Arusha
Arusha
Town
The safari capital of Tanzania, and where almost every northern circuit safari begins and ends.
Arusha sits at about 1,400 metres on the southern slopes of Mount Meru, which makes it far cooler and greener than most people expect. It is a working town rather than a resort — coffee, tanzanite, and the business of getting people onto safari.
Most guests spend a night here at the start and often another at the end. It is worth using that time: the Cultural Heritage Centre, the coffee estates on the Meru slopes, the Maasai market, and a good restaurant scene.
Our office is here, which is why we can answer the phone at three in the morning when your connecting flight moves.
From our guides
Stay on the Meru slopes rather than in the town centre. It is fifteen minutes further from the airport and a completely different experience.
Why come here
- The gateway to the entire northern circuit
- Coffee estates and farm lodges on the slopes of Meru
- Good restaurants and a serious craft and art scene
- Cool climate at 1,400 metres
The wildlife
Arusha National Park is 40 km away — see that entry. In town itself, expect nothing wilder than the odd colobus on the Meru slopes.
When to visit
Pleasant year-round. Cool evenings, particularly from June to August.
Arusha through the year
January
Weather
Warm days, cool evenings
Wildlife
Not a game destination — this is the gateway town
The migration
—
How busy
Moderate
Price season
High season
Our rating
February
Weather
Warm and clear
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Moderate
Price season
High season
Our rating
March
Weather
Wetter, still pleasant
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Quiet
Price season
Shoulder
Our rating
April
Weather
Long rains
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Quiet
Price season
Low season
Our rating
May
Weather
Wet, easing
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Quiet
Price season
Low season
Our rating
June
Weather
Cool and dry — jumper weather in the evening
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Moderate
Price season
High season
Our rating
July
Weather
Cool, dry, clear
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Busy
Price season
Peak season
Our rating
August
Weather
Cool and dry
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Busy
Price season
Peak season
Our rating
September
Weather
Warming, dry
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Busy
Price season
Peak season
Our rating
October
Weather
Warm and dry
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Moderate
Price season
High season
Our rating
November
Weather
Short rains
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Quiet
Price season
Shoulder
Our rating
December
Weather
Warm, showery
Wildlife
—
The migration
—
How busy
Moderate
Price season
High season
Our rating
- Family-friendly
8 Days Tanzania Safari
Arusha › Tarangire › 2 nights Central Serengeti › Ngorongoro › Lake Eyasi › Arusha
- Safari + Zanzibar
10 Days Luxury Safari & Zanzibar
Arusha › 2 nights Central Serengeti › Ngorongoro › 5 nights Zanzibar
- Family-friendly
6 Days Tanzania Safari
Arusha › Tarangire › 2 nights Central Serengeti › Ngorongoro
- Great Migration
7 Days Serengeti Migration Safari
Arusha › Lake Manyara › 2 nights Ndutu › Central Serengeti › Ngorongoro
- Great Migration
14 Days Tanzania Photographic Safari
Arusha › 2 nights Tarangire › 2 nights Ngorongoro › 3 nights Central Serengeti › 5 nights Northern Serengeti
- Family-friendly
7 Days Tanzania Safari
Arusha › Tarangire › 2 nights Central Serengeti › Ngorongoro › Karatu
Where to stay
Camps and lodges we use here
Gran Meliá Arusha
A large international hotel on the Meru slopes, with the space, spa and service of a city resort at the start of…
Ilboru Safari Lodge
A quiet garden lodge on the edge of Arusha, ten minutes from town and a sensible first or last night before the…
Under The Shade Safari Lodge
A straightforward, comfortable lodge outside Arusha — the kind of place that does the basics properly on an arrival night.
Rivertrees Country Inn
An old farmhouse on the Usa River below Mount Meru, with big gardens and river-facing rooms. One of the nicest arrival nights…
Mount Meru Game Lodge
Set in gardens on the Meru slopes with a small wildlife sanctuary attached. Convenient for Kilimanjaro airport.
Arusha Coffee Lodge
Plantation suites set among the coffee bushes on a working estate outside Arusha, fifteen minutes from the airstrip.
Things to do
Experiences here
Arusha, answered
Outside, on the Meru slopes, if you have the choice. It is fifteen minutes further from the airport and a completely different experience — gardens, coffee estates and quiet, rather than traffic.
Kilimanjaro International is about 50 km east, roughly 50 minutes. Arusha also has a small domestic airport used for light aircraft to the parks, which is much closer to town.
The Cultural Heritage Centre, the coffee estates on the Meru slopes, the Maasai market, and Arusha National Park forty minutes away. A day here is easily filled and considerably better than a day in the hotel.
Build Arusha into a route that works.
One park is rarely a trip. Tell us how long you have and what else you want to see, and we will put Arusha in the right place in the right week.