Tanzania birding tours and bird watching trips
Tanzania has more than 1,100 bird species and more endemics than almost anywhere in mainland Africa. These are the routes we run most often. Each one can be adjusted to your target list.
Our birding tour itineraries
18days18-Day Tanzania Birding Tour
This 18-day Tanzania birding tour is a life-lister’s odyssey, traversing the avian-rich landscapes of Northern Tanzania and the biodiverse Eastern Arc Mountains.
9days9-Day Tanzania Birding & Big Game Safari
Nine days is the length where you stop choosing between birds and big game.
11days
27days27-Day Tanzania Ultimate Birding Expedition
Join us on an unforgettable 27-day birding journey across Tanzania, where we’ll track down the country’s most elusive and endemic species.
13days13-Day Udzungwa & Rubeho Birding Adventure
This incredible tour takes you through the Udzungwa and Rubeho Mountains in search of the rare Udzungwa and Rubeho Forest Partridges—two fascinating birds that were only recently discovered.
6days6-Day Northern Tanzania Birding Tour
This is the classic northern circuit, run for birders.
4days4-Day Tanzania Birding Tour
This is the slow version of Arusha birding.
3days3-Day Tanzania Birding Tour
Three days lets us add a completely different habitat to the Arusha birding.
2days2-Day Tanzania Birding Tour
If you have a couple of spare days in Arusha, before or after a longer trip, this is the birding we would do ourselves.
Compare birding tours at a glance
Length, route, accommodation and best season side by side. Select a trip name for the full day-by-day plan.
| Safari | Days | Route | Accommodation | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Day Tanzania Birding Tour | 2 | Arusha National Park & Lark Plains | Mid-range lodge (luxury on request) | All year. November to April adds the northern migrants. |
| 3-Day Tanzania Birding Tour | 3 | Mererani, Arusha National Park & Lark Plains | Mid-range lodge (luxury on request) | All year. November to April for migrants and breeding plumage. |
| 4-Day Tanzania Birding Tour | 4 | Arusha NP, Meru Forest, Lark Plains & Mererani | Mid-range lodge (luxury on request) | All year. November to April is best for species numbers. |
| 6-Day Northern Tanzania Birding Tour | 6 | Arusha NP, Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro Crater | Mid-range lodges and tented camps | November to April for migrants. June to October for easier game viewing. |
| 9-Day Tanzania Birding & Big Game Safari | 9 | Arusha NP, Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro | Mid-range lodges and tented camps | November to April for birds. January and February for calving in the south. |
| 11-Day Tanzania Birding Odyssey | 11 | Northern parks & Usambara Mountains | Mid-range lodges; simple guesthouses in the Usambaras | October to March for the Usambaras. Avoid the long rains (April to May). |
| 13-Day Udzungwa & Rubeho Birding Adventure | 13 | Udzungwa, Rubeho & Mikumi | Lodges, tented camps and forest camps | October to March. Avoid the long rains (April to May). |
| 18-Day Tanzania Birding Tour | 18 | Northern parks, South Pare, Mkomazi & Usambara Mountains | Lodges, tented camps and forest camps | October to March. Avoid the long rains (April to May). |
| 27-Day Tanzania Ultimate Birding Expedition | 27 | Northern Tanzania & the Eastern Arc Mountains | Lodges, tented camps and forest camps | October to March. Avoid the long rains (April to May). |
Where our birding tours go
Each area adds something different. Select a destination for the full guide.
Arusha National Park
Montane forest, the Momella Lakes and Hartlaub’s Turaco, just 45 minutes from Arusha.
Lark Plains
The only place on earth to see the critically endangered Beesley’s Lark.
Tarangire National Park
Huge elephant herds, ancient baobabs and Tanzania’s endemic birds.
Lake Manyara National Park
Tree-climbing lions, groundwater forest and a soda lake full of waterbirds.
Ngorongoro Crater
A volcanic caldera with black rhino, lions and big grassland birds.
Serengeti National Park
Vast plains, the Great Migration and big cats all year round.
Usambara Mountains
Ancient Eastern Arc forests holding Tanzania’s rarest endemic birds.
Ruaha National Park
Tanzania’s largest park: big predators, baobab plains and 570+ bird species.
Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains
Rainforest endemics, Sanje Falls and the Kilombero Weaver in southern Tanzania.
How our birding tours work
Every birding trip has a specialist bird guide and a private vehicle. We start early, because that’s when the birds are active, and we stop whenever something calls. Lunch is usually a picnic in the field so we don’t lose the best hours driving to a lodge.
Before you travel, send us your target list. We use it to choose the route, the lodges and how long we spend at each site. During the trip your guide keeps a daily checklist, and you get the full list at the end.
Non-birding partners are always welcome. The same parks hold elephants, lions and the Ngorongoro Crater, and we’re used to balancing both. If big game matters as much as birds, look at our 10-day big game and birding tour.
Common questions
How many species can I expect?
It depends on the season, the route and your pace. A guest on a ten-day August trip recorded around 400. November to March usually gives the highest totals.
Do you provide binoculars and a field guide?
Yes, we carry spare binoculars and a field guide in the vehicle, but we recommend bringing your own binoculars.
Can you build a trip around specific birds?
Yes, and we’d encourage it. Send us your list and we’ll tell you honestly which species are realistic in your dates.
Guides to help you choose
From the Serengeti and Ngorongoro to Rubondo Island and the Usambara Mountains, these are the twelve best places for birding in Tanzania and what to see at each.
If you’ve only done a regular safari, a birding day will feel different. Here’s one, hour by hour.
Tanzania is good for birds all year. When you go decides which birds you see, what they look like and how hard you’ll work for them.
Tanzania has more than 20 birds found nowhere else on earth. Some are easy, and some take days. Here’s where we look.
Start planning your safari
Tell us your dates and the birds or animals you most want to see. We’ll reply within 24 hours with a route and a full quote.