Tarangire National Park

The Tarangire National Park is one of the closest Tanzania safari regions to Arusha and is part of what is referred to as the northern circuit. Yet it is not as visited as the Serengeti National Park which means that there are fewer crowds. From July through October the park has an excellent concentration of game, especially if you love Elephants. Tarangire is often referred to as ‘the land of giants’ due to the many giant baobab trees which occur in the park. 

While you might expect to see leopards in a tree during your luxury safari in Tanzania, it is less common to see lions up in the branches. However, Tarangire is famous for its tree-climbing lions. Visitors can see all the species that you would see in the Serengeti as well as unusual ones like the long-necked gerenuk. Peak season also sees good numbers of wildebeest and zebra as well as giraffe, buffalo, Thompson’s gazelle, greater and lesser kudu, eland, leopard and cheetah.

Between June and October in Tanzania’s dry season, the wildlife gathers along the Tarangire River, creating some of the best game viewing in East Africa.

Most visitors will fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport and then travel by either road or charter flight to Tarangire National Park. The nearest airport is Arusha which is 2 hours from the entrance. Kilimanjaro International Airport is about a 3-hour drive from the park on good tar roads until the last 7 kilometres to the park gate. Some guests who opt for a fly-in safari may fly into the Kuro Airstrip in the park.