About Arusha
Arusha sits in Tanzania's green northern highlands at the foot of Mount Meru, the country's second-highest peak, and it is the undisputed staging post of the northern safari circuit. Nearly every journey to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti begins or ends here, and the town hums with the business of safari — outfitters, coffee farms, curio markets, and light aircraft shuttling to the bush airstrips.
Beyond its gateway role, Arusha rewards a day of its own. The city is a center of Tanzanite trading — the violet-blue gemstone found only in the hills nearby — and its markets and cultural centers showcase Maasai beadwork, Makonde carving, and art from across the country. Coffee plantations climbing Meru's slopes offer tours and gracious lodge stays, and the mountain's forested national park, home to giraffe and colobus monkeys, is minutes from town.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Arusha.
Tour a coffee farm
The volcanic slopes around Arusha grow some of Tanzania's finest arabica. A plantation walk — bean to roast to cup — makes a relaxed first or last day, often right at your lodge.
Shop the Cultural Heritage Centre
Part gallery, part market, this landmark complex gathers carvings, paintings, beadwork, and antiques from across Africa, plus Tanzanite direct from the source hills nearby.
Look up at Mount Meru
Tanzania's second summit rises straight from the edge of town, its forests full of giraffe and black-and-white colobus. On clear evenings, Kilimanjaro floats on the horizon to the east as well.
Micato Journeys That Visit Arusha
| Journey | Region | Days | Next Departure | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Micato Grand Safari | East Africa | 15 | Aug 11, 2026 | $40,150View & Get Price |
| Tanzania Spectacular | East Africa | 10 | Aug 9, 2026 | $20,700View & Get Price |
Every journey is all-inclusive, with 100% guaranteed departures. See full day-by-day itineraries → or call 800-528-9300 for your unadvertised Pavlus price.