Tanzania National Parks

Tanzania is a place where you can watch a live episode of the Lion King. This can best be done from Serengeti as it has the highest numbers of lions in the whole world. No safari to Tanzania can be complete without a visit to the Serengeti.

It shelters almost every wildlife you would want to see. On a lucky visit, you could see the Wildebeest Migration, an adventure film in the wild. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a great spot for wildlife viewing. The best sights here are elephants, cheetahs and lions. Ngorongoro and Serengeti are just adjacent to each other; all sitting on the Northern region of Tanzania. Mount Kilimanjaro offers one of the best physical challenges to mountain climbers.

Serengeti National Park

Claiming that Tanzania has all the best places to spotting wildlife but it’s hard to argue against the fact that Africa’s wildlife can be summarized in one nation.

Starting with this oldest national park in Tanzania that has been attracting at least 350,000 visitors every year, wildlife viewing here is as amazing and actually, the park was voted Africa’s best safari park by industry experts and safari-goers.

But not this Serengeti and this is simply due to the reason that the World’s largest annual migration, the great wildebeest migration of a certain 1.5 million white-bearded wildebeests occurs in this park.

The migration of this kind where wildebeests usually get a friendly company from a whopping 250 zebra has never been witnessed somewhere else in this world.

Apart from hooved animals in Serengeti (buffalo, elephants, giraffe, wildebeests, zebra, eland, gazelles) just to name a few, Serengeti is also the host for big cats where lions, cheetah, and leopard can be easily spotted.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site, the incomparable Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest caldera. A caldera is the broad, crater-like basin of a volcano formed by the collapse of the central cone. Dominated by cliffs standing some 600 meters high and presenting a sheer drop down to a wide open space of some 264 square km, the crater is one of the most amazing sights seen anywhere.

The Crater is home to 25,000 larger mammals, almost half of them zebra and wildebeest. There are also gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and wart hog. Such vast numbers attract predators a plenty, mainly lion and hyena but also cheetah and leopard. More than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted here. Countless flamingos form a pink blanket over the soda lakes.

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha national park is two in one. The park itself hosts Usangu game reserve which is the beautiful mountainous wildlife area with an astonishing view of grasslands, woodlands, and miombo that happily act as a home for elephants, lions, leopards, and buffalos just to name a few.

Speaking of the park itself, Ruaha national park;

It is the largest national park in Tanzania.
It is one of Africa’s remaining most lions and elephants’ populated areas with more than 2,000 lions.
It is home to the Great Ruaha River which is one of the main tributaries of Rufiji River, the largest in East Africa which provides life to thousands of elephants.

It isn’t the truth that Ruaha is the best for viewing big pride of lion predating hence to enable the park to attract up to 21,000 visitors, Not even the fact that it is among the best places to enjoy viewing big packs of wild dogs,

Its unique feature of exclusivity. This park is always not crowded hence making it the best area for experiencing that feeling of adventure when encountering wildlife in Tanzania.

Tarangire national park

If there is one memorable encounter that I have ever experienced then it was tree climbing pythons view. That experience in Tarangire was just unmatched and will forever remain with me. To see these tree-climbing pythons you need to be luckier though, they are not regularly spotted so not everyone sees them.

However, Tarangire is the best park for day tours, and when you visit this near to Arusha city national park be sure to enjoy spotting big herds of elephants. Sometimes up to 200+ elephants can be found in the park making it one of the best areas for Wildlife in Tanzania.

Tarangire is also the best place to view the stunning huge baobab trees spanning around the Tarangire River which provides life to a number of wildebeests, buffalo, gazelles, and zebra.

Tarangire isn’t short of predators either.

Lions, leopards, and cheetah can be spotted in their endless missions of chasing and killing wildebeests, gazelles, and dik-dik for their meal.

Lake Manyara National Park

Are you a day tours lover? Then this park might very well suit your Wildlife in Tanzania needs. You can simply reach it in less than 2 hours, and enjoy your game drive right away. This beautiful park which is famous for tree-climbing lions attracts over 161,000 visitors.

Sheltering under the massive escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, and covering an area of 325 sq. km, this park is a flash of green amid an otherwise parched landscape. (In The Green Hills of Africa, Hemmingway describes the park’s magnificent hunting country.) A line of springs support the lush vegetation of a groundwater forest, where blue monkeys, baboons and the curious-looking silvery-cheeked hornbill live, among the more than 350 bird species, the most profuse being the flamingo. It is also home to large herds of buffalo, elephant, giraffe, leopard, civet, black rhino, hippo, zebra, impala, antelope, aardvark, the shy pangolin, bushbuck, waterbuck, and many others. It is also known for its hot springs and the famous tree-climbing lions that laze in the branches of the acacia trees.

However, it isn’t these tree-climbing lions that may strike you most, but the way you can spot the relaxed elephants at very close proximity.

Along with wildlife viewing, Lake Manyara national park is one of the best parks for birding. The park is just incomparable when it comes to flocks of flamingos.

Manyara has thousands of flamingos along with other superb birds and if you are a water lover, the canoe safari in this park will treat you extremely well.

The park is ideal for a day trip. The best time to visit is during the dry season – January to February, and June to September. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended during the rains.

Budget accommodation is available at Mto-wa-Mbu Village. There are designated campsites in and outside the park. Other facilities include a hotel, a hostel and self-catering bandas.

Arusha National Park

Arusha national park is just another best in Tanzania for day tours. The park doesn’t offer a chance of encountering the big 5 but hey, its birding experience is just out of this world. This park has three distinct zones:

Ngurdoto Crater (often called the ‘mini-Ngorongoro’);
the shallow alkaline Momella Lakes fed by underground streams (upon which rest thousands of lesser and greater flamingoes, and many migrant birds can be seen between May and October);
the densely forested slopes of Mount Meru (one of the rewarding mountains to climb in Africa and where, among other animal species, live blue monkeys and beautiful black and white colobus monkeys).
Other attractions in the park include the elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, hippo, various antelopes, leopard and hyena.The park is 21 km from Arusha on the main Arusha – Moshi road. A network of gravel roads and tracks navigable by two wheel-drive vehicle link the park’s main features and viewing points. Nevertheless, a few roads require 4WD vehicles.

A partial climb to Mount Meru, the second-highest in the country will also give you a good view of the beautiful forest with the black and white colobus.

Now, this doesn’t mean you are going to see only the mentioned above, a wide range of antelope species, giraffes and buffalo can be easily spotted.

If you need to experience your wildlife in Tanzania but you’re pressed with time, then Arusha national park can just be one of your top priorities.

Park Regulations

Those driving around the park can do without a guide. But due to the danger posed by wild animals (especially buffaloes), those on foot must take an armed guide or ranger. The same is required before climbing Mount Meru. Guides and rangers can be hired from the park headquarters at momela. Driving and walking around the Ngurdoto Crater rim is allowed, but walking down to the crater floor is forbidden.

Selous Game reserve

Hosting the greatest possible concentration of big game on the planet, Selous game reserve is among the best parks to enjoy wildlife in Tanzania.

The true African wilderness of this land is just fascinating.

This vast wildlife land known for hunting is also acknowledged for its more than 400 known species of birds which makes the destination the perfect for bird watching.

Rufiji River, largest in Tanzania which is the source of life in the reserve is the habitat for the crocodiles and uncountable hippos in the reserve.

A visit to this Africa’s largest unexploited wildlife area which is one of the largest faunal reserves of the world will leave you with lifetime memories.

A wildlife viewing in Selous which is one of the largest parks in Africa and UNESCO World Heritage Site is simply rewarding.

Would you like to explore the most popular wildlife parks in Tanzania? Get started with planning a memorable experience in Tanzania.

Gombe Stream National Park

Located 16 kilometres north of Kigoma on the shores of Lake Tanganyika is the smallest but one of the best known of Tanzania’s national parks. It is one of the few places where chimpanzees can still be found in their natural habitat. Since 1960, Dr. Jane Goodall and colleagues have lived here studying the primates. Other attractions include the red colobus, the red-tail and blue monkeys, grey duiker, bushback and bushpig. The birds include the African and the trumpeter hornbills, Ross’s turaco, pied and giant kingfishers, and the crowned eagle.

Access to the park is only by water vessel from either Kigoma or Ujiji.
Park entry fees is US$100 per person for each 24 hours spent in the park.
Accommodation is available at a guest house and “hostel” which consists of several huts. Bring all provisions. The hostel’s library is well-stocked and worth a visit. Camping is with permission along the lakeshore.

Katavi National Park

This remote and difficult park to reach (strictly recommended for those of an adventurous spirit) lies on a high flood plain surrounding Lake Kitavi, to the south of the Mahale Mountains. The main vegetation found here is the Miombo woodland. It has a wide variety of wildlife (crocodile, hippo, leopard, lion, roan and sable antelopes, southern reedbuck, topi, eland, elephant, and one of the largest herds of buffalo, with as many as 1,600 animals) and offers excellent game viewing with a real wilderness atmosphere. The diverse woodland, acacia bush, lakes and swamps have attracted over 400 species of birds, including large flocks of pelicans. Other attractions are Lakes Katavi and Chada, which are joined by the River Katuma.

The best months to visit are July to October.
Accommodation is at designated camp sites within the park. Hotels and lodges are at Mpanda, 40 km north.

Kilimanjaro National Park

When Johann Rebman reported that he had seen at the latitude of the equator a vast mountain capped with snow, the British Geographical Society Laughed!
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and stands at 5,895 meters, three degrees south of the equator. The mountain, a dormant volcano, has two peaks – Kibo and Mawezi, which are surrounded by dense forests full of dazzling variety of flora and fauna. The area around the mountain is protected territory. The 756 sq. km lying above 2,700m comprise Kilimanjaro National Park, while parts of the lower slopes – which support five vegetation zones – are protected as forest reserves.

The main attractions are the volcanic centres; Shira, Mawezi and Kibo, and the change in forest from savannah grassland to raw forests, moorland, tundra, semi-desert, and snow.

Mount Kilimanjaro has attracted many tourists and researchers from all over the world. No visit to Tanzania’s northern circuit would be complete without at least a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the only peak of its size that can be climbed with relative ease by non-mountaineers, and many take the opportunity to do so. The mountain can be climbed any time of the year, although it is often wet in the rain forest zone from mid-March to May. The summit can be conquered in three days. The youngest person to have climbed it was an 11-year old and the oldest, 74 years old.

Mahale Mountains National Park

Located at Ujiji on the shores of Lake Tanganyika where Stanley is reputed to have met Livingstone and given the famous greeting “Dr. Livingstone I presume”. The Mahale Mountains, like Gombe, are one of the last natural home to chimpanzees and are rich in birdlife. The the park is a unique ecological zone with lowland forest, miombo and open woodlands, moist and dry savannah grasslands. Wildlife in the park includes primates, kudu, eland, roan and sable antelopes, giraffe, buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard.

Access is by boat or plane, both of which are available for charter. There are no roads and all game viewing is done on foot. It is virtually the only Tanzanian park where you can walk around.

The best months to visit are May to October.
Consult park headquarters at Kigoma for advice on weather and other conditions before setting off.
Camping is allowed in specific areas. Camping equipment is available for hire. The guesthouse at Kasiha Village offers limited accommodation, but you have to bring all provisions.

Mikumi National Park

Located astride the main Dar to Mbeya highway, to the north of Selous Game Reserve and only 283 km from Dar-es-Salaam, the park is an important educational centre for students of ecology and conservation, having been established to protect the environment and resident animals.

The Mikumi flood plain is the main feature of the park along with the bordering mountain ranges. It has a landing strip and is home to, among others, the buffalo, zebra, giraffe, lion, wild dogs, python, monitor lizard, hartebeest, wildebeest, elephant (these elephants are grazers and do not damage trees), hippo, impala, warthog, eland and antelope. Birds include the hammerkop, saddle-bill stork, and the malachite kingfisher. The vegetation is made up of woodland, grassland and swamp. There are two water holes, Mkata and Chamgore.

The park is popular as a weekend outing for Dar residents.
Both budget and luxury accommodation is available and include a tented camp, a luxury lodge and designated camp sites.

Ruaha National Park

At 13,000 sq. km, it is the second largest Tanzanian park and one of the wildest. It is also the world’s largest elephant sanctuary.
“There is not a blade of grass here in the dry season”, says Kenyan Wildlife sculptor Rob Glen about Ruaha National Park, his home for the past two years. This is difficult to believe once the rains have started and the Great Ruaha River is swollen to a mighty torrent strong enough to drag an adult hippo downstream. Glen, like watercolour artist Sue Stolberger, has special permission from Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) to live in the country’s second largest National Park. Both camp alongside the northern bank of the river, and are actively involved in the conservation of the spectacular and abundant wildlife upon which they base their work.

The park represents a transition zone where eastern and southern African species of fauna and flora overlap. It is the northernmost example of miombo woodland, common in central Africa, and the most southerly protected area in which Grant’s gazelle, lesser kudu and striped hyena are found. To be able to see both greater and lesser kudu and roan and sable antelope in the same park is one of the special attractions of Ruaha. In the dry season, the river is an excellent place for observing large numbers of game including lions, leopards, hunting dogs, giraffe, waterbuck, eland and warthogs. Thousands of birds flock to Ruaha on their annual migration from Europe to Asia, and 465 bird species have been sighted in the park. The park’s residents include kingfishrs, plovers, hornbills, green wood hoopoes, bee-eaters, sunbirds and egrets.

Britain’s bilateral aid programme to Tanzania is funding a project to prepare a management plan for the Ruaha ecosystem, and to ‘direct benefits from wildlife’ to the communities living in the game-controlled area, or ‘buffer zone’, adjacent to the park. Hunting by tourists and local residents goes on inside the area, explains project leader Dawn Hartley, as well as some poaching by the latter, “so its conservation presented a complex problem for the wildlife authorities”. Work carried out so far includes assisting four villages to establish wildlife committees, select their own game scouts and organise meat utilisation schemes.

Access is by road. The best months for game viewing are July and November when the animals are concentrated around shrinking water holes. During the rest of the year the tracks are almost impassable.
Camping is permitted at various sites including around the park headquarters at Masembe. There are bandas equipped with beds at the headquarters. Essentials except food and drink are provided. There is also a lodge and a tented camp.

Ruaha National Park

At 13,000 sq. km, it is the second largest Tanzanian park and one of the wildest. It is also the world’s largest elephant sanctuary. “There is not a blade of grass here in the dry season”, says Kenyan Wildlife sculptor Rob Glen about Ruaha National Park, his home for the past two years. This is difficult to believe once the rains have started and the Great Ruaha River is swollen to a mighty torrent strong enough to drag an adult hippo downstream. Glen, like watercolour artist Sue Stolberger, has special permission from Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) to live in the country’s second largest National Park. Both camp alongside the northern bank of the river, and are actively involved in the conservation of the spectacular and abundant wildlife upon which they base their work.

Access is by road. The best months for game viewing are July and November when the animals are concentrated around shrinking water holes. During the rest of the year the tracks are almost impassable.
Camping is permitted at various sites including around the park headquarters at Masembe. There are bandas equipped with beds at the headquarters. Essentials except food and drink are provided. There is also a lodge and a tented camp.