6 days
The Nayara Classic
Tarangire's elephants, the Ngorongoro Crater floor and two full days in the central Serengeti. If you have one week and one shot at…
$2,780per person, from
ViewSize
2,850 km²
Established
1970
Getting there
2 hours from Arusha
Known for
Elephant, lion, leopard, giraffe, eland, fringe-eared oryx, lesser kudu, over 550 bird species
The place
Tarangire National Park
Between June and October the Tarangire river is the only permanent water for miles, and the ecosystem's animals concentrate along it in numbers that rival the Serengeti's. Herds of three hundred elephant are not unusual. It is also the most beautiful of the northern parks in a straightforward way: enormous baobabs standing over yellow grass, and a river valley that photographs well at any hour. Most people give it a single night. Give it two.
Why go
What makes it worth the days
Elephant, in extraordinary numbers
Dry-season concentrations along the river run to several thousand animals in the greater ecosystem — family groups, bachelor herds and some of the largest tuskers left in Tanzania.
Birds
More than 550 recorded species, the highest of any Tanzanian park. Yellow-collared lovebirds and ashy starlings are found almost nowhere else.
Dry-country specials
Fringe-eared oryx, lesser kudu and gerenuk occur here and not in the Serengeti.
Space
Beyond the Silale swamp the vehicles thin out to almost nothing, and night drives and walking safaris are possible in the neighbouring concessions.
The ground
Areas and how they differ
Where you sleep inside a park matters more than most people realise. These are the distinct areas and what each is good for.
Where to stay
Tented camps inside the park along the river, or lodges on the escarpment with long views over the valley. The community concessions to the north offer the walking and night drives that park regulations forbid.
The dry-season heart of the park. Elephant, lion on the sand banks, and the best game viewing.
Green year-round; buffalo herds, tree-climbing lions and huge numbers of birds.
Classic Tarangire scenery, best in the first and last hour of light.
Community-run land on the park boundary where walking, night drives and fly-camping are allowed.
When to visit
Tarangire through the year
Usually the first or last park on a northern circuit. Two hours from Arusha, it also works as a day trip.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Prime time
Good, fewer vehicles
Green season · lowest rates
Gallery
Tarangire in pictures
Trips that include it
Itineraries visiting Tarangire
6 days
4 days
Northern Circuit in Four Days
The shortest route that still does the northern circuit justice: Manyara's forest, Tarangire's elephants and a full morning on the…
$1,340per person, from
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9 days
Photographic Expedition
Beanbags, a 4x4 with the roof off and no more than three photographers aboard. We plan every day around light, not around lunch,…
$7,200per person, from
ViewKeep exploring
Nearby destinations
The endless plains
Serengeti
14,763 km² of grass, granite kopjes and the greatest terrestrial mammal migration on earth.
The crater
Ngorongoro
The world's largest intact volcanic caldera, holding around 25,000 large animals on a 260 km² floor.
Forest, cliff and soda lake
Lake Manyara
A narrow 330 km² strip between the Rift wall and an alkaline lake — and a park you can walk, cycle and drive at night.
Go there
See Tarangire for yourself
Tell us how long you have and we will show you how Tarangire fits into a route that works — and how many nights it really deserves.