Tanzania
The four parts of the country, how long each one needs, and the practical facts that change — dated, and with the official source beside each one.
Tanzania is the size of Nigeria and holds about a third of its population, which is the first fact worth having: the distances are long and the country is empty in the places you are coming to see. Roughly 38 per cent of the land is under some form of protection, which is among the highest proportions anywhere.
For a visitor it divides into four. The northern circuit — Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, with Arusha and Kilimanjaro as the gateways — holds the famous names, the best infrastructure and the most vehicles. The southern circuit — Nyerere and Ruaha — holds a fraction of the visitors across a far larger area, with boat and walking safaris the north cannot offer. The coast and islands are a separate country in feel: Swahili, majority Muslim, oriented to the Indian Ocean for a thousand years. And the mountains, chiefly Kilimanjaro and Meru.
We operate in all four from a base in Moshi, under Kilimanjaro. Extensions to Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are available on request; we have no pages for them because we would rather have none than thin ones.
The practical facts
Reviewed November 2026. Everything here changes and you should check it against the official source before you travel.
| Item | Position | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Visas | Most nationalities need one. An e-visa system operates and a visa on arrival is available to many passports. US citizens generally need the multiple-entry class. Fees and classes change. | Tanzania Immigration |
| Passport validity | Six months beyond your date of entry, with blank pages. Airlines enforce this at check-in. | Your airline and the embassy |
| Yellow fever | A certificate is required if you are arriving from a country with risk of transmission, and Zanzibar applies it more strictly than the mainland. | WHO and your travel clinic |
| Malaria | Present throughout, including Zanzibar. Prophylaxis is standard advice. Take it from a travel clinic, early enough to start the course. | A travel clinic, not us |
| Currency | Tanzanian shilling. US dollars are widely accepted for park fees and tourism services; notes dated before 2009 are often refused. | Bank of Tanzania |
| Electricity | 230 V, 50 Hz, UK-style Type G three-pin sockets. Camps often run on solar with limited hours and no high-draw sockets. | Confirmed per property in your proposal |
| Time zone | East Africa Time, UTC+3, all year. Tanzania has never observed daylight saving. | — |
| Languages | Kiswahili and English are both official. English is widely spoken in tourism. | — |
| Park fees | Set by TANAPA and the NCAA, revised periodically, and a large share of any safari price. subject to confirmation: re-check against the current published tariff and date it. | TANAPA |
| Plastic bags | Single-use plastic bags are banned. Zip-lock bags for toiletries are tolerated and are supposed to leave with you. | Declared on arrival |
Visa, health and fee rules change without much notice and the consequences of getting them wrong fall on you at a border. Every line above carries a review date and a source for exactly that reason. If a line matters to your trip, check the source rather than trusting this page.
The four parts of the country
How long you need
The commonest mistake is trying to see all four parts in ten days.
| Days available | What is realistic | What to leave out |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 | One region. Tarangire and the crater, or Zanzibar, or the mountain's lower slopes. | The Serengeti, unless you fly both ways |
| 5 to 7 | The northern circuit properly, or the southern circuit, or a short safari plus the coast. | Trying to do both circuits |
| 8 to 10 | Northern circuit plus the coast, at a pace that is actually restful. | The southern circuit as well |
| 11 to 14 | Two circuits, or one circuit plus mountain plus coast, with rest days built in. | Nothing much — this is where the country opens up |
| 15+ | Everything above, slowly, plus Kenya, Rwanda or Uganda on request. | — |
Tell us what you have in mind.
One conversation with the person who would plan it, and an honest answer about whether we are the right company for the trip.
Free, and with no obligation. A real planner replies within 24 business hours, East Africa Time. No payment is taken to enquire.