Tanzania Safari Preparation 2026: Pre-Trip Checklist

Vaccinations, luggage for bush flights and insurance are the questions first-time safari travellers ask most. This guide answers exactly those.

Timeline: what to do when

1. Health and vaccinations

Malaria prophylaxis (recommended below 1,800m)

Malaria is present throughout Tanzania below 1,800m, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater floor, Zanzibar, Tarangire, Arusha and the coast. The Ngorongoro highlands (crater rim, about 2,200m) have a lower risk, but most visitors also spend time in the lowland parks.

Three options are commonly recommended (professional consultation required: see a travel medicine clinic, not just a general practitioner):

• Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone): daily tablet. Start 1–2 days before arrival and continue for 7 days after leaving the risk area.
• Doxycycline: daily tablet. Your clinic will set the schedule. It can make skin sensitive to sun, so use good sunscreen.
• Mefloquine: weekly tablet. Your clinic will set the schedule; it is prescribed less often because of side effects in some people.

No prophylaxis is 100% effective, so combine tablets with DEET mosquito repellent and mosquito nets.

Yellow fever vaccination

For direct flights to Tanzania from Europe and North America: NOT required, which are not yellow fever risk countries. The vaccination is only required on arrival from a yellow fever endemic country or after transiting there for more than 12 hours.

Other vaccinations (recommended, not mandatory)

Hepatitis A and B, typhoid and a tetanus booster are worth discussing with your travel medicine doctor.

First-aid kit

Pack: antibacterial wound disinfectant, plasters, hydrocortisone cream (insect bites), anti-diarrhoeal medication, antihistamines, thermometer, tweezers (thorns, ticks), DEET insect repellent.

2. Luggage for bush flights

Bush flights on light aircraft are the most efficient way to move between parks, but they come with strict limits:

Standard limit: about 15 kg per person including carry-on Format: Soft bag/duffel (NO hard-shell suitcase, no roller case) Individual exceptions: Coastal Aviation XL seat allows 30 kg; confirm with your operator

What you need for 7–10 days on safari:

• 4–5 safari outfits (neutral colours, layer-compatible)
• 1 fleece or lightweight down jacket (morning game drives)
• 1 lightweight rain jacket (wet season)
• Sunscreen, insect repellent, hat
• Binoculars + camera
• Medications
• Charging cables and a plug adapter (Tanzania mainly uses the UK-style Type G plug)

3. Clothing: the colour rule

Khaki, green, brown, light beige. This is practical advice, not only an aesthetic one.

Tsetse flies are present in parts of the Serengeti, Tarangire and other parks. Safari operators advise avoiding black and dark blue, which attract them, and wearing khaki, green or brown instead.

Practical clothing list:

• Long-sleeved shirt × 2–3 (cotton or merino, breathable)
• Convertible zip-off trousers × 2 (zip off for midday heat)
• Fleece × 1 (pre-dawn game drives; the Ngorongoro rim can be cold)
• Lightweight waterproof jacket × 1
• Hiking socks × 4–5
• Sturdy walking shoes or firm hiking sandals
• Wide-brim hat (sun protection is critical on the savannah)

4. Insurance

Travel health insurance with Medevac

In the Serengeti and other remote parks, the nearest adequate hospital is far away, and a medical evacuation flight is the realistic option for serious cases. Choose a policy that covers it.

Recommendation: choose travel health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation, and read the wording for remote parks before you pay.

Standard European travel health insurance from your home country provider often covers repatriation, but not all Medevac scenarios in remote parks. Check the policy wording explicitly before departure.

AMREF Flying Doctors

AMREF Flying Doctors offers a dedicated medical evacuation plan for East Africa. It is not standard health insurance.

Book through flydoc.org. Print the policy card or save it offline, because you will need the number if there is an emergency in an area with no signal.

Zanzibar ZIC insurance

Mandatory inbound insurance is USD 44 per adult, valid up to 92 days, and which insurer you use depends on where you first enter Tanzania. Land on the mainland first (the usual safari start at Kilimanjaro, Arusha or Dar) and you buy NIC at inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz; the mainland scheme has applied since 1 October 2026. Land in Zanzibar first and you buy ZIC at inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz; Zanzibar has required it since October 2024. You need one policy per journey, not one for the mainland and one for the beach. A valid policy means no new purchase when you later fly to Zanzibar or come back. That is the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation’s notice of 28 September 2026.

EAC and SADC residents who qualify are exempt from the mainland requirement only. Zanzibar’s ZIC requirement is not automatically waived for them. Keep the certificate and QR code, electronic or printed, for the whole trip, because it can be scanned at the relevant entry point. Like ZIC, NIC sits on top of your own policy rather than replacing it.

5. Documents and money

Passport: Valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date. Airlines enforce this at check-in.

eVisa (apply in advance):

• Most nationalities: visa.immigration.go.tz, USD 50 single entry, up to 90 days
• US citizens: USD 100 multiple entry, 12 months
• Processing time: one safari operator quotes around 10 working days, so apply early.

USD cash:

• Small bills: USD 5, 10, 20 (tips, local payments, occasional park fees)
• Large bills (USD 100) can cause change problems in remote areas
• ATMs: available in Arusha and Dar es Salaam, not at national park entrances or remote villages
• Credit card (Visa/Mastercard) for lodge billing

Copies: All documents digitally (cloud storage) + paper copies stored separately from originals.

Emergency numbers to save before departure: AMREF Flying Doctors, your travel insurer hotline, your home country embassy in Dar es Salaam.

6. Optics: binoculars vs camera

Binoculars come first. For the safari experience (watching a cheetah at 400m, identifying bird species at distance) good binoculars are more important than any camera. Recommendation: 8×42 or 10×42.

Camera: For acceptable wildlife photos, you need a zoom starting at 300mm (full frame) or 200mm with APS-C. Compact cameras with optical zoom are limited for distance shots. Smartphones work well for close animals, landscapes, and portraits.

Drones: operating a drone in Tanzania requires permission from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA). Arrange it well before you travel, and ask your operator about additional rules inside national parks.

Bean bag: A camera bean bag stabilises your lens on the vehicle’s open window or roof hatch better than any tripod. Leave the tripod at home.

For combination trips with Zanzibar

If your trip ends in Zanzibar: full-size suitcases or roller cases are generally fine on scheduled international airline flights to ZNZ. The bush-flight limits do not apply there; check your airline for its own allowance.

Luggage strategy: Large suitcase (stays at the hotel in Arusha or Dar during the safari), small duffel for the safari itself. Reunite after the game parks. This approach makes both legs comfortable without the 15 kg constraint affecting your island wardrobe.

What to expect in a safari camp

Safari camp days start earlier than most first-timers expect.

Typical day (varies by camp):

• 05:30: Wake-up call (knock on tent or camp gong)
• 06:00: Early tea/coffee + light biscuits before the drive
• 06:30–10:00: Morning game drive (prime time for big-cat activity)
• 10:00–11:00: Full breakfast at camp (not before the drive)
• 12:00–16:00: Midday rest, when animals rest too
• 16:00–18:30: Afternoon game drive with sundowner stop
• 19:00: Dinner, usually outdoors by the fire

What surprises most visitors:

• Minimal or no internet in bush camps
• Power outlets for cameras and phones can be limited, so bring a power bank
• Wildlife visits the camp at night: staff guidelines apply (no walking between tents alone after dark; wait for a staff member with a torch)

A handful of Swahili words go a long way with your guide and camp staff; even a rough “Habari?” at breakfast helps. See essential Swahili phrases before you go for the greetings, game-drive vocabulary (“Simba!”, “pole pole”), and the one phrase worth knowing for a medical emergency.

Tipping culture on safari

Tips are a substantial part of safari staff income in Tanzania, and they are not included in most safari prices.

Guidelines:

• Safari guide: USD 20–25 per vehicle per day, as a group total (not per person)
• Camp staff: a shared tip box, with USD 10–15 per guest per day as the usual guide
• Camp manager: a personal thank-you; no separate tip is expected

When and how: on the last day, hand tips over in an envelope in USD cash (small bills). Some camps have a communal tip box, so ask whether individual or collective tips are preferred.

Example: on a 5-day safari at USD 20–25 per vehicle per day, the guide tip comes to about USD 100–125 for the whole vehicle, plus the camp tip box.

What NOT to bring

Some items are prohibited or actively counterproductive:

• Plastic bags: plastic carrier bags are banned in Tanzania and can be confiscated at entry points. Bring reusable bags instead.
• Dark blue or black clothing: Tsetse fly attractors (see colour rule above)
• Strong perfume or scented deodorant: can attract insects and is intrusive in camp
• Drones: need TCAA permission (see above)
• Valuable jewellery: leave it at home or in the hotel safe in Arusha.
• Hard-shell suitcases (if taking bush flights): do not fit in bush aircraft cargo holds

What to book in advance vs what to arrange on the ground

Before you lock in the operator itself, read the guide to choosing a Tanzania safari operator. It covers the licensing checks, vehicle standards, and the questions worth asking before any deposit changes hands.

Book in advance (essential):

• Safari operator and lodges: book early, especially for high season
• Bush flights between parks: book with the safari package
• Zanzibar connection flight (Arusha → ZNZ): book in advance, especially in high season
• Zanzibar hotel: book early for high season
• eVisa (allow several weeks before departure)
• Inbound insurance: NIC if you land on the mainland first, ZIC if Zanzibar is first (one policy per journey; keep the QR code offline)

Fine to arrange locally:

• Serengeti hot air balloon (USD 599/person; one listing reports it is booked about 100 days ahead on average; arranged via your lodge or operator, not at the gate)
• Kizimkazi dolphin boat trip (Zanzibar, local via hotel or beach)
• Chumbe Island day trip: bookings depend on availability at the lodge, so ask ahead
• Jozani Forest entry (no advance reservation needed)
• Spice farm tour (hotel concierge or local operators)

What to buy in Arusha rather than packing from home:

• Insect repellent spray (local pharmacies)
• A camera bean bag (outdoor shops)

Power and connectivity in camp

Power supply: many tented camps run on solar, so device charging can be limited to certain windows. Luxury camps often have round-the-clock power; budget camps may have none. Bring a power bank for phone and camera batteries.

Connectivity: mobile signal is reliable in Arusha and limited in the parks, and many bush camps have little or no connection. No Wi-Fi at camp is not a failure; it is part of the experience.

Have offline: Google Maps of the Arusha region and JRO airport (for the return day). Booking confirmations saved as screenshots. Emergency contact numbers saved in your phone, so you can reach them without signal or an email app.

Planning a Tanzania safari on a limited budget? The budget-safari page covers realistic costs, which parks to prioritize, green season timing, and what not to compromise on.

Keep going with our tanzania safari costs guide and the tanzania budget safari page.

Planning to combine Kilimanjaro with a safari? See the Kilimanjaro trail comparison for route comparison, day-by-day camps, and altitude preparation. For the high-altitude specific gear and packing for Kilimanjaro, see the altitude gear checklist.

Before booking: the Tanzania travel insurance guide explains the coverage gaps that catch safari travelers out: AMREF Flying Doctors, altitude clauses for Kilimanjaro, and why scuba diving needs a separate policy.