15 Things to Do in Tanzania in 2025

Tanzania is the ultimate African safari dream destination, so much to do so much to see and in this article we share 15 things to do in Tanzania in 2025. From game viewing safaris to birding to cultural tours to clear sandy beaches here is what you can do while in Tanzania;

  1. The Great Migration

One of the top things to do in Tanzania is the Great Migration in Serengeti, the Great Migration is an amazing wildlife encounter and one that is destined to be a highlight while on safari in Tanzania. The Serengeti is famously known for the annual Great Migration which is the longest overland migration in the world. This annual migration involves millions of wildebeest and zebras as they migrate in search of fresh water and food as the seasons change throughout the year. The annual Great Migration sees two million wildebeest and zebra migrate from the Serengeti National Park as they cross north in to the Maasai Mara, they are usually joined by Grant’s gazelle, Thomson’s gazelle and elands along the way. The animals pass through the Mara River and Grumeti River that are filled with about 3000 crocodiles waiting to lunge on them but even this does not stop the animal’s quest for lush green grass and fresh water. The Great Migration is one of the most fascinating wildlife encounters in Africa.

  1. Visit Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro Crater is a must-visit while on safari in Tanzania especially of you have more days to spare during your visit. We usually recommend spending 2-3 nights in order to exhaustively experience the conservation area during crater drives. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located in Northern Tanzania west of Arusha city, the conservation area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was named after the Ngorongoro crater which is a dramatic massive volcanic caldera and the largest unbroken caldera in the word. The conservation area is known for its high concentration of wildlife and is home to the Big Five animals.

The Ngorongoro crater conservation area is home to over 25,000 large animals including predators and a dense population of herbivores. Wildlife to look out for during the crater drives include Lions, Elephants, Cape buffaloes, Grant’s Zebra, Black Rhino, Water buck, Blue Wildebeest, Grant’s Zebra, Thomson’s gazelles, Common Eland, Grant’s gazelles, Warthogs, Spotted Hyenas, East African wild dog, Hippos, Cheetah, Serval, Golden Jackal, Bushbuck and Black-backed Jackal among others. The Ngorongoro crater is a prime destination for game viewing.

  1. Hot Air Balloon Safari

One of the best things to do in Tanzania is the hot air balloon safari, a unique experience that takes you over the national parks in a hot air balloon. This experience is a different option to see wildlife aside from the usual game drives that are commonly done. Instead of a car game drive, you look out for wildlife from the top in a hot air balloon, a truly memorable experience in the wilderness! The best places to do hot air balloon safaris are Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The balloon safari in Serengeti takes you above the Ndutu area, Central Serengeti, Western Serengeti and Northern Serengeti, you start the safari as early as 5:00 am. You are picked up from the lodge and driven to the launch site, here you receive a safety briefing before your flight and then start your safari as you launch and fly over the conservation areas. The safari is about 2 hours long and on return you will have a gourmet or champagne breakfast after which you are transferred back to your lodge. The amazing thing about the hot air balloon safari is that as you travel back after the flight you get to enjoy a game drive.

  1. Game Drives in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is a rewarding game viewing park that is known for its high population of elephants and its unique gigantic baobab trees. Baobab trees are large trees found in grassy plains of Africa with large trunks that are sometimes hollow, elephants usually like to strip their barks for moist tissue since the trees retain water during the rainy season.

Tarangire National Park has a diverse array of free-roaming wildlife that include Elephants, Giraffes, Lions, Buffalo, Zebras, Wildebeest, Olive baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Gerenuk, Fringe-eared oryx, Dik-dik, Grant’s gazelle, Waterbuck, Cheetahs (rarely seen), Leopard, African wild dog, Honey badget, Impalas, Commond Eland, Caracal, Banded mongoose, Hippos, Warthogs, Jackals, Kudus, Hartebeest, Bat-eared foxes among others. Wildlife is usually seen foraging across different habitats of the park, prepare for incredible sightings in the midst of one of Tanzania’s most diverse national park. Tarangire is best explored on full day game drives, you stop over for a picnic lunch while on safari and continue with game drives in the afternoon. The areas of interest will be the Northern circuit which contains the river between Tarangire Sopa Lodge and Tarangire Safari Lodge and the several small loops that connect to the riverbank. The Tarangire River is a major contributor to the rich Eco system of the national park as it offers fresh water for wild animals especially during the annual dry season.

  1. Cultural Tours ( Maasai Village Tour )

The Maasai are a famous ethnic group of Tanzania and known for their fearsome warrior culture. They live in proximity with conservation areas like Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. A visit to a Maasai village brings you closer to the local people and also offers you a glimpse in to their culture and way of life. This is a great way to spend an afternoon while on safari in Tanzania. The Maasai are also known for their colorful traditional wear that consists of colorful sheets and radiant beaded jewelry as well as their interesting traditional dance that involves jumping up high. The visit can be done in the afternoon and you can actively participate in interacting with this indigenous tribe and even participate in the dances.

  1. Birding in Tanzania

When you hear Tanzania most times you will hear game viewing safaris however Tanzania is a rich bird watching destination as over 1160 species of birds have been recorded. This makes Tanzania a rewarding avi-fauna destination for the keen birder with chances to see endemics, savanna specials, forest birds, raptors and Eurasian migrants.

You can start by birding Serengeti National Park where over 500 species have been recorded and is a great destination to look out for raptors and savanna specials. Birds to look out for in Serengeti include Fischer’s Lovebird, Usambiro Barbet, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Rufous-tailed Weaver, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Karamoja Apalis, Black-winged prantincole, Malagasy pond heron, Great snipe, Red-throated tit, Pied avocet, Black-winged stilt, Ruppell’s Vulture, Kori Bustard, Black-headed gonolek, Grey-backed fiscal, Green-backed woodpecker, Southern ground hornbill, Hikdebrandt’s Starling, Silverbird, Schalow’s Turaco, Yellow-throated sandgrouse, Red-capped robin-chat, Verreaux’s eagle, Common Ostrich, Egyptian goose, African black duck, Yellow-billed duck, African pygmy goose, Helmeted guineafowl, Scaly Francolin, Little grebe, Speckled Pigeon, African Olive pigeon, Laughing dove, Fiery-necked nightjar, Freckled night jar, White-browed Coucal, African emerald cuckoo, Grey crowned crane, Denham’s bustard, White-bellied Go-away bird, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Hamerkop, Little egret, African Spoonbill, Hadada Ibis, Great cormorant, African darter, Spotted thick-knee, Crowned lapwing, African hawk eagle, Tawny eagle, Lizard buzzard, Lappet-faced Vulture, Hooded vulture, Martial eagle and Crowned eagle among others.

Another destination you can consider is Tarangire National Park which hosts 550 species with the most sought after bird being the Ashy Starling which is endemic to Tanzania. Birds to look out for here include African grey flycatcher, Rufous-tailed weaver, Tawny eagle, Mouse-coloured penduline tit, Northern white-crowned shrike, Great white pelican, Common Ostrich, Bare-faced go-away bird, Pink-breasted lark, Red-bellied parrot, Vulturine guineafowl, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Slate-coloured bou bou, Yellow-collared lovebird, Red-and-yellow barbet, Speckle-fronted weaver, Nubian woodpecker, Kori bustard, African fish eagle, Bateleur, Helmeted guinea fowl, Lilac-breasted roller, African hoopoes, Pygmy falcon and Saddle-billed stork among others.

Other birding areas of interest in Tanzania include Lake Victoria for water birds and papyrus dwellers, Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro for highland species and Usambara Mountains for species like the Usambara weaver, Green-headed Oriole, Narina Trogon, Usambara Robin-chat also known as the Usambara Alethe, and Amani Sunbird.

  1. Visit the National Museum of Tanzania and House of Culture

You can visit a museum while in Tanzania so that you can get a chance to learn about the history and culture of the people of Tanzania. The National museum of Tanzania is located in Dar es Salaam and was established in 1934, the museum shows exhibits of Tanzania’s natural environment, tools that the people of Tanzania used in the ancient times, way of dressing of the Tanzanians, skull bones that were part of the findings at Olduvai Gorge and other ethnographic collections. Other museum exhibits to see include vintage presidential cars, government cars, photos of the slave market, photos of inauguration of previous presidents and sections of the museum where you can read on the history of Tanzania. The museum visit can take you 2-3 hours depending on your interests, a guide who is in most cases a local will take you through the museum explaining the exhibits and other information.

  1. Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is a must visit while in Tanzania and is a renown national park worldwide specifically for its incredible game viewing safaris. Serengeti National Park is part of the East African Plateau lying between Lake Victoria to the west and the East African Rift Valley. The park is bordered to the North by the famous Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya, Maswa Game Reserve to the south-west, north –west by the Ikorongo Game Reserve and to the east is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There is so much to see and do in Serengeti so usually the best thing to do is to spend 2-3 nights so as to exhaust major areas for game viewing.

Things to do in Serengeti National Park include game drives, birding, walking safaris, sun downers, bush meals and Maasai village visits. Wildlife in to look out for in Serengeti includes African Leopard, African Bush Elephant, Cheetah, African Buffalo, Black rhinoceros though these exist in few numbers, Spotted hyenas, Caracal, Serval, Honey badger, Striped hyena, Black-backed jackal, Banded mongoose, African wild dog, Common warthogs, Bat-eared fox, African civet, Aardvark, African wildcat, Common genet, Hyraxes, Cape hare, Crested porcupine, Impalas, Wildebeest, Gerenuk, Thomson’s gazelle, African striped weasel, Lesser Kudu, Vervet monkeys, Klip springer, Greater Kudu, Giraffes , Waterbuck, Grant’s gazelle, Topis, Oribi, Reedbuck, Common Eland, Hartebeest, East African oryx, Dik-dik, Bush buck, Golden Jackal, Olive baboons, , Bohor reedbuck among others. The Serengeti is home to reptile species that include the Nile crocodile, African Python, Black mamba, Nile Monitor lizard, Jackson’s Chameleon and Black-necked spotting cobra.

  1. Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park lies on the western bank of the Great Ruaha River and is part of the Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi ecosystem. The park which is less visited is well known for its abundant wildlife and incredible sightings. Game drives in the park will have you looking out for lions, spotted hyenas, giraffes, cheetah, African leopard, buffaloes, wild dogs, sable antelopes, roan antelopes and greater kudu. In addition to game viewing Ruaha National Park is a bird watcher’s paradise as it hosts over 571 species of birds including seven species of the Zambezian biome, this makes the park a great destination for birders.

Things to do in Ruaha National Park include a walking safari in the park, this offers you an opportunity to look out for wildlife on foot quite different from the usual game drives as you discover the wildlife of Ruaha National Park in an intimate setting. You are accompanied by a professional guide and park rangers for the walking safari. Other activities to do in the park include game drives, bird watching, night game drives, a boat safari and bush meals for an eating experience amidst the wilderness. You can also choose to relax at your lodge take in the views of the vast savanna plains, sip on a cocktail, go on a swim or visit the spa at your high-end lodge.

  1. Visit Olduvai Gorge

Olduvai Gorge is an important paleo anthropological site that is well known worldwide as it holds the earliest evidence of the existence of human ancestors. The site is an important centre for research in paleo environment, paleo ecology, archaeology and geology. Paleo anthropologists have over the years discovered hundreds of stone tools and fossilized bones in Olduvai Gorge that dates back to millions of years which made them come to the conclusion that humans evolved in Africa. The visit to Olduvai Gorge offers you an opportunity to spend time enjoying the views over the gorge, learning the science behind the gorge’s formation, learn about the skulls, see the specimens in the museum as well as look at the fossilized bones. Olduvai Gorge is also known as the Oldupai Gorge and referred to as the “Cradle of Humankind”.

  1. Arusha National Park

Visiting Arusha National Park is one of the things that you can do in Tanzania as its easily accessible from Arusha town which is the starting point for most safaris in Tanzania. The drive from the town to Arusha National Park is about 45 minutes, although the park is less visited as most visitors focus on the Big Five in other national parks like The Serengeti, the park is worth visiting as it offers fulfilling game drive with chances of seeing wildlife. Wildlife to look out for in the park include zebras, buffaloes, leopard, spotted hyenas, Kirk’sdik-dik. Giraffes, hippos, waterbucks and occasionally you might come across elephants in the Meru crater area.

Arusha National Park also offers one other activities to do aside from the game drives that include the Meru crater drive and hike, Mount Meru hikes, visit Ngurdoto crater and canoeing on Momella lakes which are small alkaline lakes situated north of Ngurdoto.

  1. Lake Manyara National Park

Situated in the northern part of Tanzania, Lake Manyara National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Tanzania. The national park covers an area of 330 square kilometers that encompasses diverse habitats, lush vegetation and abundant wildlife. Lake Manyara national park is famously known for its tree climbing lions which are a stunning spectacle and aquatic bird life that likes to forage at the shores of Lake Manyara.

Wildlife to look out for while in the park include Elephants, Tree-climbing Lions which are a major attraction in the park, Cape Buffalo, Zebras, Giraffes, Impalas, Blue monkeys, Olive baboons, Bush bucks, Klip springers, Waterbuck, Thomson’s gazelle, Warthogs, Grant’s gazelle, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena, Leopard, Honey badger, African Civet, African wild cat, Bat-eared fox, Serval , African golden cat, Mongoose, and Hippos that are best seen at the hippo pool in the northern section of the park. Cheetah, Leopard and African golden cat are occasional sightings and tend to be rarely sighted. The national park is also home to species of reptiles like the Nile Monitor Lizard which is Africa’s longest lizard, non-venomous snakes that live in the forest often perched in trees hunting for invertebrates and venomous snakes like the green mamba. The national park is also a rewarding bird watching destination as over 350 bird species have been recorded including raptors, water birds, savanna specials and forest birds.

  1. Chimpanzee tracking in Gombe Stream National Park

Chimpanzee tracking is one of the top activities to do while in Tanzania as it brings you closer to the chimpanzees also known as man’s closest relatives. Chimpanzee tracking happens in Gombe Stream National Park which is a well-known destination by primatologists from across the world. The park gained popularity after Jane Goodall a primatologist spent time at the park studying chimpanzee in the 1960s, her research contributed significantly to the protection and conservation of chimpanzees.

Gombe Stream National Park is one of the smallest national parks in Tanzania and covers an area of 13.5 square miles, aside from the chimpanzee while on the chimpanzee trek you have an opportunity to look out for other primates like the Red-tailed monkey, Olive baboons, Red-colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys and blue monkeys. The park is also a birding destination that one can add to their birding safari itinerary as over 200 bird species have been recorded here.

  1. Climb Mount. Kilimanjaro

What better way to spend time in Tanzania that to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro reaches an altitude of 5,895m and is a tough yet rewarding climb for hiking enthusiasts. Mount Kilimanjaro trekking takes you through montane forest zone, moorland zone that is covered with health-like vegetation and wild flowers, alpine zone and the arctic zone which begins at an altitude of about 5,000 m. Multi-day hikes are available and the climb is seen as challenging but most visitors but those who get to the top mostly describe it as rewarding and worth the climb.

  1. Zanzibar

After the back to back game drives in the savanna national parks, a Zanzibar beach vacation serves a perfect way to end your safari in Tanzania. Zanzibar is the best place to spend time enjoying the island,relaxing by the beach, visiting the old historical Stone town, visiting the spice farms, snorkeling and diving. You could also go on the dhow cruises that offer the best sunset views over the clear pristine water. Zanzibar works for couples on honey moon who would like to spend time relaxing by the beach at a five star resort by the beach.

All in all Tanzania is a rewarding destination and worth visiting!

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7 Day Tanzania Big Five Wildlife Safari 

10 Day Best of Tanzania Wildlife Safari 

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