Tanzania's parks, compared
5 parks on wildlife, activities, cost, access and health. Every rating opens to show why.
Three parks side by side reads best. Tap a park to swap it in or out.
| Compare | KataviBest for big game | Mahale Mountains1,577 km² | NyerereBest for on the water | RuahaBest for birding | Udzungwa Mountains1,990 km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5Aug to Oct | 1Jul to Oct for trekking | 5June to October | 5Jun to Oct | 1Jun to Sep for hiking | |
5bestAug to OctHippos: Hundreds per pool; Buffalo herds: 1,000+ animals; Crocodiles: Dry-season cave dwellers | 1Jul to Oct for trekkingChimpanzees: Est. 800–1,000; Habituated M group: ±60–75 individuals; Studied since: 1965 (M group 1968) | 5bestJune to OctoberBuffalo: 34,950; Hippo: 21,963; Elephant: 8,303 | 5bestJun to OctLions (landscape): >10% of world total; Wild dogs (landscape): ±500 of ±6,000 left; Elephants: Largest pop. in Tanzania | 1Jun to Sep for hikingStrict endemic primates: 2 species; Primate species: 11; Udzungwa red colobus: 25,000–35,000 | |
| Elephant | Guaranteed | Rare | Likely | Guaranteed | Fair chance |
| Lion | Likely | Rare | Likely | Likely | Absent |
| Leopard | Fair chance | Rare | Fair chance | Fair chance | Rare |
| Buffalo | Guaranteed | Rare | Guaranteed | Likely | Rare |
| Wild dog | Rare | Rare | Fair chance | Fair chance | Not published |
| Cheetah | Absent | Not published | Absent | Rare | Not published |
| Hippo | Guaranteed | Rare | Guaranteed | Guaranteed | Not published |
| Giraffe | Likely | Rare | Guaranteed | Likely | Not published |
3400 speciesAbout 400 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 3398 speciesAbout 398 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 3440 speciesAbout 440 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 5best571 speciesAbout 571 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 3400 speciesAbout 400 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | |
| 4Walking | 4Water | 5Water | 4Walking | 4Walking | |
4One of Tanzania's best walking parks: walks of one to four hours at $20 and longer at $25 behind an authorised armed ranger, a camp built on walking, and fly-camping at $50 a night. | 4Everything is on foot with an authorised ranger: daily chimpanzee treks in groups of six with one hour at the sighting, forest walks at $20 to $25, and multi-day hikes towards Mount Nkungwe. | 4Walking is excellent: $20 for up to four hours or $25 beyond, with an armed ranger, and several camps offer fly camping. | 4One of Tanzania's best walking parks: official short walks at $20 and long walks at $25 with an armed ranger, and multi-day walking with fly-camping from June to November. | 4Every attraction is a guided walk, from the 1 km Prince Bernhard Falls to the 6 km Sanje Waterfall and the five-day, 65 km Lumemo Trail; a TANAPA guide is mandatory and plateau routes need an armed ranger. | |
4bestNight game drives are permitted and named in the TANAPA tariff at $50 per adult, offered as a standard option at Mbali Mbali Katavi, plus night nature walks at $10. | 2There are no vehicles and so no night drives; the tariff prices night nature walks at $10. | 2Night drives are not permitted inside the park since the 2019 regazettement; they still run in the Selous Game Reserve blocks to the south. | 4bestNight game drives are officially permitted, a rarity in Tanzania, at $50 per person with a park ranger booked through your lodge or park HQ. | 1Night walks are not offered and there are no night activities in the park. | |
1No boat or canoe activity is listed; the shrinking Katuma pools are watched from the bank for hippo and crocodile. | 4Swimming in designated areas of clear lake water, snorkelling over endemic cichlids at $10, kayaking at $10, boat safaris at $20, dhow sundowners and sport fishing. | 5bestBoat safaris on the Rufiji and the lakes are the signature at $20 a person and run year-round because the water is permanent. | 2There are no boat trips on the seasonal Great Ruaha; only Usangu Expedition Camp runs seasonal boat safaris in the remote western wetlands. | 1The only water activity listed is swimming in the waterfall plunge pools at Sanje and Njokamoni. | |
2Self-drivers with a proper 4x4 can do their own drives, but reaching the park is a multi-day expedition of 550 to 700 km from Mbeya on black cotton soil, with Mpanda the last fuel. | 1There are no roads in the park; every arrival is a light aircraft followed by a 1 to 2 h boat to camp. | 2About 250 km and 5 to 7 h from Dar es Salaam with an unpaved last stretch and a 4x4 sensible; only the TANAPA campsites are road-accessed and the lodges fly their guests in. | 3bestSelf-drivers can come 625 km from Dar es Salaam in 10 to 12 h, the last 108 km from Iringa on gravel being surfaced, with TANAPA bandas inside and a 4x4 strongly recommended. | 1There are no roads and no game drives inside the park; your vehicle stays parked at Mang'ula headquarters. | |
| $20cheapest bed | $30cheapest bed | $35cheapest bed | $10cheapest bed | $20cheapest bed | |
$35.40bestInternational adult per day ({'name': 'Official TANAPA tariff sheet 2023/24 (still the current published schedule)', 'url': 'https://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz/uploads/publications/en-1688147569-TARIFFS%20Design%20202324.pdf'}, 2026-07-27). | $94.40International adult per day ({'name': 'Official TANAPA tariff sheet 2023/24 (still in force; no newer tariff has been gazetted)', 'url': 'https://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz/uploads/publications/en-1688147569-TARIFFS%20Design%20202324.pdf'}, 2026-07-26). | $82.60International adult per day ({'name': 'TANAPA tariff 2023/24, still the current published schedule', 'url': 'https://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz/uploads/publications/en-1688147569-TARIFFS%20Design%20202324.pdf'}, 2026-07-26). | $35.40bestInternational adult per day ({'name': 'Official TANAPA tariff sheet 2023/24 (still in force; fee rises frozen by the Tanzanian government)', 'url': 'https://www.tanzaniaparks.go.tz/uploads/publications/en-1688147569-TARIFFS%20Design%20202324.pdf'}, 2026-07-26). | $35.40bestInternational adult per day ({'name': 'Official TANAPA tariff (GN 666/2018, 490A/2020, 181/2016), cross-checked against the TANAPA Udzungwa park brochure', 'url': 'https://tanzaniaparks.go.tz/uploads/publications/en-1615966435-NEWTARIFF.pdf'}, 2026-07-27). | |
$20Lowest listed rate per person per night across 7 places; 3 are budget tier. | $30Lowest listed rate per person per night across 5 places; 2 are budget tier. | $35Lowest listed rate per person per night across 18 places; 6 are budget tier. | $10bestLowest listed rate per person per night across 18 places; 4 are budget tier. | $20Lowest listed rate per person per night across 7 places; 4 are budget tier. | |
$445Median of 6 priced places; top end $910. | $520Median of 5 priced places; top end $1,125. | $395Median of 11 priced places; top end $1,065. | $450Median of 17 priced places; top end $2,000. | $50bestMedian of 6 priced places; top end $90. | |
4bestCheapest listed bed $20, 3 of 7 places in the budget tier, park fee $35.40 a day. | 3Cheapest listed bed $30, 2 of 5 places in the budget tier, park fee $94.40 a day. | 3Cheapest listed bed $35, 6 of 18 places in the budget tier, park fee $82.60 a day. | 3Cheapest listed bed $10, 4 of 18 places in the budget tier, park fee $35.40 a day. | 4bestCheapest listed bed $20, 4 of 7 places in the budget tier, park fee $35.40 a day. | |
| $774camping | $6,300mid-range | $1,253camping | $2,696mid-range | ||
$774Budget one: self-drive camping, for those already crossing western Tanzania | $838.80Budget one: the independent route that barely exists | $1,253Budget one: the honest budget route, outside the gate | $656bestBudget one: self-drive camping, the trip that costs least | Not published | |
Not published | $6,300Budget two: mid-range, at Mbali Mbali Mahale | Not published | $2,696bestBudget two: a mid-range lodge stay at Ruaha River Lodge | Not published | |
$5,595Budget three: the fly-in reality, how almost everyone actually visits | $14,190Budget three: fly-in and top-end, at Greystoke Mahale | $5,476bestBudget three: fly-in and top-end at Sand Rivers Selous | $11,545Budget three: fly-in and top-end | Not published | |
| Ikuu airstrip in the parknearest airport | Mahale airstripnearest airport | Park airstripsnearest airport | Msembe airstripnearest airport | Dar es Salaam (DAR)nearest airport | |
Ikuu airstrip in the park; Safari Air Link Mon and Thu from Ruaha, 07:00 to 08:50From the getting-there and flights pages. | Mahale airstrip, then ±1 to 2 h by boat; flights Mon and Thu onlyFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | Park airstrips, ±1 h by air from Dar es Salaam; ±250 km, 5 to 7 h by roadFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | Msembe airstrip, ±2.5 h by scheduled flight from Dar; Iringa ±108 km, 2 to 3 h by roadFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | Dar es Salaam (DAR), 380 km, 4 to 6 h on tarFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | |
High-clearance 4x4 mandatoryFrom the getting-there page. | No roads in the parkFrom the getting-there page. | Sensible for the road inFrom the getting-there page. | Strongly recommended; essential Nov to MayFrom the getting-there page. | Not needed; no roads inside the parkFrom the getting-there page. | |
| Aug to Octpeak game viewing | Jul to Oct for trekkingpeak game viewing | June to Octoberpeak game viewing | Jun to Octpeak game viewing | Jun to Sep for hikingpeak game viewing | |
Aug to OctFrom the best-time page. | Jul to Oct for trekkingFrom the best-time page. | June to OctoberFrom the best-time page. | Jun to OctFrom the best-time page. | Jun to Sep for hikingFrom the best-time page. | |
All camps closed Mar to MayFrom the best-time page. | All camps closed Mar to MayFrom the best-time page. | Most camps closed March to MayFrom the best-time page. | Park open all year; most camps closed Mar to MayFrom the best-time page. | Open all year; avoid trekking mid-Mar to MayFrom the best-time page. | |
| High year-round below 1malaria | All of Tanzania below 1malaria | High year-round below 1malaria | High year-round below 1malaria | High below 1,800 m (NaTHNaC)malaria | |
High year-round below 1,800m (NaTHNaC)From the health page. | All of Tanzania below 1,800 m, year-roundFrom the health page. | High year-round below 1,800m (NaTHNaC)From the health page. | High year-round below 1,800m (NaTHNaC)From the health page. | High below 1,800 m (NaTHNaC)From the health page. | |
PresentTsetse common in the miombo woodland away from the rivers; guides warn before a drive. | Not publishedNo Mahale page mentions tsetse. | PresentA real and long-standing feature of the miombo and riverine bush; a comfort problem to plan around. | PresentSome of the most reliable tsetse habitat in southern Tanzania; expect bites on drives through denser woodland away from the river. | Not publishedNo Udzungwa page mentions tsetse. | |
October, 34.4°C mean maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | September, 28.1°C mean maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, 33.1°C mean daily maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, 32.5°C mean max, up to 40°CMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, ±31°CMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | |
Mpanda, about 40 km from the gateAir evacuation: Ikuu, inside the park. | Kigoma, ±130 km, a boat day awayFrom the health page. | Dar es Salaam, 5 to 7 h drive or ±1 h flightAir evacuation: By air from park airstrips; verify your cover. | Iringa, 2 to 3 h from the gateAir evacuation: Confirm cover with your insurer before you fly. | Ifakara, about 47 km, 1 hFrom the health page. | |
| 5Wilderness | 5Wilderness | 4First safari | 5Wilderness | 4Wilderness | |
2bestMalaria risk is high all year, tsetse is real in the miombo, flights run only on Monday and Thursday and every camp closes Mar to May; Mbali Mbali takes all ages and Katavi Wildlife Camp has two family suites. | 1Chimpanzee trekking carries a stated minimum age of 12, malaria risk runs all year, flights operate only on Monday and Thursday, and Kigoma, the nearest hospital town, is a boat day away. | 2bestMalaria risk is high year-round, tsetse is real, bilharzia is plausible in the lakes and there is no clinic inside; Siwandu's North camp suits families with young children and Roho ya Selous takes children from five. | 2bestMalaria risk is high year-round, the miombo is serious tsetse country and the nearest hospital is Iringa, 2 to 3 h from the gate; Jabali Ridge takes children from five. | 2bestDar es Salaam is 4 to 6 h on tar and Ifakara's hospital about an hour away, but malaria risk is high, the trails are steep and slick, and no lodge publishes a child policy beyond family rooms. | |
2Elephant, buffalo and hippo are guaranteed and lion likely, but the only scheduled flight is twice weekly at $615 one way from Ruaha and a missed connection costs days. | 1Not a game-viewing park: elephant, buffalo and lion live on inaccessible eastern slopes, and chimpanzees are likely over two or three treks but never guaranteed. | 4bestGiraffe, hippo and buffalo are guaranteed, elephant 97 per cent and lion 90, and scheduled flights take about an hour from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar. | 3Elephant is guaranteed and lion likely, with scheduled flights of about 2.5 h from Dar es Salaam, but tsetse bites are expected on drives through denser woodland. | 1A primate and bird park, not a big-game park: Udzungwa red colobus are guaranteed, while elephant, buffalo and leopard take luck and lion is absent. | |
5bestKatavi received 1,338 international visitors in all of 2024, so a dry-season drive routinely happens with no other vehicle in sight. | 5bestNo roads, arrival by dhow, and August, the busiest month, brought 147 international visitors in 2024; all camps sit on the western lakeshore strip. | 3Only the northern strip of the park is open to photographic safaris, so your gate and sector decide what you see, and only the TANAPA campsites are reached by road. | 5bestA 20,226 km² park where, away from the eastern circuits, in the Jongomero sector or Usangu, you can drive for hours without seeing another vehicle. | 4No interior road network and multi-day treks into deep wilderness on the Lumemo Trail; the Sanje route is the busy one. |
Each park in one line
Katavi Western Tanzania's empty floodplain: hippos packed into shrinking pools and buffalo herds over a thousand strong.
Mahale Mountains Chimpanzees on forested mountains that drop into Lake Tanganyika, reached only by plane and dhow.
Nyerere The Rufiji's water world: boat safaris among hippos and lakes in one of Africa's great wild dog strongholds.
Ruaha Southern Tanzania's baobab country, where East African savanna meets miombo and big lion prides take on buffalo.
Udzungwa Mountains A rainforest mountain park where every attraction is a walk, home to two primates found nowhere else.