When should you travel to Tanzania?

Tanzania isn’t just a tour destination, it’s an experience that touches at your soul.

With its unblemished nature, rich animal life, and inviting culture, Tanzania offers a unique experience to get up close to nature. From its wide, open plains where you can experience the Great Migration, to the unique views from the peak of Africa after a challenging ascent of Kilimanjaro. In Zanzibar, you get the perfect conclusion to your tour with the ultimate beach holiday amidst the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean.

Tanzania is the ultimate tour destination for nature lovers and the adventurous.

Our tours in Tanzania

We offer three types of tours for Tanzania: safari, climbing Kilimanjaro, and a beach holiday in Zanzibar – or a combination of these.

Below you can read about some of the highlights that await you in this East African country. You can explore all the experiences on each tour.

Safari in Tanzania

Tanzania is synonymous with safari.

The country is home to some of the most iconic national parks and reserves, and Tanzania’s animal life never disappoints. Look forward to the Big Five, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, hippopotamuses, exciting birds, and many, many more.

Our tours that include a safari are designed to give you the best animal experiences with expert guides, ensuring you an unforgettable tour.

Check out our safaris in Tanzania.

Climbing Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, offers a challenging, but rewarding ascent.

Do you also want to be able to say “it’s the best experience I’ve ever had“ as one of our tour specialists wrote home just after she returned from the peak?

We offer a chance to climb Kilimanjaro on five different routes.

• Machame
• Marangu
• Rongai
• Shira
• Lemosho

Each route has its charms and challenges. Pick the route that you feel best fits your experience level and sense of adventure. We’ll help you decide!

See tours that include climbing Kilimanjaro

Beach holiday in Zanzibar

After your mainland adventure, try relaxing on the exotic beaches of Zanzibar.

The island is renowned for its alabaster beaches, turquoise waters, and the historic Stone Town.

Zanzibar is the perfect place to relax regardless of whether you’re starting or concluding your tour here.

If you’re not interested in laying by the pool or beach all day, then there are countless other things to do. For example, you could visit the Jozani Forest, where you may be lucky enough to encounter Zanzibar’s red colobus monkeys, explore your senses and taste your way through the island’s spices, or visit charming Stone Town, the old district of Zanzibar that is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

See tours that include a visit to Zanzibar.

Combine your tour in Tanzania with …

Your tour in Tanzania can be as varied as you want it to be.

We offer several options for combination.

For example, you can combine your safari with climbing Kilimanjaro, concluding your tour with a relaxing beach holiday in Zanzibar. For the adventurous, we also offer a combination with gorilla tracking in Uganda as an additional experience. These combination tours bring you the best of East Africa.

Package tours to Tanzania including flights

All our tours to Tanzania are package tours.

This means the price includes flights (return flights from the UK, as well as domestic flights), transfers at the destination, accommodation and all planned safari(s) and other excursion(s), or an ascent of Kilimanjaro.

Visit our practical information about Tanzania page for more information on what you need to take care of yourself (things such visas, vaccinations, etc.).

Frequently asked questions about Tanzania

You may have a lot of questions when you visit Tanzania for the first time. For this reason, we have attempted to answer some of the questions you may have.

Where is Tanzania?

Tanzania is in East Africa, with the Indian Ocean as its neighbour. The country shares a border with Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south.

Kilimanjaro is up close to the Kenyan border in the northern stretches of Tanzania. For example, you can see the mountain from Ambroseli National Park in Kenya.

The Zanzibar archipelago is located about 35 km east of the Tanzanian coast, in the Indian Ocean.

How much does a tour of Tanzania cost?

The price of a tour to Tanzania depends on the length of the tour, the content of your programme, and not least, your departure date. ¨

Our tours are package tours, meaning that they include flights, transfers, safari or ascent of Kilimanjaro, national park fees, and more. You can see our minimum prices on each individual tour. Tours cost more during peak seasons, e.g., during the summer holidays and over Christmas and New Year’s, but less during the off-peak. You can usually find the cheapest tours to Tanzania in April and May.

We recommend that you request a quote to get the final cost based on your departure date, airport, and any adjustments/upgrades.

How’s the weather in Tanzania?

Tanzania is south of the equator, on the east coast of Africa, so it is primarily tropical with regional differences depending on altitude. For example, the climate isn’t tropical at the peak of Kilimanjaro.

The country has clearly defined rainy and dry seasons.

In general, Tanzania has two rainy seasons:

• The long rainy season: March to May
• The short rainy season: November to December

During the rainy season, there is more rain, it’s more humid, and the weather is cooler. Conversely, the dry seasons (January – February and June-October) are characterised by dry, hot weather and lower humidity.

When is the best time to travel to Tanzania?

Tanzania is an all-year destination that offers magnificent experiences all year.

Many of our guests prefer to travel during the dry seasons (January – February and June – October), when the weather is hotter and drier.

On the safari side, this makes the animals easier to spot, as they gather around watering holes, particularly around the end of the dry season. Visibility at Kilimanjaro is usually better with less rain. However, the dry season does not necessarily mean that it doesn’t rain. You can travel during the rainy season without seeing any.

However, regardless of when you travel, you are sure to return home many fantastic experiences the richer.

How many days does a tour last?

Our shortest tour in Tanzania lasts 7 days and includes safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
The duration depends on what you want to experience, and we offer a variety of package tours suited to different needs and interests.

Is it safe to travel to Tanzania?

Yes. It’s safe to travel to Tanzania. We know that because we regularly visit Tanzania. We would never send guests off to destinations that aren’t considered to be safe.

As with all travel destinations, however, we recommend that you exercise the usual caution and follow local advice and guidelines.

Do you need a visa to visit Tanzania?

Yes, most people need a visa to visit Tanzania.

For detailed information about passport and visa requirements, check out our practical information page, where we’ve gathered information about travelling to Tanzania.

Do I need to be vaccinated before travelling to Tanzania?

You will likely need a vaccination before travelling to Tanzania.

We know a great deal about tours, but we aren’t doctors, so we can only speak in general terms about the vaccinations that are usually recommended for Tanzania. You may already have some of them from previous tours. For this reason, we recommend that you contact a specialist doctor, your general practitioner, or an authorised vaccination clinic for guidance on which vaccinations you need (and which ones you may already have).

We would like you to be aware of the rules about yellow fever – particularly if you are entering Tanzania via another country where yellow fever is present. This is because some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry.

TIP: With TourCompass, you can get a 10% discount on vaccinations at selected clinics. See more on our practical information page.

How much should you tip in Tanzania?

Tipping is an important part of Tanzanian culture, and although it may seem a little awkward and unnatural to many, it’s completely normal in many countries. In Tanzania, it is customary to tip people such as guides, servers and other service personnel.

You are free to choose what to tip, but we have established the following guidelines for you to use as reference.

On safari and beach holidays:

• 10-15 USD per person per day to the guide
• 2 USD for luggage which the porter carries for you
• 10 % in bars and restaurants
• 2 USD a day for the maid

If you’re climbing Kilimanjaro, we have an agreement stipulating that our guests pay a fixed sum per person in tips. The amount depends on the number of days you spend on the mountain.

• 6 days: 250 USD per person
• 7 days: 275 USD per person
• 8 days: 300 USD per person

This money will be shared out between the guides and porters after your climb. The fixed sum has been agreed to ensure that the money is shared out equally between them.

Any questions?

It may feel overwhelming to travel to Tanzania for the first time – we’ve all had the questions you may be wondering now.

Didn’t get the answer to your question?

Whether it’s before, during, or after your tour, we’re at the ready to help you with any question, big or small.

We look forward to helping you on a tour of a lifetime!

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller