Best value
A Taste of Tanzania Wilderness
The full northern circuit in five days: three nights in the Serengeti and crater country plus Tarangire and Manyara, at a group-friendly price.
From$1,490
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Start with a soft bag
Domestic flights to the Serengeti and Zanzibar cap luggage at 15 kg in a soft bag. If you are on a fly-in itinerary, pack as if for a week with hand luggage and leave the hard case in Arusha - we store it free.
Safari lodges do laundry daily and cheaply, which is why 7 kg of clothes is genuinely enough.
Neutral colours, real layers
Khaki, olive and grey. Avoid black and dark blue (tsetse flies are drawn to them) and avoid camouflage, which is restricted for civilians in Tanzania. Nights on the crater rim and in the Serengeti can drop to 10 C, so pack a fleece and a light down jacket even in July.
Feet and sun
Closed walking shoes or trainers for game drives, sandals for the lodge, a wide-brim hat, sunglasses and factor 50. The equator sun burns through cloud, and game drives are open-roofed.
Camera kit
A 100-400 mm zoom covers most wildlife, a 24-70 mm covers landscapes and people, and a bean bag beats a tripod in a vehicle. Bring twice the memory cards you think you need, and a dust-proof bag for the crater.
Health kit
Malaria prophylaxis if your doctor advises it, oral rehydration salts, blister plasters, antihistamine, and your own prescription medicines in original packaging. Add insect repellent with DEET for the evenings.
The five things everyone forgets
Binoculars (one pair per person, not per vehicle), a power bank, a universal adaptor (Tanzania uses UK-style type G), small USD notes for tips, and a lightweight rain shell between March and May.
Frequently asked
Only if you arrive from a country with transmission risk. Check your routing with us before you book the vaccine.
No. Drone use requires a permit from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority and is banned outright in national parks.
Most lodges have it in the main area, slow but usable for messages. Our vehicles carry Wi-Fi where the mobile network reaches, which is most of the northern circuit.
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