Tarangire National Park is part of Tanzania’s northern safari circuit that also includes Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. Tanzania’s sixth largest park, Tarangire has excellent wildlife densities and great accommodation options.
Tarangire National Park is most famous for its dense population of elephants. These imposing animals are present in large numbers throughout the year, but are most abundant in the Dry season, particularly from July to November.
This is also when zebra, wildebeest and other wildlife in the greater Tarangire migratory ecosystem converge on the park and its namesake river, which forms the only source of drinking water for miles around.
Wildlife: In the Dry season, herds of up to 300 elephants can be seen digging for underground streams in the dry riverbeds, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, Coke’s hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. Of the big cats, only lion is regularly spotted.
There are lots of smaller predators too, such as black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox. Abandoned termite mounds often house dwarf mongoose colonies.
Tarangire National Park is part of the popular Northern safari circuit and is typically visited together with Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. Most safaris start from the town of Arusha. The best way to get there is to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which is 50km/31mi from Arusha. It is also possible to fly into Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam and on to Arusha Airport (ARK) or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).
There are regular flights from Arusha and Serengeti to Tarangire, but driving is a good option too. It is a comfortable 2-hour* drive from Arusha to the park entrance gate, of which only the last 7km/4mi is not tarred. Moving on, it is an easy drive to Lake Manyara National Park (100km/60mi in about 2 hours*) or the Ngorongoro Crater (180km/110mi in about 4 hours*).
Accommodation in Tarangire National Park
Most travellers tend to remain in the north of the park near the Tarangire river, but the south is equally beautiful.
Your accommodation will normally be luxury tented camps. Some of our favourites here include:
- Kuro Tarangire, Swala Safari Camp and Oliver’s Camp are high-end options, and some of the best bases in the park.
- Mbali Mbali Tarangire River Camp offers stunning views over the river and a pool for a moderate price in the northern part of the park.
- Tarangire Treetops is one of the most unique accommodation options in the park, with rooms built amongst thousand-year-old Baobab trees.
When to visit Tarangire National Park
The best time to visit Tarangire National Park is during the dry season from June to October. These are the best months for wildlife due to migratory patterns, and the short grasses make game viewing even easier.
The animals flock towards the Tarangire river for water, allowing for easy sightings. In order to see the big herds of elephants, we recommend visiting towards the latter period of the dry season (September/October).
November can be especially cheap, as it is out of peak season but tends to still be quite dry before the short rains hit. The low season, from late November to May, is great for bird watching as the area is wet, green and luscious.
