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Elephant feeding in the long grass of Tarangire

Northern Tanzania · Baobabs & elephant

Tarangire

Great elephant herds along a single dry-season river, under some of the oldest baobabs in East Africa.

Best time
Jul–Oct
Getting there
2 hr drive from Arusha
We suggest
2–3 nights
Known for
Elephant herds, baobabs
The landscape

The river everything comes back to

In the dry season the Tarangire river is the only permanent water for a long way around, and wildlife walks in from the surrounding Maasai steppe to drink. Elephant families gather in the hundreds.

Ancient baobabs stand over the valley, some many centuries old, and the park holds dry-country species you will not find elsewhere in the north. It is also one of the best birding parks in Tanzania, with more than five hundred species recorded.

Baobab tree above the Tarangire bush
Why go

The best of Tarangire

  1. Elephant families coming down to the river in the heat of the day
  2. Lunch in the shade of a baobab
  3. A walk with an armed ranger outside the park
  4. Sundowner on the ridge above the valley
Wildlife

What you may see in Tarangire

Wild animals keep their own schedule — these are the species our guides know best here.

  • Elephant

    Some of the largest dry-season concentrations in Tanzania.

  • Lion

    Prides along the river, sometimes resting in the trees.

  • Fringe-eared oryx & gerenuk

    Dry-country antelope rarely seen elsewhere in the north.

  • Python

    Occasionally spotted draped in the branches along the river.

  • Birds

    Yellow-collared lovebirds, hornbills and the endemic ashy starling.

When to go

Tarangire through the year

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Elephant herds on the river
Birding
Green season, fewer vehicles

From July to October Tarangire can rival the Serengeti for game. In the rains the herds spread out across the steppe.

  • Quiet
  • Fair
  • Good
  • Peak

Tap a cell to see the month.

Where to go

Where we spend our time

  1. Tarangire river

    The heart of the park in the dry season: elephant, lion and big herds coming down to drink.

  2. Silale swamp

    Permanent marsh in the south-east, with buffalo, elephant and lion that hunt the edges.

  3. The quieter south

    Away from the main circuit, with few vehicles and good walking country.

Good to know

Before you go to Tarangire

Getting there
About two hours by road from Arusha, or a short flight to Kuro airstrip.
Tsetse flies
Present in some wooded areas. Avoid dark blue and black clothing.
Pairs well with
Lake Manyara as a day trip, and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Safaris

Journeys that include Tarangire

All safaris
Young elephants in green grass, Tarangire
Most booked

10 days · 9 nights Classic

The Northern Circuit

The full arc of northern Tanzania, with elephant herds and baobabs before the plains open up.

Tarangire · Manyara · Serengeti · Ngorongoro

From $7,900 pp

Wildebeest herd in golden light

14 days · 13 nights Beach

Plains & Indian Ocean

A full safari followed by six nights of reef, dhows and slow mornings on the coast.

Northern Circuit · Zanzibar

From $11,500 pp

Elephants beneath an acacia tree at sunset

4 days · 3 nights Classic

Three Parks, One Base

A short safari with no packing in between: one highland lodge, three parks within reach.

Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Manyara

From $2,900 pp

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Destinations

Explore more of Tanzania

Dirt road across the green Serengeti plains

Serengeti

Plains & kopjes

Endless short-grass plains broken by granite kopjes — the stage for big cats, and for the migration as it moves through.

Best: Jun–Oct · Jan–Mar

Mist rolling along the Ngorongoro crater rim

Ngorongoro Crater

Caldera floor

A collapsed volcano holding 260 square kilometres of grassland, soda lake and forest, with resident wildlife year round.

Best: Jun–Oct

Lionesses on a fallen tree

Lake Manyara

Rift escarpment

Groundwater forest, an alkaline lake and the wall of the Rift Valley within a compact, easily added park.

Best: Jun–Oct

Lion pride resting on a grassy rise

Ruaha

Southern wilderness

Tanzania's largest park: baobab hills, sand rivers and exceptional numbers of lion and wild dog, with very few vehicles.

Best: Jun–Oct

Hippos surfacing in the river

Nyerere / Selous

Rivers & boating

The Rufiji river system opens up safari by boat and on foot, alongside classic game drives.

Best: Jun–Oct

Cape buffalo bull lying in dry grass

Mahale / Katavi

Remote & wild

Chimpanzee tracking in forested mountains above Lake Tanganyika, paired with the floodplains of Katavi.

Best: Jul–Oct

Trekkers climbing a heath-covered mountain ridge

Kilimanjaro

Roof of Africa

Africa's highest peak, climbed over six to nine days on the Lemosho, Machame or Rongai routes.

Best: Jan–Mar · Jun–Oct

Horse riding along a white-sand beach at low tide

Zanzibar

Indian Ocean

Reef, dhows and Stone Town — the natural pause at the end of a safari.

Best: Jun–Oct · Dec–Feb

View from an escarpment over the valley under a passing storm

Arusha & Lake Eyasi

Culture & arrival

Where journeys begin, and where time with Hadzabe and Datoga communities adds a cultural layer.

Best: All year

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Plan with us

Plan your time in Tarangire

Tell us your dates and how you like to travel. We will reply with a route and honest pricing within 24 hours.

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