Tanzania Travel Advice

General travel information about Tanzania

Continent: Africa

Geographical location: East Africa, south of the equator

Highest elevation: Kibo (Kilimanjaro) 5895 m

Longest river: Great Rovuma (approx. 780 km)

Form of government: Federal Republic System of

Government: Presidential system

Languages: Swahili (official language) and approx. 128 regionally different languages, mostly Bantu languages

Neighboring countries: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique

Capital: Dodoma

Area: Approx. 945,100 km²

Population: Approx. 57.3 million people (2017)

Population density: 61 residents per km²

Religions: Islam 30-40% (strong on the coast and on Zanzibar), Christianity 30-40%, traditional African

Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS), 1 euro is about 2,632 TZS (as of Jan 2018) the current exchange rate can be found at oanda.com

Climate: Tropical, temperate to dry

Time zone: UTC + 3

Area code: +225

Country code: TZ

Electricity: In Tanzania sockets of type D (BS 546, 5 A) and G (BS 1363) are used. The mains voltage is 3 x 230V with a 50Hz change interval. A travel plug adapter is an advantage.

Check a2zdirectory for old history of Tanzania and agooddir for modern history of Tanzania.

Travel climate in Tanzania

Tanzania has a tropical climate, which is more moderate at higher altitudes. The whole year round there are high temperatures with only minor fluctuations. On the coast of Tanzania and the offshore islands of Zansibar and Pemba, average annual temperatures of around 26 ° C are reached, while on the Tanzania plateau the average is only 20 ° C. In Tanzania there are two rainy periods near the equator, one from March to May and one from October to November. With around 2000 mm per year, it rains the most on the eastern slopes of the mountains. Around 500 mm to 1000 mm of precipitation falls on the coasts of Tanzania and between 1000 and 1500 mm in the highlands. The Massai steppe in northeastern Tanzania registers 500 – 750 mm of rainfall annually.

Culture and sights in Tanzania

From a cultural point of view, Tanzania is a very diverse and interesting country, which is also due to the many different ethnic groups and their influence on the population. As for the arts, pottery and painting in particular are very popular in the country. The traditional art processing with wood is also strongly represented, especially in the coastal areas and on Zanzibar. The traditional music, also called ngoma, can be heard across the country. The most important and most original instrument is the drum. The music is accompanied by various religious rituals and ceremonies and is heard at traditional festivals and dance events. In Zanzibar, influenced by the contact with Arabia, a very unique musical genre, the taarab music, has emerged over the years.

One of the top attractions in Tanzania is certainly the many national parks and protected areas spread across the country. When visiting these beautiful nature parks, you have the chance to observe many of the typical, but also unique, African animals. Very special national parks are, for example, the Serengeti National Park or the Kilimanjaro National Park. These two regions, the vast Serengeti landscape and Mount Kilimanjaro are also among the most popular natural attractions in Tanzania. So you can go on excellent safaris in the vast landscape of the Serengeti and observe almost all African animals in the wild. Nowhere else can you experience such a range of different animals on a safari as in Tanzania’s Serengeti. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain range in Africa and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. A visit to this fascinating mountain would be worthwhile for the exceptionally beautiful sight of Kilimanjaro alone. Not far away from the Serengeti is the approximately 68,800 km² Lake Victoria which is definitely worth a visit. The lake is known as the largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. There is also a beautiful national park here, the Rubondo Island National Park, which is ideal for relaxing and bird watching. Not far away from the Serengeti is the approximately 68,800 km² Lake Victoria which is definitely worth a visit. The lake is known as the largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. There is also a beautiful national park here, the Rubondo Island National Park, which is ideal for relaxing and bird watching. Not far away from the Serengeti is the approximately 68,800 km² Lake Victoria which is definitely worth a visit. The lake is known as the largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. There is also a beautiful national park here, the Rubondo Island National Park, which is ideal for relaxing and bird watching.

Fixed-date holidays in Tanzania

Jan 1st New Year

Jan 12th Anniversary of the Revolution in Zanzibar

Apr 7th Sheikh Karume Day

Apr 26th. Union Day

May 1st Labor Day

June 5th Eid el Fitri (Festival of the Breaking of the Fast)

Jul 7th Saba Saba

Aug 8th Farmers Day Aug

12th Eid el Hajj (Festival of Sacrifice)

Oct 14th Day of Mwalimu Nyerere

10th Aug. Nov. Birthday of the Prophet

Dec. 9th Republic Day Dec.

24th Christmas Eve

Dec 25th Christmas

Dec. 26th Christmas Day

Medical information about Tanzania

For legal reasons, we as a tour operator are not allowed to communicate any binding medical information for Tanzania and therefore refer to the information provided by the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Robert Koch Institute and the German Society for Tropical Medicine and International Health

Travel advice to Tanzania

You can obtain current travel and safety information, information on entering and leaving the country, as well as special criminal information and recommendations for your stay in Tanzania from the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.