With an amazing diversity of landscapes and a wide variety of activities on offer, there is no shortage of great locations to travel to when you are visiting Tanzania. However, some destinations have unique things to offer that make them worth a special visit. In my opinion, the best places in Tanzania are as follows:

Zanzibar – The dazzling archipelago in the Indian Ocean is one of the most popular places to visit in Tanzania. Zanzibar’s sparkling white beaches, crystal clear water, and great variety of things to do make it a must for anyone visiting Tanzania. While there, you can snorkel or scuba dive, go on a spice plantation tour, visit Stone Town, swim with the dolphins, or just lie on the beach and soak up the sun.

Mount Kilimanjaro – Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the most popular activities for adventure travel in Tanzania. The mountain is the highest peak in Africa, and visitors from all over the world rise to the challenge of climbing it. You can choose from one of six routes to the top, which range from intermediate to advanced.

Serengeti – One of the best places for safaris in Tanzania is the Serengeti. The annual wildebeest migration draws safari goers from every corner of the globe, and no trip to the country is complete without seeing the Big 5 in the national park.

Ngorongoro Crater – Another of Tanzania’s famous safari destinations, the Ngorongoro Crater is also one of the best places in Tanzania. The park is unique in that it is contained in a former volcanic crater, allowing visitors to view lions, cheetahs, zebras, elephants, giraffes, and other animals with a stunning circular backdrop.

The best places for safaris in Tanzania are located throughout the country. From the famous Serengeti National Park to the stunning Ngorongoro Crater, there is no shortage of places to go on safari.

One of the easiest places to go on safari in Tanzania is the Serengeti. It is well served by established safari companies and offers accommodation ranging from basic tented camps to luxury safari lodges. The area is replete with wildlife and many visitors return from safari having seen all of the Big Five.

Another of the best places for safaris in Tanzania is the Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is a former volcano that is now a large safari park. Like the Serengeti, the area has everything from budget accommodations like Simba Camp to high end hotels like the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel. It is also well served by all of the best Tanzania safari companies. Additionally, it is a good place for self-drive safaris in Tanzania.

Another of the best places for safaris in Tanzania is Tarangire National Park. It is slightly less on the beaten path than the Serengeti or the Ngorongoro Crater, and offers a more private game viewing experience for visitors. It is a great place to go on safari if you want to avoid the crowds.

Simba Camp in Ngorongoro Crater is the only common campsite in the park.

With basic facilities that are frequently described as “so-so,” Simba Camp is not a Tanzania safari lodge for those that want a nice place to stay.

It is a basic facility for those that want to do a budget safari in Tanzania.

Simba camp becomes crowded in the high season, but has basic amenities like showers and toilets.

Despite the drawbacks, Simba Camp is a great place to stay in the Ngorongoro Crater if you want to be up close to the animals.

There are no gates to the campsite, so animals are free to wander in and around Simba Camp as they please.

There are guards in case of unforeseen incidents, but Simba Camp is peaceful most of the time.

The Ngorongoro Serena Hotel and Safari Lodge is located right on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.

Like all Serena hotels, the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel is luxurious and has all the amenities of a world-class safari lodge. The hotel blends into the earthy backdrop of the crater edge, and is a perfect jumping-off point for your safari game drives in the crater.

Rooms at the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel are decorated in neutral tones with all the attention to detail one would expect from a Serena destination. The hotel offers an array of meals, including BBQ lunches, as well as spa facilities and a boutique.

Room rates at the Ngorongoro Serena Hotel are $555USD/night for a double room during the high season (Jun 1-March 31), $335USD/night for a double room during the low season (April 1-May 30).

The Ngorongoro Crater is a popular destination for Tanzania safaris. The crater is a hollowed-out volcano that forms a natural self-contained safari park that is 20km wide.

The Ngorongoro Crater boasts of having one of the most populous game areas in the Africa. With over thirty thousand animals, the Crater makes for a great place to see rare animals like rhinos.

The Ngorongoro Crater is 180 km from Arusha, Tanzania, and is about a 4 hour drive on a mostly dirt road.

The gates of the Ngorongoro Crater park open at 7:00am and close at 4:00pm. All vehicles must be out of the crater before 6:00pm.

Many of the best Tanzania safaris take place in northern Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Serengeti is a 60,000 square kilometer game reserve that is famous throughout the world for its safaris. All of the Big Five can be spotted there, as well as many other species of animals, birds, and wildlife.

People visiting Tanzania can stay in one of the many Serengeti lodges and take daily game drives to see the wildlife. Most Tanzania safaris in the Serengeti include two game drives per day, one in the early morning and one just before sunset. This is when the animals are the most active, and when you are most likely to see lots of activity.

Make sure to plan your Tanzania safari at a good time of year; safaris are particularly great during the annual wildebeest migration that takes place between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara in Kenya.