Overview
Take a trip to Arusha on your Tanzania Vacation
Located in northern Tanzania, Arusha serves as the de facto capital of the East African community. It is surrounded by some of Africa’s most famous destinations including Mount Meru, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro, making the city a popular starting point for many tourists on a Tanzania safari.
Originally a garrison town founded by German colonialists, the territory was part of German East Africa in 1900. Named after the local Wa-Arusha tribe, it quickly developed into an important centre for trading and administration. With the First World War came British occupation resulting in the relocation of German estates to British settlers who began to develop new communities.
Today, Arusha is known as “the Geneva of Africa” due to its role in human rights issues. The Arusha Accords were signed in 1993 by the government of Rwanda and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front to end the country’s three-year civil war. In 1994, the UN Security Council decided that Arusha would host the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and it is also the home of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.
While perceived by many to be the starting point for other African destinations, the city hosts Arusha National Park and Mount Meru as well as the Maasai, one of Africa’s most iconic tribes making Arusha an interesting tourist destination in its own right. on a Tanzania vacation.
While perceived by many to be the starting point for other African destinations, the city hosts Arusha National Park and Mount Meru as well as the Maasai, one of Africa’s most iconic tribes making Arusha an interesting tourist destination in its own right. on a Tanzania vacation.
At a Glance
Languages
Swahili, EnglishCurrency
Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)What do the experts say?
An ideal first-time itinerary starts in Arusha and ends in Zanzibar. To maximize time, “Sky Safari” packages using small aircraft to fly guests directly between lodges offer breathtaking aerial views of Tanzania’s diverse landscapes as well as convenience.
The people and wildlife are amazing. You always feel safe at the tented camps, even knowing animals are around. The locals treat you with such warmth and respect.
We provide local experiences, manage client expectations, and work with trusted suppliers so travellers feel safe and enjoy every moment of their trip.
Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Park are simply spectacular. There’s no place quite like the massive crater or the migration-covered plains.
Tanzania’s hospitality is incredible. You’ll always feel welcomed, wherever you go.
Daily life on the streets of Arusha perhaps man...
Waterbuck's in Arusha National Park
A close-up of a giraffe in Arusha National Park
You will see many carts on the streets during y...
White Colobus monkey - Arusha National Park
Most Popular Time to Travel
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Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
ArushaLight Rain
29°C / 84°F
86mm / 3.4"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
-
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ExcellentBased on 5,156 ReviewsAfter spending some time with our agent, we felt that she understood exactly what we had in mind as far as the level of service, etc, we were hoping for. The trip exceeded our expectations. Lori kept us busy(not too busy!) and we had many, many very exciting experiences. Bruce BelshawAylin is an exceptionally proficient advisor. Coordinating my clients simultaneously often feels like herding cats, but she has remained patient and accommodating through every modification and delay. Goway continues to be my go-to for complex itineraries, and they never disappoint.Nick Cron, ACCMahalo Goway Travel for helping in planning our group Japan's trip. Lawrence was very helpful & patient with all the changes & additions we did. Also, mahalo to Natasa who helped planned my Australia trip past November. The planning from transportation to tours to hotels worked very smoothly. I'll continue to use Goway travel for all my International trips. I'll also will recommend to my friends & family to use Goway...MahaloTanya LaguatanMaria Spitman was wonderful to work with. She was very helpful in designing our trip to Japan and equally wonderful when we had to cancel it. I loved the service she gave us.Sandy WarrenMy daughter and I had a wonderful 2 weeks in New Zealand! The country is so beautiful and the people so friendly. Our destination specialist did a great job with planning and organizing the itinerary, choosing our hotels, and organizing transportation. The hotels were absolutely beautiful and we had great views. We felt right at home and found all of the staff to be friendly and accommodating. There were no issues with our itinerary and our excursions we were always on the list. Our transportation was always ready and waiting for us.
We want to thank Goway Travel for their hard work and patience with us in planning this trip. Any changes that needed to be made were communicated timely. We also want to thank you for the beautiful weather during the entire 2 weeks it was perfect every day 😀.
It was a memorable trip that we will never forget and we will think of Goway when we plan our next adventure. Because it was not just a vacation; it was an adventure!Connie WenhardtWe had a great travelling experience with GoWay !
Thank you all involved in organazing our trip!MaiaBrigitta Fuller is Amazing! She was my group coordinator. She understood the assignment and all the nuances I was trying to achieve. The itinerary she curated was fantastic. If you want someone who truly cares about her group and what they are trying to achieve. I will always reach out to Brigitta first for Europe groups. Kathryn WalkerMy clients had a wonderful time on their trip to Easter Island. They were very pleased with the Hare Nua Hotel Boutique and especially noted the warmth and hospitality of the hotel staff as well as their excellent breakfasts.
Jaime Vargas-Hendandez was an exceptionally gracious and knowledgeable agent, who went out of his way to ensure that my clients had the best possible experience. I will definitely contact him for future bookings and will recommend him to my colleagues.Alethea KardasWe were just back from an ambitious 42-day grand circle through seven of the ASEAN countries! An itinerary gestating over a period of time, carefully planned and pore over intently all the way through proved satisfying as expected, but the amazing "embarras de richesse" in six weeks such as we've never experienced before truly went beyond our imagination, both in terms of scenery and culture! The vast majority of the local teams who work with Goway provided impressive service throughout our stay, and quite a number of the guides and drivers deserve to be called cream of the crop in their line of work. But ultimately, we owe our destination specialist Taryn a profound gratitude for her insight and for her coordination efforts which made all this possible.
When our debit card was not retrievable in an airport ATM Taryn again went out of her way to approve a small loan through transfer to our local guide's bank account, who then withdrew cash from an ATM while we simply paid Goway Travel by credit card through an online payment link. This helped us tremendously through that difficult moment. We will always treasure this kindness on her part.Yuan LinAlice was most helpful - full of insider suggestions.
She was a good listener and able to provide tours, routes and guides tailored to our interests. She made our February trip to New Zealand entirely wonderful.
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