Sitting south of the equator, Tanzania embodies the picturesque vision one has when it comes to East Africa. Home to Africa’s highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro, abundant wildlife in the world-famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, and exotic Zanzibar island, just to name a few of the country's highlights, Tanzania has proven time and again that untouched, pristine natural wonders are those that make the best memories and experiences. While the beauty of the country will draw you in, the friendly people and fascinating culture will make you want to stay. The colorful culture, exquisite landscapes, and rich wildlife are all wrapped up in a warm and welcoming package that is Tanzania.

Tanzania mostly enjoys a tropical climate with fairly pleasant temperatures all year round of between mid 20° to low 30° Celsius during the day. The hottest months are from October to February. The coolest months are June to August when nights and early mornings can be cold.

The country has two sets of rainy seasons; the long and heavy rains fall between March and May while the shorter rains fall between November and January every year.

Located in East Africa, Tanzania’s geography is varied and unique. It’s beaches embrace the Indian Ocean to the east while savannahs and mountains creep in as you move towards the north/west part of the country. The snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro is located in the northeast and is surrounded by lakes, mountains and many national parks. Towards the center of the country is a large plateau, filled with plains, grasslands, and plenty of arable land. The variety of geographic features provide for an un-paralleled level of diversity in landscapes, flora and fauna.

Known best for safaris, Tanzania has a multitude of exciting attractions to fill your time. The northern town of Arusha sits at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru, both of which are available to hike. For those seeking a more relaxing experience, the pristine islands of Zanzibar and Pemba spoil visitors with white sandy beaches and some of Africa's best dive spots. Walking tours of the capital city Dar es Salaam and Stone Town in Zanzibar City are available, as you bustle through the lively streets with delicious food waiting for you while overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Called one of the “Seven New Wonders of the World”, the famed Great Wildebeest Migration is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Annually, more than two million grazers like wildebeest, but also zebras and gazelles, migrate in a clockwise formation ranging over 3,200 km (2,000 miles) between the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya's Maasai Mara in search for green pasture.

While the migration takes place all year round, it's particularly famous for the rare moments when huge herds cross the Mara River at the border between both country's nature reserves. This is where crocodiles await their prey, making the crossing particularly dangerous for the grazers and spectacular for lucky travellers.

For a chance to experience this spectacle, plan your trip between July to October and spend a few nights close to the Mara River. Expect that it requires a fair amount of luck to catch the river crossing, but herds of wildlife aggregating along the river shores will always make for an unforgettable and intimate wildlife experience.

Kiswahili is the national language of Tanzania. However, English is the official business language. Travellers can get by very well using English which is commonly spoken in all areas typically visited by tourists.

Malaria is endemic in Tanzania and the risk of contraction is high. There are numerous varieties of malaria, but falciparum malaria is the disease's most dangerous and potentially lethal form, and this strain of malaria in Tanzania is widespread. A bite from an infected mosquito is all it takes to get infected. Infection rates are at their highest during the rainy season. Contracting malaria can cause serious illness and even death, so it is important to take precautions such as preventative medication.

The illness with the biggest risk for most travellers to Tanzania is malaria., which can be lethal. Fortunately, there is preventative medication which you can take to protect against the risk of malaria contraction.

Besides malaria, there are also other mosquito-borne viral infections, such as dengue and chikungunya, for which there is no preventative medication. While chikungunya is rarely life-threatening, dengue can potentially be very dangerous.

Travellers diarrhoea is another common ailment that people can get while traveling overseas.

Furthermore, both Filariasis and Schistosomiasis are common illnesses in Tanzania, but the risk of infection is low during a short visit.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that occasionally has a break out in Tanzania, particularly in the capital city Dar Es Salaam but it is definitely not restricted to it.

Dengue symptoms look like Malaria, including the joint and muscle pain as well as a potentially high fever. There are four serotypes of the virus and you can get each of them only once.

However, subsequent infections with different virus serotypes increase the risk of the viral infection progressing into Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. This can be fatal if complications like a circulatory failure and a shock occur; this condition is known as the Dengue Shock Syndrome.

The mosquitoes that transmit dengue are active during the day, with peak moments in the early morning and the late afternoon.  They prefer to be in the shade when it's hot, just like you.

Currently, there is no vaccination against dengue yet. Therefore, it's very important to avoid mosquito bites by using a repellent that contains DEET.

After consultation with local and international stakeholders, Tanzania issued National Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the re-opening of the tourism industry post COVID-19 in May 2020. We consider the SOPs well crafted and strictly adhere to the SOPs.

Please note actual implementation of SOPs and guidelines is always a challenge for countries, especially in lower income destinations. It would be reasonable to assume that most travel businesses have an incentive to not fully comply.

We therefore recommend you to only book with companies committed to responsible travel, and to book all local travel arrangements from arrival through to departure with them, to increase your chances of COVID-19 SOPs being taken seriously and carefully implemented across all touchpoints for your entire local trip.

Travel government travel advisory no. 12 of 12th January 2023 (download PDF):

Travel government travel advisory no. 12 of 12th January 2023 (download PDF):

Tanzania generally follows North American tipping practices. Tourists are expected to tip at restaurants and hotels, their safari guide and driver, we well as their mountain crew when climbing Kilimanjaro.

The dialing code for Tanzania is +255. Mobile network coverage is widely available. It is even expanding in the parks, though limited in many areas and should not be relied upon. Vodacom, Airtel, and Tigo are the best networks.

Internet cafes and hotel internet access is available in most cities. Most safari lodges and camps do not have public internet connections. Even if there is an internet connection, it is often slow. If you require, you can purchase a local SIM card with data fairly inexpensively in major cities. For registration, you will need to ring your passport copy.

We recommend all travelers visiting Tanzania to take anti-malarials, even if you are only planning a short trip or a mountain climb because you will not be able to entirely avoid your exposure to malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

Before leaving for Tanzania your doctor can recommend an anti-malarial medicine, along with instructions about dosage. Very often doctors will prescribe a course of antibiotics or anti-parasitic medicines as a preventative measure to be begun one to two weeks before departure for Tanzania. Whatever is prescribed, it is important that travelers follow dosing directions carefully.

We cannot make recommendations as to particular anti-malarial substances or brands. Most doctors and health care providers who have worked with malaria in Tanzania recommend a course of medications like Mefloquine hydrochloride, atovaquone-proguanil or antibiotics like Doxycycline prior to your departure for Tanzania.

It is important that you check with your physician for the best drug and correct dosage depending on your personal situation. Your doctor should have experience with malaria and keep up-to-date about the latest developments as drug-resistance patterns of malaria viruses are changing rapidly.

Many travellers believe that malaria is a mild illness and can always be treated successfully, and that taking antimalarials may cause more severe side effects than actually getting malaria. This is not true. Side effects depend on the drug, are not universal and can be minimised by taking the best drug for you, and taking it correctly.

The type of malaria in Tanzania may be lethal within 24 hours of developing first symptoms, and treatment after contraction may not be successful or come in time. In case of pregnancy, the risks include miscarriage or premature labour. We strongly recommend taking preventative antimalarials when travelling to Tanzania.

When planning a trip to Tanzania, the following vaccinations are always recommended:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Boosters for tetanus, diphtheria and measles

The World Health Organization additionally recommends the following vaccinations for all travellers worldwide:

• Mumps
• Rubella
• Polio

In addition, you may need the following:

• Yellow fever certificate: Required for immigration if travelling via a country with increased risk of yellow fever (such as Ethiopia or Kenya); not required otherwise.
• Typhoid: Usually only recommended for pro-longed stays.
• Rabies: Usually only recommended for pro-longed stays in remote areas.

Medical requirements other than vaccinations:

• Malaria: There is no vaccination to protect against malaria. The type of malaria virus in Tanzania can be lethal. We therefore strongly recommend that you take preventative anti-malarials when travelling to Tanzania.
• Other: Please refer to our packing list for more medical items recommend for your trip.

Please note that some vaccinations are administered over prolonged time periods to become effective. Therefore, it is important that you consult your medical expert well ahead of your trip.

You need the following documents to enter Tanzania:

• International passport, valid for at least six more months upon entry and needs to have at least one empty page;
• Visa required for most travellers;
• Yellow fever vaccination certificate, if travelling from or via any of the countries with risk of yellow fever transmission (including Kenya and Ethiopia).

When asked, you must also be able to show proof of your roundtrip ticket and possess enough funds to cover all costs during your stay.

For most travellers and nationalities entering the country, the passport that you hold must be valid for an additional six months after the date of entry into Tanzania. This applies to visitors from Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, South and Central America, Asia and Canada. This is also the case for visitors hoping to apply for a visa. Travellers planning a visit to Tanzania whose passport expires prior to that date should have their passport updated immediately.

Most visitors require a visa to travel to Tanzania. This includes travellers coming from the United States and Canada, most European countries, Australia and New Zealand, and parts of Asia. There are some exceptions including nationals from Cyprus or Romania, citizens of Malaysia, Hong Kong and a number of other African nations. Be sure to double check the visa regulations for your country as they are subject to change.

Until recently, the easiest way to get your visa for Tanzania was upon arrival. However, the Tanzanian government has changed the procedure of issuing visas on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport with immediate effect.

Travellers who arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport without a visa, need to go through the following extensive process which may take more than two hours to complete:

•   Queue for a Government Control Number – you need this number for any payment to the government
•   Queue to pay your visa fee with your control number at the bank at the airport
•   Queue for Immigration to check and issue your visa

Therefore, we highly recommend applying online for the Tanzanian e-visa or obtain a visa before arrival at your nearest embassy as of August 2019. E-visa are normally issued within 2 or 3 weeks after application via the e-visa portal.

However, it is important to note that ports of entry or exit for the e-visa are limited. It is possible to arrive through Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar airport with an e-visa. The border crossings Namanga (Arusha-Nairobi) and Tunduma (Tanzania-Zambia) also accept e-visa.

If you arrive through the Tarakea (Amboseli - Rongai Gate) and Isebania border crossing, we recommend obtaining a visa upon arrival. Your e-visa will be accepted too, but the validation process may take much longer as the necessary equipment at these respective ports is not available.

The fee for single entry Tanzania visas is US$100 for US citizens and US$50 for all other nationalities that require a visa. E-visas can be pre-paid by card. The visa on arrival fee needs to be paid in cash (in US dollars).

Tanzania does not require proof of yellow fever vaccination for all travellers. However, travellers entering Tanzania from a country with a risk of yellow fever do need to display a certificate of vaccination before entering the country.

The countries with yellow fever risk are currently limited to other African nations and countries in South and Central America.

Even when you have booked an all-inclusive package tour, there is still a need to bring money for visas, gratuities, souvenirs, drinks, snacks, laundry, meals not covered by your itinerary, equipment rentals and any other expenses.

The US Dollar is widely excepted in Tanzania, and we strongly recommend that you bring enough cash in US dollars for all your intended purchases and payments locally. Please make sure to bring smaller notes, and that notes are not older than 2006 as notes issued before 2006 are not accepted in Tanzania.

ATMs are available in major cities (including Arusha, Moshi, and Zanzibar), though may not always be conveniently located near your hotel. Credit cards are only accepted at larger hotels, stores and restaurants, and may involve high surcharges. Even when credit card machines are available, outages may occur due to limited network connectivity.

Starting 1 June 2019, a plastic bag ban has been in effect in Tanzania. This means travelers are no longer allowed to bring single-use plastic bags into Tanzania both in hand luggage or in checked-in luggage.

The production, importation, use and sales of single-use plastic bags are prohibited and will be fined by the Tanzanian government. The penalty, if you are seen using a single-use plastic bag, is 30.000 TZS. Therefore, we recommend that you leave plastic bags at home and use cotton bags instead.

Fortunately, plastic zip-lock bags that are used to store liquids in hand luggage, are still allowed. The reason these remain allowed is that these are personal belongings of travelers. As a result, travelers will not dispose of these in the country, states the Tanzanian government in an official announcement.

We recommend that you only take high-quality zip-lock bags with you. This decreases chances of them to break and at the same time, they will increase your credibility in case you would have to show them upon entry in Tanzania.

Due to the warm and humid weather throughout most of the country, it is best to bring light comfortable clothing, with a warmer layer for evenings. Long sleeves and trousers are best for dusk to protect against mosquito bites. During the day you will need a hat, sunglasses and high factor sunscreen. Modest dress is advisable for both men and women, particularly in coastal areas.

The standard voltage in Tanzania is 230 V. You can use your electric appliances in Tanzania if the standard voltage in your country is between 220-240 V (as is in Europe and Australia). If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100-127 V (as is in the US and Canada), you need a voltage converter. The power outlets are UK-style (three prongs—two flat and one rectangular).

To pre-acclimatize for Kilimanjaro, hikers can hike at other local mountains in the Kilimanjaro region. There, they will experience altitude changes similar to Kilimanjaro.

Mount Kenya and Mount Meru are two mountains that offer a good introduction to challenging altitudes for climbers who have not done this before.

Altitude training systems are also available. Although they are not necessary, they can greatly help travelers prepare for hiking with less oxygen at high altitudes.