City Tours · Arusha
Arusha City Tour
Markets, museums and the everyday life of Tanzania’s safari capital.
- Duration
- Full day (approximately 7 hours)
- City
- Arusha
- Travel style
- Private
- Price
- On request
- Itemised quotation — no hidden costs.
Arusha sits at roughly 1,400 m on the lower slopes of Mount Meru, which gives it a mild climate and a green, busy feel. It is the starting point for safaris to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, and the whole town is organised around that — tour offices, curio stalls, coffee shops and 4x4s being loaded at dawn. Spending a day here before or after your safari is the easiest way to see the place rather than just drive through it.
Arusha also matters well beyond tourism. The city hosts the headquarters of the East African Community, the regional body that brings together Tanzania and its neighbours, and from 1995 the Arusha International Conference Centre housed the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which completed its work and closed in 2015; some residual functions continue in Arusha under the United Nations successor mechanism. Your guide can point out the buildings and explain the background as you pass. The day is otherwise deliberately unhurried: a market, a couple of museums, a walk around the Clock Tower and a plate of Tanzanian food.
Highlights
- The Maasai Market curio stalls, with beadwork, carvings, fabrics and plenty of good-natured bargaining
- The Clock Tower roundabout, Arusha’s best-known landmark and meeting point
- The Cultural Heritage Centre, a large gallery and craft complex on the edge of town
- The Natural History Museum, housed in the old German boma
- The Arusha Declaration Museum and its account of Tanzania’s independence years
- A local lunch, and time to walk the streets at a Tanzanian pace
The day
Where we’ll stop
- 1
Clock Tower and the town centre
A short orientation walk around the Clock Tower roundabout and the surrounding streets. Your guide explains how the town is laid out and where things are, which makes the rest of your stay much easier.
- 2
Maasai Market
Rows of stalls selling beadwork, Maasai blankets, carvings, paintings and fabric. Bargaining is expected and friendly; your guide can help you judge a fair price and step in if you would rather not be followed from stall to stall.
- 3
Cultural Heritage Centre
A large complex of galleries and craft shops a short drive from the centre, with Tanzanian and wider African art, carvings, textiles and gemstones. Good for a quiet browse and for serious souvenirs, with prices fixed rather than negotiated.
- 4
Natural History Museum
A small museum in the old German administrative boma, covering the region’s geology, early human history and natural environment. It takes under an hour and gives helpful context before a safari.
- 5
Arusha Declaration Museum
A modest museum on the history of Tanzanian independence and the 1967 Arusha Declaration, which set out the country’s policy of socialism and self-reliance. It is one of the few places in town where the political history is laid out for visitors.
- 6
Local lunch
Lunch at a local restaurant — typically nyama choma, pilau, ugali, beans and greens, with vegetarian options available on request. Tell us in advance if you would prefer somewhere quieter or more familiar.
Included
- Private vehicle with a professional driver-guide for the day
- Entrance fees to the museums listed on your itinerary, where stated in your quotation
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off within Arusha
Not included
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Meals and drinks, unless stated in your quotation
- Personal shopping at the markets and craft centre
- Camera or video fees, where a museum or site charges them
Request a quote
Book this tour
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are. We’ll send an itemised price — what’s included, what isn’t, and nothing hidden.
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