
Tanzania Cultural Tourism | Tanzania Safari
Tanzania Cultural Tourism | Arusha | Kilimanjaro | Manyara | Tanga | Morogoro | Mbeya | Lindi | Mara | Dar-es-salaam
Tanzania Cultural Tourism
Cultural tourism is generally defined as a form of tourism whose main objective is the discovery and enjoyment of historic monuments, sites and cultural landscapes of an area. It mainly involves traveling to experience places and activities that represent the cultural history of the host communities. In the Tanzania context however, cultural tourism adopts a community based tourism approach in which the people are directly involved in designing, organising tours and showing tourists aspects of their lives in the area they live in.
While economic benefit is derived from this activity, some cross cultural exchange between visitors and the local people is also developed. Operated through the criteria of ownership of the activities undertaken and equitable distribution of the income generated are underlying factors of the programme. It is cultural tourism that enables tourists to experience the local people’s way of life, offering insights into the values, beliefs and traditions in the host communities’ own environments.
Cultural Activities in Tanzania
Cultural Activities in Dodoma
A trip to Tanzania should be on every travel lover’s wish list, it is essential to see the beautiful city of Dodoma, the custom built political capital of the country. Located 500 miles away from the coast and Kilimanjaro, and with a population of 400,000, the city is home to ministries, offices, and government buildings. Here are some of the top sightseeing opportunities and day tours that travellers can enjoy in Dodoma!
The BungeThe best sightseeing tour in Dodoma is to the African styled Parliament buildings called the Bunge. Tourists can visit during sessions, although they must carry passports in order to enter, to ensure national security. |
Nyerere SquareA site that should not be missed is Nyerere Square, a historic landmark that was a local market but has now been built into a town square, which is home to a statue of Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the national founder of Tanzania. |
Dodoma Skate ParkSpending a day at Dodoma Skate Park is an excellent idea. Built to create a safe and nurturing environment for the youth to engage in a healthy sport, the park is an exciting spot for tourists to enjoy skateboarding and support the local economy. |
Kondoa IrangiAnother great day trip idea for tourists is to visit a series of caves carved into a hillside. Here, they can see the famous Kondoa Irangi rock paintings, which are said to be over 50000 years old. |
MosquesDodoma has beautiful mosques which the tourists can visit and Muslim visitors can pray in. Gaddafi Mosque is a pink mosque with space for up to 4500 worshippers. The mosque is situated at the centre of the city, and attracts lots of visitors as it is one of the largest mosques in East Africa, and is known for its impressive, beautiful design. Tourists can also go to the Jamatkhana Ismaili mosque which has a neoclassical British design! |
VineyardsIn the 1960s, a 4-5 acre vineyard was planted in Isanga Prison in Dodoma’s Kondoa region. Here, red, white, and rosé wines are made from grapes. Tourists can also spot fruits such as mangoes, bananas, and plums. Other vineyards and plantations can be found at Mpunguzi, Msalato, Nkulabi, Nala, and Mundemu in the district. One can also go to Chinagali which has a 300 acre farm where they can observe red and white grapes and learn about how they are grown. In March, August, and September, one can also witness the harvest. |
Cultural Activities in Arusha
Monduli Juu Cultural ExperienceMonduli Juu is a cluster of four small Maasai villages namely Emairete, Enguiki, Eluwai and Mfereji. Emairete consists of a wonderful crater where, in former times, the cattle of only medicine men were supposed to graze. Enguiki village is named after its famous pastures. Eluwai is a village called after the trees where certain small ants have their habitat and that are whistling in the wind. Mfereji is a village down the escarpment that, a long time ago, develop from a place where a South African lived who pulled a ditch down to bring water from the Monduli Mountains. |
Mulala Cultural ExperienceMulala is a typical Bantu village. It is nestled on the green southern slopes of Meru, just below the alpine forest reserve and a few kilometers from the border of Arusha National Park. The village is about 30km from Arusha Town, and is located to the north side of the Moshi-Arusha highway. Tours to Mulala include crisscrossing coffee and banana farms, and inspecting small women’s business societies that engage in income-generating projects such as cheese making, chilli-growing, and tailoring. The women are happy to show visitors how coffee is traditionally processed and how some traditional African food is prepared. |
Mto wa Mbu Cultural ExperienceMto wa Mbu is situated on the way from Arusha to the great national parks of northern Tanzania, which including Ngorongoro and Serengeti. It is a green oasis just at the foot of the rift valley and bordering to Lake Manyara. A visit to Mto wa Mbu includes farm tours, country walks and a view into the culture of many different tribes that have migrated to the area but have retained their tribal way of life. |
Longido Cultural ExperienceLongido offers a walking safaris through the Maasai plains and a climb of the impressive Longido Mountain (2690m) through dense natural forest. A tour of the extensive plains surrounding the mountain features an insight into the traditions of Maasai culture and offers the opportunity to see some of the rare birds and animals of the bush. Longido is about 80 kilometers north of Arusha on the road to the Namanga border crossing. |
Tengeru Cultural ExperienceTengeru is 13 kilometres from Arusha town off the Arusha-Moshi road. Tengeru offers a glimpse of the culture of the Meru people and their farming methods including tracing the preparation of coffee right from the farm to the table. Tengeru also offers nature walks along the Mountain Rivers and an excursion to Lake Duluti on the lower slopes of Mount Meru The organizers of tours have also special programmes to visit families with disabled children and the local village primary schools. |
Mkuru Cultural ExperienceMkuru is a Maasai settlement on the northern side of Mount Meru where they have gone a step beyond the traditional cattle-keeping culture by beginning to keep camels. Mkuru therefore offers camel safaris in addition to bush walks and hill climbing and visits to Maasai homesteads. |
Cultural Activities in Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro Coffe ExperienceDon’t just wonder about the origins of coffee or bean. Stay with the small farmers on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Main activities during the tour; – An excursion to a nearby coffee farm |
Materuni Waterfalls ExperienceMateruni Waterfall is a booming waterfall just 15-kilometers from Moshi Town. When combined with a coffee tour in the village, it makes for a perfect day trip before or after your Mount Kilimanjaro climb. With about eight kilometers of walking throughout the day and 300 meters of incline, this adventure is a great warm-up for the legs while also getting to immerse yourself in the local culture. The tour begins by observing the entire process of making a cup of coffee, from seed to mug. After a locally produced lunch, you head off to explore the massive Materuni Waterfall. |
Majimoto Chemka ExperienceExperience a local dive to this beautiful recreational oasis an hour away from Arusha town that is Chemka hotsprings. Better known as (Maji moto), this breathtaking geothermal spring surrounded by palm trees and winding roots offers an idyll spot for relaxing, swimming, fun, and camping especially after a long tiresome safari. The water is also refreshing, for a dip along with a beautiful shadow of the fig trees. In here you can have as much fun or pleasure as your heart desires while enjoying a gorgeous view of Mt. Kilimanjaro on your way back to either Moshi or Arusha. |
Marangu Day HikeKilimanjaro Marangu day hike involves going up to the first camp Mandara hut (2720m) and come back via the same route on the same day. There is a drive about 45km from Moshi town which will take 1 hour. At Marangu gate you have to do some registrations and pay the park entrance fee to get a valid permit to start the hike. Marangu gate is 1879m above sea level and the distance to Mandara hut is 8km (16 km round trip), which will take 3 to 4 hours for each direction. |
Machame Cultural TourismEstablished in June 2008 with the vision of conserving the lushness of the environment through agricultural activities and planting trees, the women of Machame Nkweshoo came together to create; ‘Machame Nkweshoo Cultural Tourism Enterprise’. Machame is a typical rural village located on the green slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro with most inhabitants being farmers reliant on their crop harvests from coffee cultivation, the growing of vegetables and fruits. Its location being strategically located made it more effective to start up a cultural tourism enterprise especially for the clients interested in climbing up the mountain for acclimatization purposes. Besides the area being right t Mount Kilimanjaro, there are other historical attractions such as old Chagga caves, Nkosalulu waterfalls, a hot water spring(Kikuletwa) and the oldest churches among other attractions. |
Moshi Town and Market TourDive into the colorful bustle of the Moshi city and move around like a local. We will take you around precious landmarks to give you the taste of the small-town culture and lifestyle. Experience busy markets, local buses, small restaurants, and admire the city adorned by the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. Perhaps pick a souvenir to keep a memory of this small city. 1. Visit the Memorial market famous for second-hand goods and see how the locals shop. 2. Hop into a dala dala bus ride and visit the Mbuyuni market where you can savor fresh produce of fruits and vegetables. 3. Taste the local Swahili cuisine and enjoy chatting with the locals who will amuse you with their mix of English and Swahili skills 4. Visit the old railway station, which is no longer in use, and admire the slow-paced life while you grab a Kilimanjaro beer and sit in a quiet zone. |
Cultural Activities in Dar-es-salaam
Embark on a full-day exploration of the bustling city of Dar es Salaam. Affectionately known as ‘Dar’, this once slumberous fishing village has morphed into a thriving metropolis. Your interpretive, privately guided tour takes you to the city’s top attractions such as the lively atmosphere of Dar es Salaam’s fish market, where dhows dock at dawn to offload the night’s delicious catch. Amble down pungently spicy India Street, where the flavours of the East are a feast for the senses, at the stark purple of twilight, clusters of Dar es Salaam street food carts, specializing in delicious Indian food emerge. Bright red tomatoes, raw onions, green chilies, and fresh coriander are the beginnings of any enticing Indian street food snack. An absolute must is a Zanzibar Mix, an Indian inspired Zanzibari Tanzanian bowl of curry soup with heaps of delectable toppings.
Catch a glimpse of the historic Central Railway Station, and the architectural marvels of the St Joseph’s Metropolitan Cathedral and the Greek Orthodox Church. Browse through a traditional souk (bazaar), heaving with people morning, noon and night. Exhilarating and kaleidoscopic you will be sure to find virtually anything here in the jostling mass of vibrant colours, textured fabrics, local food and hand embellished trinkets. Head to the Mwenge Carver’s Market for beautiful traditional African sculptures and crafts before exploring the National Museum and the open-air Village Museum.
The architecture of Tanzania is a fusion of Swahili, colonial and Asian influences, but much of this is now overshadowed by gleaming towering high-rises. Offering an eclectic cultural mix, fabulous craft markets, superb restaurants and nearby magnificent golden beaches and lush islands Dar is a great place to explore.
Cultural Activities in Mwanza
The city of Mwanza is the major Tanzanian port on Lake Victoria and a major centre of economic activities in the region. The lake borders the country’s East African neighbours – Uganda to the north west, and Kenya to the north east. Export and transport among the countries is a foundation of Mwanza’s economy. Around the city of Mwanza, the land is primarily devoted to agricultural enterprise. Tea, cotton and coffee plantations throughout the area produce large volumes of cash crops that pass though Mwanza on their way to market. The town’s industrial harbour and busy streets make it a prosperous and busy place to explore. For visitors, the city makes a good base from which to explore the nearby Rubondo Island National Park and the western parts of the Serengeti. Rubondo Island National Park offers pleasant day-hikes and bird watching around the lake shore. Mwanza’s proximity to the western Serengeti makes it a necessary stop for visitors who want to experience a less bust part of the park and see the magic of the Serengeti without the parade of safari vehicles and seasonal crowds. Mwanza is also the centre of the Sukuma tribe, the largest tribe in Tanzania, who have inhabited and farmed the region for centuries. Cultural tourism programmes to their local villages and farms can be arranged through the local cultural centres. |
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Cultural Activities in Mbeya
Cultural Activities in Zanzibar
Stone Town Walking Tour and Historic SitesYou will see the following Stone Town historic sites on a private guided walking tour. We encourage everyone to take a tour to learn the history of Zanzibar and orient yourself to the maze of streets and alleys before venturing out to explore on your own. Beit el-Ajaib (House of Wonders) dominates the Stone Town waterfront skyline. Built in 1883 by Sultan Barghash as a ceremonial palace it was true to its name for being, among many notable characteristics, the tallest building in East Africa and the first to have running water, electricity, and an elevator. The Palace Museum. Former residence of Zanzibar’s last sultan, overthrown during the 1964 revolution for Zanzibar independence and ultimate union with mainland Tanganyika to form the Republic of Tanzania. Three floors chock full of memorabilia not removed in the chaos. Exhibits are labeled, but knowledgeable guides with plenty of stories to tell are available at the entrance. The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe) was built around 1700 by the Omanis who ousted the Portuguese from the island. Over the years it has been repurposed many times and presently houses several craft shops, a cafe, tourist information, and an outdoor amphitheater. |
Forodhani Gardens. Manicured gardens on the waterfront in proximity to all of the above. Pleasant spot for a rest in the shade, but it really comes alive at night when a street food bazaar materializes with an extensive range of freshly prepared local and locally-inspired dishes (with an emphasis on seafood), along with fresh fruit drinks and more. Now catering to island visitors, feel free to indulge worry-free! Anglican Cathedral and Slave Market. With the powerful British empire wielding influence on the island in the 19th century, slavery was outlawed. To prove a point, in 1873 the British built their cathedral on the location of the slave market. In the basement of the old mission hospital next door can be found the tiny dank rooms where slaves were held. Central Market. The open-air main market for the city, where you can find everything – from fresh fish to spices to hardware to the latest recordings of local Taarab Music. Prepare for all your sense to be engaged! In Stone Town there remain more than 500 intricately carved wooden doors, many of them are older than the houses in which they are set. The doors served as a symbol of the wealth and status of a household. Take note as you wander the streets!
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Spice TourA popular half-day activity is to tour a spice plantation to see, smell, taste, and learn about the uses of the many different spices grown on the island. As part of the tour you may visit the ancient ruins of the Sultans’ country palace, the Persian baths built for the wife of one of the 19th century rulers, and see a beachfront shop where craftsmen build traditional sailing dhows using methods handed down for generations. A longer tour can include a trip to the village of Mwangapwani to explore an underground coral cave and ancient slave chambers; a trip to the Jozani Forest Reserve for a pleasant walk and opportunity to spot the red colobus monkey, found nowhere else in the world. |
Festival and EventsEid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The island is in a celebratory mood that may last – literally and figuratively – for days. . Sauti Za Busara (“Voices of Wisdom”) is a 4-day celebration of African music, drawing performers from all over the continent and beyond. It is held annually in Stone Town in February. The Zanzibar International Film Festival is a 10-day cultural extravaganza of film screenings, music, workshops, exhibits, and more. Stone Town, July. |
Combine Safari and Cultural Activities
Our cultural safaris let you walk, talk and live with the Maasai people. Visit their traditional bomas (settlements) and head out on a traditional medicine walk. Learn about their daily routines and traditions. Cultural experiences are easily combined in a wildlife safari and give you the chance to not only learn about the different cultures but you can also stretch the legs and spend some time outside of the safari vehicle.
If not the maasai then you can choose the head out hunting with the Hadzabe bushmen, gather roots and seeds with the Datoga women or learn how to cook the Swahili cuisine.
Email/WhatsApp: info@tripinsighttanzania.com/ +255 759 694 668
Top Cultural experience in Tanzania
Maasai Village Cultural Experience
Tours and safari are always memorable and close to our hearts when we meet with new people along our journey. One such memorable tour a person can experience along with their East Africa safari is an interaction with the Maasai people. Dive into a new cultural experience while you meet the indigenous and a distinct group of the tribal population from Eastern Africa. Who are Maasai?The Maasai are a distinct indigenous tribal population mostly residing in the Saharan region of Kenya and Tanzania, in Africa. They belong to the group of Nilotic ethnic population who has a specific language, culture, society and even the way of life. Globally, they are amongst the most popular tribal groups, owing to their population within the many national parks of the African Great Lakes, and also their unmistakable traditions and dress. |
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What to expect during a Maasai village visit?
The Maasai village experience is not a conventional tour, but it lets tourists and travelers experience a culture and a lifestyle they have never heard or seen before. These include a close interaction with the village inhabitants which will be guided by a local, along with participation in their traditional music and dance at night.
Hadzabe Cultural Experience
Spend the day with the Hadzabe people, ancient hunter-gatherers who inhabit the land near Lake Eyasi, a gorgeous soda lake that’s part of the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, and witness their unchanged, traditional way of life and harmony with the earth. Accompanied throughout by a ranger, guests have the opportunity to engage with the Bushmen and learn all about their time-honoured hunting techniques, survival skills, food preparation and cultural norms. A veritable step back in time, this is an undeniably authentic cultural journey into rural Tanzania that reveals the untold world of these charismatic people. Amongst the world’s last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes inhabiting the scrubby bushland, Hadzabe men search for food alone, and return home with golden honey, sweet fruit, or hearty wild game when, and if available. Women go out in large groups and forage for bright berries, baobab fruit, and tubers, depending on availability. In the rainy, wet season, sweet honey is the main staple of their diet along with colourful fruit, tubers, and sometimes meat. |
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Datoga Cultural Experience
Datoga people also known as the Mang’ati in Swahili, are agro-pastoral nomadic Nilotic speaking people living in Singida and Manyara Region of north-central Tanzania near Mt. Hanang, Lake Basotu, and Lake Eyasi. The Datoga occupies, precisely, the areas around the Rift Valley in the regions of Arusha, Sangida, Dodoma, Shinyanga, Tabora and Mara. About 70% are found in the present Hanang and Mbulu district Arusha (Manyara) Region. The Datoga consider themselves the oldest tribe in Tanzania (the Maasai and Bushmen also claim this fame). The Datoga are proud people and are first and foremost fierce warrior’s, known for their stealth ability to eliminate their enemy. Traditionally, young men had to prove themselves by killing an “enemy of the people,” defined as any human being not a Datoga, or one of the dangerous wild animals, such as elephant, lion or buffalo. Other Tanzanians and outsiders consider the Datoga primitive, because they resist education and development. They live in low standards of hygiene, and have high infant mortality. |
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National Museum Dar-es-salaam
The National Museum of Tanzania (NMT) was established as a body corporate under the National Museum Act No.7 of 1980 as a scientific, educational and cultural institution. Its responsibilities are to acquire, research, document, conserve, and display all materials related to Tanzania’s cultural and natural heritage. In preservation of natural and cultural heritage, the National Museum of Tanzania disseminate such knowledge to the public through cultural and education programmes, exhibitions, publications, print and electronic media. The National Museum of Tanzania has been enhancing and expanding its services by opening branches in different regions of the country in order to reach the public. The National Museum of Tanzania is currently instituted by seven museums: Museum and House of Culture and Village Museum, in Dar es Salaam, Natural History Museum and Arusha Declaration Museum in Arusha, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere’s Memorial Museum in Butiama, Musoma, Mara region, and Maji Maji Memorial Museum and Kawawa Memorial Museum in Songea. Ruvuma region. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Red is the most important color; symbolizing courage, bravery, and strength. The Maasai also believe that red scares off predators like lions even at long distances. Red also represents unity within the Maasai culture because livestock are slaughtered when communities come together in celebration.
The Maasai believe in one ominscient god, Enkai (or Nkai). Enkai is not represented by any human-like shape. Instead, he is represented by two colors: red and black. The black god brings rain and thunder to replenish the grazing land.
The Maasai heavily depend on cattle for nutrition. The traditional Maasai diet consists of six basic foods: milk, meat, fat, blood, honey, and tree bark. Both fresh and curdled milk are drunk. Fresh milk is drunk in a calabash (gourd) and is sometimes mixed with fresh cattle blood.
YES! The Maasai are a pastoralist tribe living in Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Their traditional diet consists almost entirely of milk, meat, and blood. Two thirds of their calories come from fat, and they consume 600 – 2000 mg of cholesterol a day.
Marriage in Maasai culture is one of our most important traditional activities. A man has to be married as soon as he undergoes the circumcision ceremony. A Maasai murran is not able to choose whom he is going to marry.
Christianity is the largest religion in Tanzania representing 60% of the total population. There are also substantial Muslim and Animist minorities.
There are approximately 1000 individuals who self-identify as Hadza. Of this total, approximately 300 are nomadic and live a hunting and gathering lifestyle, collecting over 90% of the food that they consume.
The Hadza are hunter-gatherers in Tanzania. Their diet can be conveniently categorized into five main categories: tubers, berries, meat, baobab, and honey. We showed the Hadza photos of these foods and asked them to rank them in order of preference. Honey was ranked the highest.
The Hadza language, called Hadzane by its people, is an endangered language isolate spoken in the region surrounding Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania.
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