Situated in Eastern Africa, Tanzania lies in the Great Lakes Region and includes magnificent swathes of wilderness as well as several offshore islands including Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia. Tanzania boasts both the lowest and highest points in Africa, with Mount Kilimanjaro at 5,895m above sea level and the floor of Lake Tanganyika at 352m below sea level. This large country is brimming with stunning sights, from the sprawling beaches, towering Mount Kilimanjaro and majestic wildlife to the impressive ruins and fascinating cultures. Most importantly, when it comes to the best safaris in Tanzania it offers its visitors an impressive 16 national parks to explore.

The well-established northern safari circuit offers some superb scenery and wildlife viewing. It includes the Serengeti National Park, one of the most celebrated parks in Africa, renowned for its annual Great Migration when an estimated three million antelope, mostly wildebeest, migrate to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve. In the Serengeti, which means ‘endless plains’ in the Masai language, visitors can expect to see an incredible variety of wildlife including a high concentration of predators.

The northern circuit also includes the remarkable Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, with around 25,000 large animals living in the crater, including the rare black rhino, and one of the best places to see the Big Five; Lake Manyara National Park, with its soda ash lake which attracts thousands of flamingos and unique tree-climbing lions; and Tarangire National Park, known for its huge elephant herds, baobab trees and wonderful birding.

Tanzania is a top African safari destination, home to diverse species of animals, birds and plants. Herds of elephants, flocks of flamingos, prides of lions and endangered groups of black rhino,  run wild in the numerous national parks of Tanzania. To crown an already impressive set of safari credentials the great wildebeest migration begins in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania when the heavy Tanzania rainfall during April forces herds of animals to start their journey northwards in search of food.

Best Time For Safari In Tanzania

The best time to visit Tanzania for a safari is from July to October (peak season). June is also a good month when the bush is still lush from the rains, although it makes it harder to see game it’s a very beautiful month and is great for birding with many migratory species.

July to October is the dry season with cooler temperatures, a great time to see wild and migratory animals in the bush as they are easier to spot with less dense vegetation, becoming more so as the dry months continue. Game also gathers round rivers and water holes to drink. During these cooler, drier months you also won’t find mosquitoes. The months of August and September are the winter months when nights and early mornings can be cold, but the days are still beautiful and warm. July to September is a good time to see the great migration in northern Tanzania as the animals start to cross the rivers from Tanzania into Kenya. In November the herds start to move southwards back into the Serengeti from Kenya while January is the calving season in the southeast of the Serengeti.

Getting Around

• Tanzania is a large country with very specific tourism areas, distances between them can be large so travelling around may well be a mix of road transfers and internal flights.