Tanzania's weather varies by region, but there's always a great time to visit! The coastal areas tend to be the hottest and most humid, while the northern regions and highlands enjoy cooler temperatures due to their altitude. Throughout the year, temperatures typically range from 22°C to 31°C. At night, temperatures can drop to between 10°C and 22°C. Zanzibar, located near the Equator, boasts a distinctly tropical climate, making its beaches particularly inviting.

Tanzania weather: the seasons

Tanzania has two seasons yearly: the wet and the dry season. The wet season (also called the rainy season) runs from the end of October right through to December, and then again from the end of March to the end of May. They are referred to as the ‘short-’ and ‘long rains’. These tropical rains mostly start late afternoon and continue all night till early morning. The rains of Africa are famous worldwide and are a soothing, enchanting sight to behold during a trip to Tanzania!

Tanzania Travel Advice

With almost a decade of experience, we’re proud to be able to offer customised Tanzania travel advice that is second-to-none. Here we answer your top questions regarding need-to-know Tanzania travel advice.

Is Tanzania safe to travel?

“I want to visit Tanzania, but is it safe?” This is a common question we receive from clients seeking travel advice. The short answer? Yes! Tanzania is one of the safest destinations in Africa, welcoming over a million tourists each year. Traveling with the experts at Kilidove Tours prioritizes your safety. Our private safari experiences, led by knowledgeable and professional guides, enhance your journey and provide you with complete peace of mind.Read more from us Tanzania safety tips for more information on safe travel in Tanzania.

What is the population of Tanzania?

Tanzania has a population of nearly 60 million people and is one of Africa’s most ethnically diverse countries, home to around 125 different ethnic groups. More than 100 languages are spoken across the nation, reflecting its rich cultural tapestry.

The Tanzanian people are renowned for their hospitality, warmly welcoming tourists to explore their stunning nature, wildlife, and culture. Engaging with locals is one of the best ways to gain a deeper understanding of the country and its traditions, making it highly recommended during your discovery of Tanzania!

Do I need a visa for Tanzania?

Most international travellers will need a visa to travel to Tanzania. Your visa can be requested online through the official visa website from the Tanzanian government. Please note that this is the only official link for Tanzania visa applications.

It is also possible to get a tourist or business visa for a single entry on arrival at the main ports of entry to Tanzania. This visa for Tanzania is valid for three months. You may be asked to provide proof of your return journey, and costs are $50 per person, US Citizens $100 per person.

When arranging your trip to Tanzania with Tanzania specialist, we guide you through every step of the visa and administration process.

Passport requirements

Passports should have at least six months of validity after the final day of travel.

Safety First: Our travel insurance advise

When traveling to Tanzania, we recommend booking your travel insurance through a reputable provider that offers comprehensive coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other travel-related risks. Consider the following options:
Travel Insurance Comparison Websites: Platforms like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth allow you to compare different policies from various insurers.
Dedicated Travel Insurance Providers: Companies such as World Nomads, Allianz Travel, Axa, and SafetyWing specialize in travel insurance and are well-suited for adventurous travelers.
Your Current Insurance Provider: Check if your existing health or auto insurance covers international travel, as they may offer add-on travel insurance.
Always ensure that your policy includes essential coverage such as emergency medical expenses, evacuation, and any specific activities you plan to undertake in Tanzania.

What vaccinations are needed for Tanzania?

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is only required for travellers one year of age and older coming from – or who are in airport transit for more than 12 hours within – a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

In addition to standard vaccinations such as MMR and TDP, the CDC and WHO recommend vaccinations for Tanzania, such as Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and typhoid. Yellow fever and rabies vaccinations are also recommended depending on the traveller’s activities. As of January 2023 there are no more COVID-19 restrictions in Tanzania, and vaccinations or PCR-tests are no longer necessary before traveling.

As with all international travel, we always advise you to consult your physician for professional health advice before travelling to Tanzania.

What is the time in Tanzania?

Tanzania is GMT + 3. To put that into terms we all understand, check out the time difference from Tanzania to LA, New York, London and more below.

Los Angeles: -10 hours
New York: -7 hours
London: -3 hours
Berlin: -2 hours
Hong Kong: +5 hours
Tokyo: +6 hours
Sydney: + 8 hours
Auckland: +10 hours

What is the currency of Tanzania?

The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling, although dollars and euros are also accepted in most places in Tanzania.

Language in Tanzania

There are over 100 different languages spoken in Tanzania. The official languages, however, are Swahili and English. You can expect all your Tanzania Specialist guides and hosts to speak English, but if you’re looking to learn a few words of Swahili before your trip, get a few step to start learn swahili useful words in Swahili!

Swahili and English are the official languages in Tanzania, but Swahili is spoken by almost everyone. In the tourism sector, however, English is widely spoken by the majority of people.

Traveling in Tanzania, especially to East African destinations like Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zanzibar, is more than just a vacation; it’s a bucket-list adventure to cherish for a lifetime. For detailed travel advice on Tanzania or to start planning your custom vacation, feel free to reach out!, Plan your Trip with Kilidove Toursnow.

We look forward to share our beautiful places in Tanzania with you soon!

Tanzania Yellow Fever Requirements

Tanzania yellow fever requirements can sometimes seem confusing, but we’re here to help! As a yellow fever-free country, Tanzania is safe to travel when it comes to steering clear of this virus. On this page, we answer all your questions on the yellow fever virus and whether a yellow fever vaccine is required for Tanzania.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccination for Tanzania?

Great news: for the vast majority of travellers to this beautiful country, you do not need this vaccine! According to the World Health Organization's classification, Tanzania currently poses a low risk for yellow fever. If you reside in a country with no risk of yellow fever, you do not need the yellow fever vaccine as part of your required travel vaccinations. 

What is yellow fever?

Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted through mosquito bites. Symptoms usually develop within 3 to 6 days and may include fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches. It’s important to note that yellow fever can be serious; approximately 15% of those infected may develop a severe or life-threatening illness.

As Tanzania is safe from yellow fever, if you are directly travelling from Europe or the United States, there are no yellow fever vaccine requirements.

Tanzania yellow fever requirements

Proof of yellow fever vaccination is only required upon arrival if you are traveling from a country with a risk of the virus or if you are transiting for more than 48 hours through such a country. Currently, this list does not include any countries in Europe or the United States.(View the full list of Yellow Fever high-risk countries).

Receiving the yellow fever vaccination

The yellow fever vaccination is administered as a single dose and should be given at least 10 days before entering a high-risk yellow fever country. A single dose provides lifelong protection against the yellow fever virus, so be sure to obtain proof of vaccination from your doctor or healthcare provider. If you are required to get the yellow fever vaccine before traveling, you will need to present your proof of vaccination upon arrival in Tanzania. 

If your doctor advises against the vaccine due to underlying health issues or other factors, you can still travel to Tanzania with an official letter from your doctor.Presenting this letter to the immigration officer upon arrival will waive the vaccination requirement, allowing your trip to proceed as planned.

How to get your visa for Tanzania

After you’ve booked one of our Tanzania safaris or Zanzibar holidays (hooray!), Next, you’ll need to apply for your tourist visa, which can often cause some anxiety and uncertainty. How do you apply? Where should you go? What documents are necessary? Fortunately, obtaining a visa for Tanzania is quite straightforward, especially when you book with us. Read on to learn more!.

When traveling to Tanzania, you have the option to obtain your visa online or upon arrival*. Both methods are valid, although the Tanzanian government encourages the online option to highlight the country's modernity. Below, we’ve outlined the pros and cons of each method. But first, let’s discuss the costs.

TANZANIA VISA: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Visa costs for Tanzania vary slightly depending on your nationality. If you’re coming from Europe, the fee is $50. For US citizens, a multi-entry visa costs $100. Both visas are valid for three months, but the multi-entry visa allows you to leave the country and return using the same visa within one year.

The amounts mentioned above apply when you purchase your visa online. If you choose to apply upon arrival, the costs are either $50 or €50 (or $100 for the multi-entry visa). It’s a bit surprising since €50 is worth more than $50. Regardless, you can also pay with a credit card, in which case the fee is $50 or $100 plus any applicable credit card fees. The choice is yours!

ONLINE APPLICATION

The Tanzanian government favors online applications, and to be honest, there are several advantages to this approach:

• The process is relatively easy, especially with the explanatory PDF you get when booking through us.
• You board your plane knowing your visa is arranged and paid for.
• Upon arrival, you only have to wait at one counter to get your visa stamped.

To apply for a visa online, you go to the official portal of the Tanzanian government. We advise you to NOT apply through any other website because they are either more expensive or scams. We know of several travellers who lost their money through these scams, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. The official portal is:

https://visa.immigration.go.tz/

Those who book with us receive a special PDF guide to help them through the application process, and our travel consultants are always available for advice. While we can’t apply for your visa on your behalf, this support makes it nearly foolproof. After submitting your application, it can take up to ten days for your visa to be processed and approved, so be sure to print or download it before you travel. Upon arrival, you’ll simply need to queue at the immigration counter to have your visa stamped in your passport. Then, you can collect your bags and you’re all set!.

APPLY FOR A VISA UPON ARRIVAL IN TANZANIA

If, for any reason, you can’t or don’t want to apply online, you can still apply upon arrival as of September 2024*. Be prepared for a bit of classic African bureaucracy, but overall, the process is quite straightforward.:

• Upon arrival at the airport, you’ll need to fill out an application form. Make sure to have a pen handy and have the address of Kilidove Tours, along with the details of your first lodge, ready for reference.
• Apply at the visa counter.
• Go to a second counter to pay your visa fee, and pay either in cash or by credit card.
• Go to a third counter, and get the visa stamped in your passport.
• Get your bags and you’re good to go.

As you can see, when applying upon arrival, you'll need to queue three times, while applying online means just one queue at the airport. So, the old-fashioned method might slow you down a bit, but remember, you're in the land of "pole pole"—there's no rush in Africa! You might as well embrace it. And just between us, with so many people applying online these days, that single queue for online applications can be much longer than the three queues for those applying upon arrival. You might even find yourself through faster!.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Nowadays, most people prefer to apply online, just to be sure to have that visa in their pocket before travelling. Which is understandable. If you decide to apply online, make sure to be prepared:

• Apply three to four weeks before travelling, in case your application gets denied. This will give you enough time to correct the mistakes and apply again.
• Have a credit card ready for your payment, or know how to make an international bank transfer.
• Have a digital passport-size picture, a picture of your passport’s biodata page (max 300 kB) and a PDF of your flight ticket (max 1 MB) ready.
• Make sure your passport is valid for six months upon return from Tanzania.
• If children travel with only one parent, you need a written document in English with the consent of the other parent for the trip and then you have to upload this into the system.
• Make sure to have a pen at hand when arriving in Tanzania, because sometimes there is still a form they ask you to fill.

If you decide to be a bit adventurous and apply upon arrival, don’t board the plane unprepared either.

• Carry the amount needed for the fee in cash (USD/EUR), or use your credit card.
• No passport-size picture is needed.
• Have a pen at hand to fill in the application form, and the addresses of Kilidove Tours as a host company, and the first hotel you stay in.
• If children travel with only one parent, you need a written document in English with the consent of the other parent for the trip.

It’s up to you how you apply for your visa – whatever gives you the least stress. As long as you keep the end goal in mind: to get that visa. Because only with your visa in hand, you can get your bags and start your safari adventure with us.

*Nationals of some countries need a so-called Referral Visa and are not allowed to apply upon arrival. So make sure to check that before you decide how to apply. Visas on arrival to Tanzania wont be possible as of 1st December 2024, so make sure to check the immigration guidelines before you leave to confirm that it’s still possible.

Travel Insurance

Embarking on an African safari to Tanzania is an adventure of a lifetime. But don’t forget to pack the most important thing—travel insurance! Whether you’re spotting a stealthy leopard or navigating bumpy roads, travel insurance ensures that medical mishaps, unexpected detours, and bumps in the road won’t spoil your wild adventure.

A good travel insurance plan provides peace of mind by covering medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and other unforeseen events. It’s essential to have a reliable safety net, especially in remote areas where access to medical facilities and other services can be limited. Comprehensive travel insurance lets you focus on the thrill of the safari, knowing that you’re protected against the unexpected.

Travel insurance for your trip to Tanzania : our advice.

When traveling to Tanzania, we recommend booking your travel insurance through a reputable provider that offers comprehensive coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other travel-related risks. Consider the following options:
Travel Insurance Comparison Websites: Platforms like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth allow you to compare different policies from various insurers.
Dedicated Travel Insurance Providers: Companies such as World Nomads, Allianz Travel, Axa, and SafetyWing specialize in travel insurance and are well-suited for adventurous travelers.
Your Current Insurance Provider: Check if your existing health or auto insurance covers international travel, as they may offer add-on travel insurance.
Always ensure that your policy includes essential coverage such as emergency medical expenses, evacuation, and any specific activities you plan to undertake in Tanzania.

Zanzibar Mandatory Travel Insurance

If you are traveling to Zanzibar from October 1st, 2024 onwards, you are required to obtain the Zanzibar Mandatory Travel Insurance, regardless of any other travel insurance you may have. Each traveler must apply for this insurance in advance. After making a payment of USD 44 per person, you will receive a QR code, which must be presented upon arrival.
The basic coverage of this mandatory travel insurance includes emergency medical expenses, repatriation costs (both medical and for the body), personal accidents, baggage delays, theft, and loss, as well as legal expenses and personal liability. To apply for Zanzibar’s Mandatory Travel Insurance, please visit https://visitzanzibar.go.tz/. 

If you are already in Zanzibar on October 1st, 2024, you won’t be affected by these new regulations and will not be required to have the Zanzibar Mandatory Travel Insurance