Northern Circuit · Rhino Sanctuary
Tanzania's Quietest Northern Park
Mkomazi spreads over roughly 3,245 km² of semi-arid savannah in the far north-east, sharing an unfenced border with Kenya’s vast Tsavo ecosystem. Red earth, acacia thornbush and the Pare and Usambara mountains behind — on clear mornings Kilimanjaro floats on the western horizon.
It is best known for two conservation programmes: a fenced black rhino sanctuary and one of Africa’s most important African wild dog breeding projects. Add barely any other vehicles and you have the most peaceful park on the northern circuit.
- Black rhino sanctuary and wild dog breeding programme
- Dry-country species you won't see elsewhere in the north
- Views to Kilimanjaro and the Pare Mountains
- Almost no other visitors, even in high season
Good to Know
Mkomazi at a Glance
Wildlife You May Spot
Best Time to Visit
June to October, when the bush thins out and animals concentrate around water.
Size
Around 3,245 km², contiguous with Kenya’s Tsavo — one of the largest protected ecosystems on earth.
Conservation
Home to a black rhino sanctuary and a long-running African wild dog reintroduction project.
Getting There
Roughly 4–5 hours from Moshi or Arusha via Same; usually paired with a Kilimanjaro trek.
- Black Rhino
- African Wild Dog
- Elephant
- Giraffe
- Fringe-eared Oryx
- Gerenuk
- Lesser Kudu
- Zebra
- Eland
- Ostrich
Things to Do
How You'll Explore
Mkomazi is a game-drive park, and the emphasis is on dry-country species and space rather than big cat numbers. The rhino sanctuary can be visited with advance arrangement.
- Game drives through open thornbush and rocky hills
- Rhino sanctuary visits (book ahead)
- Birding for dry-country and migrant species
- Easily combined with a Kilimanjaro or Pare Mountains trip
See the North Without the Crowds
Mkomazi slots neatly onto the end of a Kilimanjaro climb. Ask us how.