Arusha National Park

Montane forest, the Momella Lakes and Ngurdoto Crater, 45 minutes from Arusha. Where to find turacos, trogons, flamingos and colobus monkeys.

Most safari groups skip Arusha National Park on their way to the Serengeti. Birders shouldn’t. In one day you move from montane forest on the lower slopes of Mount Meru to the Momella Lakes and the rim of Ngurdoto Crater, and each habitat has its own set of birds.

The forest is the highlight. Hartlaub’s Turaco calls from the canopy, Narina Trogons sit quietly in the mid-storey, and African Crowned Eagles hunt the black-and-white colobus monkeys. The Momella Lakes, each a slightly different colour and salt level, attract Lesser Flamingos, waders and ducks.

It’s also one of the few parks where you can walk with an armed ranger. That makes it a good first or last day of a trip, and a good choice for travellers who only have a day.

Getting there

The main Momella Gate is about 45 minutes’ drive from central Arusha on a good road. It’s the closest national park to the city, so it works as a day trip or as the first or last stop of a longer safari.

Where to stay

Most guests stay at a lodge on the eastern side of the park or in Arusha itself. There are also rustic options inside the park for walkers heading up Mount Meru.

Our guides’ tips

Arrive at opening time for forest birds. The first three hours are the most active.
Guided walks with an armed ranger are allowed here, unlike in most parks.
Clear afternoons are best for views of Kilimanjaro from the Momella Lakes.
Bring a light waterproof, as the forest can be misty and damp.

Common questions

Is Arusha National Park worth visiting?

Yes, especially for birders and anyone who wants to walk. It has forest, lakes and a crater within a small area, and very few visitors.

Can I see Kilimanjaro from Arusha National Park?

On clear days, yes, especially from the Momella Lakes in the early morning or late afternoon.

How long do I need?

A full day covers the main areas. Two days lets you add a forest walk.

Safaris that visit Arusha National Park

18days

18-Day Tanzania Birding Tour

Northern parks, South Pare, Mkomazi & Usambara Mountains

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.

See the itinerary Enquire

Secretarybird walking through golden grassland in Tanzania

9days

9-Day Tanzania Birding & Big Game Safari

Arusha NP, Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro

Nine days is the length where you stop choosing between birds and big game.

See the itinerary Enquire

Birders walking a forest trail in the Usambara Mountains

11days

11-Day Tanzania Birding Odyssey

Northern parks & Usambara Mountains

This one is for life-listers.

See the itinerary Enquire

Von der Decken's Hornbill perched against a blue sky, Tanzania

27days

27-Day Tanzania Ultimate Birding Expedition

Northern Tanzania & the Eastern Arc Mountains

Join us on an unforgettable 27-day birding journey across Tanzania, where we’ll track down the country’s most elusive and endemic species.

See the itinerary Enquire

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill perched in an acacia

6days

6-Day Northern Tanzania Birding Tour

Arusha NP, Tarangire, Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro Crater

This is the classic northern circuit, run for birders.

See the itinerary Enquire

Streaky-breasted bird perched on a branch, Arusha National Park

4days

4-Day Tanzania Birding Tour

Arusha NP, Meru Forest, Lark Plains & Mererani

This is the slow version of Arusha birding.

See the itinerary Enquire

Von der Decken’s Hornbill in acacia country

3days

3-Day Tanzania Birding Tour

Mererani, Arusha National Park & Lark Plains

Three days lets us add a completely different habitat to the Arusha birding.

See the itinerary Enquire

Scaly Francolin on a forest track in Arusha National Park

2days

2-Day Tanzania Birding Tour

Arusha National Park & Lark Plains

If you have a couple of spare days in Arusha, before or after a longer trip, this is the birding we would do ourselves.

See the itinerary Enquire

10days

10-Day Big Game & Birding Tour

Arusha NP, Lark Plains, Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Manyara

We built this trip for a couple where one of them lives for birds and the other wants lions.

See the itinerary Enquire

Wildlife

Iconic wildlife of Arusha National Park

The animals, trees and reptiles our guides look for here, with the best season and where to find them. See the full wildlife guide.

Mammal

African elephant

Loxodonta africana

Tarangire’s big herds are the classic sight: families drifting between baobabs to the river in the dry season.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Arusha National Park, Rubondo Island National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro

Mammal

Cape buffalo

Syncerus caffer

The Big Five’s heavyweight. Herds of several hundred are a daily sight in Arusha National Park and the crater.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park

Giraffes on the plains with Mount Meru behind, northern Tanzania

Mammal

Masai giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

Tanzania’s national animal, with jagged star-shaped patches. Common almost everywhere except inside the crater.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Zebras on the plains of northern Tanzania

Mammal

Plains zebra

Equus quagga

The migration’s other half. Hundreds of thousands of zebra move with the wildebeest across the Serengeti.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Primate

Olive baboon

Papio anubis

Lake Manyara’s troops are some of the biggest in Africa, and the most entertaining hour of any game drive.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park, Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Eyasi

Primate

Black-and-white colobus

Colobus guereza

Long white capes and a leap that seems to hang in the air. Arusha National Park’s forest is full of them.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Usambara Mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, Rubondo Island National Park

Grant’s gazelles on the open plains of Tanzania

Mammal

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

The graceful antelope you will see most often, and the leopard’s favourite meal.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Arusha National Park

Primate

Blue monkey

Cercopithecus mitis

The quiet grey-blue monkey of Tanzania’s forests, usually noticed by a shaking branch high in the canopy.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Tanganyika

Birding

Birds to look for in Arusha National Park

Specialities, endemics and the birds that make this place different, chosen by our birding guides. Browse all birds.

Resident

Hartlaub’s Turaco

Tauraco hartlaubi

A flash of crimson wings in the forest canopy. Arusha National Park is the easiest place to see one.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Tanganyika

Resident

Grey Crowned Crane

Balearica regulorum

The golden crown, the dance and the bugling call. Endangered, but still a daily sight on the crater floor.

Seen in

Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park

Resident

Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor

Pink crowds on the soda lakes. Numbers rise and fall with the water, so your guide checks before you go.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Resident

Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Bycanistes brevis

A huge forest hornbill with a cream casque, whooshing overhead with every wingbeat.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Mount Kilimanjaro

Resident

Bar-tailed Trogon

Apaloderma vittatum

A jewel of the montane forest that sits motionless for minutes, then is simply gone.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Ngorongoro Crater

Resident

Hildebrandt’s Francolin

Pternistis hildebrandti

A handsome, spotted francolin of rocky hillsides and crater slopes, calling harshly at dawn.

Seen in

Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park

Resident

White-starred Robin

Pogonocichla stellata

A yellow-and-blue robin of the forest floor with a white star on its forehead, singing in the half-light.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Ngorongoro Crater

Resident

Tacazze Sunbird

Nectarinia tacazze

A big highland sunbird that glows purple and bronze in the sun, feeding on flowers along the crater rim.

Seen in

Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha National Park

Resident

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Pink legs longer than seems sensible, wading the soda lakes among the flamingos.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Resident

Intermediate Egret

Ardea intermedia

A quiet white egret of marshes and lake edges, between the Great and Little Egrets in size and easy to overlook.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Arusha National Park, Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park

Resident

African Fish Eagle

Icthyophaga vocifer

The voice of Africa. A white-headed eagle whose ringing call carries across every lake and river.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ruaha National Park, Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Arusha National Park, Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Eyasi

Resident

Crowned Hornbill

Lophoceros alboterminatus

A neat, dark hornbill with a red bill and a white belly, usually in pairs along the forest edge.

Seen in

Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Arusha National Park, Lake Tanganyika

Resident

Narina Trogon

Apaloderma narina

Emerald back, scarlet belly, and a habit of sitting absolutely still. Finding one is a highlight of any forest walk.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Usambara Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains, Gombe & Mahale Mountains

Resident

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

The tallest flamingo, pale pink with a pink, black-tipped bill. It sifts small invertebrates from the mud rather than algae.

Seen in

Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi, Lake Manyara National Park, Arusha National Park

Near-endemic

Kilimanjaro White-eye

Zosterops eurycricotus

A small green-and-yellow white-eye with a broad white eye-ring, found in the highland forests of northern Tanzania.

Seen in

Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha National Park

Activities

Things to do in Arusha National Park

How a day here is spent, from game drives to walks and boat trips. All safari activities.

Half day to full day

Game drives

The heart of every safari: a private 4x4 with a pop-up roof, your own guide, and the whole day to follow the wildlife.

Any length, from a morning walk to a 27-day expedition

Birdwatching

More than 1,100 species, dozens of endemics, and guides who find most birds by ear. Our speciality.

Waterfall in the montane forest of Arusha National Park

One to four hours

Walking safaris and nature walks

Leave the vehicle behind. Walk with a ranger to a waterfall, across the plains, or into Eastern Arc forest.

Two to three hours

Canoeing on the Momella Lakes

A quiet paddle past flamingos and hippos, with Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro on the skyline.

Guests watching wildlife with binoculars from a Charles Tours safari vehicle

Any safari

Wildlife and bird photography

Vehicles positioned for the light, beanbags on the window, and a guide who understands what you are trying to capture.

Explore other Tanzania destinations

More parks, plains and forests our safaris visit, each with its own wildlife, birds and best season.

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.

Send an enquiry WhatsApp +255 627 415 415