Car hire in Tanzania

Tanzania is a very large country with a small amount of tarmac. The distance from Mwanza to Dar es Salaam is over eleven hundred kilometres, a good part of the northern circuit is gravel, and in the wet season a road that was fine in August becomes something else entirely in April. The vehicle you choose matters far more here than it does in a country where everything is paved.

That is why the fleet is what it is: Land Cruiser Prados, 70-, 100-, 200- and 300-series, Hilux and Ranger double cabs. Full-time 4WD with low range, high ground clearance, long-range tanks on the long-distance cars, and a service book stamped every five thousand kilometres at a certified Toyota workshop. The Alphards, Vellfires, Noahs and Hiaces exist for tarmac, airports and hotels, and we will tell you plainly when one of those is the wrong car for your route.

Mileage is unlimited within Tanzania — there is no per-kilometre meter running in the back of your mind. Every vehicle carries comprehensive insurance and third-party cover as Tanzanian law requires, with an optional excess-reduction waiver at booking if you want to cut your liability further.

Cross-border travel to Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi is possible but has to be arranged before you travel so we can prepare the COMESA insurance and the carnet paperwork. There is a supplement, and we quote it up front.