Tarangire National Park

What and Where It Is

Tarangire lies in Tanzania's Manyara Region, roughly 100 km south of Arusha on a paved road, which makes it an easy first or last stop on a northern circuit. The Tarangire River runs through the park, and seasonal swamps like Silale hold water and grazing well into the dry months.

The park is part of a wider ecosystem. Wildlife moves out onto the surrounding land in the rains, and the Burunge Wildlife Management Area forms a corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park.

Wildlife and Activities

Elephants are the main draw. The wider Tarangire ecosystem holds about 3,000, and herds of several hundred gather along the river in the dry season. Lion are resident, and the Silale Swamp prides are known for hunting in the marshes and resting in trees. Leopard, cheetah and wild dog are also present, the dogs mostly in the southeast.

In the drier corners you can find species that are scarce elsewhere on the northern circuit, such as gerenuk and fringe-eared oryx. Birding is excellent, with more than 500 species recorded, including three Tanzanian endemics: the ashy starling, the yellow-collared lovebird and the rufous-tailed weaver.

Best Time to Go

June to October is the best time, when the land outside the park dries up and animals crowd onto the river and swamps. In the green season from November to May, many animals disperse out of the park, but the birding is at its best and visitor numbers drop. See our month-by-month safari guide for how Tarangire fits with the rest of the region.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Most people drive from Arusha, which takes about two hours. Two or three nights is a good stay. Inside the park, activities are game drives; staying in a private area next to the park adds guided walks.

Where to Stay Near Tarangire

Chem Chem Lodge, now part of Auberge Safari, is a small tented lodge in the Burunge Wildlife Management Area between Tarangire and Lake Manyara. Game drives go into Tarangire, and on the concession itself you can walk with a guide. It closes during the long rains around April and May.