Tarangire National Park

Tarangire Maps

This map of Tarangire National Park in wet season and in dry season provides the feeling of wilderness experienced in the park. Shows vegetation density, road conditions, game-drives and landmarks. The average locations of the wildlife migration are indicated on the wet season side of the map.

Tarangire National Park Location

Tarangire National Park is located 118 km (75 miles) southwest of Arusha town and is just a few hours’ drive away. In recent times it has become a popular stop for visitors traveling through the northern circuit safari on their way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.

Nestled in the Manyara region, Tarangire National Park is only 70 km away from Lake Manyara National Park.

The park stretches into two game-controlled areas allowing wildlife to move freely throughout without any kind of interference.

It is home to the largest Elephant population and animals like zebras, impalas, lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, etc. are also seen.

How to Reach Tarangire National Park?

Tarangire Climate & Weather

Tarangire National Park experiences a tropical savannah climate with dry winters.

Best time to Visit Tarangire

Tarangire offers unparalleled game viewing during the dry season. Months from June through October offer incredible opportunities for wildlife spotting.

The river Tarangire is an important source of water for animals in the Tarangire ecosystem. A large number of animals can be seen moving to this part of the park from the surrounding wet-season dispersal and calving areas.

Wildlife spotting during the wet season becomes difficult due to thicker and longer grasses making the dry season the most favorable time for Safari in Tarangire National Park.

Reasons to visit Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park Highlights

The major attractions that you can witness on a Tarangire National Park Safari are-

The Swamp

The varied ecosystem that co-exists in Tarangire National Park supports a wide range of vegetation, bird, and wildlife making it all the more alluring for the visitors. And one such distinct feature of Tarangire is the distant Silale swamp.

During the wet season, the swamp tends to soak up water like a big sponge and slowly releases it during the dry season acting as a water source.

This wetland is visited by huge herds of herbivores and thus attracts predators like lions, leopards, and wild dogs. The swamp is even home to a good number of cape buffaloes and elephants.

Some of the bird species found here include Donaldson-nightjar, Smith’s vulturine guinea, etc.

The Giant Baobab Tree

Another distinct feature of Tarangire is the huge number of baobab trees found on its land. These trees are actually succulents that are capable of holding a large amount of water in their trunks during the wet season.

The high water content allows them to produce nutrient-rich fruit during the dry season. Which is like a savior for birds and animals flourishing in the park when everything else goes dry and barren. Thus, justifying the name “The tree of Life”.

These trees have a vast life expectancy of nearly 600 years and their trunks are huge that can retain up to 300 liters of water. The seeds of these trees are nutritious and are a constant source of food for the various animals inhabiting the park.

Birding

Tarangire’s unique and diverse bird species are a major attraction. The huge damp marshlands of the park attract a large number of bird species into its vicinity. With over 550 varieties of bird species, Tarangire National Park is a bird lover's haven.

Some of the unique bird species that tend to attract visitors’ attention include hornbills, bee-eaters, starlings, vultures, hammerkops, ostriches, plovers, and many more.

Wildlife Migration

A good number of migratory movements characterize Tarangire National Park. The seasonal nature of the park facilitates wildlife migration within its ecosystem.

During the dry season, the whole of Tarangire dries out. Large herds of herbivores can be seen making their move toward the limited water sources available within the park.

River Tarangire continues to be a lifeline for its inmates during the dry spell. Various animals do migrate into the park in search of water. It is quite common to see herds of elephants, wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, and hartebeests as well as predators like lions, leopards, wild dogs, etc. invade the park in great numbers.

Mark this park into your Safari In Tanzania destination list and we bet you won’t regret it!

Elephant Population

Tarangire National Park has some of the highest-density of elephant populations as compared to anywhere in Tanzania. As the dry season approaches in the month of June through October, large herds of nearly 300 elephants can be seen digging the dry river beds in search of underground streams of water.

It is quite obvious to spot elephants during your safari to Tarangire National Park due to their presence throughout the park in large numbers.

Poacher’s Hide

There is this huge old baobab tree located a few hundred meters west of the main north-south track through the Tarangire National Park with a concealed entrance on one side – leading into a hollow chamber inside its bark.

This served as a hiding place for poachers until the mid-90s. The poachers used this as a hideout from the animals and patrolling rangers. Though now these are inhabited by the occasional bees or animals.

Today, you can visit and see those epic hideouts on your Safari In Tarangire National Park.

Lemiyon Triangle

Lemiyon Triangle is found in the northernmost part of the park. It is bordered by Burunge circuit on the west, Lake Burunge, and the Tarangire River on the east of the road.

The area forms a triangular-shaped zone with huge baobab trees along both the sides of the road and also includes different types of acacia trees. The Mahogany trees and the toothbrush bushes also flood the region.

Nature seems surreal with the presence of a variety of bird species both prey and predator birds. The park offers good raptor viewing. Some of the raptors seen here include; the tawny eagle, the martial eagle, long crested eagle as well as the fish eagle. The prey birds that are seen in this area are the bateleur eagle.

Both the zebras and wildebeests can be seen grazing over this pristine land.

Tarangire River

The great Tarangire River that flows through the park serves as the lifeline for the bird and wildlife of Tarangire National Park.

During the dry season which prevails from July through October, the park attracts many animals that roam far-off places, the reason being the water supply of the Tarangire River and seasonal swamps which retain a good amount of water to support life forms.

Zebras, wildebeests, impalas, gazelles, giraffes, buffalos, hartebeests, and herds of elephants come to this river to cool off. As a result, predators like lions, leopards and wild dogs, etc. are also drawn toward the riverfront.

Many birds, both local and migratory, also flock to this wonderful water source to quench their thirst.

Matete Woodlands

The northwest region of Tarangire is home to Matete Woodlands and the Matete Bridge which is also called Engelhard Bridge named after the patron whose family helped so much with the preservation of the park.

The Matete woodland is a unique land consisting of tall elephant grass and acacia woodlands. A good number of baobab trees are also found towering over the vast flora and fauna found in the region.

The Matte Woodlands and the grasslands provide habitat for many types of animals and birds find an ideal resting space on them.

The vervet monkeys and the baboons are also common in this area, Lion being the major predator inhabiting the woodland.

Kitibong Hill

The Kitibong region of the park surrounds Kitibong Hill in the Tarangire National Park. The landscape here is enticing and consists of acacia parkland in the eastern territory and Dalbergia woodland in the western area.

With mamire swamps and Gursi Swamps towards the southern and south eastern sides respectively, this area serves as an important water source for wildlife during the dry season.

Herds of buffaloes are seen across the acacia plains of the area and interesting sightings of the rare African hunting dogs in groups of 6-20 can also be seen.

The common bird that is found here is the Ground hornbill. They spend most of their time on the ground and are sometimes seen flying slowly to put their weighty bodies in the tree.

The Burunge Circuit

This Burunge circuit is found in the western region of the park and is made of dense woodland candelabra trees and doum palms.

The circuit also consists of a variety of flora and fauna. Beautiful and unusual-looking antelopes, Kudu can be seen hiding beneath the thick bush that covers Tarangire land. Massive elands can also be seen in this region of the park.

Burunge Lake, a natural soda lake, also forms a part of the Burunge Circuit.

Tarangire Wildlife

Wildlife in Tarangire National Park is magnificent and offers some of the best game drive experiences in the whole of Tanzania. The park forms an important part of the northern circuit safari and is in close proximity to Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Ngorongoro crater.

Animals in Tarangire national park include leopards, lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, wildebeests, hartebeests, elands, impalas, wild dogs, antelopes, fringe-eared Oryx, grant’s gazelles, vervet monkeys, banded mongoose, olive baboons, greater kudus and many more.

A huge population of elephants, zebras, wildebeest, and impalas flood the great savannah plains of Tarangire during the dry season in search of water and green pastures.

Things To Do In Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park Accommodations

There are some very beautiful properties to choose from while planning a Safari In Tanzania.

You can choose from several different types of accommodation, ranging from tented camps to five-star lodges, and each one offers a very different experience. Most importantly decide on the budget and you are good to go as we have something or that suits every price range.

Let us find out some of the budget-friendly options to check in during your Tarangire Safari….

Budget Accommodations	Budget Accommodations
Ang’ata Tarangire Camp	Bougainvillea Safari Lodge

Let us find out some of the Mid range options to check in during your Tarangire Safari….

Midrange Accommodations	Midrange Accommodations
Serena Lodge	Acacia Tarangire Luxury Camps
Tarangire Sopa Lodge	Tarangire Safari Lodge

Let us find out some of the Luxury options to check in during your Tarangire Safari….

Luxury Accommodations	Luxury Accommodations
Lemala Camps and Lodges	Nimali Tarangire Lodge
Honeyguide Tarangire Camp	Tarangire Kuro Treetops Lodge
Elewana Tarangire Treetops

Tarangire National Park Entry fee

The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) is responsible for managing the national parks and also promoting conservation activities in these parks. They formulate entry fees and other guidelines to be followed by the visitors visiting the parks in Tanzania.

Entrance fees	In High season	In Low Season
Residents	$29	$26
Non- Residents	$59	$53
Children (5 to 15 age) Residents	$8	Same price as the high season
Children (5 to 15 age) Non- Residents	$17	Same price as the high season