


Location
The Tarangire National Park is located near the Great Rift Valley, close to the Masai Steppe in Tanzania’s north, forming part of the country’s northern safari circuit.
Size
The Tarangire National Park is, 1615 square miles.
History
Established as a game reserve in 1957, the Tarangire National Park was named after the Tarangire River that winds its way through the landscape. It was later declared a National Park in 1970.
Entrance Fees & Permits
The charge to enter the Tarangire National Park is UDS 53 per person, with proof of identification required.
Hours of Operation
The gates to the Tarangire National Park are open between 6.30am and 6.30pm
By Road
The drive from Arusha to the Tarangire National Park is a journey of 87 miles and will take approximately two hours on good roads.
By Air
Guests can fly to nearby Lake Manyara airport and then do a two hour drive to Tarangire from there, however the total trip time is the same, so driving from Arusha is recommended.
Weather & Climate
The weather in Tarangire ranges from mild to warmer days, maintaining a moderate temperature throughout the year. During the dry, winter season the days mostly rest around 79 F while nights may drop to the mid-fifties. Slight differences can be felt during the wet, warmer months between December and February, the days will climb to 82 F with the evenings a mild 62 F. Game viewing is at its best during the drier months between June and September.
Avoiding Crowds
Tarangire National Park sees a lot of visitors between the months of June and September, so consider traveling from Mid-October to early December during the short rainfall season to avoid crowds. Birdlovers may want to consider visiting the park in January and February when the lush conditions make for wonderful bird watching.
Value for Money
Being a comfortable two-hour ride from Arusha, and with accommodation options that range between USD400 and USD1300 per person sharing per night, spending anything from one to three nights in the Tarangire National Park is a value for money, destination, and experience.
Popular Wildlife Sightings in the Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is known to have one of the largest elephant populations in Tanzania and it is home to the “Big Five”. Chances of spotting lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino, along with the elephants is very possible during a game drive. The Tarangire River attracts a lot of predators so sightings of popular favorites are likely.
The Terrain
Known for its baobab trees, the Tarangire is a scenic wonder with scattered trees over the swamps and wooded areas, with valleys rising beside the winding Tarangire River. The swamps welcome both snakes and a plethora of birdlife alike.
Game Drives
Game drives are conducted with qualified guides, in an enclosed or open 4×4 safari vehicle, usually with an early morning or a late afternoon game drive experience.
Guided Walking Safaris
Qualified guides will show guests the wonders of the Tarangire, from flora and fauna to plains game and predators in the distance.
Moderate safari lodges, classic safari hotels, and luxury tented camps can be found within the Tarangire National Park. Options to spend a night in luxury tree-house lodging and the chance to experience mobile camping are available as well.
Tarangire National Park Lodging – Distance from park entrance
| Lodge or Hotel | Distance to park entrance (in miles) |
| Mbali Mbali Tarangire River Camp | 4 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Tarangire Safari Lodge | 5.8 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Ang’ata Tarangire Camp | 25 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Elawana Tarangire Treetops | 14 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Tarangire Kuro Treeetops Lodge | 23 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Sanctuary Swala Camp | 64 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge | 14 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Tarangire Sopa Lodge | 20 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Nyikani Tarangire camp | 77 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Acacia Tarangire Luxury Camp | 67 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Kirurumu Tarangire Lodge | 9.6 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Tarangire Tortilis Camp | 17 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
| Maramboi Tented Lodge | 11 miles from the the main entrance gate to Tarangire National Park |
Baobab Trees
The sight of these magnificent “upside down” trees is quite something to behold. Enjoy photo opportunities and learn more about how these trees came to be.
The dry winter season between June and September is the best time to visit Tarangire National Park for a great chance to see wildlife. To avoid crowds, visitors should consider traveling around the green season months of November to early February, a wonderful time for birdlife and the calving season.
A safari in Tarangire National Park can cost between USD400 to USD1300 per person sharing per night, depending on when you stay and what style of accommodation is chosen.
The drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park will take two hours, a 78 mile journey on good roads.
The terrain and landscape is diverse, with the magnificent Tarangire River flowing through the park. The dramatic baobab trees and vast complement of wildlife makes a safari in Tarangire special.
Tarangire National Park is home to the “Big Five” namely lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo, and to a large number of plains game including zebra, giraffe and both lesser and greater kudu to name a few. Over 600 species of birds have been recorded in Tarangire.
The gates to Tarangire National Park are open between 6.30am and 6.30pm
It is advisable to pre-book your safari stay in Tarangire National Park as the park is popular and accommodation books up fast.
A 4×4 game drive is the best way to experience the Tarangire National Park, with the option to do some guided bush walks as well.
Tarangire treetops camp and Oliver’s Camp are two popular accommodation options in Tarangire National Park, while the Tarangire Safari Lodge is known for its excellent location within the park.
There are no stand-alone restaurants in the Tarangire National Park, guests would dine in the restaurants situated at the lodge or camp of their choice.
Baobab Trees
The sight of these magnificent “upside down” trees is quite something to behold. Enjoy photo opportunities and learn more about how these trees came to be.
Tanzania is alive with colorful wildlife herding in dense and unusual parks – we’ll explore two of these dynamic areas on this spirited Tanzania Safari. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is unique in the world of safaris – it’s the largest intact volcanic crater on Earth. We’ll travel down into this dense, self-contained world of active wildlife in our 4 x 4 Jeep.
The Serengeti. Ngorongoro Crater. Oldupai Gorge. The names are exotic, the locations even more so. This Tanzania Safari will bring you into the heart of the country – to immense savannahs heaving with wildebeests and big cats, and an ancient crater filled with Zebras, gazelles, cheetahs, and flamingoes.
We’ll touch the origins of mankind at Oldupai Gorge, a millions-year-old record of humankind’s earliest inhabitants. And then, when you’ve explored the best of Tanzania from the ground, our safari will take you to the air with a flight over these same magnificent landscapes and a return to Arusha.
These are Tanzania’s finest parks and we give you a choice to begin this Africa safari adventure at either Lake Manyara or Tarangire National Parks. Manyara is a colorful jewel, filled with thousands of pink flamingoes settled on the shores of a cobalt blue lake. Tarangire is known for its elephants, lots of migrating wildlife, and few tourists. Take your pick of the parks.
Serengeti National Park is perhaps the most famous wildlife reserve in the world, with its horizons filled with wildebeests and zebras. The lion population here is the largest of any park in the region, if not all of Africa. But for sheer density of big cats, nothing beats the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest intact volcanic caldera on the planet.
We’ll visit these wild, colorful and memorable parks and all the wildlife that live upon these vital lands on this five-day Natural World Kenya Safaris exploration.
5 DAYS, 4 NIGHTS: NGORONGORO CRATER – NDUTU AREA -LAKE MANYARA PARK
We created this safari to bring you up close to the wonders of Tanzania… wonders like the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, and a wildlife universe unto itself, cut off from the rest of Africa.
The Ndutu Area is the engine of the Great Wildebeest Migration – it’s where the millions of wildebeests and other grazers settle for the calving season, from December through March, giving birth to up to half a million newborns every winter.
From Ngorongoro Crater to Enchanting Lake Manyara
Tour includes:5 DAYS, 4 NIGHTS: NDUTU AREA – NGORONGORO CRATER
This is where you’ll find astonishing and active wildlife – the Ndutu Area is one of the best spots to witness the drama of the Great Migration and Ngorongoro is unmatched for its density of animal life.
dutu pulsates with limitless numbers of wildebeests and zebras as these are the calving fields that ultimately populate the migration. From December through April, the fresh grasses of Ndutu attract millions of herding grazers to give birth to their young, as many as 8,000 a day!
Here the newborns take their first steps, issue their first cries and quickly learn and grow to keep up with the vast herds of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles. Then, come spring, they move north toward still more fresh grasses in the unending cycles of the Great Migration.
Witness The Great Migration, Plus Incredible Ngorongoro
Tour includes:We designed this Total Tanzania Safari to show you the best of our beautiful country – its overflowing wildlife on boundless plains, across sterling lakes, and even down into lush, teeming crater floors. Serengeti National Park is home to more lions than any other spot in Africa – an astonishing range of animals populate its sweeping tracts stretching out to the horizon.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a world unto itself – over 25,000 animals dwell across this isolated volcano floor – lions, leopards, rhinos, baboons, even pink flamingoes thrive in these nether reaches. You’ll discover elephants, buffalo, lion, and leopard on our sojourn to Tarangire National Park, and small but exquisite Lake Manyara National Park always delights with its thousands of bright pink flamingoes filling its sparkling shores.
6 Day Tanzania safari visiting Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro.
Safari proceeds to Lake Manyara, the expansive Serengeti Reserve and the amazing Ngorongoro Crater.
The safari is starts and ends in Arusha visiting the best of Tanzania national parks.
Safari proceeds to Lake Manyara, the expansive Serengeti Reserve and the amazing Ngorongoro Crater.
7 DAYS, 6 NIGHTS: TARANGIRE PARK – NDUTU AREA – SERENGETI PARK – NGORONGORO CRATER
This specially designed tour will give you opportunities to see the birthing fields when up to 500,000 wildebeest newborns are dropped onto the vast fields of the Ndutu Area of the Serengeti.
On this tour we will explore Tarangire National Park, Ndutu Area, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater.
Witness the Awesome Cycles of The Great Migration
Tour includes:This is a combination of Wildlife and Cultural safari in Tanzania.
The 10 day tour visits the first class national parks in Tanzania, Arusha Naitional Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manayara, the world famous Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park.
An amazing 9 day (8 nights) safari exploring Kenya and Tanzania. 5 parks visited. Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lake Victoria, Maasai Mara and Nairobi.
See 5 famous Parks & Reserves
An amazing two full week adventure – experience Kenya’s finest parks alongside Tanzania’s Serengeti. Tour includes Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Lake Victoria, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Amboseli,
Two full weeks East Africa safari adventure
Located near the new Sangaiwe gate to Tarangire National Park with stunning views over Lake Burunge, Sangaiwe Tented Lodge offers travelers to Tanzania luxury tented accommodation, great service and fresh food.
Kirurumu Tarangire Lodge is built on the site of the old Tamarind Camp, in land we own and looking out on a flood plain that is seasonally a rich feeding ground for elephant and much else. There are 10 permanent tented cottages built in exactly the same style as the new Kirurumu Manyara Lodge cottages and the standards are the same high standards you have always been familiar with at Manyara.
Ang’ata Tarangire camp has 8 Guest Tents including a 2 tent Family unit, a lounge and a dining tent. Each guest tent has an en-suite bathroom with shower, vanity desk and flush toilets. Depending on request a Kingsize bed, 2 Twin beds or triples are available.
Built to blend in with the vastness of its surroundings, Tarangire Sopa Lodge lies hidden among the kopjes, ancient baobab and grasses of the Tarangire National Park – home to the greatest concentration of elephants in Africa. Many can be seen around the lodge, allowing visitors a close encounter.
Osupuko is a Maasai word meaning “Virgin Land” or “Natural Paradise”.
Osupuko Lodges & Camps run and manage up-market properties offering very high standards of personalized quality services for local and foreign tourists.
The best time to go gorilla trekking in Uganda is during the dry season (December– February and June - August) when conditions are especially good for trekking to view mountain gorillas. Game drives in the national parks are also fruitful during this time.
Wear neutral colored, lightweight clothing on your Uganda safari. Dress in layers and bring a warm sweater for morning and nighttime game drives. For gorilla trekking, bring a waterproof rain jacket, hiking boots, long socks, hiking pants, bug repellant, and a daypack. A sunhat and gardening gloves are also a good idea; the jungle is dense and thick.
Natural World Kenya Safaris offers Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Uganda with basic accommodations starting at $96 per person, per day, plus the Uganda gorilla trekking permit which costs $700 per person per day (the permits are required, and those fees are non-negotiable.) Costs increase from there.
Natural World Safaris can provide basic, mid-range, and luxury trekking safaris and is eager to work with almost any budget.
Suggested tips range from $10 to $20 per person per day for a private guide and the same amount for your driver if that is a different person than your guide.
If you are on a guided safari or gorilla trek in Uganda, your chances of encountering problems are minimal. However, it is always a good idea to take precautions on your safari, particularly when traveling through urban areas or in regions close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The trek to spot gorillas can be strenuous. It could take anywhere from two to eight hours to find and observe the gorillas, depending on the time of year. Be prepared to hike for multiple hours through uneven terrain at high altitude. It is advisable to train before any gorilla trekking trip by walking uphill, or better yet, by taking day hikes.
When it comes to wildlife viewing, there are never any guarantees. There are no fences in the parks in Uganda and the gorillas are free to roam. However, our expert guides and gorilla trackers have years of experience taking guests to see these magnificent creatures. They know their favorite spots to congregate and work closely with park officials each day to provide the best possible chance of seeing gorillas in the wild.
Most mountain gorillas in Uganda live at between 4,900 to 7,500 feet. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the country’s mountain gorillas, has a high point of 8,550ft.
The best time to go on a gorilla trek in Rwanda is during the dry season (June - September) when conditions are best for trekking to view the country’s highlight: the fascinating mountain gorillas.
Wear neutral colored, lightweight clothing on your Rwanda gorilla trek. Dress in layers and don’t forget a sweater for chilly morning and nighttime game drives. For gorilla trekking, bring a waterproof rain jacket, broken-in hiking boots, long socks, hiking pants, bug repellant, and a daypack. A sun visor and protective gloves – such as gardening gloves - are also useful.
Natural World Kenya Safaris offers Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Rwanda with basic accommodations starting at $720 per person, per day, plus the Rwanda gorilla trekking permit which costs $1,500 per person per day (the permits are required, and those fees are non-negotiable.) Costs increase from there.
Natural World Safaris can provide basic, mid-range, and luxury trekking safaris and is eager to work with almost any budget.
Suggested tips for your guide are $25 per person, per day for a private guide and the same amount for your driver if that is a different person than your guide.
Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa, particularly if you are on a guided safari or gorilla trek. Your chances of encountering problems are minimal. However, it is always a good idea to take precautions on your safari, particularly when traveling through urban areas. Cross-border travel into the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Burundi is not safe, however, so steer clear of this.
The trek to spot gorillas can be strenuous. It could take anywhere from two to eight hours to find and observe the gorillas, depending on the time of year. Be prepared to hike for multiple hours through uneven terrain at high altitude. It is advisable to train before any gorilla trekking trip by walking uphill, or better yet, by taking day hikes.
When it comes to wildlife viewing, there are never any guarantees. There are no fences in the parks in Rwanda and the gorillas are free to roam. However, our expert guides and gorilla trackers have years of experience taking guests to see these magnificent creatures. They know their favorite spots to congregate and work closely with park officials each day to provide the best possible chance of seeing gorillas in the wild.
Most mountain gorillas in Rwanda live at between 8,000 to 13,000 feet. Volcanoes National Park has a high point of 15,000ft.
Contact us for more information
For more information about our safari excursions, or to book your dream safari trip with Natural World Kenya Safaris, simply get in touch with our friendly travel advisors. Give us a call on +254 704 001 122 or leave your details on our contact us page, and we'll reply as quickly as possible.
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