Walking Safaris in Tanzania

Whether you’re thinking of travelling to Northern Tanzania or the lesser visited south and west of the country, there are many excellent options for walking safaris deep in big game country.

If you’re looking for proper immersive walking safaris then in our view Tanzania is a brilliant place to begin looking. Top of our list is Ruaha National Park in Southern Tanzania – this beautiful park comes into its own between June and October and when game viewing rivals pretty much anywhere in Africa.

Head-off on a multi-day walking safari and you’re in the best possible place to experience the magic of this park. Expect few other tourists and an astonishing variety of wildlife, big and small.

Another area to consider is the Serengeti and the surrounding area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Here, the time of year radically affects where we’d recommend walking – from the northern wilderness zones close to where the wildebeest migration crosses the Mara River between July and October, to the beautiful landscapes around the Gol Mountains that come into themselves between December and May.

Tanzania walking safaris: the best lodges and camps

Tanzania classifies its wild areas in different ways, each with different rules – meaning that the practices, and standards, of walking safaris differ widely. We have some first-rate walking safaris in Tanzania, with great guides – chosen, as usual, by seeing them first hand. Some of the real stars are the walking safaris done on fly-camping trips.

Walks in the National Parks have to abide by the strict rules laid out by TANAPA (Tanzanian National Park Authorities); these rules have been put in place to make walking as safe as possible. No more than six guests are able to go on a walk at any one time; and they must be accompanied by at least one TANAPA qualified armed ranger, who must stick to specific walking routes. These regulations are however relatively new to Tanzania’s national parks; and so we would only recommend walking from camps that we know have a consistent record for reliably good walking safaris, and well established guides.

Tanzania’s Game Reserves are run by a slightly more relaxed organization called the Game Division whose regulations are less clear – this has created a disparity in walking safari standards. Walking Safaris are hugely dependent on how experienced and knowledgeable the guide is – they can therefore be a bit hit-and-miss. All of our recommended Camps use their own highly qualified guides who stick to rules, which have been set by their specific camp – these walking safaris are very good. So do include some walking in your Tanzania safari, but do talk to us first as experiences can vary hugely between camps.