Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park may be small, 213 square miles (±552 km²), but it makes up for it in height. It is home to Tanzania's second-highest peak, Mount Meru, which reaches 14,967 feet (4,562 m) into the sky. Many climb it in preparation to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro. But even the day hike to Meru Crater or Tululusia Hill and the waterfall offer excellent views. Arusha also offers many safari alternatives to the standard game drive. Visitors can look for wildlife while riding a horse, paddling a canoe, or walking on their two feet. With over 400 bird species, large herds of giraffes, and plenty of hippos, buffalo, zebra, and various monkeys, there is always something to see. 

At a Glance

Must See Tourist Attractions

• Summit Mount Meru, Tanzania's second highest mountain (or take a day hike)

• Ngurdoto and Meru Craters

• Various safaris: horse, cycle, canoeing, walking, and game drives

• Drive through Fig Tree Arch (yes, you drive through a tree)

• Lake Longil and Momella lakes

• Tululusia Hill and waterfall

• Look for monkeys in Ngurdoto Forest

• Go to Umaja wa mbogo (Buffalos Glade) to see buffalos, warthogs, and giraffes

• View wildlife grazing at Serengeti Ndogo (Little Serengeti) 

• Get out your binoculars and spot as many of the 400 bird species as you can

Size

± 213 square miles (± 552 km²)

Landscape

Alpine, craters, a freshwater lake, mineral lakes of different colors, grassland, wetlands, and dense forest.

Main Species

Buffalos, hippopotamus, giraffes, zebra, blue monkey, colobus monkey, bushbuck, warthogs, waterbucks, Harvey's red duiker, suni, less and greater flamingoes.

The Wonder of the Mountains & Surrounds

Arusha National Park is known for Mount Meru and its diverse birdlife. Despite the park being small, 213 square miles (552 km²), it has diverse geographical features and a range of habitats.  

The national park is less than an hour's drive from Arusha and is ideally located near other national parks and conservation areas, including:

• Kilimanjaro National Park to the northeast covers 290 square miles (753.5 km²)

• Lake Manyara National Park to the west covers 125 square miles (325 km²)

• Serengeti National Park to the northwest covers 10,424 square miles (27,000 km²)

• Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the west covers 3,200 square miles (8,300 km²) 

• Maswa Game Reserve to the northwest covers 850 square miles (2,200 km²)

• Tarangire National Park to the southeast covers 1,100 square miles (2,850 km²)

• Mkomazi National Park to the southeast covers 1,240 square miles (3,245 km²)

Arusha city and the neighboring national park are popular with visitors on their way to Kilimanjaro or a Serengeti National Park Tanzania Safaris tour. The park's Mount Meru is frequently used by climbers in the run-up to tackling Africa's highest peak, Kilimanjaro. But day visitors also love it for its many types of safaris, including canoeing, mountain biking, horse riding, and walking. 

Views from the park on clear days offer the sights of Kilimanjaro and Meru. The latter's craters also provide viewing decks where you can enjoy the different colors of the Momella lakes that attract so many flamingoes and other wildlife. 

Arusha's dense, natural forest is one of the better parks to spot the black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys playing and going about their day. 

The Aspiring Geopark Geography

Arusha National Park's geography is unique and diverse enough to be an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark. 

The primary geosites are:

• Mount Meru peaks: Its three distinct peaks are Little Meru, a monogenetic volcanic cone; Mount Meru (Socialist Peak), the mountain's highest peak; Ash Cone, a cinder cone 1 mile (1,5 km) wide and 656 feet (200 m) above the crater floor. 

• Momella Debris Avalanche Deposit (DAD): Our planet's largest DAD recorded for a continental volcano. 

• Tululusia waterfalls: The falls plummet 84 feet (28 m) and have cut the land into a gorge. 

• Ngurdoto Crater: Ngurdoto and Meru craters contain evidence of past volcanic activity and now serve as essential grazing for wildlife.

• Momella lakes: Alkaline lakes of different colors are essential for birds and hippos. 

• Maio Waterfall: The park’s three-step waterfall into the Ngarenanyuki River. The descents of each "step" in order are 32 feet (10 m), 46 feet (14m), and 164 feet (50 m).

Arusha National Park has diverse habitats, including grasslands, forests, marshes, and mineral lakes. The variety allows many types of flora and fauna to flourish, including endemic species like Isolepis meruensis, Vepris arushensis, Aloe ngongensis, and Myatenus richardsine.

The range of habitats also benefits the wildlife. The grasslands of Serengeti Ndogo feed grazers all year. The Uwanja wa mbogo is a glade that allows wildlife like buffalos and warthogs to eat and wallow in mud holes. The Ngurdoto Forest provides food and shelter for primates, birds, and many other species. 

The Rich Wildlife

Despite being small, Arusha is rich in wildlife. While the buffalo is the only member of the Big Five that makes frequent appearances, the park has a large population of giraffes, and the alkaline Momella lakes attract hippos and many greater and near-threatened lesser flamingos who adore feeding off the algae. 

The park is divided into different sections, each with unique wildlife delights. The Serengeti Ndogo's plentiful grassland attracts grazers, like buffalo, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, waterbuck, and antelope varieties.

The grasslands meet the marshes and streams in the Uwanja wa mbogo (Buffalos Glade). Birds and buffalos, warthogs, and giraffes love this area.

The Ngurdoto Forest is another excellent area for birdwatchers. In addition, it's where the primates, including the black and white colobus monkeys, are the most active. 

But Arusha's true richness is in its over 400 bird species, many of which are endemic, near-endemic, endangered, vulnerable, and near-threatened. Birds are found throughout the park. Hot spots include:

• Momella lakes (Flamingoes and more)

• Lake Longil

• Gorge at the Tululusia Waterfall (home of the nesting Red-winged Starlings)

• Ngarenanyuki River

• Ngurdoto Forest

• Ngurdoto Crater (excellent for Buzzards, Verreaux's Eagle, and Cliff Raptors)

While Arusha does have a few predators, they are as elusive as the rarely seen elephants that roam the park. The upside to the predators' reclusive tendencies is that the park is safe for visitors to join guided out-of-the-car safaris, like walking, horse riding, biking, and canoe tours.

The relative safety of the park also allows some of the most miniature antelope breeds to flourish. Sharp-eyed visitors can spot Harvey's Red Duiker and suni. The latter are so small that their biggest predators are not wild cats but snakes and birds of prey.

Culture and History

Arusha National Park was originally occupied by Maasai pastoralists, primarily the Waarusha (Arusha) and Wameru (Meru). 

However, Mount Meru caught the eye of Europeans in the late 19th century, the most famous being Count Samuel Teleki. In 1887 , he explored the mountain and its dense surrounding forest and went on to Kilimanjaro, where he became the first man to walk above the snowline. 

Count Teleki and other explorers' adventures increased European interest in the area, including huntress Margarete Trappe and her family, who established the Momella ranch in 1907 in the Meru-Arusha area. Her adventurers, including losing her ranch twice, have inspired books, movies, and TV. 

Margarete Trappe is said to have a good relationship with the Maasai. However, not all Maasai subgroups got along. It was a problem exasperated by shrinking access to land thanks to colonization. 

As Trappe aged, she began to hunt less and develop a passion for preserving and protecting nature and wildlife. By the time she died in 1957, she had made headway into creating a wildlife sanctuary. 

In 1960, Trappe's dream became a reality when the land was declared Ngurdoto Crater National Park. In 2004, Mount Meru and the forest reserve were annexed, creating the Arusha National Park. 

In 2023, Tanzania took over the African Geoparks Network, previously being run from Morocco. In the handover, the country decided to make a bid for the formation of Arusha-Meru Geopark. If successful, it will be the country's second Geopark, the first being the Ngorongoro-Lengai UNESCO Global Geopark, an expansive area of around 4,634 square miles (12,000 km²). 

UNESCO defines Geoparks as "unified, geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development." 

Here are some of the more notable sites to see:

1. Ngurdoto and Meru Craters: The area has five viewing points and is excellent for birdwatching and seeing views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Momella lakes.

2. Tulusia Hill and Waterfall — The water cut the soft volcanic soil, creating a steep gorge many birds adore, including the red-winged starlings. 

3. Lake Longil — It is Arusha's only freshwater lake.

4. Momella Lakes — Each shallow alkaline lake cultivates different algae, creating various colored bodies of water. The algae are a feast for the flamingoes. 

5. Fig Tree Arch: The Ficus thoningii extends its roots into the ground, but the middle portion of the trunk is absent, creating an opening so big that cars can drive through it. 

6. Ngurdoto Forest: Perfect for primate spotting, especially the black and white colobus. 

Best Time to Visit Arusha

Arusha has something to offer visitors throughout the year, from climbing Mount Meru to excellent birding. The best time to visit Arusha depends on what works best for your vacation. 

Do you want to avoid the crowds? Are you hoping to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or Meru? Are there migrating birds on your bucket list? 

Tanzania Safaris is dedicated to crafting the adventure experience that meets your schedule and travel goals. We're always happy to help, but in the meantime, feel free to use our chart below to see what time of year might work best for you.

Getting There

Arusha National Park is the most conveniently located national park from Arusha. It's about a 20-mile (32 km) drive from town and takes around 40 minutes. Many visitors to the city do the park as a day trip. 

Alternatively, it is only 31 miles (50 km) from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and around the same distance from Arusha Airport (ARK). 

Travelers can fly into JRO or ARK from Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam. 

Visitors vacationing in Zanzibar can fly into JRO from Abeid Amani International Airport (ZNZ).

Guests of Tanzania Safaris can be fetched at the airport and taken to the Arusha National Park or their accommodation before heading back out for their adventure. Don't see the exact itinerary you need? Contact us, and we'll create the tour page you need. 

There are two gates for Arusha, each with a distinct purpose:

• Ngongongare Gate (Southeastern, Arusha's main gate for general park access)

• Momella Gate (North, Mount Meru access and permits)

GPS Coordinates: 3.2620⁰S, 36.8451⁰E

Lodging Near Arusha National Park

To Be Added

•  

• Olduvai Gorge

• Ngorongoro Crater

• Lake Manyara National Park

• Tarangire National Park

• Mokomazi National Park