Travel Information

The essentials for planning a trip to Tanzania. For anything specific to your itinerary, ask your trip planner.

Getting there

Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is the gateway for the northern safari circuit and for Kilimanjaro climbs. Julius Nyerere International (DAR) in Dar es Salaam serves the southern parks and connects to Zanzibar, which has its own airport (ZNZ). Fly-in safaris use scheduled light aircraft between airstrips.

Money

The currency is the Tanzanian shilling. US dollars are widely accepted for park fees, tips and lodge extras — bring clean notes dated 2013 or later. Cards work at larger hotels; ATMs are in towns but not in the parks. Tipping guides and camp staff is customary.

Practicalities

• Language: Swahili and English.
• Electricity: 230V, UK-style three-pin (Type G) plugs — bring an adapter.
• Time: East Africa Time, UTC+3, with no daylight saving.
• Connectivity: mobile data is good in towns and patchy in the parks; local SIM cards are inexpensive.

What to pack

Neutral-coloured layers, a warm fleece or jacket for early game drives and the crater rim, a sun hat, high-factor sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars, a head torch, a plug adapter and any medication you take. Pack soft bags rather than hard cases for fly-in trips.

Before you go

Check your government's travel advice for Tanzania, sort out your visa, vaccinations and travel insurance (see the other pages in this section), and make sure your passport has at least six months' validity beyond your travel dates and two blank pages.