National Parks

National Parks in the North of Tanzania

There are many national parks in Tanzania and especially Arusha, the world's safari capital, is well-known because of this. Now the question is, which one you should choose? It depends on how much time you have, your budget and what kind of animals you prefer to see the most! Today’s text is giving you a few great options to visit. If you have time, you could easily visit a couple of them on the same trip and pick up the best of each!

The world’s largest population of giraffes and many other animals can be found in Arusha National Park, which is less than 50 km from Arusha City. The park sits just next to the majestic Mount Meru, which is 4565 m above sea level. Generally, one day is enough for the park and the trekking to Mount Meru takes typically 3-4 days, perhaps you would like to visit both!

Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken volcanic caldera in the world. The amazing crater is 600 m deep and almost 20 km wide. The famous crater is located 190 km west of Arusha and it’s home to plenty of animals including for example black rhinos, lions, African golden cats and African wild dogs!

Beautiful Lake Manyara National Park is also in the north and close to Arusha (125 km). Approximately two-thirds of the park is covered by water and there you can find thousands of pink flamingos along with pelicans, and of course, hippos enjoying the water. In addition to this, there is a chance to see amazing tree-climbing lions!

Lovely Tarangire National Park is just 70 km south of Lake Manyara and 150 km from Arusha. This park has an authentic atmosphere and it’s less touristic than some others. There are plenty of animals like all the big cats and buffalos and it’s very famous for its giant population of elephants!

Last, but not least, probably one of the most famous national parks in the world, Serengeti National Park. The park is located 235 km west of Arusha, it has 1,5 million hectares of savannah and is a place to see the annual Great Migration. All the ‘big five’ animals, African wild dogs, hundreds of thousands of gazelles, zebras, wildebeests, and many other animals. If you have time, there is better to stay for a few days as the park is huge and much to see!

Choose one or a couple of them, and you won’t regret it!