Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Most visitors need a visa for Tanzania. We strongly recommend applying online in advance through the official Tanzania eVisa portal – be careful of unofficial look-alike sites. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival with at least two blank pages.

Visa rules and fees change from time to time, so always check the official portal or your nearest Tanzanian embassy before you travel.

Talk to a travel clinic or your doctor 6-8 weeks before travelling. A yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from (or transit for a longer period through) a country with yellow fever risk. Malaria is present in most safari areas and Zanzibar, so ask your doctor about anti-malaria tablets and pack insect repellent.

Drink bottled or filtered water only – we provide unlimited drinking water in our safari vehicles and on the mountain.

Comprehensive travel insurance is required for all Tobiko trips. It should cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation and cancellation. For Kilimanjaro, make sure your policy covers trekking up to 6,000 m. Zanzibar also requires its own official inbound insurance, purchased online before arrival.

June – October: dry season, excellent game viewing, Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti. Peak season – book early.

November – December: short rains, green landscapes, the migration moves south. Good value.

January – March: calving season in the southern Serengeti (Ndutu) with lots of predator action; great for Kilimanjaro too.

April – May: long rains. Lush and quiet with the lowest prices – some camps close.

Read our full month-by-month safari guide on the blog.

The local currency is the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS). US dollars are widely accepted for tourism services – bring notes printed in 2013 or later, as older bills are often refused. ATMs are available in Arusha, Moshi and Stone Town; cards are accepted at most lodges (sometimes with a surcharge).

Tipping is customary and much appreciated by guides, cooks and porters. We share clear tipping guidelines with your booking.

Light, neutral-coloured clothing (khaki, beige, olive), a warm fleece for early mornings and the crater rim, a sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars, a camera with spare batteries, a universal adapter (Tanzania uses UK-style Type G and Type D sockets) and a soft duffel bag – small aircraft have a 15 kg luggage limit including hand luggage.

Layering is key: thermal base layers, fleece mid-layers, an insulated down jacket, waterproof jacket and trousers, warm gloves and hat, broken-in waterproof hiking boots, a 4-season sleeping bag (rental available), trekking poles, a head torch, water bottles/bladder (3 litres) and a daypack. We send a full checklist once you book.

Tanzania is one of the most peaceful and welcoming countries in East Africa. Use common sense in towns: keep valuables out of sight, use hotel safes and take registered taxis or your Tobiko transfer at night. On safari, always follow your guide’s instructions and stay inside the vehicle unless told otherwise.

Swahili is the national language; English is widely spoken in tourism. A few words go a long way: Jambo (hello), Asante (thank you), Karibu (welcome), Pole pole (slowly – you will hear it a lot on Kilimanjaro!).

Always ask before photographing people, especially the Maasai. Dress modestly in towns and villages, particularly in Zanzibar. Plastic carrier bags are banned in Tanzania – leave them at home.

Most safari travellers fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), about an hour from Arusha and Moshi. Zanzibar (ZNZ) and Dar es Salaam (DAR) are also well connected. We arrange all airport transfers, and domestic flights between Arusha, the Serengeti and Zanzibar.