How To Get To Tarangire National Park : The majority of visitors who visit Tarangire do so as part of a longer Tanzania Northern Circuit safari itinerary. Tarangire National Park is part of Tanzania’s popular northern safari circuit, which includes parks such as Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. The majority of safaris on this circuit start in Arusha. The most recommended way to get to Arusha town is to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which is about 46 kilometers or 29 miles away. It is also possible to fly directly into Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), which is located near Dar es Salaam, and then to Arusha Airport (ARK).
Another less expensive option is to fly into Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, and then take a shuttle bus to the town of Arusha. You will be picked up early in the morning and arrive in Arusha around 4 p.m. Typically, your tour operator will meet you at the airport and make all ongoing arrangements, including the charter flight into the park.
Although charter flights connect Arusha and the Serengeti National Park to Tarangire, you can enjoy a thrilling 2-hour drive from Arusha to the park entrance gate, with only the last 7 kilometers of road not tarred. Another advantage is that it is relatively easy to travel from here to any other northern national park, such as Lake Manyara or the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
TWO MAJOR WAYS TO GET TO TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK:
- By road or
- By air.
BY AIR
The best way to get to Tarangire is to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA). This is 46 kilometers (29 miles) away from Arusha. Another option is to fly into Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) and then arrange for a domestic flight to Arusha Airport (ARK).
If you want to get a relatively cheap flight, you can fly into Nairobi, Kenya, and then take one of the buses between Arusha and Nairobi. If you use a morning pick-up, you can arrive in Arusha in the late afternoon. In most cases, your tour operator will pick you up from the airport and arrange for any additional transportation from there.
Charter flights
Charter flights are also available from Arusha to the Serengeti and then to Tarangire. From Arusha to the entrance gate, you can expect a comfortable two-hour drive with only seven kilometers on a non-tarred road. It is relatively easy to drive from Tarangire to the nearby Ngorongoro Conservation Area or Lake Manyara National Park.
Tarangire National Park is one of the more seasonal parks in northern Tanzania. There is a lot of migratory movement within the Greater Tarangire ecosystem.
During the dry season, between June and October, large herds of animals are drawn to the Tarangire River. At this time of year, the elephant population is also astounding.
Tarangire is the least visited of Tanzania’s northern parks, but it has a genuine air of undiscovered Africa, particularly in the park’s southern section. Tarangire National Park, with an area of 2,600 square kilometers, is located a short distance south-east of Lake Manyara National Park. It has a hilly landscape with many baobab trees, thick bushes, and long grass.
How to book a flight to Tarangire National Park
There are a number of trusted online dealers and websites that provide reliable information on the cost, schedule, and type of airliner that provides flights into Tarangire national park. Some of the top recommended sites are www.skyscanner.net for flights to multiple destinations and expedia.com for the most recent information, particularly on domestic flights. You can fly domestically with Coastal Aviation, Air Tanzania, Safari Air Link, Precision Air, ZanAir, and Regional Air. Please keep in mind that the available charter flights have a weight restriction, so you should check with your tour operator to see how much luggage you can take at one time.
BY ROAD
The drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park is approximately 140 kilometers long and takes approximately three hours. Unfortunately, many people associate a Tarangire safari with solitude; however, visiting this park during the dry season will provide you with incredible wildlife views, especially if you explore the southern part of the park. Tarangire is part of the well-known northern safari circuit and should be visited along with the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. Arusha is a popular starting point for many safaris on this circuit.
COMBINING TARANGIRE WITH OTHER NATIONAL PARKS
Because there are good access roads and charter flights to these destinations, a safari to Tarangire can easily be combined with a safari to the neighboring national parks. It is approximately 110 kilometers by road from Tarangire National Park to Lake Manyara National Park and takes approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes. You can also drive from Tarangire to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is about 140 kilometers away and about 3 hours away.
Tarangire National Park can also be visited on a day tour as part of a longer safari itinerary to other national parks on a Tanzania safari, but if you want to spend the night, there are a variety of accommodation options for all budgets, including tented camps and lodges.
TO CONCLUDE:
This is an impressive destination that is suitable for a day tour and can easily be incorporated into an itinerary to other Tanzanian parks. The park’s landscape is dominated by massive baobab trees and numerous dried-up river beds. During the dry season, which lasts from August to September and October, the park is home to the most wildlife in Tanzania, including giraffes, wildebeests, impalas, and zebras, among other animals, as well as a plethora of birds. Furthermore, this park provides thrilling trekking safaris that are all well worth experiencing. There are several nice tented camps and lodges that provide lodging.
