Game Drives In Tanzania

Game Drives In Tanzania

Game drives are a popular activity in Tanzania, conducted in various destinations including national parks, game reserves, and other protected areas. The game drives on a Tanzania safari allow you to explore and meet various wildlife species, including the Big Five animals. These game drives are conducted in multiple phases throughout the day. The game drive activity is done in the morning, afternoon, and night phases, and you can also opt for a full day game drive. 

Types of Game Drives In Tanzania

Morning game drives

The morning game drives usually begin early in the morning at around 6:30 am, and these game drives take about 3 hours, ending at 9:30 am. In the morning game drive, there were many chances of spotting several animal species since they are very active during the morning hours. You get the opportunity to see them rise from their habitats in the morning as they start their hunt for what to eat.

Afternoon game drives

There are also afternoon game drives done in Tanzania, and these begin at around 3:30 pm and end around 6:30 pm, taking approximately 3 hours. These afternoon game drives are done in the late afternoon when the temperatures are a bit cool, and here, you can easily spot the animals roaming around in the parks.

Night game drives

The night game drives in Tanzania take approximately 2 to 3 hours, and they start at around 8 am after the tourists are done with their dinner. The night game drive activity exposes you to nocturnal animals like the lions, leopards, hyenas, bush babies, civets and many more. You can spot these nocturnal animals hunting their prey during the night game drive.

Full day game drives

Full-day game drives are also among the game drives offered in Tanzania, where you engage in game drives the whole day, with exposure to various animals in various wildlife destinations in Tanzania. You also get the opportunity to spot the big five animals, which are the lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes. These full day game drives include a break for lunch. They usually start at around 6:30 am.

Best Time To Visit Tanzania For Game Drives

The best time to visit Tanzania for game drives is during the dry season from June to October. During those months, there is less rainfall received and therefore while on the game drives, you can easily spot the wildlife species in places like the water sources in national parks, since the availability of water is reduced due to less rainfall, the animals gather around the remaining water sources to drink water. The vegetation in the areas where you conduct the game drives is also less thick due to the dry season, and this gives you clear views of the animals.

The routes that also lead to the destinations in Tanzania, where game drives are done, are dry and less slippery, making the movements of visitors easy and comfortable. This enables easy access to the parks, reserves and many more places where game drives are done in Tanzania.

Where To Go For Game Drives In Tanzania

Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is situated in the Northern part of Tanzania, and this is among the locations in Tanzania where game drives are done. In Serengeti National Park, you can conduct game drives in the morning, afternoon and also conduct full day game drives. This park shelters all the big five animals, which include the elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, leopards and lions. These animals can be seen during the game drives, and other animals that you can spot apart from the big five include the wildebeests, zebras, giraffes and many more. The Serengeti National Park is one of the best places in Tanzania to view the Great Migration, if at all. If you visit this park from June to October.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is found in the Northern part of Tanzania and is an ideal place for game drives in Tanzania. This place is famous for the large number of wildlife species it shelters. Game drives in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are conducted in the Ngorongoro crater, where you can also see the Big Five animals.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is situated in the North of Tanzania, and this park also offers game drives to the tourists that come to visit it. There are full day game drives, morning, afternoon game drives and night game drives. You can spot animals like the gazelles, zebras, antelopes, elephants, impala, waterbucks, buffaloes and many more while on a game drive in Tarangire National Park.

Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park is situated in the northeastern part of Arusha in the Northern region of Tanzania. Arusha National Park also carries out game drives where you can spot animals like the lions, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, black and white colobus monkeys and many more. Arusha National Park conducts morning game drives and afternoon game drives. The game drives in Arusha National Park also expose you to the beautiful scenery in the park.

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park is found in the Northern region of Tanzania. This park conducts morning, afternoon, night and full day game drives. This park is a shelter to s variety of animals, and some of the animals that you can spot during the several game drives offered there include the tree-climbing lions, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeests and many more.
Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is located in Central Tanzania, where you can go for game drives while in Tanzania. Ruaha National Park conducts morning, afternoon and night game drives, which enable you to sight the animals sheltered in this park and the different vegetation types, which expose you to the nature in this park. The animals that you can spot include the elephants, lions, leopards, antelopes, zebras, giraffes and many more.