Safari with kids in Tanzania. If you have kids, you’ve probably looked at some picture books with animals from Africa. Wouldn’t it be cool to see these animals where they belong? It’s likely that you and your kids are both thinking about that. 😉 On the other hand, you might be nervous about going on adventure with your kids in Tanzania. Don’t worry—you’re not the only one! No matter where you are, you’ll be in a place very far away where wild animals roam freely.

“Is it even possible to go on a safari in Tanzania with kids?” is a question we get asked a lot. We can say for sure that it is! It’s also not as hard as you might think. Our travel expert Julia Trento gives you some ideas, tips, and advice for your family trip to Tanzania in this piece. Let’s just say that seeing the Big Five in person will amaze you, your kids, and even your teens, and we all know how hard it is to impress them.

How old do kids need to be to go on safari?

You can go into Tanzanian state parks at any age. Even better, if your kids are younger than 15, you only pay half of the normal price to get in. Is it a message? We believe it! However, let’s hear what Julia says.

“You know your kids better than anyone else. When it comes to housing, we work with people who know how to deal with kids. You need an extra bed for kids of any age? Just book it on top of that. You’d like to spend an hour or two by yourself? Some hotels in Tanzania even have great programs for older children who need child care.

Well, to give you an idea, most of the kids on our family-friendly safaris are at least six years old. If you think your child is too young for a trek, you could plan a trip to Zanzibar, an island paradise off the coast of Tanzania. You could also just wait another year, two years, or three years. Tanzania will be ready for you.

It all comes down to getting ready.

There are, of course, many things that need to be planned out when taking kids on a trip.

“If you want to take a family vacation to Tanzania with toddlers and kids, you should talk to your doctor or the health office about what shots and medicines they recommend.” Also, it’s a good idea to get an extra Flying Doctors insurance policy. If something goes wrong (please don’t let it happen), a helicopter can take you right to the hospital.

I also want to share another helpful travel tip from Julia: “Make sure you book a place to stay with a pool so that you and the kids can have fun after the game drives.”

What about putting things away? Something good is all it needs 😉 As you move from place to place a lot, packing can get really annoying after a while. I think you should choose your clothes ahead of time and pack them all in one bag, including underwear, socks, a t-shirt, pants, a skirt, a sweater, and so on. That’s a great way to save room. Just stack the clothes on top of each other and roll them up. So, every morning you can just pull out the next outfit and it won’t be wrinkled! “Done! Put the dirty clothes in a different bag.”

Five tips for a great trip with kids

Your family safari will be memorable no matter where you go—the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara, or Arusha National Park. All it takes is a few small things.

“We want you to be able to travel with your kids in comfort. For example, you can rent booster seats for your cars.” Most safari jeeps also have a fridge for milk and other drinks. If you let us know ahead of time about any special food needs of your children, we can also meet those needs.

There are five more tips Julia has for a stress-free trip for the whole family:

1. If your kids get bored, bring some toys with you or order Wi-Fi for the car.

Second, bring snacks and drinks with you or order them ahead of time so that no one gets hangry on the trip.

3. Always have wipes for babies on hand.

4. Diaper bags come in handy when you need to change a baby’s diaper but don’t have a trash can nearby.

5. Remember to bring sunscreen and bug spray. This is important whether you are traveling with or without kids 😉

What other people have to say

She took her two kids, Michiel (four years old) and Jeroen (two years old), on a trip.

“I love how kind and caring everyone is to kids in Tanzanian culture.” Everyone talks to them, sings with them, and helps them at the pool or in the restaurant. Fun all the time, never gets old. Also, everyone is very helpful because they know that traveling with kids can be hard.

It was a lot of fun for Michiel and Jeroen to find and name animals in the wild, and they were so proud every time they did. Our guide, Rama, stopped right away when he saw an interesting animal. Michiel even said, “Okay, thanks Rama, we can go on now!”

What about kids and teens who are younger?

Everything up to this point also works if you’re going to Africa with teens or older children (except the baby bag). In fact, you should and can go on a trip with them. But there are also lots of other things they will enjoy. Here are our top three:

1. Hot Springs at Rundugai

The natural hot springs between Arusha and Moshi are a great place for kids. With a rope, they can jump into the clear blue water, rest in a tube, and take a lot of pictures in, on, and around the water. Suitable for Instagram? 100%!

2. Safari on foot

Your kids can go on a walking safari with an experienced guide if a normal safari is “too boring” for them. This way, they can get even closer to the animals and learn more about nature. They can tell their friends about this after the holidays.

3. Kendwa Party with a Full Moon

Take your older kids to the Kendwa Full Moon Party when you go up north during a full moon on your family vacation to Zanzibar. they’ll love you even more if they’re with you.

Our guides are already excited about

Joshua Mbaga, one of our guides who speaks both German and English, says, “I love taking families on safari because I get along so well with kids.” And I feel the same way. In the four years I’ve worked for Tanzania Zanzibar Safari, the kids, who are usually my harshest judges, have only had good things to say about me. As in “The Lion King,” I think it’s cool and fun to tell kids exciting stories about nature, the “Big Five,” and of course, lion babies.

Timothy Kinango Msuya, our guide who speaks German, agrees: “Kids are little angels.” I have kids of my own, and I love going on safari with my younger guests. We all know what it’s like when there are problems here and there. I love traveling with families; it’s my favorite part of my job. It doesn’t bother me at all to go on safari with my kids; in fact, I think it’s a gift that I get to show them my country.

We hope this helped you learn more about Tanzanian family trips. For more information on what your trip might include, check out our family-friendly trips. Once you find one you like, please get in touch. Let’s get everything set up just the way you want it and make the dreams of your family come true.