If you are planning to visit Tanzania and are looking for awesome things to do while you are there, this is the perfect article for you. Within this post, you will find all the best things to do in Tanzania and all the information you need to start planning your trip here.
Without further ado, here are the 10 best things to do in Tanzania for solo travelers. Let's start off with the main highlight of visiting Tanzania: climbing Kilimanjaro.
- 1. Conquer Kilimanjaro
- 2. Track down the Big Five in Serengeti
- 3. Witness the Great Migration of the Wildebeests On a Hot Air Balloon
- 4. Spend a night in a tented camp in Serengeti
- 5. Go On A Game Drive Around Ngorongoro Crater
- 6. Visit Lake Manyara and Tarangire
- 7. Splurge on a Luxury Lodge
- 8. Swim with turtles in Zanzibar
- 9. Relax by the Pristine Beaches of Zanzibar
- 10. Stroll Around Stone Town
- More Tanzania Activities
- Tanzania Travel Video
- Further Reading for Tanzania
1. Conquer Kilimanjaro
One of the most epic things you can do in Tanzania is to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, on a 6-day long trekking trip of a lifetime through some of the most beautiful parts of the country.
Climbing Kilimanjaro was definitely the highlight of my trip to Tanzania, and it was one of the most challenging activities I had done in a while. There are several routes you can take to reach the top of Kilimanjaro, but I highly recommend choosing the 6 or 7-day Machame Route. It is considered one of the prettiest routes and offers a more reasonable acclimatization profile.
The Machame Route begins at Machame Gate, 1,743 m above sea level, and you will gradually gain altitude as you continue, with a few acclimatization days at 3,000 - 4,000 meters before you go for the summit. With such an acclimatization profile, your chances of success will be much higher than if you were to choose a shorter route like the Marangu Route.
The difficulty of the Kilimanjaro climb is pretty moderate throughout the trek. Every day, you can expect to spend around 5-8 hours hiking, except on the summit day where you are expected to hike for 12 hours straight. Even worse, the summit hike begins at midnight and you will be hiking through the dreaded cold night until you arrive at the top.
Kilimanjaro summit day was, hands down, the most challenging thing I have ever done. The extreme cold, the strong wind, and the high altitude of 5,000+ meters all culminated in a challenge that will test you both mentally and physically.
That said, once you have reached the summit, you will be standing at the highest point of the entire continent of Africa, which is something not many people can do. Trust me, there's nothing quite like the euphoria you feel the moment you arrive at the summit sign of Kilimanjaro.
If you are into adventures and are looking to challenge yourself while being surrounded by stunning scenery, climbing Kilimanjaro is one of the best things you can do in Tanzania.
2. Track down the Big Five in Serengeti
Of course, if you are visiting Tanzania, you have to go on a safari trip to Serengeti National Park, one of the most well-known safari destinations in Africa. It has been awarded the best national park in the world multiple times, and it is known to be the place to witness the greatest wildlife show on earth, the Great Wildebeest Migration.
With more than a million animals living on this virgin savanna, covering over 15,000,000 hectares (37,000,000 acres) across the northwestern part of Tanzania, there is no better place to go on a safari than here.
During your time in the Serengeti, you will go on a daily safari game drive around the vast plain to track down all the Big Five of Africa (leopards, lions, buffaloes, elephants, and rhinos), as well as other rare animals you might not find anywhere else but in Africa.
Be sure to pack a binocular or a telephoto lens for your camera so you can observe the animals from afar. You won't be very close to them as Serengeti has a strict rule that prohibits going off-road to protect the animals.
There are several safari tours you can go on for Serengeti with varying prices and accommodation qualities, but if you are looking for the most cost-effective way to visit Serengeti, go for a 3-day itinerary that includes a night in Serengeti, as well as Ngorongoro Crater, which is another awesome place to visit.
3. Witness the Great Migration of the Wildebeests On a Hot Air Balloon
As I mentioned before, Serengeti National Park is one of the best places to witness the greatest wildlife show on earth: the Great Wildebeest Migration. Here, more than a million animals across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, mainly wildebeests and zebras, migrate across the plain from Serengeti in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya in search of grazing and water.
With millions of animals on the move in unison, crossing all kinds of terrain, from plains to rivers, you are sure to see a ton of action during this time. Predators go on big hunts, from lions to leopards to crocodiles, making sure only the finest of the finest survives.
If you want to visit this once-in-a-lifetime event, make sure that you align your visit between June and July. Unfortunately, the migration doesn't run on a schedule, so the timing may vary, and you will have to coordinate with your safari tours to make sure you are there when the event happens.
For the best possible view of the great migration, I highly recommend you go on a hot air balloon ride while you are there. There is no better way to experience the great wildebeest migration than from the air.
4. Spend a night in a tented camp in Serengeti
Spending a night in the Serengeti is an experience in and of itself. If you are visiting the Serengeti with a tour group, you will be able to choose where to spend your night in Serengeti National Park.
You can choose either a camping ground or a luxury tented camp, but the experience will be quite similar as you will find yourself surrounded by nature and wildlife, from giraffes to gazelles, as well as the sneaky ones like hyenas roaming around the camp at night freely.
At night, you will be accompanied by a ranger every time you walk from your tent to the main dining area, as it isn't uncommon to stumble upon a hyena (with glowing eyes and all) roaming around, looking for food. The last thing you want to do is startle them.
The luxury tented camp like Angaata Seronera Camp is an awesome place to wind down after a long day of safari, or you can go with a full-blown luxury resort like the Four Season Safari Lodge where you can swim in a pool as you watch elephants and giraffes go by - the ultimate Serengeti luxury experience.
5. Go On A Game Drive Around Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic caldera formed by volcanic activities millions of years ago. What makes Ngorongoro Crater so special is the richness of the vegetation on the crater floor, which is not common for a volcanic caldera.
When the volcano erupted, it collapsed onto itself, creating a large crater as deep as 600 m (2,000 ft) and covering over 260 square km (100 square ml). Due to this collapse, a nearby stream was drained into the lake at the center of the crater, creating a condition where animals can thrive.
A trip to Ngorongoro Crater is often included in a 3-day tour itinerary, and you will spend half the day driving around the crater floor, observing all kinds of wildlife, such as lions and even rhinos.
What makes a game drive in Ngorongoro Crater so special is the fact that the terrain there is completely different from the one you saw in Serengeti. In fact, I think I like Ngorongoro Crater the most, mainly because of how stunning the backdrop is. Seeing these animals being surrounded by high mountains and low clouds was quite a sight to behold. Be sure to make it to Ngorongoro Crater.
6. Visit Lake Manyara and Tarangire
If you have an extra day or two in Tanzania and are looking for national parks to explore that aren't part of the Serengeti ecosystem, Tarangire and Lake Manyara are some of the best national parks in Tanzania. I highly recommend you visit them while you are here.
Both Tarangire and Lake Manyara offer varying types of landscapes and animals that differentiate them from Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, making them worthwhile to visit. Tarangire is known for its abundance of elephants and baobab trees, with a more hilly scenery unlike what you will find in the Serengeti.
Lake Manyara, on the other hand, is known for its high density of baboons and monkeys, as well as all kinds of colorful bird species you can see. Since the area is a little more forested, it is a little harder to track big predators as they are often hidden up high in the trees most of the time.
If you have the time, I highly recommend visiting Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, as well as one of these national parks to change it up a little. There are many 4-day tour itineraries that offer trips to one of these national parks, so be sure to check that out if you are interested.
7. Splurge on a Luxury Lodge
There is nothing wrong with splurging a little when you travel. After all, you are on a vacation, and if you are looking for things to splurge on in Tanzania, there are many amazing accommodations you can spend on to have the most amazing and unique experiences of your lifetime.
If you are looking for the most luxurious accommodation that provides you with the most unique experience in Serengeti, you can't go wrong with the Four Seasons Safari Lodge. I mean, how many times will you find yourself swimming in a pool surrounded by giraffes and elephants, right?
For those who love mountains and nature, you can also splurge on a night at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge where you will have access to a private balcony area overlooking the Ngorongoro Crater ridge right from your room. They also have a daily Masai welcome ceremony that you can enjoy for free, or you can spend a few more dollars to go on a nature walk along the crater ridge.
There are tons of awesome tented camps, as well as full-blown resorts, to choose from in Tanzania if you do not mind the price tag. You can organize it with your tour company, and they should be able to customize the program to include one of these accommodations you prefer.
8. Swim with turtles in Zanzibar
Have you ever wanted to swim with sea turtles? If that is your dream, you can finally tick it off the list at Baraka Natural Aquarium in Zanzibar. Baraka Natural Aquarium is located on a rocky coastal area with shallow water where the sea turtles often come to feed on seaweed. It is a popular place for local tourists to go and swim with them.
There are more than a dozen sea turtles swimming around this shallow pool, and with such clear water coming from the Indian Ocean through cracks in the coastal rocks surrounding the area, you can see these beautiful animals as clear as day, even from above the water.
The place gets crowded quite early, so be sure to be there right when the gate opens at 8 AM if you wish to experience it in a more solitary environment. You can also rent snorkeling goggles for 10 USD if you wish, but the water is clear enough even without them.
9. Relax by the Pristine Beaches of Zanzibar
One of the reasons why you would want to visit Zanzibar is to have a nice and quiet beach vacation, and there are no better beaches in Zanzibar than Nungwi Beach, located on the northern tip of the island.
I've been to many beaches in Zanzibar, but nothing compares to the white powder sand, the vivid blue water, and the stunningly clean beach of Nungwi. Nungwi beach may not be as big as other beaches in Zanzibar, but I found it to be big enough and not as crowded as many people believe.
The sand is soft and powdery to the touch. The tide level doesn't affect Nungwi Beach the way it affected other beaches, so the water is perfect for swimming. And since there is no low tide, you won't see any dead seaweed on the beach like in Paje, making Nungwi one of the cleanest beaches out there.
There are also many nice beachside resorts and restaurants in which you can indulge yourself, making Nungwi one of the best places to go for a beach vacation in Zanzibar.
10. Stroll Around Stone Town
Exploring the crisscrossing streets of Stone Town surrounded by colonial buildings is probably one of the highlights of visiting Tanzania. Due to its rich history as the spice capital of East Africa during those days, you will find all kinds of foreign influences in Stone Town that you wouldn't find anywhere else in the country.
From one corner, you might find a little Arab/Persian influence, and from another, a bit of Portuguese/British influence, as well as some Indians, all scattered throughout Stone Town, waiting for you to explore.
An entire town is crammed into a small area where you will be able to navigate through these narrow pathways, connecting and sometimes even hiding all sorts of hidden gems in plain sight, like the 17th Century Old Fort built by the Omani Arabs, St Joseph's Cathedral, a Catholic church built by the French based on that of the Marseille Cathedral in France, and many more.
It is these little details that make Stone Town such an amazing place to explore and something you shouldn't miss when you are visiting Tanzania. To see Stone Town properly, I highly recommend you spend at least half a day here and another half on a boat trip to some of the islands near Stone Town.
More Tanzania Activities
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Tanzania
I have plenty of articles to help you more with your trip planning for Tanzania. Here are a selection of articles you might find useful:
- Looking for a complete itinerary for Tanzania? Here is a 10-day to 2-week backpacking itinerary for Tanzania.
- Want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and not sure where to start? Here is A Complete Hiking Guide To Kilimanjaro with all the information you need to hike Kilimanjaro successfully.
- If you plan to hike Kilimanjaro, you are going to have to know what to pack and what not to. Here's The Ultimate Packing List for the Kilimanjaro Hike.
- Serengeti is probably the best place in the world to go on a safari, and it is a must-do if you are in Tanzania. To start planning a safari trip to Serengeti, check out: A Complete Safari Guide To Serengeti, Tanzania.
- Zanzibar is one of the most popular island destinations in Africa, and to really do the place justice, you are going to need a complete travel guide to help plan the best trip of your life. Here are the 10 Best Things To Do In Zanzibar and a complete travel guide to the pearl of the African Indian Ocean.
- Stone Town is a historical town full of rich history and cultures, and it is a place you shouldn’t miss when you are traveling to Zanzibar. Here are the 10 Best Things To Do In Stone Town, Zanzibar.
- To really make the best out of your trip to Zanzibar, you have to rent a car and drive to all the hidden gems on the island. Here is A Complete Guide to Renting a Car in Zanzibar.
- To see all articles about Tanzania, visit the Tanzania Travel Guide page.
- Looking for more travel guides for Africa? You can find more on my Africa Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
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