1 day Mkomazi in a Day
Dry nyika bush under the Pare mountains, with Kilimanjaro behind you. Almost nobody comes here, which is most of the appeal.
Wildlife
Two Days in Mkomazi
The day trip with a night added, which turns the drive into a proper visit and gives you the early morning when the animals are moving.
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At a glance
- Destinations
- Mkomazi National Park
- Best for
- Wildlife safari
- Travel style
- Mid-range · Drive
- Activity level
- Easy — most of the day is spent in a vehicle or on a boat
- Best time to travel
- Plan June to October for two days on generally drier Mkomazi tracks. January and February can also work between the rains; greener bush changes visibility, so leave time for slower game drives.
- Start and end
- Starts and ends in Arusha or Moshi
Why this journey
- Morning and evening game drives, the two hours that matter
- The rhino and wild dog sanctuaries, visited with a park ranger
- A transboundary ecosystem shared with Kenya’s Tsavo
- Far fewer vehicles than anywhere on the usual crater routes
- Close to Moshi, so no internal flight and no long transfer
Day by day
One night is the difference between a long drive with a game drive attached and an actual stay in Mkomazi. You get an afternoon drive, a night in the park, and the first light of the following morning before turning for home.
Day 1 — Arusha/Moshi to Mkomazi National Park
- *Morning departure:* An early morning drive from Arusha or Moshi with long views over the landscape during the 2–3 hour journey. - *Arrival & safari introduction:* Your guide introduces the park's unique wildlife, conservation efforts and natural environment. - *Afternoon game drive:* Elephants, giraffes, lions, leopards, buffaloes and other wildlife across open savannah and acacia woodland. - *Evening game drive:* The park's changing atmosphere at sunset, searching for nocturnal wildlife. - *Relaxation & dinner:* Dinner under the stars at the lodge or tented camp. -
Stay Tanapa Bandas Meals Lunch & Dinner
Day 2 — Explore Mkomazi and return to Arusha/Moshi
- *Early morning game drive:* Wildlife is most active, giving excellent sightings and photography. - *Rhino sanctuary visit:* Observe endangered black and white rhinos and learn about the conservation programmes protecting them. - *Wildlife & birdwatching:* Elephants, giraffes, antelopes and over 300 bird species including kingfishers, hornbills and eagles. - *Scenic views & photography:* Viewpoints over savannah, wetlands and rolling landscapes. - *Breakfast & return journey:* A packed breakfast or early lunch before the scenic drive back. - *End of tour:* Arrive in Arusha or Moshi in the late afternoon. -
Meals Breakfast & Lunch
Stay and travel
Comfortable mid-range lodges and tented camps, inside the parks wherever the route allows.
A 4×4 with a roof hatch and a window seat for everyone, driven by your guide throughout.
Camps fill, and roads change with the rains. Where something has to change we substitute at the same level and tell you before you travel, not after.
Included and excluded
What is included
- Every activity named in the day-by-day
- Accommodation as listed, or a similar alternative if a camp is full
- Meals as noted against each day
- Transfers between the agreed pick-up and drop-off points
- Park, reserve and conservation area fees
- An English-speaking Tanzanian driver-guide
- A 4×4 with a roof hatch, or the vehicle the route calls for
- Drinking water through the day
- Government taxes
- TANAPA armed ranger where the park requires one
Not included
- International flights, airport taxes and visa fees
- Travel, medical and baggage insurance
- Personal spending — drinks, laundry, telephone
- Tips for your guide and crew
- Anything not listed as included
Practical information
- Visas, insurance and tipping
- A visa is arranged before travel or on arrival. Travel and medical insurance is a condition of booking. Tipping is customary and we will suggest a range rather than set one.
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Every route here can be changed
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