Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park safari from Arusha

Tarangire is about two hours from Arusha, close enough for a day trip. Our Tarangire National Park Day Trip picks you up in Arusha early and spends the whole day on game drives along the river and through the baobab country, with a bush lunch in the park, before the drive back in the evening. Park entrance fees are included. On our live tour page on 27 October 2026 it costs US$235 per person for a group of six in peak season (16 May to 14 March) and US$550 for one person on their own.

A night or two in the area lets you be out at first light, when the animals are busiest. Tarangire also fits neatly at the start of a longer safari. The 6 Days Best Northern Tanzania Safari spends its first full day here before going on to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.

Baobabs of Tarangire

The baobabs in Tarangire are African baobabs, Adansonia digitata, often called the upside-down tree because the bare branches look like roots. They grow 5 to 25 metres tall, and the trunk of an old tree can be 10 metres or more across. They soak up water in the rains and store it in the trunk and branches, and a large tree can hold well over 100,000 litres.

Nobody has dated Tarangire's own trees, but radiocarbon work elsewhere in Africa shows how old baobabs get. A tree known as Grootboom was at least 1,275 years old, and the Panke baobab in Zimbabwe was about 2,450 when it died in 2011. Look closely at the big trunks in Tarangire and you will see deep gouges. Elephants make them in dry spells, when they tear into the bark to eat the moist wood underneath.

For photographs, come in the dry season, June to October. Baobabs stand leafless for about eight months of the year, so their shapes stand out against the sky, and this is when the elephant herds gather along the river among them. Early morning and late afternoon give the softest light on the trunks.

Wildlife in Tarangire National Park

Tarangire is quieter than the other northern parks, so you often have a sighting to yourself. Numbers and variety swing with the seasons and peak in the dry months.

Elephants

Counts of up to about 3,000 elephants are quoted for the dry season, when they gather along the river. Herds can be 300 strong. There are elephants here at other times of year too, only fewer and more spread out.

The mini-migration

When the seasonal rivers and waterholes dry up, animals that grazed outside the park move in to the Tarangire River. Guides call it the mini-migration. It is nowhere near the scale of the Great Migration, but it is impressive in its own right, and as in the Serengeti, the arriving herds bring all the large predators. The river itself holds hippos and some very large crocodiles all year, and leopards are common in the thickets along its banks.

Animals you will not see in the Serengeti

The fringe-eared oryx and the gerenuk, the long-necked antelope that stands on its hind legs to browse, are not found in the Serengeti or the Ngorongoro Crater.

Predators

Lions, cheetahs, leopards and spotted hyenas are all seen well. African wild dogs are possible, and the western side of the park, near the Kitibong Hills, is where they are most often reported. If big cats are your priority, see our Big 5 safaris.

Birds

More than 500 species have been recorded, including the yellow-collared lovebird, which lives only in Tanzania. Bird numbers are at their best in the wet season, when migrants arrive and the swamps fill.

Areas of Tarangire National Park

The park is big enough that each section feels different. Where you stay decides which one you see most of.

Northern section

The main gate, the airstrip and the park headquarters are here. The gate sits on a bend of the Tarangire River, so the river is the first thing you see. The ground is fairly flat grassland with scattered woodland, and the baobabs stand out. Further in it turns hilly, with views of distant Lake Manyara and the Milima Mitatu peaks. In the wet season Lake Burungi holds hippos, crocodiles and waterfowl. In the dry season it can empty completely and leave a bed of white salt crystals. The Silale Swamps hold a resident lion pride.

Tarangire River

The river runs south to north through the park and is the reason most of the wildlife is here. Waterholes dry up after the rains, and the animals that were grazing outside the park gather along it. Water and thick growth on the banks also draw a lot of birds.

Western section

Nutritious grassland on the Gursi Plains and pockets of combretum and acacia woodland suit elephants and buffalo, and where there are grazers, predators follow. Lions and spotted hyenas are seen often. This is also the part of the park where wild dogs, mostly near the Kitibong Hills, are most likely.

Southern section

The south is remote, with a few camps and very little park infrastructure. Swamps and wetlands cut off some roads in the wet season. That also makes it the quietest part of the park and the place where most walking safaris are done. There are fewer lions and hyenas in the south, so cheetahs and ostriches are seen fairly often. The wetlands are full of waterbirds until they dry out.

Things to do in Tarangire National Park

Game drives are the main activity, with night drives and walking safaris where operators are permitted. A few other things are worth building into the trip.

• Step inside a baobab. Some of the hollow trunks are big enough to stand in. The "Poacher's Hide" tree is the one visitors are usually shown.
• Visit a Maasai or Barabaig homestead. A visit gives you a look at the daily life and history of two long-established cultures.
• See rock paintings. Hundreds of prehistoric paintings are found in the Kolo area, outside the park. It is a day trip from Tarangire and works well on a day with no game drive.
• Birdwatch. The river, swamps and woodland each bring different birds, so ask your guide to spend time in each.

Tarangire sits on the way between Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, so it is easy to combine with any of them.

Landscape of Tarangire National Park

The Tarangire River is flanked by floodplains and stands of riverine forest. In the north, rolling savanna gives way to hill country with thick-trunked baobabs and open mixed combretum and acacia woodland. Low ground floods in the wet season and leaves green swamps full of insects and birdsong. On the grassland, abandoned termite mounds several metres high become homes for dwarf mongooses and other burrowing animals.

After the rains Tarangire is lush and green, but it can get very dry. Between the grasslands, granite ridges, valleys, swamps and forest it is a complex mix of habitats, and the wildlife uses all of them.

Weather and best time to visit Tarangire

The dry season, June to October, gives the best game viewing. The vegetation is thin, the river is the main water and the animals come to it. The wet season is quieter and greener, and it is when birdwatchers do best, though some roads may be impassable.

For the elephant herds, plan for July to October. Mornings and evenings are cool, so bring a warm layer for early game drives.

More questions about Tarangire

Why is Tarangire less crowded than other parks?

It is a short detour off the main Northern Circuit route, so many itineraries skip it. That means fewer vehicles at each sighting and more sense of being in the wilderness.

Is the whole park open all year?

Not always. In the wet season, swamps and wetlands can cut off roads, especially in the south. Your guide will know which tracks are open.

Where do you see African wild dogs in Tarangire?

Mostly in the west, near the Kitibong Hills. They are highly endangered and sightings are never certain.

Is Tarangire good for birdwatching?

Yes. More than 500 species are recorded, and the wet season brings migrants and the greatest variety.