+255 754 400 141

EN DE FR ES IT SV ZH NL BE CH

EN DE FR ES IT SV ZH NL BE CH

Introduction to Tarangire National Park

Getting its name from the Tarangire River, Tarangire National Park offers stunning wildlife sightings with few tourists.

The park is known for its large herds of elephants and scenic baobab trees. Tarangire is Tanzania’s 6th largest national park, covering a vast area of 2,600 square kilometers.

Why visit Tarangire National Park

The parks boast rich and diverse wildlife and birdlife.

The ancient Baobab trees are a sight to behold, especially at sunset.

Expect to witness large herds of Elephants throughout Tarangire National Park.

Tarangire Articles

Tarangire National Park Travel Guide: The Complete Guide to the Home of Elephants

5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Tarangire National Park

The Best Things to Do in Tarangire National Park

Where to Stay in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park Tours and Activities: The Best Ways to See and Do Everything

Getting to Tarangire National Park?

By Road

Tarangire National Park can be reached by road from Arusha. The journey from Arusha takes around 120km/2 hours drive.

By Air

Daily scheduled flights are available to Tarangire National Park from Arusha and Dar es Salaam with Auric Air, Coastal Aviation, and Precision Air.

Best Time to visit Tarangire National Park

Tarangire can be visited year-round and has a short rainy season.

If you want an unspoiled safari view, visiting the park during the dry season from June through October is best.

Most animals will head towards the Tarangire River to stay hydrated during this time, giving travellers excellent game viewing opportunities.

Let's plan your trip around Tarangire National Park.

Enquire now, and our safari specialist will get back to you shortly.

Weather in Tarangire National Park

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Things to do in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire’s wonderful safari destination features several big games and other smaller animals. Check out some of them on our list below.

Previous

Next

Wildlife in Tarangire National Park

Though Tarangire may not be on top of your list of Parks to visit, it’s a good option if you don’t like crowded parks.

Elephants are among the wildlife that you can see in Tarangire. Around 4,000 individuals of these pretty gentle creatures live in Tarangire park.

Elephant

Fierce, aggressive, and powerful, lions don't bow down to any animals. There are around 400 lions currently living in Tarangire.

Lion

Cheetahs are among the animals you can witness during a game drive. These are loners and the world's fastest land animals at 70 mph.

Cheetah

Wildebeests are playful and intelligent animals with grey coats and black manes. These animals like to graze day and night and also love naps.

Wildebeest

Zebras are uniquely patterned animals with long, thin legs for ease and quick movement. This is very useful when escaping from their prey.

Zebra

Giraffes are fascinating animals. They have short bodies, short mains, tufted tails, and short skin-skinned covers.

Giraffe

Spotted hyenas are very unusual-looking creatures. They have large heads, long muscular necks, and strong teeth and jaws that can quickly rip their kill.

Spotted Hyena

Leopards are solitary animals that you can see in Tarangire. They are Africa's strongest cats and can hoist a 50 kilograms carcass into a tree.

Leopard

Coke's hartebeests are swift runners at 65 km/h speed. These animals have long, narrow faces, pointed ears, long legs, ridged horns, and a sloping back.

Coke's Hartebeest

Fringe-eared Oryx are large antelope species with long, spear-like horns. They are desert animals with compact, muscular bodies, thick horse-like necks, and short manes.

Fringe-eared Oryx

Buffaloes are among the common sightings in Tarangire. These animals are highly dangerous since they are powerful and aggressive.

Buffaloes

Impalas are medium-sized antelopes with long necks, legs, and black twisted horns. They look like a mix of a deer and a goat.

Impalas

Previous

Next

Birds in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is a true bird watcher’s heaven with over 400 bird species. So get those binoculars out because Tarangire will keep you busy.

Ashy starlings are slim, brownish-grey birds with long, narrow tails. They have an oily-green sheen and remiges with blackish masks around their eyes and pores.

Ashy Starling

These birds are brightly-colored, flamboyant and gregarious. They are fierce and fast when securing their meals.

Little-bee Eater

The red-necked spurfowl has grey to black streaked or white underparts. They have red legs, bare facial skin, and necks.

Red-necked Spurfowl

Tawny eagles are large birds with tawny-colored underparts, black flight feathers, and tails. Their lower back area is paler, with light-colored stripes on their wings.

Tawny Eagle

The speckle-fronted weavers are small, distinctive birds with speckles and black crowns. On top of that, the back of their collar and neck are pale and rufous.

Speckle-fronted Weaver

Crested francolins have white elongated stripe-like marks on their bodies with pearl-like patterns on their necks, giving them a unique look.

Crested Francolin

Previous

Next

Landscape in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is a place with notable landscapes worthy of taking photos. Hence, make sure not to leave your camera at home!

Baobab trees are Tarangire's iconic image. It is a tall succulent, often called the Tree of Life, which can live up to 2,500 years.

Baobab trees

Another wondrous landscape you can find in Tarangire is the termite mounds. These are huge, red-earth mounds that became synonymous with Tarangire.

Termite mounds

The lovely park of Tarangire has grassy savannas where the rich wildlife forage day and night.

Grassy savannas

Tarangire River is the only permanent river where animals quench their thirst.

Tarangire River

Among the swamps in Tarangire, the Silale Swamp is the most famous. Many herbivores gather here for water supply.

Swamps

Granite rock formations are among the breathtaking landscapes found in Tarangire. These rocks sometimes serve as resting places for some animals like hyrax and more.

Granite rocks formations

Previous

Next

Where to stay in Tarangire National Park

If you’re planning a trip to the Tarangire National Park, there are many great places to stay that will help make your experience unforgettable.

Tarangire Tours: Our Top Tours in Tarangire National Park

(Start) JRO Airport5 Days

Affordable Camping Safari in Tanzania

(Start) JRO Airport8 Days

Tanzania Wildlife Experience

(Start) JRO Airport10 days

Unparalleled Tanzania Safari Experience

(Start) JRO Airport9 days

Tanzania Safari Holiday

Reviews of Tarangire National Park

Top questions answered for Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is unlike anywhere you’ve been before. So, you have questions. We’ve been visiting for decades. So, we have answers.

What is so special about Tarangire?

What makes Tarangire special and unique is its vast elephant herds and iconic baobab trees that can survive up to 2,500 years.

The park also features many games, particularly during the dry season.

Read More: The Baobab: The iconic tree of Tarangire National Park

Why is it called Tarangire?

The park’s name comes from the famous Tarangire River, the only permanent water source.

Is Tarangire free from Malaria?

Malaria is something to be considered when visiting Tarangire National Park. Due to its hot climate, we recommend you bring and apply insect repellent with DEET to protect you.

While accommodations offer the necessary nets, we also ask you to be vigilant.

How big is Tarangire?

Tarangire National Park is Tanzania’s 6th largest national park, with an area of 2,600 square kilometers.

Is Tarangire worth the visit?

Though this national park is not as popular as its famous neighbors, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, it’s worth the visit.

This park is absolutely for you, especially if you love elephants!

Why visit Tarangire?

There are many reasons why Tarangire is a must-visit park. It houses the iconic baobab trees and vast elephant herds. It is also a birders’ paradise with 495 bird species.

When is the best time to visit Tarangire?

June through October are the best time to visit the park since these months are the dry season months.

Most animals go toward the Tarangire River to keep themselves hydrated during this time.

Where is Tarangire located?

Tarangire is in northern Tanzania, south of Lake Manyara National Park, and not far from Arusha.

Is a balloon safari worth it in Tarangire?

It’s worth it! You’ll have an unobstructed view of wildlife freely roaming the vast plains.

What animals can you see in Tarangire?

During the mini-wildlife migration, Tarangire houses many animals, particularly over 250,000. This includes wildebeests, zebras, spotted hyenas, elephants, giraffes, and much more.

The park is 75 km away from Lake Manyara and takes around 2 hours of driving to reach it.

How it works

Hi there!

Do you need help planning
your Tanzania Tour?

Other parks, lakes, and mountains

Besides visiting the best national park in Tanzania, you may add other parks to your main safari destination, such as those shown below.

Previous

Next