-Day Tanzania Holiday

Formed nearly two million years ago when a vast volcano collapsed, the Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact volcanic caldera — and home to one of the densest concentrations of wildlife anywhere in Africa. Because the crater walls keep most animals from migrating out, a single day inside can bring you face to face with lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, flamingos on the soda lake, and — if you're fortunate — the black rhino, the hardest of them all to spot.

Featured in: Ngorongoro Crater Day Trip, Crater & Coffee Escape, Serengeti Fly In/Fly Out, 7-Day Northern Circuit, and the 8-Day Tanzania Holiday