01
Overview
In the dry months the Tarangire River is the only water for a long way, and everything comes to it.
Tarangire is usually sold as a one-night stop on the way to the crater, which does it a disservice. Between roughly July and October the concentration of elephant along the river is the densest in northern Tanzania, and the park empties of vehicles by mid-afternoon because most groups have driven on.
It is also the most distinctive-looking park on the circuit: baobabs standing over open woodland, and swamps in the south that hold game long after everything else has dried.
Wildlife
- Elephant
- Buffalo
- Lion
- Giraffe
- Zebra
- Wildebeest
What you actually see
Elephant, in family herds
Not lone bulls but extended families, often several herds within sight of each other along the river.
Baobabs
Some of them a thousand years old, many scarred where elephants have stripped bark for moisture.
Tree-climbing pythons and the odd tree lion
Tarangire’s lions climb more than most, usually into the sausage trees.
Dry-country specials
Fringe-eared oryx, gerenuk and lesser kudu occur here and mostly not elsewhere on the circuit.
02
The park in two halves
North, along the Tarangire
Where most of the beds and most of the day visitors are. In dry months the riverbed itself becomes the sighting — elephant digging for water, and everything else waiting its turn.
The river
South, to Silale and Gursi
A long drive from the gate and worth a night rather than a day trip. Buffalo herds, resident lion and far fewer vehicles.
The swamps
03
Where to stay
Lodge or tented camp near Tarangire
A proper room, often with a long view at the end of the day.
The kind of place and the area are fixed by the route. The property itself is chosen for your dates and budget, and named in your quote.
04
Getting there
Getting there
About two hours by road from Arusha, usually the first park on a northern route.
Combine with
05
Trips that include Tarangire
3-Day Tarangire & Ngorongoro
4-Day Classic Northern Circuit
5-Day Budget Camping Safari
06
Best time to go
Best months · Jun–Oct
The dry season
Short grass and animals close to water. The busiest months, and the clearest game viewing.
Calving on the southern plains
The herds are on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, with predators to match.
The green season
Rain, long grass and far fewer vehicles — and some camps close for the long rains.
07
When to go
08
More places to go
Ngorongoro Crater
A collapsed volcano with a resident population, including black rhino.
Serengeti National Park
The migration, and four different regions depending on the month.
Lake Manyara
Groundwater forest under the Rift wall, and a lot of birds.
