Best Things to Do in Arusha, Tanzania

Arusha sits in a fertile highland basin in northern Tanzania, at 1,400m above sea level between Mount Meru (4,566m) and Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m, visible on clear days). It is the gateway to the Northern Circuit — the chain of parks and conservation areas that constitute East Africa’s most celebrated safari territory: the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, Tarangire National Park (famous for elephant concentrations and baobab landscapes), and the Arusha National Park itself (walkable, with black-and-white colobus monkeys, flamingos on the alkaline lakes, and giraffe). The things to do in Arusha beyond safaris include a visit to the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre (crafts, jewelry, and cultural exhibits), walking in the Arusha Declaration Museum (focused on Julius Nyerere’s historic 1967 socialist policy speech), and village walks around Tengeru and Mshiri with local guides.

Best time to visit

The best safari times are the dry seasons: June through October (long dry season) and January through February (short dry season). During these windows, animals concentrate around water sources and vegetation is low enough for excellent game viewing. The Great Migration in the Serengeti peaks with the Mara river crossing between July and October. April and May (long rains) and November (short rains) see the parks at their most lush and often empty of tourists, with excellent birding and lower prices, but some roads become impassable. Kilimanjaro is best climbed January through March and June through October.

Getting around

Arusha is served by Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), 45 km east, and the smaller Arusha Airport (ARK), closer to town. KIA has direct international connections (Amsterdam, Doha, Nairobi, Addis Ababa). All major safari operators are based in Arusha; most visitors pre-book a multi-day circuit safari with a Nairobi or Arusha-based operator. Within the parks, 4WD vehicles are mandatory; operators provide these. Safaris typically operate on a 4-7 day lodge circuit or a tented camp itinerary.

What to eat and drink

Arusha’s restaurant scene is well-developed for a city serving international safari travelers. The Arusha Coffee Lodge restaurant serves farm-to-table Tanzanian food in a beautiful setting on a working coffee plantation. The Blue Heron restaurant on the Usa River road is excellent for fresh fish and local game meats. The market near the Clock Tower has good local street food: chipsi mayai (Tanzanian chips omelette), ugali (maize porridge), and nyama choma (grilled meat). Arusha has several excellent craft beer establishments serving Tanzanian brewery products.

Neighborhoods to explore

Arusha National Park – 30 km east, unique among Tanzania’s parks as one of the few that allows walking safaris and mountain biking. The Ngurdoto Crater, Momella Lakes (flamingos, hippos), and the jungle sections with colobus monkeys are the highlights. Mount Meru (the 4,566m climb) departs from here.

Tarangire National Park – 120 km south, the tree elephant park. Enormous baobabs, huge elephant herds (300+), and excellent year-round game viewing with fewer crowds than Ngorongoro.

Lake Manyara National Park – 125 km southwest, famous for its tree-climbing lions and flamingo-lined shores. A compact park best combined with Ngorongoro as a 2-day circuit.

Arusha Town – The Clock Tower at the geographic center of Africa (as marked by a monument, though the claim is approximate), the Cultural Heritage Centre, and the Maasai market.