Tanzania travel and eSIM guide

Key takeaways

Tanzania has three main operators with strong 4G in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Stone Town Zanzibar and main tourist corridors. Vodacom has the widest rural reach and M-Pesa integration, while Yas (formerly Tigo) leads in Zanzibar and has early 5G there. Inside national parks the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Nyerere can drop to 2G or no signal during game drives. A Roamix Tanzania eSIM connects you to the best local network when you land at Julius Nyerere or Kilimanjaro International, with no roaming bill and nothing to collect at a kiosk. Budget 6 to 10 GB for a two-week safari and beach trip and cache offline maps before every game drive.

• Vodacom Tanzania has the widest rural and safari corridor reach, with M-Pesa mobile payments accepted across the country.
• A Roamix eSIM activates on the strongest available local network when you land at Julius Nyerere or Kilimanjaro International, avoiding the airport SIM queue.
• Most nationalities require a visa for Tanzania, available as an e-Visa online before travel or on arrival at main ports of entry.
• Inside major national parks signal is unreliable or absent; cache offline maps and safari guides before every game drive.
• Zanzibar has better urban coverage than many expect, with Yas leading and all three operators providing 4G in Stone Town and the main beach resorts.

Most lodges and hotels in Tanzania offer wifi, though speeds and reliability vary significantly outside Dar es Salaam. Safari lodge wifi is often slow and capped. Mobile data over a Roamix eSIM is typically faster and more consistent in towns and along main roads.

• 4 to 6 GB

  One week beach and Zanzibar trip

  Stone Town navigation, beach resort social uploads, ferry booking and daily messaging with good 4G across Zanzibar.

• 8 to 12 GB

  Two week Northern Circuit safari plus Zanzibar

  Large offline map downloads for Serengeti and Ngorongoro, lodge booking management, social sharing in Arusha and daily navigation.

• 20 GB or more

  Remote work base in Dar es Salaam

  Video calls, laptop tethering and cloud uploads in the commercial capital, where 4G speeds are the best in Tanzania.

1. 1

   Buy your plan on the Roamix Tanzania eSIM page before departure.

2. 2

   Scan the QR code or tap to install the eSIM over wifi at home.

3. 3

   Label it Roamix and keep your home SIM as primary for calls and texts.

4. 4

   Enable data roaming for the Roamix line only.

5. 5

   Land in Tanzania and the eSIM connects automatically to a local carrier.

eVisa or ETA

An e-Visa is available at immigration.go.tz and costs USD 50 for a single-entry tourist visa for most nationalities. Apply at least two weeks before travel. A visa on arrival is available at Julius Nyerere and Kilimanjaro International airports but queues can be long; the e-Visa is strongly recommended.

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended stay in Tanzania.

Onward ticket

Proof of onward travel and hotel or safari bookings may be requested at the border. Yellow fever vaccination proof is required if arriving from a yellow fever endemic country.

Keep your e-Visa approval and travel documents as PDF files accessible on your phone. Use your Roamix eSIM to pull up documents at immigration if needed.

Entry rules change. Confirm current requirements with the Tanzania Immigration Services at immigration.go.tz before booking.

There is no censorship of social media, messaging or search in Tanzania. No VPN is required for any mainstream service.

• WhatsApp, works

  Fully available and widely used across Tanzania. The primary messaging app for most Tanzanians.

• FaceTime, works

  Works normally over 4G data in cities and towns.

• Google Maps and Search, works

  No restrictions. Download offline maps before park entry.

• Social media, works

  Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook all work without restrictions.

• Safari vehicle

  The primary way to experience Tanzania's parks. Download all route, gate and lodge details in your safari app or Google Maps before entering any national park, as signal on game drives is unreliable.

• Zanzibar ferry

  Fast catamaran ferries operated by Azam Marine and Fast Ferries connect Dar es Salaam to Stone Town in around 90 minutes. Book tickets online in advance over Roamix data; the embarkation queues without pre-booked tickets are long.

• Domestic flights

  Coastal Aviation, Auric Air and Precision Air connect Dar es Salaam with Arusha, Zanzibar, the Serengeti airstrips and the south. Use your eSIM to check in, manage bookings and store boarding passes.

• BRT and dala dala

  Dar es Salaam's BRT Dart buses run on dedicated lanes and are the most efficient city transit. Dala dala minibuses cover all routes. Use Google Maps over Roamix data for route guidance in the city.

Cards and cash

Cards are accepted at major hotels, safari operators and Zanzibar beach resorts. Markets, local transport and small restaurants require cash. ATMs are reliable in Dar es Salaam and Arusha but absent in national parks and remote areas.

ATMs

CRDB and NMB bank ATMs are the most reliable in Tanzania. Withdraw enough cash before entering any national park or heading to the Southern Highlands. ATMs in Zanzibar Stone Town are functional but can run out on busy weekends.

Payment apps

M-Pesa (Vodacom) is the dominant mobile money system and is used across Tanzania for everything from groceries to guide tips. International visitors cannot register for M-Pesa without a Tanzanian SIM but can pay via card or USD cash.

Tipping

Tipping is an important part of the safari economy. USD 10 to 20 per day for a safari driver-guide is standard. Tip lodge staff USD 2 to 5 per day per person. In restaurants, 10 percent is appropriate if service charge is not included.

Language

Swahili (Kiswahili) is the national language and spoken universally. English is an official language and widely used in tourism, business and education. A few basic Swahili phrases including 'Jambo' (hello) and 'Asante' (thank you) are warmly appreciated.

Food

Tanzanian cuisine features ugali (maize porridge) with stewed meat or fish, pilau rice, mishkaki (grilled skewers) and the Zanzibar specialty of spiced seafood with coconut curry. Stone Town's Forodhani Gardens night market is one of Africa's great street food experiences.

Plugs

230V, Type D and G plugs

Apps worth having

• M-Pesa

  payments

  Tanzania's dominant mobile money platform, useful for understanding local digital payments even if you use USD for most tourist transactions.

• SafariBookings

  safari_planning

  The leading platform for comparing and booking Tanzania safari operators, with verified reviews from travellers who have completed specific circuits.

• Google Maps offline

  navigation

  Download offline map tiles for the entire Northern Safari Circuit, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam before any park entry to navigate when mobile signal drops.

Stay reachable

Keep your Roamix eSIM active in Arusha and Dar es Salaam to receive lodge and operator emergency contacts. Download your travel insurance policy and emergency contact numbers before entering any national park. For remote southern parks like Katavi, a satellite communicator is advisable.

Health

Malaria prophylaxis is essential for all visitors. Yellow fever vaccination is required if arriving from endemic countries. Tap water is not safe to drink. Use bottled or filtered water throughout Tanzania. Travel health insurance with emergency evacuation coverage is strongly recommended.

Tap water

Tap water is not safe to drink anywhere in Tanzania. Use bottled water or a quality filter throughout the country. In national park camps, use the water provided by your lodge.

Typical speeds

4G delivers 10 to 40 Mbps in cities and tourist hubs, with 2 to 10 Mbps on rural and safari corridor routes.

5G

5G is very limited, available only in parts of Dar es Salaam city centre and some Zanzibar areas. Plan entirely around 4G for travel purposes.

Tanzania's national parks are vast and remote. Inside the Serengeti, Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous), Ruaha and Katavi, signal is unreliable and game drives off the main tracks are often off-grid. The Ngorongoro Crater rim has limited signal. The Southern Highlands parks and most of the Lake Zone interior have very limited 4G. Always download offline maps and safari guides before entering any park. Tanzanian networks use standard international 4G LTE bands including B3 and B28 (700 MHz), with B28 providing the best rural penetration. Most recent unlocked smartphones support these bands.

Off the beaten path

1. February

   Sauti za Busara Music Festival

   Stone Town, Zanzibar

   East Africa's most celebrated Swahili and African music festival, held inside the historic Old Fort in Stone Town with four nights of concerts by artists from across the African continent and the Indian Ocean islands.

2. March

   Kilimanjaro Marathon

   Moshi

   A scenic road marathon through the coffee and banana farms at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, starting and finishing in Moshi with Kilimanjaro's snow-capped peak in full view on clear days, drawing runners from across Africa and internationally.

3. Year-round, river crossings July to October

   Serengeti Wildebeest Migration

   Serengeti National Park

   The greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth, as 1.5 million wildebeest and 250,000 zebra follow the rains across the Serengeti ecosystem, with the most dramatic Mara River crossings concentrated between July and October in the northern Serengeti.

4. July

   Zanzibar International Film Festival

   Stone Town, Zanzibar

   The Festival of the Dhow Countries, celebrating Indian Ocean basin cinema and culture with film screenings at open-air venues in Stone Town, music performances and cultural events drawing filmmakers and audiences from East Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean islands.

5. July, two weeks

   Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair

   Dar es Salaam

   East Africa's largest annual trade fair drawing hundreds of local and regional exhibitors alongside international pavilions and cultural performances, hosted at the Dar es Salaam Grounds and attended by hundreds of thousands of visitors.

6. July to September

   Maasai Mara Wildebeest Crossing Season

   Northern Serengeti near Kenya border

   The peak dramatic phase of the Serengeti Great Migration when huge columns of wildebeest and zebra charge across the crocodile-filled Mara River multiple times per day, creating the most photographed and most thrilling moments of the entire migration cycle.

7. August

   Arusha Cultural Heritage Festival

   Arusha

   A celebration of Tanzania's remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity, with craft exhibitions, traditional dance and music from Maasai, Chagga, Hadzabe and other Tanzanian communities held in Arusha as the gateway city to the Northern Safari Circuit.

8. August

   Tanzania Agricultural Show, Dodoma

   Dodoma

   Tanzania's national agricultural show held in the administrative capital Dodoma, celebrating farming innovation, traditional crops and rural culture with livestock shows, food exhibitions and cultural performances.

9. October

   Ngorongoro Conservation Area Cultural Week

   Ngorongoro Conservation Area

   A celebration of Maasai culture and conservation heritage inside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with traditional ceremonies, cattle herding demonstrations, beadwork exhibitions and engagement with the Maasai communities who live within the conservation area.

10. October

    Spice Festival, Zanzibar

    Zanzibar

    A celebration of Zanzibar's identity as the Spice Island, with spice farm tours, cooking demonstrations, traditional Zanzibari food markets and cultural events centred on the island's clove, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom heritage.

Through the year

Spring

April and May are the long rainy season with some parks and lodges closing temporarily. This is the lowest visitor period with lower prices and lush green scenery. Some game viewing is excellent as predators concentrate around waterlogged plains.

Summer

June to August is the main dry season and peak safari season, with the Great Migration river crossings in the northern Serengeti and excellent wildlife visibility across the Northern Circuit. Book lodges and camps many months in advance for this period.

Fall

September and October continue the dry season with excellent game viewing, slightly fewer visitors and the southern Serengeti herds returning south. Zanzibar is hot and dry with ideal beach conditions.

Winter

November to March brings the short and long rains, with green landscapes and calving season in the southern Serengeti from January. Zanzibar can be rainy in November but has excellent weather December to February.

Connection

A Roamix plan with 15 to 20 GB covers a working week in Dar es Salaam with video calls and tethering. Hotel and coworking wifi is recommended for heavy uploads and extended calls.