Birding and Wildlife Destinations in Tanzania

Explore Tanzania’s diverse habitats, from national parks, open plains and mountain forests to rivers, lakes and wetlands. Each destination offers unique birdlife and wildlife, and our tailor-made safaris combine these habitats to create exceptional nature experiences.

Where to Go on a Tanzania Safari

Discover more than 16 destinations across Tanzania, from savannahs, woodlands and open plains to lakes, wetlands, rivers and mountain forests. Explore the Northern and Southern Circuits, Lake Victoria, Pemba and the Eastern Arc Mountains.

Select a destination to discover its key birds and wildlife, the best time to visit, and the safaris available.

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Arusha National Park

Montane forest, the Momella Lakes and Hartlaub’s Turaco, just 45 minutes from Arusha.

Flamingos in flight over a Rift Valley soda lake

Lake Natron

The Rift Valley soda lake where East Africa’s Lesser Flamingos breed.

Black-winged Stilt wading in shallow water

Lake Eyasi

Seasonal soda lake with flamingos, waterbirds and quiet dry bush.

Grey-headed Gull on a Rift Valley lake, Tanzania

Lake Victoria

Africa’s largest lake, with papyrus specialists and lakeshore birds.

Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) in reeds, Tanzania

Rubondo Island National Park

Quiet island park with forest birds, waterbirds and sitatunga.

Lake Tanganyika

Clear lake, western forest birds and the gateway to Gombe and Mahale.

Bird singing on an acacia branch, northern Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro

Montane forest birding on the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain.

Lark Plains

The only place on earth to see the critically endangered Beesley’s Lark.

African elephant walking through dry grass, Tanzania

Tarangire National Park

Huge elephant herds, ancient baobabs and Tanzania’s endemic birds.

Lioness resting in an acacia tree, Tanzania

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.

Wildebeest herds of the Great Migration, Serengeti

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.

Wild chimpanzee in the forest at Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania

Gombe & Mahale Mountains

Track wild chimpanzees in the forests where Jane Goodall began her research.

Ruaha National Park

Tanzania’s largest park: big predators, baobab plains and 570+ bird species.

Sunbird perched in the forest canopy, Udzungwa Mountains

Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains

Rainforest endemics, Sanje Falls and the Kilombero Weaver in southern Tanzania.

Map

Explore Our Destinations on the Map

Tanzania’s landscapes span vast distances. Use the map to explore our birding and wildlife destinations by circuit, from the Northern and Southern Circuits to the Eastern Arc Mountains, Lake Victoria and Pemba. Select a pin to discover each destination.

Compare Tanzania safari destinations

Destination	From Arusha	Best for	Best time
Arusha National Park	About 45 minutes	Forest birds, flamingos, colobus, walking	All year
Lark Plains	About an hour north	Beesley’s Lark, larks and coursers	Early morning, all year
Tarangire National Park	About 2 hours	Elephants, endemic birds, baobabs	June to October for game; all year for birds
Lake Manyara National Park	About 2 hours	Waterbirds, forest birds, baboons	November to April for birds
Ngorongoro Crater	About 3.5 hours	Black rhino, lion, big grassland birds	All year; go early
Serengeti National Park	7–8 hours by road, about 1 hour by air	Big cats, the migration, endemic birds	All year, by area
Usambara Mountains	About 6 hours by road	Eastern Arc endemic birds	October to March
Gombe & Mahale Mountains	About 2 hours by air to Kigoma, then by boat	Chimpanzee trekking, forest primates, lake scenery	June to October
Ruaha National Park	About 2 hours by air	Big predators, elephants, southern and eastern birds	June to October for game; November to April for birds
Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero	Fly to Dar es Salaam, then about 6 hours by road	Eastern Arc endemics, forest primates, walking	June to October
Mount Kilimanjaro	About 2 hours by road	Montane forest birds, colobus, forest walks	June to October and January to February
Lake Natron	4 to 5 hours by road	Flamingos, dry-country birds, gerenuk and oryx	June to December
Lake Eyasi	About 4 hours by road	Waterbirds, flamingos, Hadzabe cultural visits	December to June for waterbirds
Lake Victoria	About 1.5 hours by air to Mwanza	Papyrus specialists, lakeshore birds, boat trips	June to October
Rubondo Island National Park	Charter flight, or road and boat	Waterbirds, sitatunga, island forest	June to August
Lake Tanganyika	Flights to Kigoma	Western forest birds, chimpanzees, boat trips	May to October

How the northern circuit fits together

Almost every safari in northern Tanzania starts at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), about an hour’s drive from Arusha, with an overnight in Arusha before you set out for the parks. Arusha National Park and the Lark Plains are both within an hour of town. Heading west, Tarangire is about two hours away, and Lake Manyara sits below the Rift Valley escarpment on the road to Karatu. From Karatu the road climbs to the Ngorongoro Crater rim, then drops onto the plains of the Serengeti. The Usambara Mountains lie in the opposite direction, about six hours east, and suit birders chasing Eastern Arc endemics.

A typical first safari visits three or four of these areas in five or six days. Birders often add a day each for Arusha National Park and the Lark Plains. See our 6-day northern birding tour or 5-day classic safari for classic routes.