Game Drive Safaris in Tanzania

Game Drive Safaris in Tanzania: The game drive in Tanzania is the perfect way to explore different national parks and enjoy great wildlife views. Game drives in Tanzania are done in 4WD pop up safari vehicles with a professional driver guide and they start very early in the morning at around 6:30 am or 7:00 am which is the best time to view nocturnal animals hunting and other animals will be active looking for food during morning hours. Game drives in Tanzania can also be done in the afternoon at around 2:00 pm which is the best time to view animals going back to their resting places. Tanzania also offers night game drives where visitors will explore the national parks at night with an armed park ranger and spot light torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals which become active at night.

Game Drive Safaris in Tanzania

Destinations for game drive safaris in Tanzania

Game drives are almost done in all the national parks in Tanzania and the most popular destinations include 

Game drive in Serengeti national park

Serengeti national park is the oldest national park that is located in the northern part of Tanzania. The national park is one of the most visited protected areas in the country in that it offers the great wildebeest migration where millions of wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and other antelopes annually cross the Grumeti River to Masai mara in Kenya in search of greener pastures. Serengeti national park offers day game drives where visitors drive around the savannah shrubs, woodlands and grasslands in a comfortable safari vehicle. The national park offers morning game drives which start as early as 6:00 am so as to view animals when they are still active, evening game drives where you will be able to view animals going back to their resting places and full day game drives which start at around 6:30 am and end at around 5:30 pm hence giving you an opportunity to spend the whole day in the park. During the game drive in Serengeti national park, you will be able to spot different animals such as elephants, giraffes, zebras, roan antelopes, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, hippos, impalas, predators like lions, leopards, hyenas, hunting dogs, jackal, primates like vervet monkeys, patas monkeys, different bird species, beautiful landscapes, enjoy the sunrise and sundowner, witness the wildebeest migration as they cross the Grumeti river, take incredible photos among others. 

Game drive in Tarangire national park

Tarangire national park is located in the north of Tanzania a few hours’ drive from Arusha town. The national park is one of the best destinations for wildlife viewing where you will have great views of large herds of elephants and other animals. The national park offers day game drives where you will be able to spot animals grazing in the open plains such as big numbers of elephants, impalas, elands, giraffes, buffaloes, bohor reedbucks, hartebeests, lesser kudus, gazelles, different bird species, views of the sunrise/sunset,  beautiful scenery among others.

Tarangire national park also offers night game drives which start at around 8:00pm after dinner with the company of an armed park ranger to protect you from any danger. night game drives are done is safari vehicles with spotlight torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals such as wild dogs, leopards, honey badgers, serval cats, lions, white tailed mongoose, jackals, hyenas, genet cats, bush babies, caracal, aardvark, view hippos grazing, enjoy views of the stars among others.

Game drives in Ngorongoro conservation area

Ngorongoro conservation area is located in the northern part of Tanzania and part of the Serengeti ecosystem. the conservation was established as a multi land use area where wildlife co exist with the Maasai pastoralists who move from one place to another in search of water and pasture for their livestock.  Ngorongoro conservation area offers game drive safaris where visitors will drive through the lush forests at the crater walls, Ndutu area in a safari vehicle. Game drives in the conservation area are best done in the morning hours when animals are more active to view predators on the hunt and other animals grazing in the open plains with due. Visitors in Ngorongoro conservation area will therefore be able to view the big five mammals which include elephants, lions, black rhinos, buffaloes, leopards, other animals like giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, warthogs, predators like spotted hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, have views of the sunrise, different plant and tree species, explore the largest volcanic caldera in the world, witness calving of wildebeests if you visit during February to early March among others.

Game drives in Lake Manyara national park

Lake Manyara national park is one of the smallest protected areas located at the base of the Great Rift Valley in northern Tanzania. The national park is known for harboring abundant wildlife including the famous tree climbing lions, elephants, wildebeests, buffaloes, bushbucks, birds among others. Lake Manyara national park is one of the national parks in Tanzania that offers game drive safaris where you will explore around the grassy floodplains with great wildlife views of the tree-climbing lions lying up in the acacia tree branches, view buffaloes, large herds of elephants, wildebeests, giraffes, bohor reedbucks, bushbucks, spot some bird species, plant and trees species among others.

Lake Manyara national park also offers night game drives which start at around 8:00 pm after dinner with an armed park guide. Night game drives are done in safari vehicles with spotlight torches and start with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations to follow while in the park. during the night game drive you will be able to view nocturnal animals like leopards, porcupines, civet cats, genets, spotted hyenas, hippos, enjoy the stars, nightlife among others.

Game drives in Mikumi national park

Mikumi national park is the fourth largest national park in Tanzania located between the Uluguru Mountains and Lumango range in the western part of Dar es Salaam. The national park offers day game drives which are carried out in the comfort of a 4WD pop up safari vehicles and best done in the morning when the animals are most active. During the game drive you will drive to the hippo pools where you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos in water and other animals like buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, greater kudus, elephants, hartebeests, sable antelopes, wildebeests, impalas, waterbird species among others.

Mikumi national park also offers night game drives where visitors will drive around the park with armed park rangers and spotlight torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals such as lions, leopards, hyenas, view the beautiful stars, enjoy the quiet nightlife among others.

There are other national parks in Tanzania which offer exciting game drive safaris such as Selous game reserve in the south eastern part of Tanzania where you will spot animals like elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, zebras, impalas, warthogs, hippos, waterbucks, sable antelopes, hartebeests, greater kudus, spotted hyenas, wild dogs, black rhinos which are rarely seen, have spectacular views of beautiful landscapes, sunrise and sundowner, colorful bird species among others, Katavi national park is the third largest national park  in the south western part of Tanzania where you will engage in game drives which gives you an opportunity to view animals like giraffes, zebras, impalas, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, predators like hyenas, lions, wild cats, birds among others, Ruaha national park which is the second largest national park located in central Tanzania. Ruaha national park also offers  both night and day game drive safaris where visitors will explore the park with great views of animals like buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, hippos, impalas, zebras, greater and lesser kudus, roan and sable antelopes, elands, predators like wild dogs, cheetahs, jackals, leopards, lions different bird species, views of beautiful landscapes, plant and tree species among others, Arusha national park which is located in the north eastern part of Tanzania and known  for harboring Mount Meru which is the fifth highest mountain in Africa and second highest mountain in Tanzania after mount Kilimanjaro. Arusha national park offers game drive safaris where  visitors will drive following different tracks such as tracks to the Momella Lakes, Ngurdoto crater where you will be able to spot animals like giraffes, waterbucks, zebras, cape buffaloes, red duikers, hippos, elephants, leopards, hyenas, primates like blue monkeys, view colorful bird species, landscapes, enjoy sunrise and sunset views among others.

Game Drive Safaris in Tanzania
Game Drive Safaris in Tanzania

When to go for game drive safaris in Tanzania 

Game drive safaris in Tanzania are best done during the dry season in the months of June to October because that is the time when vegetation in the national parks is sparse and animals will gather around the water bodies to drink water which gives you an opportunity to have great views of abundant animals. The dry season is also the best time to view the great wildebeest migration in Serengeti national park

Game drive safaris in Tanzania provide visitors with thrilling moments, life time experiences and spectacular views of different wildlife species can contact Focus East Africa Tours for affordable safari packages.

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