Tanzania · Safari gateway
Every northern Tanzania safari and almost every Kilimanjaro climb starts here. Arusha sits at 1,400 metres below Mount Meru, in coffee country, a morning's drive from Tarangire, the crater and the plains beyond.
The destination
Arusha is a working town of around half a million people, built on coffee and, since the 1960s, on safaris. Its purpose for travellers is practical: this is where vehicles are loaded, climbing crews assemble, park permits are arranged and where you sleep the night before heading west.
Geography explains it. Tarangire is about two hours away, Lake Manyara two and a half, the Ngorongoro rim three to four, and the Serengeti a long drive or a short flight beyond that. Kilimanjaro International Airport is roughly 50 kilometres east, and Arusha Airport on the edge of town handles the light aircraft to the parks and Zanzibar.
It is also worth a day in its own right. Arusha National Park, half an hour north, has Momella lakes, giraffe, colobus monkeys, buffalo and walking safaris on the slopes of Mount Meru — a genuine park experience without a long transfer. Coffee estates, the Shanga glass and craft workshop, and the Maasai market fill an afternoon.
Most travellers spend one night here on arrival and sometimes one on the way out. Lodges sit either in town, on the coffee farms to the west, or out towards Usa River between the two airports — the right choice depends on your flight times.
Arusha at a glance
Journeys
Explore 29 catalogue trips that include Arusha. Ask us about dates and the best fit for your group.
3 days · Tanzania
Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Arusha
Explore Serengeti, Ngorongoro on this 3-day wildlife journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
Wildlife safari
From USD 650
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3 days · Tanzania
Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara · Arusha
Explore Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara on this 3-day wildlife journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
Wildlife safari
From On Request
Explore journey
4 days · Tanzania
Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara · Arusha · Nairobi
Explore Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara on this 4-day wildlife journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
Wildlife safari
From On Request
Explore journey
5 days · Tanzania
Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara · Arusha
Explore Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara on this 5-day wildlife journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
Wildlife safari
From On Request
Explore journey
5 days · Tanzania
Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara · Arusha
Explore Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara on this 5-day wildlife journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
Budget safari
From On Request
Explore journey
5 days · Tanzania
Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara · Arusha
Explore Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara on this 5-day wildlife journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
Lodge safari
From On Request
Explore journeySafari journeys shown for design purposes.Browse all safaris
Timing
Arusha's highland climate is mild all year. What matters more is the season of the parks you are heading into.
Jan – Feb
Clear views of Meru and Kilimanjaro, and an easy start to a calving-season safari in the south.
Mar – May
Green, cool and quiet, with heavy afternoon rain in April. Lower lodge rates and good coffee-country scenery.
Jun – Oct
Peak travel period. Town and airports are busy, so book lodges and light aircraft early.
Nov – Dec
Brief showers, clear mornings and a quieter month until the festive season fills up.
Seasonal guidance only — conditions vary year to year.
Where to stay
The right base depends on which airport you use and how early you leave for the parks.
Garden lodges among working coffee farms, quiet and green, and closest to the road west towards Tarangire and the crater.
Halfway between Kilimanjaro International and Arusha Airport. The practical choice for late international arrivals and early light aircraft departures.
Hotels close to briefings, outfitters and restaurants. Convenient before a Kilimanjaro climb when kit checks happen the night before.
Lodges on the northern slopes of Mount Meru, with forest, colobus monkeys and walking on the doorstep.
Things to do
Momella lakes, giraffe, buffalo and one of the few parks where you can walk.
Picking, roasting and tasting on the farms on the town's western slopes.
A 4,562-metre volcano over the town, and a serious acclimatisation climb in its own right.
Recycled glass and craft made by artisans with disabilities, on a coffee estate outside town.
Meeting your guide and checking the vehicle the evening before departure.
Grilled meat, Tanzanian coffee and the Maasai market a short drive from most lodges.
Nearby
Before you travel
Plan your Tanzania safari
Send us your flight times and how long you have. We'll set the arrival night, the circuit and the return connections around them.
