Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti is the centrepiece of Tanzanian tourism, and for good reason. The annual Great Migration — over 1.5 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra moving in a vast circuit between Tanzania and Kenya — is one of the most spectacular wildlife events on earth. But the Serengeti is worth visiting in any month. Lion sightings are consistently good, cheetah are reliably present in the south, and the sheer scale of the landscape is striking. The northern Serengeti gets crowded in peak season; the western corridor and southern plains are quieter and less expensive.
Ngorongoro Crater
A collapsed volcanic caldera with a floor that holds one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Elephant, lion, hippo, flamingo, and large populations of black rhino (rare elsewhere in Tanzania) all live within the crater walls. Day visits are well run; you descend with a guide in a 4WD and spend several hours on the crater floor. It feels like a nature documentary, which some people love and others find slightly unreal.
Mount Kilimanjaro
At 5,895 metres, Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak and one of the world's most accessible major summits — no technical climbing experience required. Most climbers take the Marangu or Machame routes, ascending over five to eight days with acclimatisation stops. Summit success rates vary considerably with fitness and weather, but reaching Uhuru Peak is genuinely achievable with preparation. The base town is Moshi; the nearby city of Arusha also serves as a hub.
Zanzibar
The island is famous for its beaches, its Stone Town, and its spice history. Stone Town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is a dense warren of carved doors, narrow alleys, mosques, and former merchant houses reflecting centuries of Arab, Indian, and Swahili culture. The beaches at Nungwi, Kendwa, and Matemwe on the north and east coasts are excellent. Snorkelling and diving are popular. The food, shaped by the spice trade, is a genuine reason to visit. See Zanzibar for more.
Selous Game Reserve / Nyerere National Park
The largest game reserve in Africa (now partially redesignated as Nyerere National Park) lies in the remote south of Tanzania. Far fewer visitors than the northern parks, with boat safaris on the Rufiji River a genuine highlight. Large elephant herds, wild dog, lion, crocodile, and hippo. Getting there requires a flight or a long road journey, which keeps it quiet.
Ruaha National Park
Tanzania's largest national park, two hours from Iringa on a good road. Often described by regular visitors as the best park in the country — dramatic landscape, very few other tourists, exceptional predator sightings, and huge elephant herds. The Great Ruaha River is the centrepiece. See Ruaha National Park.
Mahale Mountains and Gombe
On the shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania, these two parks protect wild chimpanzee populations. Mahale, with its dramatic mountain backdrop and remote setting, is the more celebrated; Gombe is where Jane Goodall conducted her famous research. Both require effort to reach, but the experience of tracking habituated chimps in the forest is unlike anything on the standard northern circuit.