Top 9 National Parks in Tanzania

Are you planning a Tanzania safari tour? The breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and diverse wildlife will give you an experience like no other. Not only is the country home to some of the biggest and broadest wildlife ranges in Africa, but its Tanzania national parks exist without boundary fences. This makes Tanzania wildlife safaris an authentic adventure that can be compared to none.

There are 22 national parks in Tanzania managed by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). Although they cover only 15% of the total land area in the country, they are quite extensive and offer incredibly scenic views.

Serengeti National Park, Best for Viewing Wildebeest Migration 

Serengeti National Park is one of the most popular parks in Tanzania, globally known for the Greatest Migration Show. Found in Northern Tanzania, the offers a world of endless grassland to the south, and mountains to the North. In fact, Serengeti is a Maasai word for endless plains, explaining how vast the park is. 

The annual migration of over a million wildebeest is the highlight and major attraction to Serengeti. With the most impressive nature documentaries being shot in this park, it’s one of the most sought-after destinations. During the migration, you can watch as  thousands of mammals cross rivers in search of grass and fresh water. Experience the dangerous routes and journey that wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras must go through as they outsmart crocodiles and other predators to get to the other side. 

Being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, thousands of visitors come to Serengeti every year to watch the Great Migration happen. This large wildlife spectacle can be experienced at any time of the year as the animals migrate in circles between Maasai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti. However, the exact timing will depend on the rainfall pattern for the year. Therefore, planning your tour with an expert tour company helps to make sure you do not miss the opportunity. 

Activities in Serengeti National Park 

• Experience the Great Wildebeest Migration
• Go for a hot air balloon safari over the savannahs
• Amazing wildlife safaris to see lions and other animals 
• Stay in some of the best Tanzania safari accommodation

Best Time to Visit Serengeti

You can visit Serengeti any time of the year, but the best months fall between January and February or June to October. 

Where to Stay in Serengeti

You can get some of the best accommodations in Tanzania in Serengeti National Park. Some of the most preferred hotels include:

• Serengeti Sopa Lodge 
• Lemala Nanyunkie Lodge 
• Four Seasons Safari Lodge 
• One Nature Nyaruswiga 

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Best for Biodiversity Conservation

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is another of the top Tanzania National Parks. It forms part of the Serengeti ecosystem and comprises crater highlights, magnificent grasslands, and acacia woodlands. At the center of the Conservation Area is Ngorongoro Crater, which is named after one of the largest intact caldera in the world and is also a natural home to the Maasai people. They live harmoniously with the wildlife, portraying one of the best traits of humanity. 

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area offers one of the classic Big Five safaris in Tanzania, with a backdrop of the ancient volcanic caldera. The predator population is larger in this park, with great sceneries on sight and over 500 species of birds. Some of the animals you will at the conservation areas include herbivores like cap buffaloes, zebras, wildebeests, and Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles. 

Activities at Ngorongoro Crater 

• Reliable year-round wildlife viewing and Big Five sightings
• Cultural excursions with bush men and immersion in local culture in the nearby Maasai villages
• Best places to see the black rhinoceros and take photographic safaris
• Crater and nature walks, with visits to the smaller calderas of the Crater Highlands
• Discover the Olduvai Gorge – the place of the wild sisal

Best Time to Visit Ngorongoro Conservancy 

The best time to visit Ngorongoro Crater is during the rainy or wet seasons for the lush and beautiful sceneries, which typically lasts between April and May. The number of visitors during this period is also low, allowing you to get the ultimate experience. 

Where to Stay in Ngorongoro Conservancy

While at Ngorongoro Conservancy, you can stay in comfortable and luxury accommodations that include: 

• Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp 
• Lion’s Paw Camp
• Asilia Highlands
• Elewana The Manor

Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, Best for Hiking the Highest Mountain in Africa

Experience the otherworldly montane health habitat at this national park that blankets the slopes and peaks of the highest mountain in Africa. Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987 because of its natural beauty, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park has a lot to offer. 

Mount Kilimanjaro stand out as the highest mountain in Africa. It is also the tallest free-standing in the world, offering a unique experience for every visitor. Attracting thousands of adventurers and climbers from all parts of the world globally, the one-week walk from the tropical to the Arctic is an experience more people endeavor.   

Surrounding the Park is the national park, full of vegetation and landscapes. A trip here combines the tropical rainforest with monkeys and birds. On top of the mountain (Roof of Africa) are glaciers and an impressive snow-capped summit.  

Activities to do at Mount Kilimanjaro 

• Hiking the highest mountain in Africa 
• Seeing attractions like Kibo Peaks, Chala Crater Late, and Shira Plateau
• Wildlife viewing

Best Time to Visit Mount Kilimanjaro 

You can climb or hike Mount Kilimanjaro at any time throughout the year. However, the best conditions are between June and mid-March (except November), with the best month being February when temperatures are high and rainfall low.

Where to Stay in Mount Kilimanjaro

You can stay at any of the available accommodation near the national park, including:

• Kaliwa Lodge
• Mount Kilimanjaro 360 View Cottages
• Aivlys Lodge Kilimanjaro 

Tarangire National Park, Best for Seeing Elephants’ Pride

Tarangire is located in the Northern Tanzania Circuit between the Great River Valley lakes and Masai Steppe. The primary feature of the park is the permanent Tarangire River gives the Park life, especially during the dry seasons when most of the area dries up. 

Activities in Tarangire National Park 

• Go for guided walking safaris and night game drives
• Enjoying closeup viewing of animals during the dry season
• Explore the beauty of baobabs and acacias throughout the park
• Stay in some of the best accommodation options

Best Time to Visit Tarangire 

The best time to visit Tarangire is between June and October when the area is experiencing the dry season. This season gives you the best game views as herds of animals gather around the Tarangire River Valley and the marshes. 

Where to Stay in Tarangire

Accommodation in Tarangire includes some of the best luxury hotels in Tanzania, offering top-notch facilities. You can stay in:

• Tarangire Safari Lodge 
• Acacia Tarangire Luxury Camp 
• Nimali Tarangire
• Elewana 

Ruaha National Park, Best for Exclusive Game Safaris 

Ruaha National Park is the second largest park in Tanzania and is often referred to as one of the best-kept game-viewing secrets of East Africa. The diversity and sheer volume of wildlife in this park make it a great destination for everyone. Being one of the untouched and awe-inspiring parks, it gets fewer tourists, especially because of its inaccessibility. 

Of the many attractions at the park is The Great Ruaha River, which flows through it. There are plenty of plants and trees, particularly acacias and baobab trees. You will find a huge population of African elephants at Ruaha, and it is even considered to have the most concentrated population in Africa. Other animals that you can spot here include leopards, giraffes, leopards, elands, zebras, bat-eared foxes, impalas, and jackals. The park is also home to many amphibians and reptiles, including crocodiles, monitor, poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, frogs, and agama lizards as well as over 570 birds. 

Activities Ruaha National Park 

• Very exclusive game safaris since it never gets crowded
• View top wildlife during the dry season
• Superb for spotting predators, including pride of lion
• See unusual antelope species such as roan, sable, and greater kudu
• One of the best places to encounter wild dogs

Best Time to Visit Ruaha National Park

Although you can visit the park all year round, the best time to visit Ruaha is at the end of the dry season. This gives you a great opportunity to watch as elephants wander around every corner of the park. 

Where to Stay in Ruaha

There are several accommodation options within reach while in Ruaha, including: 

• Ruaha River Lodge 
• Jongomero 
• Asanja Ruaha 

Lake Manyara National Park, Best for Bird Watching Spotting Tree-Climbing Lions

Lake Manyara National Park is located in the protected regions of Arusha and Manyara. Although smaller than most parks in the country, Lake Manyara still offers exceptional amazing experience as you go through the open savannah grasslands and dense forests. 

The major highlight of this part is birdwatching, with over 400 species of bird. However, a safari to Lake Manyara is an amazing tour to the home of the three big cat species including lions, leopards, and cheetahs. The Park is most famous for its tree-climbing lions that often relax on acacia trees. There are also huge troops of baboons and herds of elephants that can be seen roaming the land. 

Other animals that you are likely to see at Lak Manyara include Skye’s monkeys, cape buffaloes, zebras, and several species of antelopes. There is also a hippo pond and the resident-specific giraffes at the park as some of the largest subspecies. 

Activities to do at Lake Manyara 

• Plenty of fantastic birdwatching opportunities 
• Watch tree-climbing lions as they go atop acacia trees 
• Enjoy an amazing walk on the treetop walkway
• Walk and night safaris, with vast stretches of scenic surroundings
• Canoeing in the Lake and visiting the Maasai Bomba for a unique Tanzania cultural experience 

Best Time to Visit Lake Manyara

Although you can go for game viewing in Lake Manyara National Park all year round, the best time for safari is during the dry season from June to October. 

Where to Stay in Lake Manyara

You can find several accommodation options at the park, with the top one including:

• Mawemawe Manyara Lodge 
• Wayo Africa Green Camp Manyara 
• Manyara’s Secret 
• Escarpment Luxury Lodge 

Selous Game Reserve, Best for Undisturbed Nature and Boat Rides 

Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982, The Selous Game Reserve and is one of the largest protected areas in the world. The reserve has an area of 50,000 sq.km., and is home to diverse wildlife in undisturbed nature. 

Like other Tanzania national parks, a safari tour to Selous Game Reserve will be full of many wildlife animals, including lions, leopards, crocodiles, and hippos. You can easily spot endangered black rhinos, hyenas, and had-to-find East African wild dogs. The Maasai giraffes, Cape buffaloes, zebras, and wildebeests all live here too. Other animals found at the reserve include sable antelope, waterbucks, Lichtenstein’s hartebeests, impalas, bushbucks, and elands. 

Selous Game Reserve is also quieter compared to other national parks in Tanzania, offering a unique Tanzania vacation holiday. You can also watch over 445 bird species, including the giant kingfishers, fish eagles, ibises, carmines, palm nut vultures, white-fronted bee-eaters, African skimmer, pink-backed pelicans, and many others.  

Activities Selous Game Reserve  

• Go for a boat safari or walking safari watching the beautiful scenery of the Rufiji River 
• Catch sunsets at the serenity of the river 

Best Time to Visit Selous Game Reserve 

You can visit Selous Game Reserve at any time of the year, but the best time is during the dry season between June and October when the vegetation is not so thick to spot animals. The wet seasons are also not ideal because the roads are impassible making the reserve inaccessible. 

Where to at Selous Game Reserve  

Selous is far from other parks, and you will have to cover some distance to get there. However, there are several accommodations available:

• Rufiji River Camp 
• Selous River Camp 
• Serena Mivumo Lodge 

Mikumi National Park, Best for Weekend Getaways 

Mikumi National Park derives its name from Mikumi, which is a Swahili word for Borassus palm. The palm grows well in the Prak, with its beauty being amplified by the open savannah, waterholes, and dense forests. 

When looking for Tanzania national parks for a quick weekend gateway, Mikumi could be the best choice. The park is a haven for wildlife, especially in the dry seasons when you can watch the herd of migratory wildebeest, gazelle, eland, zebras, impala, and kudu gather around waterholes. It is also home to over 440 bird species.

The centerpiece of the park is the Mkata Floodplain, which is almost similar to the Serengeti plains. You can spot lions are they rule their grassy kingdom and stalk herds of animals that migrate across it. You can also watch as giraffes and elephants come together at the Mkata River. 

Activities at Mikumi National Park 

• Animal sightings, especially during the dry season
• Go for guided walks available
• Perfect for weekend getaways
• Stay in excellent accommodation

Best Time to Visit Mikumi National Park 

The best time to visit Mikumi is during the dry season between June and October when animals gather around water sources

Where to Stay in Mikumi National Park 

Mikumi has some great accommodation options for all kinds of budget. Some of the top selections include:

• Mikumi Safari Lodge
• Mikumi Wildlife Camp
• Mikumi Adventure Lodge

Book Tanzania Wildlife Safaris with Bobby Tours

Planning your next Tanzania wildlife safari can be challenging with all the options to choose from. While all the national parks in Tanzania are great, you may not be able to visit all of them. At Bobby Tours, we consider your needs and create a customized itinerary to give to the best safari experience. Book your next adventure with Bobby Tours and experience thrilling adventures with expert guides at competitive prices.