Is it worth a day if we are going to the Serengeti anyway?

Yes, on your arrival or departure day specifically. It is under an hour from Arusha, and walking and canoeing are both possible here and almost nowhere else on the northern circuit. It beats sitting in a hotel waiting for the safari to start.

Why can you walk here?

There are no lions. That is the whole answer, and it is also why the park is excellent with children.

Will we see Kilimanjaro?

On a clear morning, yes, standing behind the Momella Lakes with flamingo in front of it. Cloud builds through the day, so early is much better than late. February and the June-to-October window are clearest.

Arusha National Park — safaris, wildlife and when to go

Arusha National Park

National park

Mount Meru, the Momella Lakes and walking safaris — an hour from town and often overlooked entirely.

Arusha National Park sits in the shadow of Mount Meru, and it is the easiest park in Tanzania to reach — under an hour from the town. It is also the only northern park where you can walk with a ranger and canoe on the lakes.

There are no lions here, which is precisely what makes the walking possible. Instead you get giraffe at close range, buffalo, bushbuck, black-and-white colobus in the forest, and flamingo on the alkaline Momella Lakes with Kilimanjaro standing behind them on a clear morning.

It is the best possible first or last day of a trip — an easy, low-pressure introduction, or a way to fill the day before an evening flight.

From our guides

Use it on your arrival day. It beats sitting in a hotel in Arusha waiting for the safari to start.

Why come here

Walking safaris and canoeing, both rare on the northern circuit
Black-and-white colobus in the Ngurdoto forest
Views of both Meru and Kilimanjaro on a clear day
Under an hour from Arusha — perfect for an arrival or departure day

The wildlife

Giraffe, buffalo, zebra, warthog, bushbuck, waterbuck, blue monkey and black-and-white colobus. Flamingo and a strong water-bird list on the Momella Lakes. No lion and no elephant to speak of.