City Tours · Dodoma
Dodoma Wine & Kondoa Rock-Art Day
Tanzania’s wine country in the morning, thousands of years of rock painting in the afternoon.
- Duration
- Full day (approximately 10–12 hours, with a very early start)
- City
- Dodoma
- Travel style
- Private
- Price
- On request
- Itemised quotation — no hidden costs.
The rock shelters in the hills above Kondoa hold one of the most important collections of rock art in Africa: hundreds of painted shelters on the eastern slopes of the Maasai escarpment, with figures of people, animals and hunts in red and, in later layers, in white. Dating is difficult and estimates vary, with some paintings thought to be several thousand years old. UNESCO inscribed the Kondoa Rock-Art Sites as a World Heritage Site in 2006. Only a few shelters are set up for visitors, and reaching them involves a rough track and a short uphill walk with a site guide.
Paired with a morning in the Dodoma vineyards, it makes a full and varied day — but it is a long one. The drive from Dodoma towards Kondoa takes approximately three hours each way, subject to confirmation and road conditions, and the last stretch to the shelters is slow. If you would rather not spend six hours or more in the vehicle, we can plan it as an overnight instead, staying near Kondoa and visiting the shelters in the cool of the early morning. Tell us which you prefer and we will quote both.
Highlights
- A vineyard and cellar visit with a tasting in Tanzania’s main wine region
- The Kondoa Rock-Art Sites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2006
- Painted shelters with human and animal figures, some believed to be thousands of years old
- A guided walk with a local site guide who explains the paintings and their context
- Baobab country and escarpment views on the drive north
- The option of an overnight near Kondoa instead of a long day return
The day
Where we’ll stop
- 1
Dodoma vineyard and cellar
An early-morning visit to a vineyard or cellar outside Dodoma, with a short explanation of growing and production here and a tasting where offered. Availability depends on the producer and is confirmed before your trip.
- 2
The drive north towards Kondoa
Approximately three hours each way, to be confirmed, through baobab country and along the edge of the escarpment. The scenery is a real part of the day, and we stop where it is safe to do so.
- 3
Kondoa Rock-Art Sites
A handful of shelters are open to visitors and reached on foot with a local site guide. Expect a rough track by vehicle and then a short, sometimes steep walk uphill to the paintings.
- 4
Painted shelters and their story
Your site guide explains what is known about the figures, the different layers of painting and the communities connected to the shelters — and is equally clear about what is still uncertain.
- 5
Picnic or local lunch
A packed lunch or a simple meal in Kondoa town, depending on timings. On this itinerary a packed lunch usually works better, because it keeps the day moving.
Included
- Private vehicle with a professional driver-guide for the day
- Site entrance fees and the local site guide at the rock-art shelters, where stated in your quotation
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off within Dodoma
Not included
- Tips for your guide, driver and site guide
- Meals and drinks, unless stated in your quotation
- Wine and other personal purchases
- Camera or video fees at the rock-art sites, where they apply
- Accommodation, if you choose the overnight version
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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