Tanzania Safaris and Tours

The Serengeti National Park is Tanzania's premier wildlife destination, forming part of the giant Serengeti ecosystem with neighbouring Kenya. It's home to all of the Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo) and countless other native species.

The vast majority of our Tanzania trips explore the reserve, alongside the UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Crater. Some of our trips also travel to Tarangire National Park and Mikumi National Park.

We know that the majority of travellers come to Tanzania for the wildlife, which is why we take in many of the country's best national parks and game reserves on safari across our trips.

As well as the Serengeti National Park, travellers on our overland camping safaris in Tanzania will visit the Ngorongoro Crater, one of Africa's finest safari destinations. And with our lodge safaris, you can also visit Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park.

Remember, that with our overland camping safaris, you can visit multiple countries across eastern and southern Africa. So from Tanzania, you could visit the wildlife reserves like Chobe in Botswana, or Etosha in Namibia, the choice is yours!

If there is somewhere in particular that you would like to visit on your Tanzania safari then don't hesitate to reach out to our Reservations team, who can help you to find the perfect trip!

The Big Five are the five African species most sought after by travellers on a Tanzania safari. They are African lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo.

We give our travellers the best chance possible to spot the Big Five on their Tanzania tour, with numerous included game drives in the country's main national parks and reserves. All of the Big Five reside in the Serengeti National Park. The Ngorongoro Crater is home to some of the highest densities of African wildlife on the continent, and Lake Manyara is home to the famous tree-climbing lions.

Of course no wildlife encounters can be guaranteed, as wild animals are unpredictable. Leopards in particular are hard to spot, because they are well camouflaged and mostly nocturnal. But you are sure to see some incredible wildlife, and you never know, you may be able to tick off all five on your Tanzania tour!

Although Tanzania is a year-round destination, the dry season from June / July - October is generally considered the best time to visit, with less vegetation and fewer water sources causing wildlife to congregate around the surviving drinking spots. There's more information on our travel guide page.

If travelling on one of our camping trips, we recommend you read our guide to overland camping safaris. You can also see a detailed packing list in the Trip Notes for each tour.

Some of the important items to remember are: sleeping bag, travel pillow, towel, Mosquito spray (with active DEET ingredient), your own personal first aid kit, torch, antibacterial wipes, a photocopy of your passport data, and your Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate.

The local payment is a cost per person that needs to be paid in US Dollars cash only. It is this payment that in part covers the park fees and other inclusions such as meals as detailed on each tour page. The local payment also covers your arrival transfer and first night’s accommodation.

Please note that due to exchange rate fluctuations in the US dollar, the local payment amount may be subject to changes. This payment will be collected by your tour leader at the Welcome Meeting on day 1 of your escorted tour. Our Reservations team can give you more information about the local payment, the cost of which can be found on each tour page.

On our Tanzania overland camping safaris, the maximum group size is 30, and these tours depart with a minimum of 4 passengers.

On our Handpicked small group lodge safaris, the group sizes are much smaller, with a maximum group size of 6. These Tanzania tours depart with a minimum of two passengers.

On our overland African safari tours in Tanzania, you will be escorted by a three-person crew comprised of a qualified tour leader who will act as your guide, as well as a driver and cook.

On our lodge accommodated tours, you will be fully escorted by an experienced local guide, who will also act as your driver.

According to the 2022 LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index, Tanzania scores an F rating for LGBTQ+ traveller safety, ranking 185th out of 203 countries.

Same sex marriage is illegal and there are no constitutional or worker protections in place for the LGBTQ+ community, although there is limited criminalization of violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. 0 - 25% of consulted citizens consider Tanzania a good place to live for gay and lesbian people. Any acts of homosexuality are liable to imprisonment from 30 years to life, and indecent behavior in regard to homosexuality earns up to 5 years in prison.

This does not mean members of the LGBTQ+ community shouldn’t visit Tanzania, but precautions should be taken when travelling. As long as you use common sense, travelling in Tanzania shouldn’t be a problem.

The LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index is designed to provide a good overall picture of attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community in each country and may not reflect the experience of foreign travellers to the country.

The tap water in Tanzania is not considered safe to drink. You should stick to filtered and bottled water, which is readily available in shops, hotels, and restaurants throughout the country.

On our overland camping tours, solo travellers will be matched up with another solo traveller of the same sex, with whom they will share a tent. If there is no other solo traveller of the same sex on the tour, you will have a tent to yourself at no extra cost.

On our Handpicked lodge tours, a single supplement applies for solo travellers. The cost of this can be seen on the tour page for each trip.

As a United Kingdom-based company, we follow the latest up to date travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO). You can see the latest travel advice and local laws for Tanzania here.