Getting around Tanzania | First Day Abroad

This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by Ondřej Kadlec

Distances are enormous and the roads are the main danger in the country. Fly between regions, use Bolt in the cities, and never take a night bus.

Tanzania is bigger than France and Germany together, and almost every itinerary that disappoints people has too much driving in it.
Arusha to the Serengeti is 8 hours of driving. Fly between regions where the budget allows, and note that light aircraft take about 15 kg in a soft bag.
Never travel by road at night, in a bus or a car. Unlit vehicles, no markings, livestock, and drivers who have been going for 14 hours.
Park fees are enormous and usually separate from the tour price: about USD 83 per adult per 24 hours in the Serengeti, USD 70.80 in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, plus USD 295 a vehicle to descend into the crater - and a concession fee again on top if you sleep inside a park.
Ask explicitly whether park fees are included in a quote. It is the single largest source of dispute between visitors and operators, and the gates are now cashless.

Tanzania is bigger than France and Germany together. Almost every itinerary that disappoints people has too much driving in it.

Arusha to the Serengeti is 8 hours of driving on a road that is rough for the last stretch.
Dar es Salaam to Arusha is a full day.
Fly between regions wherever the budget allows. Precision Air, Auric and Coastal Aviation link the cities and the bush airstrips.
Light aircraft baggage limits are around 15 kg in a soft bag, which surprises people at check-in. Leave a hard case at your first hotel.

Bolt and Uber work in Dar es Salaam, and Bolt in Arusha. Both are cheap.
Bajaji, the three-wheelers, are everywhere and are negotiated. Fine for short hops in daylight.
Boda boda motorcycle taxis are fast, cheap and how visitors get badly hurt. Helmets are rare and the FCDO is blunt about them.
Dala dala minibuses are the local network: crowded, chaotic, extremely cheap, and not somewhere to have a bag on your shoulder.

Buses are the way most Tanzanians travel. Kilimanjaro Express, Dar Express and Shabiby are the better operators on the main routes.
Never travel by road at night, in a bus or a car. Unlit vehicles, no markings, livestock, and drivers who have been going for 14 hours.
Book a seat near the front and avoid the very cheapest operator on any route.
The TAZARA and central line trains exist and are an experience rather than transport.

The Azam ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar takes about 2 hours and runs several times a day. Buy from the official office, not from a man on the quay.
Non-residents pay a higher fare than Tanzanians, which is posted and official.
Flights from Dar to Zanzibar take 20 minutes and cost little more than the fast ferry.
On the island, taxis are the practical option and everything is negotiated. Agree the fare in shillings or dollars, out loud, before setting off.

You are almost certainly going with an operator, and that operator provides the vehicle, driver and park entries.
Park fees are enormous and are usually separate from the tour price. For a non-East African adult the Serengeti entry fee is about USD 83 per person per 24 hours; the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is USD 70.80 per person, plus a USD 295 per vehicle fee to descend into the crater. Those figures carry 18 per cent VAT - published rates are usually quoted with it already in, but ask which your operator means.
Sleeping inside a park adds a concession fee on top of the entry fee, around USD 60 an adult a night in the Serengeti, which is a large part of why a bed inside the park costs what it does.
Ask explicitly whether park fees are included in a quote. This is the single largest source of dispute between visitors and operators.
Park gates are now cashless - card or through the operator - so do not plan to arrive with a roll of dollars.

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Getting around Tanzania: transport and apps