A journey through Tanzania, Africa’s visual masterpiece, is one of the best trips one can make in a lifetime. It’s a country of astonishing natural splendor, incredible wildlife spotting, powder white beaches, charming ancient towns, and archaeological UNESCO world heritage sites. One of the most dramatic stages for a classic African safari is Tanzania’s Great Migration, where mighty herds of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebras thunder across the Serengeti plains while chasing the rains in a race for life as they are purchased by a large number of predators. But the country offers much more than a Big Five safari experience. Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, rises 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level from its surrounding lush, grassy plains. Its snow-capped peak is a sight to behold and towers over the land. Climbing Kilimanjaro is surprisingly easy and standing on the roof of Africa is a life-changing experience.  Most visitors to Tanzania will end their unforgettable safari and mountain adventure with a serene and relaxing holiday on the sugar white, palm-fringed sands of Zanzibar, the intoxicatingly beautiful and exotic Spice Island. Tanzania also harbors some of the world’s finest and most luxurious hotels & lodges, matching the country’s breathtaking scenery.

Get the most out of your (luxury) trip to Tanzania with my travel guide. Find out more about:

• Best time to visit
• How to get there
• Travel requirements
• Getting around
• Inspiration, highlights, & travel tips
• Suggested itineraries
• Recommended luxury hotels (+ reviews)

HOW TO GET THERE

Tanzania receives numerous international and domestic daily flights via its three main airports:

• Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) is the international airport of Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. It is located about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southwest of the city centre. The airport has flights to destinations in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. It is named after Julius Nyerere, the nation’s first president. Click here for a list of airlines that offer direct flights to Dar Es Salaam.
• Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) is the main airport in the Zanzibar Archipelago located on Unguja Island. It is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Zanzibar City, the capital of Zanzibar. It was previously known as Kisauni Airport and Zanzibar International Airport, but was renamed in 2010 in honour of Abeid Amani Karume, the island’s first president. Click here for a list of airlines that offer direct flights to Zanzibar.
• Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is the international airport in northern Tanzania that serves the cities of Arusha and Moshi. This is the preferred airport for a safari on the Northern Circuit. Click here for a list of airlines that offer direct flights to Kilimanjaro.

Some visitors prefer to fly to Kenia’s Nairobi International Airport (NBO), and then take a private or shared shuttle bus service which operates between Nairobi and Arusha, the closest town to the parks on the Northern Safari Circuit.

If you want to travel the entire country, it’s best to either arrive in Kilimanjaro and depart from Zanzibar, or the other way around. Some airliners offer multi-city tickets at often the same price for a round-trip ticket. KLM, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines currently have the best connections to the country since they serve at least two airports within Tanzania.

Before you buy a plane ticket, consider reading my tips & tricks for buying the cheapest plane ticket.

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GETTING AROUND

Although self-driving in Tanzania is not recommended due to poor road conditions, it’s still easy to get around by making use of one of the several modes of transportation that are available:

• When you book a safari, the operator or lodge will always arrange a driver who doubles as an informal guide. Most tourists in the Northern Circuit will explore the National Parks in that area (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara) with a driver in a four-wheel drive vehicle.
• Domestic flights are the quickest and most comfortable option if you want to visit several parts of the country during your journey. There are several domestic airlines that link the most popular safari destinations and provide services to the coast. Some of the more upmarket safari lodges have their own airstrips and use small planes operated by private air charter companies to ferry their guests in, which is a good alternative to long drives on dusty roads. These are some of Tanzania’s domestic airlines that offer online bookings:
  • Precision Air
  • Coastal Aviation
  • Air Excel
  • ZanAir
  • Regional Air
• Long-haul buses are the best and cheapest way to travel for tourists on a budget. Large buses and dala-dala cover a nation-wide network that links the major towns, including international routes from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya. As I experienced myself during my travels in Tanzania as a student, some of the buses are (dangerously) tired, can be driven rather recklessly, and can be overcrowded.
• There are two major railways that crisscross Tanzania and offer a limited number of services per week. Clean bedding is provided in cars with sleeping berths, and there are dining cars. However, trains are best avoided since the rolling stock is very old and dirty, the trains get overcrowded with not only people but also sacks of vegetables and livestock, and theft is common.

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SUGGESTED ITINERARIES 

It’s impossible to suggest one itinerary for Tanzania, but I hereby share with you a schedule based on my own holidays in Tanzania, which is great if you want to see archipelago in a time frame of three weeks, hereby making use of domestic flights.

• Week one: Northern Safari Circuit (2 nights at Lake Manyara, 2 nights at Ngorongoro, and 3 nights at the Serengeti National Park).
• Week two: climb Mount Kilimanjaro. There are seven established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, varying from 5 to 9 days. Known as the “Coca-Cola” route, the Marangu route is most well established route. Many favor the Marangu route because it is considered to be the easiest path on the mountain, given its gradual slope. It is also the only route which offers sleeping huts in dormitory style accommodations. Make only use of a reputable travel agency to organize your trek.
• Week three: explore Zanzibar: stay two nights in Stone Town (recommended hotel: Park Hyatt Zanzibar), followed by 4 to 5 days of relaxation in a beach resort.