Things to Do in Tanzania

Tanzania holds the greatest concentration of famous names in African travel: the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. The northern safari circuit alone justifies the flight, and it starts where our volunteers live.

Arusha sits at the foot of Mount Meru and is the gateway town for the entire northern circuit — every safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro begins here.

The best things to do in Tanzania

1. The Serengeti

Endless grass plains with the largest predator populations in Africa and the wildebeest migration moving through in a continuous annual circuit. Calving season on the southern plains (roughly January-March) and the Grumeti and Mara river crossings later in the year are the headline events.

2. Ngorongoro Crater

A collapsed volcanic caldera 20km wide, with roughly 25,000 large animals living inside it year-round, including black rhino. Because it is enclosed, a single day gives you a genuinely high chance of the Big Five. The view from the crater rim at dawn is worth the early start on its own.

3. Tarangire National Park

Famous for enormous elephant herds and ancient baobabs, and much quieter than its neighbours. Best in the dry season when animals concentrate along the Tarangire River. Usually the first stop on a northern circuit safari from Arusha.

4. Kilimanjaro

Africa’s highest point at 5,895 metres, and non-technical — it is a long walk at extreme altitude rather than a climb. Routes take five to nine days; longer ones have far higher success rates because they allow proper acclimatisation. Machame and Lemosho are the popular scenic options.

5. Zanzibar

An hour’s flight from Arusha and a complete change of world. Stone Town is a UNESCO maze of Swahili, Arab and Indian architecture, carved doors and spice markets; the east coast has white sand and turquoise shallows; and Nungwi in the north has the best swimming and sunsets.

6. Arusha and Mount Meru

Do not overlook the base. Arusha National Park has giraffe, colobus monkeys and the Momella lakes with flamingos, plus walking safaris — rare in Tanzania. Mount Meru (4,562m) is a serious three-to-four-day trek and superb Kilimanjaro acclimatisation.

When to visit Tanzania

The dry season (June to October) is prime for general game viewing and Kilimanjaro. January to March is calving season in the southern Serengeti and also good for the mountain. The long rains (March-May) are the quietest and cheapest, though some tracks become difficult. Zanzibar is best outside the long rains.

Getting around

Safaris from Arusha are run in 4×4 vehicles as multi-day trips — we offer three- and four-day northern circuit tours you can add to a placement. Flights connect Arusha to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam quickly. Within Arusha, use registered taxis or ride-hailing rather than hailing on the street.

Seeing Tanzania as a volunteer

Arusha is the northern circuit gateway, so safaris slot straight into a placement weekend. Our Tanzania placements are based in Arusha, include accommodation, meals, airport pickup and 24/7 in-country support, and leave evenings and weekends free — which is exactly when most of this list gets ticked off. See volunteer programs in Tanzania for live prices and dates, or read our complete guide to volunteering in Tanzania for costs, visas and safety.

Tanzania travel FAQs

How long do you need for a Tanzania safari?

Three days covers Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara comfortably. Four days lets you add the Serengeti properly. We run both as add-on tours from Arusha.

Do I need to be fit to climb Kilimanjaro?

Reasonable fitness matters, but altitude tolerance matters more, and it is unpredictable. Choose a longer route (seven days or more) — success rates rise sharply with extra acclimatisation days.

When is the wildebeest migration in Tanzania?

It is a year-round circuit rather than a single event. Calving is on the southern Serengeti plains around January-March; the herds move north through mid-year, with river crossings typically from around July.

Is Zanzibar easy to reach from Arusha?

Yes — it is a short domestic flight, which is why many volunteers finish a placement with a few days on the coast.

Photo: Giles Laurent / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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