Tanzania is home to some of Africa’s most famous national parks and natural attractions, including majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.
The East African country is also known for its vast wilderness areas which is home to Serengeti National Park.
Situated on Tanzania’s northern side, Serengeti National Park is the country’s oldest and most famous national park, attracting thousands of visitors every year.
The park is famous for the annual event; the Great Migration, where various animals moving towards greener pastures. Various wild species of animals and birds call this place home.
Travelers visit this great park because of the mind-blowing attractions that surround it, most of which are incredible wildlife viewing opportunities.
These are the top 10 tourist attractions in Tanzania’s most famous national park as put together by The Travel.
10. The Great Migration
The Great Migration (Wildebeest Migration) is the main attraction in Serengeti, featuring over 1.5 million wildebeest, gazelles, and zebras migrating from Serengeti to Kenya’s Maasai Mara Nation Reserve.
These animals go through struggles in their effort to avoid predators like lions, wild dogs, and leopards. Then they have to meet crocodiles as they cross the Mara River and get through the high-water current. The Great Migration is famous because it offers travelers countless opportunities for wildlife viewing. There is nothing more fascinating than experiencing the fight between predators and prey during the Wildebeest Migration.
9. The Ngorongoro Crater
Visiting the Ngorongoro Crater is a top tourist attraction in Serengeti. Housing over 30,000 large mammals in its incredible landscapes, Ngorongoro Crater is a must-see attraction on a Serengeti safari. Travelers even gave it the name, “garden of Eden,” – thanks to the abundance of wildlife that thrives here. The crater has plenty of waterholes and vegetation that feeds these animals. Wildlife in Ngorongoro is always available for viewing year-round since they do not migrate.
8. The Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai Gorge is the spot where Mary Leakey and her crew discovered the very first remains of the early man – why it is called the “Cradle of Mankind.”
This Gorge is located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, situated near Serengeti and within the Rift Valley of East Africa. Mary and her team discovered so many fossils, including the tools used by the early man.
There is a small museum in Olduvai Gorge where travelers can view the remains of the early man.
7. Seronera Valley
This is Serengeti’s one of the most famous areas and is a great spot for seeing the big cats, including cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, and lions. Small cats – jackals, bat-eared foxes, caracals, servals, and mongooses also thrive here.
Seronera Valley is a popular destination because it gives travelers incredible chances of viewing predators hunt their prey during the dry season. Seronera is beautiful, and not just because of wildlife – the valley’s landscape is nothing but magnificent.
6. Retina Hippo Pool
Travelers looking to view a large pool of hippos should pay a visit to Retina Hippo Pool. Here, one has incredible opportunities to see the hippos fighting and maybe capture them for memories. It is situated in the Seronera Valley and covers about 8 kilometers.
Retina Hippo Pool is the best part of Serengeti to have the most fascinating experience of hippos – watching their big nostrils and seeing how they blow out excess water. It is the perfect spot to experience these incredible creatures up close and take some stunning pictures for show.
5. Bologonja Springs
Bologonja Springs is among the Serengeti’s top attractions and has a thriving ecosystem that features a beautiful forest and wildlife – both resident and migratory. They are situated in the park’s northeastern part.
Vervet monkeys, baboons, buffaloes, impalas, topi, and elephants – and bird species, including kingfishers, hoopoes, elegant crowned canes, and rollers thrive in these springs. The landscape around here has something interesting for all visitors.
4. Grumeti River
Situated on Serengeti’s western side, the Grumeti River is another iconic attraction in the park, allowing travelers to experience the vast wildlife coming to drink water by the river banks. Wildebeests and zebras should be easy to spot in this region. Hyenas, lions, cheetahs, and panthers, can also be seen here. Travelers can sight various species of birds around this area.
3. Maasai People
Travelers visit Serengeti National Park, not just to view its incredible wildlife, but to experience the Maasai people and their fascinating culture. Being the original Serengeti inhabitants and having stayed in the wild with the animals, this community is worthy of exploring.
Walking tours around the community allows travelers to learn about Maasais’ ways of life and engage with the local hunters and the medicine of the Maasai. Watching the traditional Maasai culture, arts and crafts, dance, and performances.
2. Lobo Valley
At Lobo Valley, visitors can the big cats who come to the valley to take advantage of the abundant prey and the waterholes. The valley also attracts other animals, including baboons, giraffes, and elephants. The valley is always the center of the annual Wildebeest Migration and tourists flock to the spot to enjoy the scenic view of millions of animals moving towards Mara for greener pasture.
1. Moru Kopjes
Moru Kopjes are rocky regions covered with abundant vegetation, shade, and small pools. Lions and other predators come to this region to look for their prey. This region is almost the most magnificent part of the great Serengeti. From this spot, travelers can use binoculars to get beautiful wildlife views.
It is certainly the perfect place to sight the endangered black rhino and experience the ancient paintings of the Maasai.
