Arusha

Set at around 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) on the southern slopes of Mount Meru, Arusha is northern Tanzania's busy, friendly hub and the traditional starting point for safaris on the northern circuit. It's also home to the headquarters of the East African Community and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, which gives the city a cosmopolitan edge.

Arusha National Park

Less than an hour from the city center, this small, underrated park stretches from the Momella Lakes to the forested slopes and crater of Mount Meru. It's one of the few parks on the northern circuit where you can walk among giraffes and buffalo with an armed ranger or paddle a canoe on the lakes. Black-and-white colobus monkeys leap through the forest, and flamingos often gather on the alkaline lakes.

Climbing Meru, Tanzania's second-highest mountain, over three or four days is a rewarding trek in its own right and excellent acclimatization for Kilimanjaro.

Coffee, culture and markets

The slopes around Arusha are dotted with coffee farms, where you can follow the journey from bean to cup and taste the result. In the city, the central market is a lively introduction to Tanzanian daily life, while craft markets and galleries sell Tingatinga paintings, Makonde carvings and Maasai beadwork. Community-run cultural tourism programs in nearby villages offer guided walks, farm visits and homestays, and Lake Duluti, a forest-fringed crater lake near Tengeru, is lovely for a gentle walk or paddle.

Where to stay

Many travelers stay outside the busy center, in garden lodges and coffee estates on the city's outskirts, especially toward Usa River, which are calmer and closer to Kilimanjaro International Airport.

How we plan Arusha

Many international flights reach Kilimanjaro International Airport in the evening, so we usually plan a night in Arusha before your safari begins, and sometimes another at the end. Our Serengeti + Zanzibar journey starts here.