Arusha City

About Arusha City

Arusha is the starting point for most Tanzania safaris, sitting almost exactly halfway between Cairo and Cape Town and known locally as the "Geneva of Africa" for its role hosting international bodies, including the tribunal that tried those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It is also Tanzania's coffee and flower export hub, ringed by plantations that thrive in the cool air below Mount Meru.

What to Expect

Most travelers pass through Arusha for a night before or after a safari, using the time to visit the central market for Maasai crafts and fabric, or the clock tower that marks the city's claimed midpoint on the Cairo-to-Cape-Town road. The city sits at around 1,400 meters elevation, giving it noticeably cooler evenings than the coast, and Mount Meru's peak is visible from many parts of town on a clear day.

Good to Know

Arusha is where nearly every Northern Circuit and Kilimanjaro itinerary begins and ends, making it a practical base for a final night's rest, restocking supplies, or a spa treatment before flying home. It also hosts Kilimanjaro International Airport nearby, connecting directly to several international hubs.

Getting to Arusha City

Arusha is served by both Kilimanjaro International Airport and the smaller Arusha Airport, and functions as the logistics hub for every safari and trek we arrange in northern Tanzania.

Combine With: Because nearly every itinerary passes through Arusha at both ends, it is worth booking a hotel with a pool and a proper hot shower for that first or last night -- a small comfort that feels significant after days in the bush or on the mountain. Many travelers also use a spare afternoon here for last-minute souvenir shopping at the Cultural Heritage Centre.

A Practical Base

Beyond its role as a transit hub, Arusha has a genuinely good restaurant scene built up around decades of international visitors, from Indian and Ethiopian food to farm-to-table dining using produce grown in the surrounding highlands. Several coffee estates just outside town offer tours and tastings for travelers with an extra afternoon, tracing beans from the plantation through to the cup.