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Travel safety profile · Africa

Is Tanzania Safe to Visit in 2026?

45 / 100

Higher Risk: Plan Carefully

Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar are highlights. Petty crime in Dar es Salaam. Reviewed 24 April 2026 How we score

Live alerts in Tanzania Get the iOS app

What Warnely Is Tracking

Real-time incidents pulled from the Warnely pipeline. The dashboard renders a richer feed.

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Official Travel Advisories

UK FCDO

See travel advice

No advisory against travel to main tourist areas. Notes Mozambique border risk.

View full advisory →

US State Department

Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution due to crime and terrorism.

View full advisory →

Tanzania compared to your home country

Tanzania's composite Warnely risk score is 45/100 (High Risk). Here is how that compares to common home countries for English-speaking travellers. Append ?home=GB (or US, AU, CA, DE) to the URL to pin your home.

United Kingdom 22/100

Tanzania is noticeably riskier than United Kingdom (2.0× riskier on the Warnely index).

United States 35/100

Tanzania is slightly riskier than United States.

Australia 14/100

Tanzania is materially riskier than Australia (3.2× riskier on the Warnely index).

Canada 15/100

Tanzania is materially riskier than Canada (3.0× riskier on the Warnely index).

Germany 20/100

Tanzania is materially riskier than Germany (2.3× riskier on the Warnely index).

Lower scores are safer. Each home country's score is its own composite on the same 0-100 scale. See methodology.

Regional breakdown

Tanzania sits at 45/100 as a country-level composite. Specific regions vary. Each card links to the regional safety page.

Arusha & Northern Safari Circuit Generally safe

Gateway to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara, Tarangire. Tourist hub – well-regulated.

Serengeti Generally safe

Iconic plains; Great Migration (Tanzania side mainly Dec-Jul).

Ngorongoro Crater Generally safe

World's largest unbroken caldera; dense wildlife.

Kilimanjaro Generally safe

Africa's highest. Altitude is real risk – proper acclimatisation routes (7+ days) much safer than budget 5-day climbs.

Zanzibar (Stone Town & Beaches) Generally safe

Spice island; UNESCO Stone Town; pristine beaches. Petty theft on beaches; modest dress in Stone Town.

Western Tanzania (Mahale, Gombe) Generally safe

Chimpanzee tracking; remote, expensive.

Risk Breakdown

This is the static baseline rating across six dimensions. The Warnely dashboard adds a live 30-day signal alongside.

Crime3/5

Petty crime in Dar es Salaam and Stone Town. Safari areas safe. Bag snatching reported on beaches.

Natural Disasters2/5

Occasional flooding. Earthquake risk in Rift Valley. Coastal storm risk.

Health3/5

Malaria widespread. Yellow fever vaccine required from some countries. Medical facilities basic outside Dar.

Terrorism2/5

Low risk. Avoid Mozambique border area. No recent incidents in tourist areas.

Civil Unrest2/5

Generally stable. Political tensions mostly in Zanzibar during elections.

Infrastructure3/5

Safari roads rough. Domestic flights connect parks. Dar es Salaam traffic heavy. Ferries to Zanzibar.

Quick Facts

Plug type	D/G
Voltage	230V/50Hz
Time zone	UTC+3
Driving side	Left
Tap water	Unsafe

Visa & Entry

Type	eVisa (apply online)
Length	90 days
Cost	$50 (Single) / $100 (Multi-entry, US)
Apply	Official portal →

eVisa $50 for most Western; US citizens: $100 multi-entry. Also VOA $50 at airports + major borders.

Verify on IATA Travel Centre →

Summary: Visa on arrival or e-visa for most nationalities ($50 USD).

Passport: Valid 6+ months.

Customs: 200 cigarettes, 1L alcohol.

Prohibited: Plastic bags BANNED on mainland. Same-sex activity illegal (up to life imprisonment). Drug laws strict.

Practical Tips

Book Kilimanjaro climbs through licensed operators only – altitude is dangerous
Take malaria prophylaxis – it's endemic throughout the country
Zanzibar has conservative Muslim culture – dress modestly in Stone Town
Don't use dala dala (minibuses) in Dar – pickpocketing is rampant
Carry USD for park fees and tips – ATMs are unreliable outside cities

Common Scams & Practical Risks

Kilimanjaro budget operator deaths: Cheap 5-day climbs cause altitude deaths every year. Use KPAP-listed operators (porter welfare verified) and 7+ day routes.
Stone Town spice tour scams: Verify with hotel; some "spice tours" charge 3x normal.
Fake park entry tickets: Some "guides" in Arusha sell forged Serengeti permits. Book through licensed safari operator only (TATO members).
Zanzibar beach hassle: Beach boys propose tours, dives – many unlicensed. Use hotel-arranged operators.

Solo & Women’s Safety

Solo Travellers

Tanzania is best done through organized safari tours. Kilimanjaro requires a guide (mandatory). Zanzibar is manageable for solo travelers. Dar es Salaam requires caution.

Women’s Safety Exercise Caution

Safari lodges safe. Zanzibar conservative – dress modestly in Stone Town. Exercise caution in Dar es Salaam. Same-sex activity is illegal.

LGBTQ+ Travellers

Legal status	Criminalised
Social climate	Hostile

Up to life imprisonment + forced anal exams. Anti-LGBTQ government rhetoric. PDA dangerous; avoid apps.

Verify current law on Equaldex →

Drug Laws

Severity	Severe (long sentences)
Cannabis	Severe penalties

Possession up to 30yrs. Stone Town enforcement strict despite local hash culture. Tourists deported but only after detention.

Verify on UK FCDO →

Emergency Numbers

police

112

ambulance

114

fire

115

tourist

022-211-1101

If you decide to travel to Tanzania

A practical checklist that applies to any trip. Each item links to the part of this guide where the specifics live.

1

Check the live advisory Read the UK FCDO and US State Department pages within a week of departure. Advisories change. View current FCDO advisory →
2

Register your trip US citizens: enrol with STEP. UK citizens: register your itinerary with the nearest British embassy. Both enable consular contact in an emergency.
3

Save the local emergency numbers Police: 112. Ambulance: 114. Pin them in your phone's emergency-contacts screen so they're reachable from a locked phone.
4

Insurance with medical evacuation Travel insurance with a medical-evacuation limit of £10m or more. Cheap policies usually exclude or cap medevac, the single most expensive thing that goes wrong abroad. See the medevac entry in the glossary for what to check.
5

Confirm vaccinations and prescriptions Visit a travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for any routine vaccinations and country-specific recommendations. Check any prescription medication against the destination's import rules.
6

Set up a check-in routine before you go Agree a daily or every-other-day check-in time with a contact at home, plus a fallback channel if your primary one fails (WhatsApp goes down in countries that block it). The family communication plan covers the specifics.

Find every foreign embassy and consulate in Tanzania in the Warnely embassy directory →

Medical evacuation cost (pre-insurance)

Tanzania sits in Band C on Warnely's medevac cost dataset. The figures below are typical pre-insurance ranges in USD, calibrated against published bands from Global Rescue, MedJet, Allianz, and insurance-industry whitepapers.

Long-haul air ambulance

Typical $80,000 to $180,000

Long-haul fixed-wing repatriation typical, often multiple legs and specialised crew. Travel insurance with a meaningful medevac limit is not optional for trips to this band.

For the full methodology, the four-band table, and the downloadable CSV, see /methodology/medevac. Sanity-check your travel insurance limit against the high end of this band before booking.

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<a href="https://warnely.com/guides/is-tanzania-safe"><img src="https://warnely.com/embed/tanzania/badge.svg" alt="Tanzania Warnely risk badge" width="360" height="44"></a>

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Data version v2 · Last reviewed 24 April 2026 · Next review by 21 October 2026 · methodology · Found something out of date? Tell us.

Common questions about Tanzania

Is Tanzania safe for tourists in 2026?

Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar are highlights. Petty crime in Dar es Salaam. Warnely's overall safety assessment for Tanzania is High Risk (45/100), higher risk: plan carefully. Always check the latest UK FCDO and US State Department advisories before booking.

What's the crime risk in Tanzania?

Petty crime in Dar es Salaam and Stone Town. Safari areas safe. Bag snatching reported on beaches. Crime category score: 3/5 (moderate).

Are there health risks travelling to Tanzania?

Malaria widespread. Yellow fever vaccine required from some countries. Medical facilities basic outside Dar. Health category score: 3/5. Consult a travel clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for recommended vaccinations.

Is Tanzania safe for solo female travellers?

Exercise Caution. Safari lodges safe. Zanzibar conservative – dress modestly in Stone Town. Exercise caution in Dar es Salaam. Same-sex activity is illegal.

When is the best time to visit Tanzania?

Dry Season (Jun-Oct). Best safari – animals concentrate at water sources. Migration in Northern Serengeti Jul-Sep.

What are the drug laws in Tanzania?

Drug penalties: Severe (long sentences). Cannabis: Severe penalties. Possession up to 30yrs. Stone Town enforcement strict despite local hash culture. Tourists deported but only after detention.

Do I need a visa to visit Tanzania?

eVisa (apply online). Stay length: 90 days. eVisa $50 for most Western; US citizens: $100 multi-entry. Also VOA $50 at airports + major borders.

Which regions of Tanzania are safest to visit?

Generally safer regions include Arusha & Northern Safari Circuit, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro. See the regional breakdown for current safety guidance on each area.

Is the tap water safe to drink in Tanzania?

Tap water in Tanzania is not safe to drink – use bottled or filtered water. Most travellers should stick to bottled or filtered water for cooking, drinking and ice.

What do governments say about travel to Tanzania?

UK FCDO: See travel advice. US State Dept: Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisories on the relevant government sites – links are inside the Official Travel Advisories section above.