By air
Kilimanjaro (JRO), ~3 h by road
Africa · Tanzania
Tarangire, Tanzania
Baobabs and elephant herds
Getting there
Best time to visit
June to October — dry
Don't miss
The Tarangire River
The baobabs
The Silale swamp
Things to do
Game drives
Walking safaris
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: ProfessorX · Public domain
What to pack
Neutral colours
A quieter corner
A night game drive outside the park
Questions travellers ask
Why go to Tarangire?
For its baobabs and elephant herds. Explore on game drives or walking safaris, taking in the Tarangire River and the Silale swamp.
Which months suit a Tarangire safari?
June to October, in the dry season. Wear neutral colours.
Can I do a night game drive at Tarangire?
Yes, outside the park: a night game drive there is one of Tarangire's hidden gems.
How long is the road trip to Tarangire?
About 3 hours by road from Kilimanjaro (JRO). You'll eat at the lodges.
About Tarangire
- Riverside
Where it is
Tarangire National Park lies in the Manyara Region of northern Tanzania, south-west of Arusha, a landscape of savanna, baobab trees and swamps along the Tarangire River, which gives the park its name.
History
Tarangire became a national park in 1970, protecting a dry-season refuge where the Tarangire River draws animals in from the surrounding Maasai Steppe. It forms part of a wider ecosystem with Lake Manyara, and in the wet season wildlife spreads out again across the herding and farming lands around it.
People
Maasai herders graze cattle on the lands around the park, and farming communities such as the Iraqw live nearby; Swahili is widely spoken. Many villages bordering the park take part in community wildlife areas and tourism.
Known for
- Large elephant herds
- Ancient baobab trees
- The Tarangire River in the dry season
- The Silale swamp
- Walking safaris
Did you know?
Tarangire is known for its baobab trees, which can live for many centuries and store water in their swollen trunks; in the dry season elephants strip their bark to reach the moisture.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.