Tanzania is one of the most amazing and extraordinary tourist locations in the world. Home to a rich and vibrant culture, and scenic landscapes, the country is a wonderful spot for all travel lovers to visit. Those who love nature and seek adventure can also enjoy a vacation in Tanzania, as its incredible national parks are home to spectacular wildlife, stunning sights, beautiful birds, and lush vegetation! Here are the top 10 most popular national parks that travellers must visit in Tanzania!
- Serengeti National Park
The vast Serengeti is one of the most popular tourist locations in Tanzania. A trip to East Africa is incomplete without visiting the spectacular Serengeti National Park which is home to scenic landscapes and stunning flora and fauna. Here, tourists can find animals such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, gazelles, antelopes, zebras, hippos, rhinos, monkeys, crocodiles, wildebeests, baboons, and hyenas! Tourists can also find amazing birdlife, as the region is home to exotic and migratory birds such as hornbills, weavers, lovebirds, woodpeckers, coucals, bustards, starlings, oxpeckers, and herons! One can enjoy a hot air balloon ride, a game drive, or a walking safari to explore the park!
- Arusha National Park
With over 65000 visitors each year, Arusha National Park is another great park that travel lovers must visit. Here, tourists can enjoy wildlife viewing and game viewing as they can watch animals such as buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, monkeys, elephants, hippos, gazelles, apes, and hyenas! Travellers can also visit Ngurdoto Crater, where they can enjoy an exciting hiking experience, enjoy the lush greenery, and watch birds such as hornbills, flamingoes, parrots, geese, woodpeckers, and herons!
- Selous Game Reserve
A visit to Tanzania is incomplete without a trip to Selous Game Reserve, which is the perfect destination for wildlife lovers, as travellers can find many wild animals such as antelopes, hyenas, hippos, and wildebeests. This gorgeous destination is also an excellent spot for bird watching, as it is home to over 350 species of exotic birds, including storks, kestrels, lapwings, kingfishers, palm nut vultures, eagles, herons, and parrots!
- Ngorongoro Crater
The perfect national park for adventure lovers is Ngorongoro Crater, which is a great spot for an adventurous hiking trip. Travellers can enjoy a walking safari and spot wildlife including zebras, monkeys, wildebeests, leopards, lions, cheetahs, elephants, warthogs, antelopes, hyenas, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, impalas, black rhinos, and gazelles!
- Gombe Stream National Park
Even though Gombe Stream National Park is one of the smallest Parks in Tanzania, it is visited frequently and is a popular tourist destination. The spot is famous for Jane Goodall’s research work with chimpanzees, which can be seen by tourists. Visitors can also spot primates such as baboons, red colobus, blue monkeys, and vervet monkeys, as well as 200 species of migratory and exotic birds, including pelicans, ospreys, palm nut vultures, hornbills, storks, guinea fowl, hawks, owls, and eagles! One can trek up to the lower slopes where they can easily spot the chimpanzees!
- Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro National Park protects Mount Kilimanjaro, the largest free standing volcano in the world and the highest mountain in Africa. The glorious mountain is a popular tourist destination, as climbing it is a bucket list experience. The mountain has various vegetation zones, such as montane forest, moorland, and alpine desert, and is home to many endangered species. Visitors can enjoy the breathtaking views of the park!
- Lake Manyara National Park
As the “crown jewel” of Tanzania’s river system, Lake Manyara is a popular tourist destination. Visitors can explore the groundwater forest, grassy plains, and blue volcanic peaks. The region is home to leopards, giraffes, elephants, wildebeests, zebras, lions, blue monkeys, and over 400 bird species including pelicans, flamingos, hornbills, crowned eagles, guinea fowl, egrets, and storks. Nature lovers can also enjoy the vivid greenery, spot the giant baobab trees, and visit the Maji Moto hot springs.
- Ruaha National Park
In Ruaha National Park, visitors can find the Great Ruaha River, which is an ideal location for birdwatching and wildlife viewing, and offers a great canoeing experience. The park is also home to beautiful plant life, and travellers can see gorgeous plants such as acacia trees, doum palms, brachystegia woodland, tamarind plants, and baobab trees. During a walking safari, guests can spot animals such as elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, buffaloes, hippos, zebras, cheetahs, antelopes, and bushbucks!
- Saadani National Park
Another popular location is Saadani National Park, which is unique as it doubles as a beach destination. Located right on the Indian Ocean, this park is best for an unforgettable vacation as tourists can enjoy a walk at the scenic beach, or enjoy watching the giraffes, elephants, warthogs, lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, baboons, vervet monkeys, and wildebeests!
- Tarangire National Park
Another top safari park to visit in Tanzania is the glorious Tarangire National Park, which is home to animals such as leopards, cheetahs, badgers, mongooses, giraffes, elands, impalas, waterbucks, baboons, lions, wild dogs, gazelles, and monkeys, and is famous for its massive elephant population. Visitors can witness the extraordinary elephant migration, and watch the huge elephant herds! The park is the 6th largest in Africa!