Tanzania 4x4 Car Rentals ~ Self-drive & Camping
Rent a 4×4 Car in Tanzania for self drive safaris, choose camping with rooftop tents and save on your holiday. Pick up from Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Moshi or Dar es Salaam. We offer one way rental services in Tanzania and over the borders. Our fleet include the Land Cruiser LX, Toyota Prado TX and hilux pickup double cabin. These all can be mounted on rooftop tents for solo travelers, couple or family roof top tents. Book a car and driver guide for safaris in Serengeti and Ngorongoro and Tarangire National Parks. Tanzania is a big country with where you can choose to safaris in the northern circuit or the southern depending on your interests.
Self drive and One way Rentals
Rent a 4×4 Car for Self-drive in Tanzania. Pick up from Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro or Arusha. Opt for a One-way Rental in Tanzania. We have 4×4 Land Cruisers with rooftop tents for Camping. You can get a quote at a relatively good price. Tanzania has vast wilderness areas in which you need to have a reliable 4×4 vehicle. Drive through the wild plains of Serengeti National Park populated by the “big games” (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino). Kilimanjaro National Park, which is home to Africa’s highest mountain in Africa. Offshore lay the tropical islands of Zanzibar, a marine park home to whale sharks and coral reefs. Start your adventure road trip from Arusha to Serengeti National Park and then to Meru.
Tarangire Safaris
Tarangire National Park in the Manayra region has the highest concentration of African Elephants per square kilometers than any other national park in Tanzania. Tarangire lies about 120 km southwest of Arusha City.
Ngorongoro 4x4 Tours
Ngorongoro Crater offers the best wildlife viewing in Tanzania. All the major safari animals occur in this crater in great numbers. The resident black rhinos are a real treat, as are very difficult to spot elsewhere in Tanzania.
Katavi Self drive Safaris
Safaris to Katavi in the southern Tanzania are some of the most interesting trips. This is one of the less crowded safari destinations in Tanzania due its remoteness. Trips here start from Dar es Salaam and always on one way self drive trips.
Rent a Car with a Driver guide. Rent a Car with a Driver for Tanzania safaris in Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro and Tarangire national Parks. These are some of the places for every first time traveller to Tanzania.
Tanzania Safaris and Self‑drive Safaris are very interesting. These game reserves cover areas. That means you have choices of where to go and how long to stay. In the part of the country the Arusha and Manyara regions contain the wide Serengeti plains. There you can see herds of elephants, wildebeest and zebra. Ngorongoro Crater is a must‑see. Most animals come there for grass and water in July and August the season. Lake Manyara National Park is another spot, for cats. Many people love to see the tree lions.
A safari in Tanzania is all about renting a four‑wheel‑drive car, most often a Toyota Land Cruiser or Land Rover Defender and steering through the country’s parks and reserves by yourself with no professional driver‑guide. Many rentals include rooftop tents, camping gear, fridges, recovery tools and sometimes a satellite phone or GPS unit letting you sleep at campsites inside or close to the parks.
Tanzania is not as ready for self‑drive safaris as its neighbours. Namibia, Botswana and South Africa have routes and a thriving self‑drive scene while Kenya offers a middle ground. In Tanzania self‑drive safari is a choice, not the usual one. Most visitors go with a guide in a vehicle that has a pop‑up roof and that is sensible. The parks in Tanzania are huge the tracks are often badly marked the animals are plentiful and getting lost can be harsh.
Rules and Realities You Need to Understand
Before you get excited, it is useful to know the limits because they shape everything.
Tanzania National Parks Authority or TANAPA permits cars in most parks and you must pay entry fees, vehicle fees and camping fees. Still guide rules differ. Some conservation areas and particular parks may. Strongly suggest a registered guide and the Ngorongoro Crater has long set special rules for going down into the crater. Regulations can change, so check the rules with TANAPA and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority before you decide.
Park charges in Tanzania for non‑resident foreigners are among the highest in Africa. Daily entry fees, concession fees and camping fees add up fast so a self‑drive safari is cheaper than a full guide safari mainly because you save on guides, lodges and meals, not because the parks themselves are cheap.
Driving conditions.
You drive on the side. Roads between towns can be crowded and risky with trucks, buses that overtake too close speed bumps and police checkpoints. Inside parks, tracks go from smooth to rutted and in the wet season the black cotton soil becomes thick mud that can trap even a 4×4. Always drive at less than 20 km per hour on off‑road paths to keep the vehicle safe.
Self‑reliance.
Breakdowns, getting a tyre, or getting stuck are real chances. Mobile signal is weak in spots. Carry recovery gear, a wheel or two and plenty of fuel and water – that is essential.
We make your holiday to Tanzania very affordable and memorable. With our services, we offer unlimited mileage, insurance fully covered and you can opt for a one way self drive trip. If you opt for a cross border trip to Kenya we are open to that option and you can book a one way self drive trip - Tanzania to Kenya.
- 5 Days Self drive to Mikumi National Park
- 10 Days Ruaha and Mikumi Combined Self drive
- 15 Days Best of Southern Circuit self drive Safari ~ Tanzania
- 25 Days Tanzania self drive Safaris ~ Southern and northern circuit ~ One way
Best Times to Visit
June to October ( season). This is the time. The plants are not thick animals come close to water the ground is solid. It is easy to see everything. Tarangire is best from about July to October, when elephants and other animalsre near the river. The Serengeti’s wildebeest migration comes into the Serengeti and crosses the Mara River from around July to September a big and exciting event but also the busiest and most expensive time.
January to February ( dry spell). This is another time. The wildebeest give birth in the Serengeti and Ndutu area, which brings predators and gives great chances to watch. The land is green. Looks good in pictures but there might be some rain.
March to May (long rains). This is the time. The roads can be hard to pass some camps are closed and driving by yourself is more dangerous. The prices are lower the people are fewer. The views are green but unless you know what you are doing and are ready to change plans this time is not good for driving by yourself.
November to December ( rains). Rain comes sometimes. Is not too bad. The weather can be good. It is not certain. The tracks can be affected by the weather. For people who drive themselves the dry months from late June, through October are the safest and best time.