Handpicked safari lodges & camps across Africa

Arusha National Park

Arusha Planet Lodge is a garden lodge in Moshono, on the quieter outskirts of Arusha about ten minutes' drive from the town centre. Its 34 rooms are round chalets in a style inspired by Maasai homesteads, each with air conditioning and a private deck, and they include interconnecting family units and two wheelchair-accessible rooms. The grounds have a swimming pool, a spa, a gym, a restaurant, two bars and a walking trail through tropical gardens with views of Mount Meru. It is a straightforward, comfortable base for the start or end of a northern Tanzania safari.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Mt. Meru

Miriakamba Hut is the first overnight stop on the Momella route up Mount Meru, set in montane forest inside Arusha National Park at about 2,514 metres. It is a park-run mountain hut rather than a lodge: climbers sleep in dormitory rooms with bunk beds and mattresses, and share a dining hall and outdoor seating. Most trekkers reach it after a walk of four to six hours from Momella Gate, often with wildlife and birdlife along the way. The next night is usually spent higher up at Saddle Hut, at around 3,570 metres, before the summit attempt.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Arusha National Park

Legendary Lodge is a small country-house lodge on a century-old working coffee estate on the outskirts of Arusha, at the foot of Mount Meru. It has ten garden cottages and two family cottages, each with an en-suite bathroom, a private verandah and a fireplace, set among lawns and mature tropical gardens. Guests have a swimming pool, a garden spa, a private dining pergola, a boutique and walking and cycling trails through the estate. Arusha Airport is about 15 minutes away, so it works well as a quiet first or last night on a northern Tanzania safari.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Arusha National Park

Kibo Palace Hotel is a city hotel on Nyerere Road in central Arusha, about a ten-minute walk from the Clock Tower and the business district. It has 77 rooms and suites, an outdoor swimming pool with sun beds, and a health and fitness centre with a sauna, steam room and massage. Meals are served in the Kilimanjaro Restaurant, which overlooks the pool, with a lounge bar and pool bar alongside. Several air-conditioned conference rooms make it popular with business travellers, and Kilimanjaro International Airport is roughly 45 minutes away by road.

Modern rooms with air conditioning and Wi-Fi

Ngorongoro Crater

The Castle at Ngorongoro is a small lodge on a hill at the edge of the Ngorongoro crater forest, reached by road from Arusha through Karatu. It has a limited number of rooms and suites, from singles to family rooms, each with an en-suite bathroom and a private veranda over the forest canopy and highlands. The lodge runs on solar power and has a restaurant serving African and international dishes, a bar and lounge, a campfire area and Wi-Fi. Crater game drives, rim visits and village walks can be arranged from the lodge.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge stands on the edge of the escarpment above Mto wa Mbu, looking down over Lake Manyara and the floor of the Great Rift Valley. Its 67 rooms are in two-storey thatched rondavels and include interconnecting family rooms and a suite. Meals are served in the Flamingo Restaurant, an infinity pool overlooks the lake, and the Maisha Spa offers treatments. Besides game drives into Lake Manyara National Park, the lodge arranges nature walks, canoeing and village visits through the Mto wa Mbu cultural tourism programme. It lies about 107 km by road from Arusha.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Arusha National Park

SG Premium Resort, listed here as SG Resort, is a hotel in the Sakina area of Arusha, beside the main road at the foot of Mount Meru. Its 69 rooms, from standard rooms to deluxe and executive suites, have air conditioning and satellite TV, and the decor follows a modern African theme. Facilities include a restaurant serving local and international dishes, a bar, an outdoor swimming pool with a children's section and two conference halls, the larger seating up to 200. Arusha Airport is about 8 km away, and the hotel is used by safari travellers, Mount Meru trekkers and business visitors.

Modern rooms with air conditioning and Wi-Fi

Arusha National Park

Mount Meru Hotel is a large city hotel in Arusha, set in landscaped gardens beside the Arusha golf course and a short drive from the Arusha International Conference Centre. It has 178 rooms and suites, many with views of Mount Meru, along with restaurants and bars, 24-hour in-room dining, an outdoor swimming pool and a gym. With more than 1,500 square metres of meeting and banquet space, it hosts many conferences and events. The Clock Tower, the German Boma and the Maasai Market are close by, and Kilimanjaro International Airport is about 45 minutes away.

Modern rooms with air conditioning and Wi-Fi

Arusha National Park

The African Tulip is a boutique hotel on Serengeti Road in a quiet, tree-lined residential part of Arusha. It has 29 air-conditioned rooms, made up of 22 deluxe rooms and seven suites. The Baobab Restaurant serves Tanzanian and international dishes, the Zanzibar Lounge takes its cue from the Swahili coast, and the Serengeti Pool Bar sits beside the outdoor swimming pool. There are also conference rooms with audio-visual equipment. Kilimanjaro International Airport is around 45 minutes away, and the hotel is a common overnight stop before heading out to Tarangire, Ngorongoro or the Serengeti.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Arusha National Park

Gran Meliá Arusha is a large hotel set among coffee plantations and landscaped gardens in Arusha, with Mount Meru as its backdrop. Its 171 rooms and suites all have private balconies, facing either the mountain or the city. Dining options include Yellow Chilli, an Indian restaurant created with chef Sanjeev Kapoor, the all-day Saba Saba, a coffee shop serving coffee from the surrounding plantations and a rooftop bar. There is also a spa and wellness centre with a heated outdoor pool. Kilimanjaro International Airport is about 45 minutes away and Arusha Airport about 20, making it a comfortable overnight before or after a northern circuit safari.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Arusha National Park

Tulia Boutique Hotel & Spa is a small hotel on White Rose Road in the Sakina area of Arusha, a short drive from the city centre. It has 23 rooms across several categories, from standard and twin rooms to suites, all with air conditioning and en-suite bathrooms. The Savannah Restaurant serves African and international dishes, and the gardens hold an outdoor swimming pool with a waterfall feature. The Tulia Spa offers massage, reflexology and beauty treatments in suites with their own steam rooms. Arusha Airport is around 20 minutes away, which makes it a convenient town stop between safaris.

Individually designed rooms with unique character

Arusha National Park

Arusha Coffee Lodge is an Elewana Collection property on the Burka Coffee Estate, one of the oldest and largest coffee plantations in Tanzania, on the outskirts of Arusha at the foot of Mount Meru. Its 30 plantation houses are spread out among the coffee bushes, and the main house is built around the estate's original early 1900s homestead. Facilities include an à la carte restaurant, a café bistro, a lounge with log fires, a spa and an enclosed swimming pool, and guests can tour the working estate. Arusha Airport is about five minutes away, which makes it a practical first or last night on a northern Tanzania safari.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Arusha National Park

Onsea House is a small, Belgian family-run guesthouse on a hilltop off Baraa Road on the outskirts of Arusha, with views across the Meru valley. Rooms in the main house and a separate guest cottage have four-poster beds and en-suite bathrooms, and sit in landscaped tropical gardens around a floodlit swimming pool. Many guests come for the food: the Machweo restaurant, led by a Belgian chef with Michelin-kitchen experience, blends European cooking with Tanzanian ingredients. The adjoining Machweo Wellness Retreat adds spa treatments. Arusha town is about 15 minutes away and Kilimanjaro International Airport roughly 40 minutes.

Spacious rooms with en-suite bathrooms and private veranda

Olpopongi

This homestay is an overnight stay at Olpopongi Maasai Cultural Village and Museum in West Kilimanjaro Maasailand, about 74 km from Moshi and 85 km from Arusha. The village is a traditionally built Maasai boma, and guests sleep in mud and grass huts with simple mattresses and few windows. The day is spent with Maasai hosts: a small museum on their history and tools, herbal walks, fire-making without matches, spear throwing and beadwork. Dinner is a barbecue around the campfire, and on clear days both Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru are visible. Expect a cultural experience, not hotel comforts.

Private living spaces with personal chef and butler

Arusha National Park

Arusha Crown Hotel is a six-storey city hotel on Makongoro Road in central Arusha, within walking distance of the main bus stand, the stadium, markets and banks. It has 38 rooms in single, double, twin, triple and deluxe configurations, all with en-suite walk-in showers, and some look out towards Mount Meru. There is a restaurant, a bar and lounge with 24-hour room service, and a conference room for up to 40 delegates. Arusha Airport is about 6 km away and Kilimanjaro International Airport about 48 km, so it suits travellers who want a simple, central base in town before a safari.

Modern rooms with air conditioning and Wi-Fi

Olpopongi

Overnight at the Village means a night at Olpopongi Maasai Cultural Village and Museum, a traditionally built boma in the West Kilimanjaro Maasailand between Moshi and Arusha. Guests share daily life with the Maasai community: welcome songs, a museum visit with Maasai guides, walks to learn about medicinal plants, and talks with herbalists and midwives. After an evening barbecue and campfire, the night is spent in a traditional mud and grass hut with a basic mattress. Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru can be seen on clear days. Income from visits supports local households.

Private living spaces with personal chef and butler