Solo travel to Tanzania — honest advice for the solo traveller

Every year I guide a substantial portion of our travellers who go alone. Men and women, from early twenties to mid-seventies. People who never travelled solo before but are now venturing out for the first time. People who have travelled alone for years and had Tanzania on their bucket list for a long time.

Tanzania is excellent for solo travellers — but there are things you need to know in advance.

Is Tanzania safe for solo travellers?

Yes, with the right precautions. Tanzania is one of Africa's most stable countries with a solid tourism infrastructure. Attacks on tourists are rare.

The precautions I recommend: always use official transport (no random taxis at the airport), use your hotel safe for passport and valuables, and be more cautious in Dar es Salaam and Stone Town than in the parks. The parks themselves are completely safe — you are always with an armed guide.

Female solo travellers: Tanzania is generally safe for women. Dress respectfully (especially in Zanzibar, a predominantly Muslim island). Do not wear expensive jewellery or visible valuables. Book through a reliable agency you already know in advance.

Is Tanzania lonely as a solo traveller?

This is the question I hear most often. The honest answer: it depends on what you mean by "lonely".

In the parks you always have your guide — who becomes your best conversation partner and often a friend. Jonas and Collin are outstanding conversationalists who can tell you endlessly about Tanzania, the animals and their own lives. Guests who were initially nervous about going alone say afterwards that they experienced the one-on-one time with their guide as one of the most beautiful aspects of the trip.

In the lodges you meet other travellers at breakfast, the sundowner, dinner. Safari parks have a social atmosphere — people are rarely introvert about their experiences. You will more likely have too much than too little company.

The costs: how much more do you pay alone?

Here is the honesty you may expect from a travel adviser: a private safari as a solo traveller costs more per person than when you go with two or more people. The vehicle and guide costs are borne by you alone.

The increase varies, but plan for 20 to 40% more per person than with two people. Park fees (fixed per person) do not change. Accommodation prices are the same — but some lodges charge a "single supplement" of 15 to 30% extra for a single room.

Alternative: many solo travellers choose to share vehicle and guide costs with another solo traveller on the same programme. We facilitate this regularly — if two solo travellers book with a similar programme, we can match them.

Solo Tanzania travel tips

Book private, not a group tour. A group tour with strangers sounds social, but you give up your flexibility and privacy. Our one-on-one approach with your own guide is not only more pleasant — it is also safer and more at your own pace.

Tell us you are travelling alone. We can then pay extra attention to the guide match. For solo female travellers we sometimes specifically look for a female guide or a guide with a lot of solo experience.

Solo travel to Tanzania is not difficult, not lonely and not dangerous. It is different from travelling with someone — and for many people it is better.