Iringa day Tours | Iringa Cultural Tourism
High on a cliff overlooking the valley of the small Ruaha River, Iringa – once built by the Germans as a bastion against the local Hehe people – is now a nice base for the southern parks of Tanzania and in particular the Ruaha National Park, the famous Isimila stone age site and the Igeleke rock drawings.
Iringa town is a cool refuge at 1,600 meters above sea level, stretching along the ridges and valleys of the Udzungwa Mountains.
About Iringa Town
Iringa is a pleasant small town in the southern highlands, with a focus on regional agriculture. The streets are quiet and peaceful, and the market offers a colorful scene of traditional African culture. A popular stopping point for visitors to Ruaha National Park.
Historically, Iringa was a centre of colonial administration. During German occupation, the German military constructed the town as a fortified defense against marauding Hehe tribal warriors intent on driving them out of the region. Gangilonga Rock, a site just outside of the town, is a legendary spot where the Hehe chief at that time, Chief Mkwawa, met his people and decided on how to fight the Germans. Iringa was also the site of several battles during the First and Second World Wars and the Commonwealth War Graves are located just outside of town.
Day Tours in Iringa
Iringa City Tour
To get a good impression of the town, its surroundings and the sights, a city tour is definitely recommended. Due to the German rule, there are also many interesting buildings that remind you of Germany.
Gangilonga Rock
Gangilonga is the Hehe word for ‘talking stone’. Located just outside the town, the Gangilonga Rock is a legendary place where Hehe’s then chief, Chief Mkwawa, met his people and decided how to fight the Germans.
Igeleke Hills
Igeleke is located around 10 kilometres from Iringa town, so you won’t have to travel far. The Igeleke Hills near Iringa contain famous rock paintings. For travellers, there is an entrance fee of 10,000 Tanzania shillings.
Isimila site
The ‘Isimila stone age site’ dates back to the Stone Age and contains archaeological artifacts, especially stone tools, from human habitation about 70,000 years ago. And the era of Homo erectus about 400,000 years ago.
Mkwawa Museum
Mkwawa Museum, also called the Kalenga Museum, extensively tells the story of the Hehe people and chieftain Mkwawa and their relationships with other peoples. The village of Kalenga is located just outside Iringa Town.
Iringa Boma
The Iringa Boma, is the regional culture-historical museum. Its German colonial architecture combined African, Swahili and European styles. Here you will learn about the customs, traditions and ways of life of the different inhabitants.
Iringa Town Map
Iringa Tours FAQ
Popular hotels in Iringa include Mount Royal Villa and Iringa Sunset Hotel.
Couples who stayed in Iringa have given high ratings to Iringa Sunset Hotel.
The easiest way to get to Ruaha is to fly into one of two airstrips—one is located at the park’s headquarters in Msembe, and one is in Jongomero. Coastal Aviation offers daily flights from Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Selous, the Serengeti, and Zanzibar.
Ruaha National Park is a national park in Iringa – Tanzania
Ruaha National Park is located just south of the central midpoint of Tanzania. The national park encompasses an area of 7,809 square miles (20,226 sq km) making it the largest national park in Tanzania and one of the largest in Africa.
The greater Ruaha landscape holds around a tenth of the world’s lions: it is the second largest lion population left after Selous, and is one of only six lion populations left in the world that still has over 1000 lions.
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