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Top 20 Best Tanzania Safaris - Compare 8,941 Tours

4.8/5  –  2,119 Tanzania Safari Reviews

In surveys of travelers’ favorite East African safari destinations, Tanzania very often ranks highest. This is the land of the Serengeti, of Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, and of Ngorongoro and the Great Rift Valley. More than mere backdrop to your safari, these storied and spectacular African landscapes share the stage with a remarkable array of wildlife, from chimpanzees in the west to the great migration and the Big Five in the north, and the wild country and vast wildlife-filled parks of the south. Tanzania really does have it all.

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5 Questions About Best Tanzania Safaris

1. Why should I choose Tanzania as the best place to go on safari?
2. Which national parks in Tanzania offer the best safari experiences?
3. Should I do a Northern or Southern circuit safari in Tanzania?
4. How does the cost of a Tanzania trip compare with other safari countries?
5. What kind of accommodations are there in and around Tanzania’s national parks?
 
 

5 Questions About Best Tanzania Safaris

Answered by Anthony Ham

Why should I choose Tanzania as the best place to go on safari?

“Tanzania has the largest populations of many animals – more elephants, more lions – of any country in East Africa. In the first half of the year, the great migration moves through the Serengeti as one of the largest mass movement of animals – wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle and more – anywhere on the planet. Year-round in the Serengeti, lions, leopards and cheetahs stalk the plains and koppies. Next door, Ngorongoro Crater is home to lions, hyenas, black rhinos, flamingos and more in a landscape that never fails to inspire wonder. In short, Serengeti and Ngorongoro are the classic East African safari come to life. But there are many other exciting safari opportunities elsewhere in the country. The late Jane Goodall conducted her ground-breaking work with chimpanzees in Gombe National Park and you can still commune with their descendants in the dense rainforest that rises from the shores of Lake Tanganyika; chimpanzee sightings are also possible in Mahale Mountains National Park. Of all of Africa’s main safari countries, Tanzania is one of the best places to see primates. And while many of its parks are extremely popular, Tanzania’s size and variety of protected areas means that it’s still possible to find a real sense of wilderness and safari discovery, especially in the parks of the south.”

1

Which national parks in Tanzania offer the best safari experiences?

“It all depends on what kind of safari you wish to have. If it’s the great migration that draws you to this remarkable country, then it has to be Serengeti National Park. Of course, the Serengeti is one of Africa’s best parks at any time, and it’s easy to combine with other safari destinations of the Northern Circuit – Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park and Arusha National Park. Pick any of these parks and you’re sure to have the holiday of a lifetime. Out in the west, Gombe and Mahale Mountains feel more like Central Africa than East Africa, offering a wonderfully different but equally rewarding safari experience than is possible in any other country. For a wilder safari, fewer crowds, big horizons and superb wildlife, one of Ruaha, Nyerere or Katavi National Parks would be my choice.”

2

Should I do a Northern or Southern circuit safari in Tanzania?

“Again, it depends what kind of safari you wish to have, although one thing can be said with some certainty: regardless of which you choose, you can’t really lose. Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit (which usually begins in Arusha and takes in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti) is one of the all-time great safari trips. And yes, nothing beats it for wildlife and amazing landscapes (especially if you add in detours to nearby Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Meru and Lake Natron). And, of course, there’s the great migration that can be seen nowhere else in the country. The Southern Circuit (which most often includes Nyerere, Mikumi and Ruaha National Parks) is utterly magnificent. Vast Ruaha is a rival to the Serengeti in the affections of many travelers, while Nyerere is a world of big lion and elephant populations, abundant birdlife and palm-fringed lakes; Nyerere is also the only place in Tanzania where you can enjoy the unique charms of a boat safari.”

3

How does the cost of a Tanzania trip compare with other safari countries?

“Tanzania is generally similar to other East African countries when it comes to the overall cost of your trip. Safari operators offer a wide range of tours and packages that cover all budget categories, and the value you receive in each of these categories relative to the cost of your safari is also not very different from other countries in East Africa. Also, because Tanzania is one of the largest safari countries with a wide range of parks and reserves to choose from, you shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding something to suit your budget, even if your first-choice trip quote is too pricey. There is a wide range of possible prices on a Tanzanian safari. Budget safaris usually start at around US$150 per person per day and luxury safaris at US$500 per person per day (though they can be three or four times that), with mid-range safaris somewhere in between. As in neighboring Kenya, park entry fees can be expensive, but in Tanzania you are also charged a fee for staying within a national park. These park and camping fees vary from one park to the next, but can cost between US$100 and US$150 per person per day.”

4

What kind of accommodations are there in and around Tanzania’s national parks?

“Tanzania has the full range of safari accommodations, including camping, hotels, lodges and tented camps. Inside most of Tanzania’s national parks, you can usually find lots of high-end accommodations (lodges and tented camps) and government-run campsites. Mid-range travelers usually have far fewer places from which to choose. Tented camps are classics of the Tanzanian (and broader African) safari – they’re often large and luxurious with en suite facilities, and they have a dining tent and sometimes even a swimming pool. They’re often found in spectacular, wildlife-rich locations, and because their walls are canvas, you feel very much a part of the wild, especially when a lion roars nearby at night. Most offer all-inclusive packages that include accommodations, meals and activities (including game drives). One particular specialty of the Serengeti is the mobile tented camp that follows the great migration through the park, moving once or twice a year (and leaving little trace after they leave) to follow the herds. There are also lodges and tented camps outside park boundaries. And you can often find hotels and other midrange accommodations, especially in nearby towns.”

5

Tanzania Safari Reviews

4.8/5 2,119 Reviews
Expert
Tim Bewer  –  
United States US

Tim is a travel writer who has covered 10 African countries for Lonely Planet's Africa, East Africa and West Africa guidebooks.

Crowded Favorites and Well-Kept Secrets
5/5

Tanzania is home to Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater; and this fact alone makes a solid case for declaring it Africa’s best safari country. But, of course, there’s much more that just these two places. Most visitors stick...

Full Review

Expert
Mary Fitzpatrick  –  
United States US

Mary is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including South Africa, Tanzania, East Africa and Africa.

Tanzania – Iconic Safaris, Beaches and Hiking
5/5

Few areas of the continent offer the amount, variety and accessibility of wildlife as Tanzania– and against such a scenic backdrop. Animals are abundant, species diversity is excellent, and evocative acacia- and baobab-studded landscapes...

Full Review

Debra Porte Bobier  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Jun 13, 2026
Exceptional
5/5

I couldn’t be happier that we chose Meru Slopes Tours and Safaris Limited for our Tanzania Safari. Rarely these days does anyone meet your expectations, must less exceed them. But that’s exactly what we got with Meru Slopes. I started...

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Jocelyn Rodriguez  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Jun 10, 2026
Beautiful Experience
5/5

Myself and a friend visited for approximately 8 days this May. We had a wonderful time and our guide Iddi was pleasant and informative throughout the trip. We saw many animals and experienced multiple parks. The transfers were seamless and...

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Sophie  –  
Switzerland CH
Reviewed: Jun 10, 2026
Everything was perfect !
5/5

Our guide was very nice and everything was good organized! The lodge was perfect and the food was amazing. We didn’t see any lions, but we saw many other animals! We had a very good time and we can’t wait to do another safari!

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Don  –  
United States US
Reviewed: Jun 8, 2026
Some experiences that are memorialized in pictures but Tanzania, it is memorialized in your heart.
5/5

Tanzania has been on our bucket list for years. It was not until my wife had a cancer scare that we made it a priority. The sheer beauty of the country, the animals and the people are humbling. The landscape is large, colorful and nothing...

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All 2119 Tanzania Safari Reviews