Self-drive in Tanzania – feedback on the itinerary and various questions

Hi there!

For my 60th birthday (yes, I’m jumping the gun a bit!), I’m starting to plan a self-drive trip to Tanzania (in June).

I also considered Zimbabwe but I’m worried it might be a bit chilly at night in June.

I’ve revisited an itinerary I’d thought about before, tweaking it since I’ll have more days to dedicate to this trip. Still no big northern classics for the same reasons as before (too expensive, too crowded, too many tour operators).

Here’s what I’ve got so far:

(Arrival/departure from Kilimanjaro Airport)

Night 1: Arusha

Night 2: Arusha

Night 3: Lake Manyara

Night 4: On the way to Iringa (any ideas???)

Night 5: Iringa

Nights 6–8: Ruaha NP

Nights 9–10: Mikumi NP

Night 11: Bagamoyo

Nights 12–15: Beach Nights 16–17: Lushoto

Nights 18–19: Mkomazi NP

Night 20: Toward Marangu – eastern Kilimanjaro

Night 21: Western Kilimanjaro

End of trip

All your ideas, tweaks, info, and suggestions on this route are welcome!

I could move one beach night somewhere else if needed.

Also, if you have a car rental company to recommend or thoughts on the bandas rented in the parks, I’m all ears!

Finally, what are the roads like in Ruaha in June? The rental company I’m looking at seems to allow this park with a small 4x4. (Off-limits: Serengeti and Natron)

Thanks! :)

Just got back from Tanzania, where we invited our kids to celebrate our 60th birthdays. One week in the parks and one week of kitesurfing and diving in Zanzibar. A trip that will stay etched in our memories...

As for the rest, I won’t be much help, unfortunately. We did the three "big classics" (Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti), went with a local agency, and only saw one self-drive vehicle in six days.

It was very different from Kruger, which we’d done self-drive (and which suited that style well), but I’d never attempt self-drive in Tanzania—not even considering the risk of a flat tire in the middle of the tall grass on the plains...

At the very least, I’d recommend Tarangire and Arusha National Park (which we didn’t visit). Happy planning...

A future travel journal in sight?😉 (Nice collection of felines!😛)

We only saw one self-drive vehicle in 6 days.

Good news! Not many people on the tracks in the parks that aren’t as crowded with tour operators.

I’m really curious why Tanzania isn’t more popular with self-drivers.

There are a few travel journals on this site, but a tiny number compared to those about Botswana. (I won’t compare it to South Africa or Namibia, which are definitely much easier destinations.)

It’s like self-drive fans of Southern Africa aren’t interested in this country.

It’s not the prices—Botswana isn’t much cheaper. Campsites there are even more expensive... You just have to avoid a couple of parks to keep the bill from skyrocketing.

From what I’ve gathered, the difficulty of the tracks isn’t the issue either. Nor is the isolation. Nor booking accommodations in the parks (a nightmare in Botswana...).

I think the lack of reliable rental companies might be partly to blame for this lack of interest. Maybe the image of a destination dominated by tour operators too?

I get the feeling local agencies also do everything they can to discourage people so they don’t kill the golden goose...

I’d love to hear thoughts on these points from people who’ve traveled all over Southern Africa but not Tanzania.

Arusha National Park is planned for the start or end of the trip. Depending on flight schedules.

Which airline did you take for your trip?

And how was the weather?

Tanzania is often a "trip of a lifetime" destination. Not really a backpacker’s country...

The weather’s decent, but the skies are often milky... We went with Air France on a direct flight (a tad pricier, but we skipped the layover).

I’m not sure about the price difference between renting a 4x4 and hiring a driver. Unless you sleep in the car, but I haven’t seen that happen. What really adds up are the permits to enter the parks.

I’m also curious about your concerns over seeing too many tourists. In Tarangire, there aren’t many people in the north, and no one in the south. At Ngorongoro, yeah, it’s crowded! In the Serengeti, it’s so vast... just head a little toward the Togoro plains or the Lobo hills, and you’ll barely see anyone. The vast majority of 4x4s stick around Seronera (especially the 2-day safaris).

It's not for the price that I choose self-drive. 🙂 Like most people who opt for this way of traveling, actually.

It's to be free to do what I want, when I want, how I want.

To avoid having a third person in the car who, no matter how nice they are, would become a nuisance in the long run.

It’s fine for a few hours, but over three weeks—yikes...

I’ve already had to deal with that in India, a country where I wouldn’t consider renting a car without a driver, but it’s a bit different. The sightseeing, meals, and overnight stays include plenty of "free" time without the driver.

Here, it’s more like 12 hours out of 24...

The permits for the parks I’m considering are $30 before taxes. Except for Lake Manyara and Arusha, which are more expensive. The bandas are quite affordable. A bit like South African prices for simple accommodation inside the parks. I don’t think I’ll camp, even though I’ll take the equipment with the car. That way, I can prepare meals and potentially sleep in the tent if I can’t find solid accommodation. I haven’t found much information on this type of lodging.

For crowds, I’m especially thinking of Ngorongoro, which seems to be a victim of its own success... Both inside the crater and for accommodation.

Since I’m already paying around 450 € for two for just a few hours of safari—without even including lodging—I might as well have optimal conditions, which doesn’t seem to be the case based on the feedback I’ve read here and there. 🤪

Plus, bringing a ranger along seems mandatory for this park...

There are still a few travel journals about self-driving (nothing recent, though :/ ). And also Elcanadiense’s one—I think it wasn’t a self-drive trip, but it was still pretty unique... maybe some interesting ideas there...

Yes, there’s very little info out there on self-drive travel journals for Tanzania.

I don’t recall reading anything about bandas or other public permanent lodgings.

I’ll dive back into it!

(Not too keen on camping...)