Day Trip · 1 days · Private or group
Arusha City and Cultural Walking Tour
Half a day on foot in the town most people only sleep in: the market, the clock tower, the tanzanite trade and the everyday city.
- Duration
- 1 days, 0 nights
- Group
- Private or group
- Activity
- Guided walking tour
- Starts
- Arusha
- Ends
- Arusha
- Best months
- All year.
Almost everyone who comes to Northern Tanzania passes a night in Arusha and sees nothing of it. That is a waste of a good town. It sits under Mount Meru at about 1,400 metres, it is the base for most of the safari industry, and it has a working market that has nothing to do with tourism.
This is a walk, not a drive. Four or five hours on foot with a guide from the town, at the pace of a conversation.
It is the obvious thing to do on an arrival day, before a safari starts. See the rest of our day trips.
Trip highlights
- The central market, where the town actually buys its food
- The clock tower, and why it claims to stand halfway between Cairo and Cape Town
- Tanzanite, which is mined in one place on earth and cut and traded here
- The Maasai craft market, with a guide who can tell you what is worth buying
- A local lunch, if you want one
- A guide from Arusha rather than a script about it
Day by day
Day 1 Morning: the centre and the market
We meet you at your hotel and start on foot. The clock tower, the old colonial and Indian quarters, then the central market, which is the part most people remember. Your guide handles the introductions.
Meals: Optional local lunch
Day 2 Midday: tanzanite, crafts and lunch
On to the tanzanite trade and the craft market, with time to buy or not buy without pressure. Lunch at a local place if you want it, then back to your hotel in the early afternoon.
Meals: Optional local lunch
What is included
Included
- A licensed local walking guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within Arusha town
- All entrance fees on the route
- Drinking water
Not included
- Lunch, unless you ask us to include it
- Anything you buy
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Before you travel
Pickup and meeting point
We meet you at your hotel in Arusha town. Everything on this tour is within walking distance of the centre, with a short drive only if your hotel is further out.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes. A hat and sunscreen, because there is little shade in the middle of the day. A small amount of cash for the market. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket, as in any busy city centre.
Safety
You are walking in a working city with traffic and crowded market lanes. Your guide stays with the group throughout and will tell you where to keep your bag in front of you. Arusha is a normal town and ordinary city sense is all that is needed.
Questions about this trip
Is Arusha safe to walk around?
In the daytime and with a guide, yes. It is a busy town centre, so you take the same care you would in any of them.
Can we do this on the day we arrive?
It is one of the best days to do it. It is short, it is not strenuous, and it puts the place you are staying in context before you leave for the parks.
Is buying tanzanite a good idea here?
Arusha is where it is cut and traded. Your guide will show you the difference between a certified dealer and a street sale, and he will not take you anywhere he earns a commission.
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Book this trip
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