You must get your Tanzanian Visa before leaving your destination country.

You will also need to make sure you have a passport with 6 months validity and at least 2 blank facing pages.

We recommend applying via the official Tanzanian government website.

Our Mt Kilimanjaro climbs and safaris start in Arusha or Moshi and the closest International Airport is Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO).

Flights are available that transit through Dar Es Salaam which is a 1 hour internal flight from Kilimanjaro Airport.

Consult your travel agent for the route that best suits your travel preference and budget.

Yes, with any service provided by Tanzania Discovery Tours travel insurance is required.

We recommend making sure that it covers you for accidents, sickness, emergency medical, international medical evacuation, baggage loss and trip cancellation.

The tour price includes emergency evacuation insurance with Arusha Medivac to a hospital of your choice in Nairobi in the event of a medical emergency in Tanzania. Arusha Medivac provides rapid response medical air evacuation and air patient transfer out of Arusha within Tanzania and to Nairobi, Kenya, which has the best medical facilities in East Africa. They are the only service provider in Tanzania with their own aircraft and professional medical team.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are immunised. We recommend consulting your GP or a travel clinic now so you can make an informed decision about your health and travel vaccination requirements.

As of May 2023 - Tourists entering or transiting mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar are not required to present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or test certificate unless required by their airline, transit destination, or final destination.

Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for entry to Tanzania if arriving from or transiting through a yellow fever risk country. Australia is not considered a yellow fever risk country.

Most visitors pick the dry season for a safari in the Serengeti National Park.

The Great Migration is at its absolute prime and your chances of witnessing an iconic river crossing are at their best.

Crossing the Mara River northbound means that, at one point, the herd needs to cross the river one more time before commencing the trek back in a southerly direction. This usually happens in October, but sometimes earlier. In this period the herd will cross the northern plains and Lobo area. This section of Serengeti National Park is little-visited, so if you are looking to see the migration in relative quietness, this would be the time.

June to October - Dry season

PROS:

• The thick bush thins out and wildlife is easier to spot.

• Animals gather around the rivers and waterholes.

• Lots of sunshine with afternoon temperatures around 25°C / 77°F.

• Easier to spot the Great Migration and iconic river crossings.

CONS:

• The park gets crowded, especially around the Seronera area.

• Cold at night and early in the morning with minimum temperatures around 14°C / 57°F.

November to May - Wet season

Many lodges remain open during the wet season when the dry landscape becomes a lush, green oasis and the wildebeest calving season begins.

The wildebeest return to the short- grass plains and calving ground around Ndutu in late November. And from here, the Great Migration starts all over again.

PROS:

• Late January to February is the time to see the calving in the Southern Serengeti – an excellent time to see predator action.

• A lush and green landscape.

• Fewer tourists and lower rates, especially in April and May.

• Birdwatching is at its best.

• From November to February, rains are mostly short afternoon storms and seldom interfere with your trip.

CONS:

March to May is the peak of the wet season; It tends to rain most days, although seldom for the whole day. It is often cloudy.

January to March can be crowded around the Seronera area.

The official currency in Tanzania is the Tanzanian shilling - TSH and ATM’s dispense TSH only. There is a daily limit usually between 150,000 - 400,000 TSH, depending upon the bank. You can use your Visa/Mastercard/Eftpos to withdraw TSH from ATM’s.

US dollars USD are accepted almost everywhere in Tanzania and many hotels and lodges price their services in USD.

Ensure any USD's you bring are from the year 2002 or later, most businesses will not accept notes earlier than 2002 or, they give a much lower exchange rate.

Most of the main currencies are readily accepted at money exchange bureaus.

The population is estimated at 62 million.

The official language of Tanzania is Swahili. Inherited from Colonial rule, English is widely spoken in tourist areas, but a few words of Swahili will always be appreciated.

Different ethnic groups speak their own language and there are over 120 languages spoken in Tanzania making it the most linguistically diverse country in East Africa.

You can download the World Nomads Swahili Language Guide app if you want to start practising some basic Kiswahili.

Tanzanians (like most cultures) generally find it unacceptable to be photographed without permission. We recommend asking locals before taking their photograph.

Do not bring a drone unless you have arranged a permit before arrival, there are restrictions in most national parks.

Telling the time in Swahili is different to telling the time in English.

Tanzanian time is GMT + 3. Swahili time is based around there being 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Each cycle begins at daybreak or sunset.

7 a.m. is the first daylight hour, so it is 1 a.m. in Swahili time.

7 p.m. is the first evening hour, so it is 1 p.m. Swahili time.