A Guide To Tanzania
Discover Tanzania — The Land of Endless Wonders!
From the endless plains of the Serengeti to the breathtaking heights of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania stands proudly as one of Africa’s most spectacular safari and adventure destinations.
Home to the Great Wildebeest Migration, one of the world’s most dramatic wildlife spectacles, Tanzania offers unmatched encounters with Africa’s Big Five — lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and rhino — across its diverse landscapes.
Explore the vast wilderness of Serengeti National Park, the magical Ngorongoro Crater, and the untouched beauty of Ruaha, Selous, and Tarangire National Parks, each rich with wildlife and stunning scenery.
The coastal paradise of Zanzibar Island adds a tropical charm to Tanzania’s wild soul — with its white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and ancient Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that tells stories of history, spice, and culture.
For adventure lovers, Tanzania offers it all — from trekking the world’s tallest free-standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, to exploring Lake Manyara, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa.
Beyond nature, Tanzania’s warm and welcoming people and vibrant cultures — from the proud Maasai warriors to the coastal Swahili traditions — give travelers a chance to connect deeply and experience authentic African heritage.
Whether you seek thrilling safaris, romantic beach holidays, mountain adventures, or cultural immersions, Tanzania promises memories that will last a lifetime.
Book your Tanzanian Safari with Finding Paradise Tours Limited for an unforgettable journey through the land of beauty, adventure, and timeless discovery — Tanzania, Truly the Heart of Africa!
Kenyan citizens do not need a tourist visa when travelling to Tanzania. Applicants are required to be present when applying for the Tanzania Visa free. This tourist visa typically allows a short term stay. The Tanzania tourist visa remains valid for 3 months.
Language: Swahili and English.
Capital City: Dodoma.
Currency: Tanzanian Shilling.
Credit Cards and ATMs: Most ATMs in Tanzania accept the following major credit and debit cards: Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus, and Plus. JCB, UnionPay, American Express, Diners, Discover, and Rupay are not accepted by most of them. For swiping, you can easily use Visa and Mastercard.
Plugs: In Tanzania, power plugs and sockets (outlets) of type D and type G are used. The standard voltage is 230 V at a frequency of 50 Hz.
Safety: Tanzania is a reasonably safe country12and one of the safest destinations in Africa. However, caution is recommended especially in tourist areas and near the border with Mozambique. There are risks of violent armed robbery, petty theft, threats of violence, and terrorist attacks. Visitors should follow the government travel advisories and use registered taxis.
Popular Places To Visit In Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro:Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, unlike other parks in northern Tanzania, is not visited for the wildlife but for the chance to stand in awe of this beautiful snow-capped mountain and, for many, to climb to the summit. Mount Kilimanjaro can be climbed at any time, although the best period is from late June to October, during the dry season.
Kilimanjaro, a World Heritage Site, was formed over 1 million years ago by volcanic movement along the Rift Valley. Three volcanic cones — Shira, Kibo, and Mawenzi — came to be about 750,000 years ago. The highest point is Uhuru Peak on Kibo, which is one of the Seven Summits of the world.
Serengeti National Park: The world-famous Serengeti National Park is a vast treeless plain with millions of animals living here or passing through in search of fresh grasslands. It's most famous for the annual wildebeest migration but you can also see the Big Five here, and nearly 500 species of birds have been recorded on the Serengeti.
As the second largest national park in Tanzania, the Serengeti attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year. The best months for wildlife viewing in Serengeti National Park are between June and September. The wet season is from March to May, with the coldest period from June to October.
Zanzibar Beaches:The island of Zanzibar, also called Unguja, is a major holiday destination in Tanzania and is known for its beautiful beaches.
Part of the Zanzibar archipelago, which consists of the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, this island has some of the best beaches in the world. The surf varies depending on what side of the island you are on, but visitors will find soft white sand and clear shallow water, along with traditional boats lining the shore.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Located between the Serengeti and Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the famous volcanic Ngorongoro Crater and is one of Tanzania's most popular wildlife viewing areas. This huge volcanic crater has a permanent supply of water, which draws thousands of animals who stay in this area rather than migrating.
Visitors come here primarily for viewing large animals and bird watching. Thousands of animals can be seen on the crater floor, including lions, elephants, rhinos, Thomson's gazelles, and buffaloes, but wildebeests and zebras account for over half of the animals that call the Ngorongoro Crater home.
Bird watching is superb, especially around Lake Migadi, which attracts flocks of flamingoes to the shallows. Hippos are content to submerge themselves during the day and then graze in the nearby grass in the evening.
Lake Manyara National Park:The spectacular Lake Manyara National Park is comprised of forest, woodland, grasslands, and swamps. Two-thirds of the park is covered by water and Lake Manyara is host to thousands of flamingoes, at certain times of year, as well as other diverse bird life.
The highlight of Lake Manyara Park is the large population of elephants, tree-climbing lions, and hippos, which can be observed at a much closer range than in other parks. This park is also home to the largest concentration of baboons in the world.
Mafia Island: Mafia Island draws divers and snorkelers from around the world to the undersea world protected by the Mafia Island Marine Park. The best months for diving are October to March but the best weather on Mafia Island is May to October. March and April are months of heavy rain.
Tarangire National Park: Tarangire National Park, established in 1970, is a fantastic area for wildlife viewing. It is best visited in the dry season from July to September when the animals gather along the river.
During the dry season, Tarangire National Park has one of the highest concentrations of migratory wildlife. Wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the lagoons. The park is also known for its large population of elephants, and the baobab trees that dot the grassy landscape.
The park is excellent for birdwatching, with more than 300 species recorded in Tarangire. These species include buzzards, vultures, herons, storks, kites, falcons and eagles
Pemba Island: Pemba Island is the northernmost island in the Zanzibar archipelago. Around Pemba are many desert islands and some of the best scuba diving in the Indian Ocean, with visibility that is unparalleled. Coral gardens, colorful sponges and sea fans are all found in the underwater haven. The city of Chake Chake, the main population center of Pemba, is a popular base for scuba divers.
Stone Town:Stone Town is the cultural heart of Zanzibar and little has changed in the last 200 years. The grand old Arabian homes lining the narrow streets and winding alleys give the city its own unique charm.
The majority of homes in Stone Town were built in the 19th C when Zanzibar was one of the most important Swahili trading towns in the Indian Ocean. Visitors will notice the bras-studded, intricately carved wooden doors on many of the houses.
As the world's oldest functioning Swahili city, many of the landmarks in Stone Town have been restored to their original glory. Some of the historic buildings are now museums and tourist attractions. The town also has a couple of interesting old churches of historical significance.
Selous Game Reserve: Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa. Established in 1922, it covers 5% of Tanzania's total area. The southern area is a forbidden zone that is undeveloped, heavily forested, and contains a series of steep cliffs.
Travelers are limited to the area north of the Rufiji River. This area of the Selous Game Reserve has large open grassland, woodlands, rivers, hills and plains. The best time to visit is July through October.
Arusha National Park: Arusha National Park, although smaller than most in Tanzania, has a range of habitats that consist of the forest of Mount Meru, Ngurdoto Crater in the southeast section of the park, and Momella Lakes, a series of seven crater lakes.
Black and white Colobus monkeys are easily spotted in the forested area while the marshy floor of the crater is dotted with herds of buffalo, zebra, and warthog. Momella Lakes is home to a large selection of resident and migrant waterbirds. People come here to see wildlife and also to climb Mount Meru.
Mount Meru is one of the most beautiful volcanoes in Africa and the second-highest mountain in Tanzania.
Ruaha National Park: Ruaha National Park is Tanzania's largest park, home to large herds of buffalo and gazelle, and has one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Tanzania.
The Great Ruaha River is the main feature of Ruaha National Park, providing magnificent wildlife viewing on the banks. The river also provides much of the electricity to Tanzania through a hydroelectric dam at Kidatu.
Ruaha National Park is the least accessible park in Tanzania and as a result, the landscape remains relatively untouched. Birdwatchers can enjoy over 400 species of birds that are not found in northern Tanzania, and the river, spectacular gorges, and majestic trees are especially appealing to photographers.
Gombe Stream National Park:Gombe National Park, also sometimes called Gombe Stream National Park, is primarily for those who want to get a little off the beaten track and see chimpanzees.
This is one of the smallest national parks in Tanzania and is famous for the work of Jane Goodall. This British researcher arrived in 1960 to study wild chimpanzees and her work turned into what would become the longest-running behavioral research program of its kind in the world.
Guided walks take visitors into the forest to observe chimps in the wild. Many species of primates and mammals live in the park. Over 200 bird species have been recorded in the tropical forest, including barbets, starlings, sunbirds, crowned eagles, kingfishers and the palm-nut vulture.
Hiking and swimming are other popular activities; a trail leads into the forest to a waterfall in the valley.
Katavi National Park:Katavi National Park is located in a remote region offering unspoiled wilderness. A predominant feature in Katavi is the enormous flood plain, split by the Katuma River and several seasonal lakes.
The lakes support enormous groups of hippos, crocodiles, and over 400 species of birds. One of the spectacles in Katavi is the hippos at the end of the dry season, when as many as 200 try to squeeze into a pool of water. The male rivalry heats up causing territorial fights.
The dry season brings Katavi National Park to life, herds of impala, reedbuck, lions, zebras and giraffes can be seen at the remaining pools and streams. Thousands of elephants and buffaloes also converge on the park when the flood waters retreat.
Lake Victoria:Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in Africa and is bordered by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
This lake is the source of the White Nile and provides an income for millions of residents along its shores. The Tanzanian section of Lake Victoria is one of the least visited regions in the country, however the towns of Bukoba, Musoma and Mwanza have a number of tourist attractions.
Near Mwanza and Musoma are many islands, some have become wildlife sanctuaries. Bird watching and fishing trips are popular excursions, and boat trips or hikes can be arranged around Lake Victoria.
Rubondo Island National Park, which includes several other smaller islands, is on the southwest shores of Lake Victoria.
Best Time To Visit Tanzania
Tanzania’s headline attraction is the Great Migration, which occurs year-round across the Serengeti. Many people flock here between July and September for a chance to witness huge herds of wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River — panic ensues as they try to avoid the jaws of crocodiles and other predators waiting to pounce. You’ll see lots of vehicles in the park at this time of year, though.
Tanzania’s ‘green season’, between November and March, is much quieter. While there’s a chance of rain showers, it’s a fantastic time for birdwatching as migratory species arrive in their thousands. You’ll also see Great Migration herds with their newly born calves.
The only time we tend to avoid Tanzania is between April and May, when heavy rains can disrupt wildlife viewing.
