Safari Guide
Tanzania Safari Packing List
Quick answer
What should you pack for a Tanzania safari?
A Tanzania safari packing list is short, because the small planes have strict luggage limits. Pack light enough for the small planes: Coastal Aviation allows 15 kg on a standard ticket and Flightlink 20 kg checked plus a 5 kg carry-on, with no wheeled carry-on. Bring long sleeves and long trousers against insects, a hat, insect repellent with 20% DEET or more, sunscreen of SPF 15 or more and any malaria medicine your doctor prescribes. Leave plastic bags at home: Tanzania bans them and takes them off you on arrival.
| Coastal Aviation | 15 kg standard; 30 kg in the XL seat class, once confirmed |
| Flightlink | 20 kg checked, one piece; 5 kg carry-on, no wheels |
| Plastic bags | Banned; ziplock bags for airport security are fine |
| Clothing | Long sleeves, long trousers and a hat (CDC) |
| Repellent | 20% DEET or more against ticks and mosquitoes (CDC) |
| Malaria | Medicine for areas below 1,800 m; ask your doctor |
| Last verified | 2 October 2026 |
Luggage
What is the luggage limit on safari flights?
Small planes fly between the parks and to Zanzibar, and each airline sets its own limit. Coastal Aviation's standard ticket allows 15 kg of luggage. Its XL seat class allows 30 kg, but an XL booking stays pending until its operations team confirms that the extra weight can be carried; if it cannot, you get a standard 15 kg ticket.
Flightlink allows 20 kg of checked baggage on flights within Tanzania and 23 kg on flights to and from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta airport, one checked piece in every case, plus a carry-on of 5 kg, one piece. Wheeled or trolley carry-on bags are not permitted. Extra checked weight costs USD 5 per kilogram when there is space; extra carry-on weight is not accepted. Pack to the lowest limit on your whole route.
| Airline | Checked | Carry-on | Extra weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Aviation, standard | 15 kg in total | Within the 15 kg | XL seat class instead |
| Coastal Aviation, XL seat | 30 kg in total, once confirmed | Within the 30 kg | Confirmed by operations |
| Flightlink, within Tanzania | 20 kg, one piece | 5 kg, one piece, no wheels | USD 5 per kg, if space |
| Flightlink, to and from Nairobi | 23 kg, one piece | 5 kg, one piece, no wheels | USD 5 per kg, if space |
Each airline's own document, read on the check date; your ticket is what counts. Costs of the flights and the parks: safari costs.
Clothing
What should you wear on safari?
Wear clothes that cover you. Against insect bites, the US CDC advises long-sleeved shirts, long trousers and hats, and permethrin-treated clothing and gear such as boots, trousers and socks; permethrin is not for your skin. The CDC lists sleeping sickness from tsetse fly bites among the diseases you avoid by avoiding bug bites.
Days start early and the vehicle is open, so dress in layers you can take off as the sun climbs. The UK government asks visitors to dress modestly throughout Tanzania. On Zanzibar and Pemba, shorts or sleeveless tops away from the resorts, especially in Stone Town, may cause offence, and the Zanzibari authorities can fine you USD 700 or more for clothing they consider inappropriate.
Optics
Which binoculars and camera?
Bring one pair of binoculars per person rather than one per vehicle: the animal you are looking at moves while you pass them round. Choose a pair you can hold steady in a vehicle and that is bright enough for early mornings and evenings.
For the camera, a zoom lens matters more than the body, because many animals are some distance from the track. Bring spare batteries and memory cards, and keep the camera in the carry-on within your airline's weight limit. A cloth or a bag against dust is worth its weight.
Health
Which health items are essential?
Insect repellent comes first: the CDC advises a repellent with 20% DEET or more for protection against ticks and mosquitoes. Malaria is transmitted in all areas of Tanzania below 1,800 m, and the CDC recommends prescription medicine for certain areas; your doctor chooses it, and you start it before the trip and continue after it.
Add sunscreen of SPF 15 or more and a basic first-aid kit, both on the CDC list, and any prescription medicines in their packaging. For yellow fever, the CDC says the vaccine is generally not recommended for Tanzania but required if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever. If you plan to climb, the UK government lists altitude sickness as a risk in parts of Tanzania; see climbing Kilimanjaro.
Arusha
What can you buy in Arusha?
We cannot vouch for what a shop in Arusha has on the day you arrive, so treat Arusha as a back-up, not a plan. Bring from home anything you cannot replace: prescription medicines, your binoculars and camera, chargers, and the repellent and sunscreen you trust.
What you should not bring at all are plastic bags: the UK government notes that they are banned and that arrivals by air are asked to hand them over; ziplock bags for airline security are allowed. For cash, cards and tips, see our Tanzania money guide.
| Item | Why | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| Bag within the lowest limit on your route | 15 kg (Coastal) or 20 kg plus 5 kg (Flightlink) | The airlines |
| Long sleeves, long trousers, a hat | Against insect bites | US CDC |
| Repellent with 20% DEET or more | Ticks and mosquitoes | US CDC |
| Malaria medicine, if prescribed | Transmission below 1,800 m | US CDC, your doctor |
| Sunscreen SPF 15 or more | Sun on the plains and the beach | US CDC |
| No plastic bags | Banned in Tanzania | UK government |
The beach half
What do you need for the beach after the safari?
Very little that is not already in the bag. Add swimwear, light clothes for the evenings, and shoes for the beach, which the CDC advises where there may be animal waste. Bring modest clothes for Stone Town. From Arusha the flight to Zanzibar takes around 1 hour, depending on the airline and the aircraft, and the drive to Michamvi Pingwe on the south-east coast about 1h15; Zanzibar after safari has the rest.
Where these facts come from
Official sources
- Coastal Aviation: timetable and price list (updated July 2026): The luggage allowance: 15 kg on a standard ticket, 30 kg in the XL seat class once confirmed.
- Flightlink: domestic and regional schedules and fares: The baggage policy: 20 kg checked, 5 kg carry-on, no wheeled carry-on, excess weight.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Tanzania safety and security: The plastic-bag ban and the dress code, including the Zanzibar fines.
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tanzania: Malaria, yellow fever, insect repellent, clothing against bites and sun protection.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Tanzania health: Altitude sickness as a risk in parts of Tanzania.
Checked on 2 October 2026. We link to the bodies that set the rules, not to summaries of them. Rules change: check the page itself before you travel.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
The packing questions guests ask before they fly from the parks to the beach.
What is the luggage limit on safari flights in Tanzania?
It depends on the airline. Coastal Aviation's standard ticket allows 15 kg; its XL seat class allows 30 kg once its operations team confirms the extra weight. Flightlink allows 20 kg of checked baggage on domestic flights, one piece, plus a 5 kg carry-on, one piece, and does not permit wheeled or trolley carry-on bags. Check your own ticket.
Can I take plastic bags to Tanzania?
No. The UK government notes that plastic bags are banned for environmental reasons and that if you arrive by air you will be asked to hand them over. Ziplock bags for airline security procedures are not included in the ban.
What should I wear on safari?
Clothes that cover you: the US CDC advises long-sleeved shirts, long trousers and hats against insect bites, and permethrin-treated clothing and gear. Dress in layers for early starts. On Zanzibar, dress modestly away from the beach; the UK government notes fines of USD 700 or more for clothing the authorities consider inappropriate.
Do I need malaria tablets for Tanzania?
The CDC recommends prescription medicine to prevent malaria for travellers to certain areas of Tanzania, with transmission in all areas below 1,800 m. Depending on the medicine, you start it several days before the trip and continue during and after it; your doctor chooses which one.
Do I need a yellow fever vaccination?
The CDC says the vaccine is generally not recommended for travel to Tanzania, and not required when you fly directly from the United States. It is required for travellers aged one and over who arrive from countries with a risk of yellow fever, including airport transits of more than 12 hours there.
What should I pack for the beach after the safari?
Very little more: light clothes, a hat, sunscreen and shoes for the beach, which the CDC advises where there may be animal waste. Our guide to Zanzibar after safari covers the beach half.
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