Tanzania Travel Guide for Americans
Everything you need to plan your trip to Tanzania: when to go, how much it costs, and where to fly from.
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About Tanzania
Tanzania is East Africa's most accessible megadestination and the only country where you can realistically summit Africa's highest peak, safari through endless plains, and collapse on an Indian Ocean beach in a single trip. The country swallows you with scale: Mount Kilimanjaro dominates the north, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater sit in the northwest like nature's cathedral, and Zanzibar floats offshore as a spice-scented reminder of Arab trade routes. Unlike Kenya's crowded circuits, Tanzania still feels genuinely wild—you'll see more lions than luxury lodges. The people are famously laid-back ("pole pole" means go slow), English is widely spoken, and infrastructure in tourist zones is surprisingly solid. Americans dominate the safari circuit, but most avoid Zanzibar entirely, which means you'll have empty beaches and underpriced seafood while Europeans jostle for photos in Dar es Salaam. The real magic is that Tanzania rewards both the bucket-list climbers and the patient wildlife trackers; you don't have to choose. Currency is the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS), though dollars work everywhere tourists tread.
At a Glance
Trip Cost: What to Expect
Getting Around
Dar es Salaam has the best airport (DAR) but Kilimanjaro (JRO) is closer to the north. Domestic flights are essential and surprisingly cheap—Precision Air and Northern Air run multiple daily Dar-Kili-Zanzibar routes for $80-150. Skip the coastal train (unreliable, slow). Intercity buses are rough but functional (Dar to Arusha is 8-10 hours); use Better Bus or Dar Express for marginally less bruising. In game reserves, you're locked into lodge-arranged 4x4s with guides (non-negotiable for safety and regulations). Zanzibar has cheap taxis and Stone Town is walkable. Avoid rental cars unless you're experienced in chaotic African driving; roads outside tourist zones are unpredictable.
Practical Tips
Buy a Vodacom or Airtel SIM the moment you land (kiosks in airport arrivals, 1,000 TZS ≈ $0.40). Vodacom has better coverage. Get a data package immediately—1GB costs 5,000 TZS ($2), 10GB costs 25,000 TZS ($10). Airtel slightly cheaper but patchier. Both work fine in Dar, Kilimanjaro regions, and Zanzibar; coverage drops in remote Serengeti (expect spotty 2G). Top-up at any shop. Your US phone works fine on local networks (no roaming charges if you buy local SIM). Download offline maps before leaving settled areas.
Tipping is expected but not mandatory in Tanzania. Restaurants (10-15% if satisfied, round up at street food). Taxis (round to nearest 1,000 TZS; rarely tipped unless exceptional). Hotel staff (2,000-5,000 TZS per interaction). Safari guides (absolutely tip—$10-20 per day is standard and expected; these guys are hardworking and underpaid). Porters on Kilimanjaro (mandatory, budgeted in trek costs). Don't tip police or government officials—it's bribery and illegal. Cash only for tips; cards don't work.
Tanzania is substantially safer than its neighbors (Kenya, DRC) but requires standard precautions. Dar es Salaam has petty theft and mugging after dark—don't walk alone at night, use Uber/Bolt, avoid flashy jewelry. Stone Town in Zanzibar is touristy-safe but pickpockets work cruise ship crowds. Game reserves are physically safe; guides are trained. Banditry in remote northern areas (Iringa region) is possible but rare for tourists on established routes. Political stability is solid. Water quality varies—stick to bottled water outside resorts. Malaria is present, especially lower altitudes; take prophylaxis (Malarone is standard, prescribed in US). Get comprehensive travel insurance; medical evacuation is real risk in remote areas.
Skip Dar es Salaam almost entirely. Everyone arrives at DAR airport, wastes 2-3 days in a humid concrete city, then flies to real Tanzania. You can do a 4-hour layover, hit the airport lounge, and catch the next domestic flight north. If you must stay, one afternoon in Stone Town Zanzibar (ferry from Dar, 2 hours) beats days in Dar proper. Real money: book your Kilimanjaro climb directly with a reputable outfitter (Zara Tours, Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project) for $1,200-1,600, not via a travel agent for $2,500+. The markup is insane. And schedule your safari for June-July if you can stomach the prices—Great Migration river crossings are legitimately once-in-a-lifetime (not hyperbole), and every other month is a distant second. Pack a lightweight rain jacket year-round; afternoon showers hit fast even in dry season, and Kilimanjaro's cold is brutal (bring a proper down jacket for above 14,000 feet).
Destinations in Tanzania
Frequently Asked Questions
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