Things to do in Arusha
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Arusha
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Long dry season, best overall. Animals concentrated at water, climbs dry, prices and availability tightest, peak July to September.
Short dry season, hotter and green. Excellent safari, Serengeti calving in the southern plains and superb birding.
Short rains shoulder. Afternoon showers, parks accessible, landscapes green, crowds and prices dropping.
Long rains, heaviest mid March to May. Muddy park tracks and hazardous Meru ridge, lowest prices and empty parks.
What's on
- KARIBU-KILIFAIR early June
East Africa biggest tourism trade fair at Magereza Grounds, fascinating for travel obsessives and Arusha hotels fill that week.
- Kilimanjaro Marathon usually late February/early March
Held in Moshi, runners and supporters spill into Arusha hotels for a fun, fuller week.
Best things to do in Arusha
Cultural Heritage Centre
Large gallery museum for Makonde carvings, Tingatinga art and African artefacts, best seen unhurried before buying elsewhere.
Shanga
Watch artisans with disabilities blow recycled glass, weave and bead in open workshops, take the free tour and buy direct.
The Tanzanite Experience
Free guided museum on the gemstone found only near Kilimanjaro, with a replica mine and grading explained in under an hour.
Maasai Market Curios & Crafts
Curio market for beadwork, carvings, paintings and fabrics where first prices are set for friendly bargaining.
Arusha Central Market
The real food market for spices, coffee and daily commerce, best visited by day with phone and wallet secured.
Arusha Natural History Museum
Old German boma with Olduvai and Laetoli human origins exhibits, natural history and giant tortoises in the gardens.
Arusha City Tour
Half day guided circuit linking the Clock Tower, Arusha Declaration Monument, markets and diplomatic quarter with context.
Arusha Giraffe Centre
Small conservation centre to see rescued giraffes close up and learn about habitat loss and poaching pressures.
Where to stay in Arusha
Usa River & the eastern outskirts
best overall base for a 2+ night stay
Green quiet corridor in Meru foothills with riverine and coffee estate lodges and easy access to Arusha National Park and the airport.
City centre - Clock Tower / Boma Road / Sekei & Kijenge
one night, briefings and budget
Walkable by day core with safari offices, banks, markets, cafes and the full hotel price range, but take taxis after dark.
Western outskirts - Selian / Burka coffee estates & Dodoma Road
luxury plantation stays
Leafy spacious coffee estates with Meru views, first out west to Tarangire and Ngorongoro, but town and the airport are a drive.
Njiro
longer stays and value
Residential southern suburb with modern homes, shops, serviced apartments and mid range hotels at local rather than safari prices.
Think twice about
- Unga Limited
Higher crime and minimal visitor infrastructure, across the Themi River west of the centre. Do not base here.
- Bus station / Sokoine Road crush
At night pickpocketing, bag snatching, drunken hassle and tout pressure concentrate around the main bus stand and cheapest lodging strip.
- Isolated plots beyond the suburbs
Stand alone houses on unlit roads without a gate, guard or neighbouring lodges have been targeted for armed robbery.
- Moshi
80km away and the Kilimanjaro trek town, not the safari town. Basing there adds a pre dawn transfer if your safari departs Arusha.
Best restaurants in Arusha
Khan's BBQ
Car parts shop by day turned famous night barbecue serving mixed grills, salads and chapatis at street tables.
Five Chutneys
Only purely vegetarian restaurant in Arusha, serving dosas, chaat and Jain dishes at street food prices in a dining room.
Chinese Whispers
Chinese and pan Asian garden restaurant where residents take visitors for a special non hotel celebration dinner.
George's Tavern
Family run Greek taverna serving souvlaki, moussaka and steaks to a warm expat and local crowd.
Machawe Wellness Restaurant
Short French Belgian menu cooked with estate garden produce in a candlelit small hotel dining room for special occasions.
Rivertrees Restaurant
Garden fresh changing menus served under trees by the river, worth the drive out for Sunday lunch.
Pablo Picasso Café & Restaurant
Wood fired pizzas, pastas and salads in a relaxed cafe restaurant, a dependable Italian lunch between centre and west.
Africafe
Big reliable cafe for breakfasts, burgers, cakes and good coffee with fast wifi, the town meeting place and safe first lunch.
Outdoor things to do in Arusha
Arusha National Park
Walk with a ranger among giraffe and buffalo, canoe the Momella Lakes past flamingos, then drive Ngurdoto Crater and forest.
Mount Meru
Hut climb inside Arusha National Park with a ranger, a steep pre dawn summit ridge and clear morning Kilimanjaro views.
Tarangire National Park
Baobabs, the Tarangire River and huge dry season elephant herds with lions and leopards, two hours southwest of Arusha.
Ngorongoro Crater
Dense wildlife on the crater floor including a strong black rhino chance, but a punishing long drive each way from Arusha.
Lake Duluti
Guided canoe among kingfishers and fish eagles on a forested crater lake, with walks and an optional cycle to a waterfall.
Tengeru Coffee Tour
Smallholder farm day picking, pulping, roasting and grinding coffee by hand, with home lunch and a Meru slope waterfall walk.
Chemka Hot Springs
Clear lukewarm spring pools under fig trees with a rope swing, joyful and social but crowded on weekends so go early.
Materuni Waterfall
Hike through banana farms to an 80 metre waterfall at the foot of Kilimanjaro, usually paired with a Chagga coffee stop.
Best hotels in Arusha
Gran Meliá Arusha
Large modern five star in gardens with Meru views, pool, spa and rooftop dining for full service recovery in town.
Legendary Lodge
Cottages and villas on a working coffee estate with verandas, fires and personal service in old Arusha style.
Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge
Plantation cottages among coffee rows with Shanga and a bean to cup tour on site, a pool and a strong restaurant.
Rivertrees Country Inn
Former coffee estate on the Usa River with garden rooms and river cottages, a destination restaurant, pool and spa.
The African Tulip
Small African themed boutique hotel on a quiet road near the centre with a pool, good restaurant and calm service.
Four Points by Sheraton Arusha
Historic Boma Road hotel renovated with gardens and a pool in the middle of town, reliable for late arrivals.
Mount Meru Hotel
Large hotel in nine acres of gardens with Meru views, two restaurants, pool and spa at mid range prices.
Kibo Palace Hotel
Comfortable central hotel with a pool that operators repeatedly use for pre and post safari nights.
Is Arusha expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | TZS 200,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | TZS 500,000 a person |
| Splurge | TZS 1,250,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Arusha City Tour: a few days ahead
- Arusha Giraffe Centre: a few days ahead
- Arusha National Park: a few days ahead
- Ngorongoro Crater: months ahead
- Kilimanjaro Golf & Wildlife Estate: a few days ahead
- Onsea House: a few days ahead
- Chinese Whispers: a few days ahead
- Machawe Wellness Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Safari operators and Ngorongoro or Serengeti nights months ahead for June to October and Christmas to February.
- Meru and Kilimanjaro climbs, estate lodges and Arusha National Park walking and canoe slots book up in dry season.
- Onsea House and Chinese Whispers at weekends need a day or two ahead.
Is Arusha safe?
- Pickpocketing and phone snatching cluster at the Central Market, bus station and crowded streets, especially after dark.
- Do not walk alone at night or on the far side of the Themi River. Keep valuables in the hotel safe.
- Road risk from dala dalas, boda bodas and night driving injures more travellers than crime does.
Arusha travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Street safari offices offering half price deals where park fees alone set a floor and exclusions appear mid trip.
- Staged roadside Maasai villages charging per car for a short dance, photos and hard selling.
- Buying tanzanite under time pressure without certification or comparing reputable dealers.
Getting around Arusha: public transport and more
- Use taxis, Bolt or a known driver on WhatsApp. The centre is walkable by day, taxi door to door after dark.
- Kilimanjaro Airport is about 50km and roughly 1 hour east. Agree the transfer price before travel or pre book via your hotel.
Who Arusha suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Arusha your trip
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